The Future of the American Right
Free and open to the public. There will be a welcome reception and book signing at 5 P.M.
In the years following World War II, “fusionism” — the dual commitment to individual liberty and moral virtue — became the intellectual foundation of the conservative movement in the United States. But over the last decade, a schism has opened up on the American right. On one side are fusionists who continue to advocate limited government and free enterprise. On the other are those who think conservatives need to get comfortable wielding state power “to reward their friends and punish their enemies.” Where did the fusionist philosophy originate, and why has it seemingly fallen out of fashion in recent years? More importantly, is there hope for a fusionist revival in the post-Trump era? Reason magazine’s Stephanie Slade is one of the foremost chroniclers of these debates. In “The Future of the American Right,” she will draw on her reporting to map out the political landscape and make the case that the fusionist philosophy is as relevant today as it was half a century ago.
Biography
Stephanie Slade is a senior editor at Reason magazine and author of the new book Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right. She covers the political and intellectual debates that have been roiling the conservative movement in recent years. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, America magazine, and many other places. She has appeared on a variety of podcasts, including The Ezra Klein Show and Jonah Goldberg’s The Remnant.
Suggested Reading
Slade, Stephanie. Fusionism: Liberty, Virtue, and the Future of the American Right. University of Notre Dame Press, 2026.
Address
716 Stevens Avenue
Portland, ME 04103
United States