What's the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America

Thomas Frank’s What’s the Matter with Kansas? confronts the central political paradox of modern America: why do millions of ordinary citizens, particularly in the heartland, fervently vote for a conservative movement whose economic policies systematically disadvantage them? Framing this not as mass delusion but as a calculated political achievement, Frank argues that the Republican Party and its allied elites have masterfully executed a "great backlash." This thirty-year project has redirected populist anger over deindustrialization, wage stagnation, and corporate power away from its true causes and onto a caricatured liberal elite defined by cultural and social issues.

Through a sharp, often sardonic analysis of his native Kansas—a state with a radical populist history now known for its conservative fervor—Frank dissects the mechanics of this inversion. He details how the language of class warfare was co-opted. The real adversaries, in this new narrative, are no longer the boardrooms of Wall Street but the lecture halls of Harvard, the editorial offices of the New York Times, and the perceived moral relativism of coastal cosmopolitans. Political energy is thus funneled into battles over abortion, evolution, and national pride, while regressive tax cuts and financial deregulation proceed unchallenged.

The book is both a work of political journalism and a cultural ethnography, painting a vivid portrait of a political landscape where blue-collar patriots recite the Pledge of Allegiance at rallies for policies that will offshore their jobs, and where small farmers vote for an agribusiness agenda that will erase their livelihoods. Frank traces the infrastructure of this movement, from talk radio and think tanks to the strategic funding of figures like the Koch brothers, illustrating how grassroots sentiment is often astroturfed and managed from above.

Its enduring significance lies in providing an essential framework for understanding the political realignments that have defined the 21st century. While focused on the pre-2008 era, its analysis of how cultural identity trumps economic interest remains profoundly relevant for readers seeking to comprehend the enduring appeal of populist conservatism and the fractured nature of the American electorate. It is a crucial text for anyone studying political strategy, the sociology of voting, or the ongoing conflict between economic and cultural politics.

Readers widely praise the book's provocative thesis and incisive analysis, hailing it as an essential key to understanding modern political realignment. Its witty, sardonic prose is frequently cited as a highlight, making complex political mechanics engaging. However, a significant contingent of critics finds its argument reductive, accusing Frank of condescending to the very voters he analyzes and of offering a one-sided explanation that overlooks genuine cultural and moral convictions. The book is acknowledged as challenging and polemical, often frustrating readers across the political spectrum while simultaneously enlightening them.