Contract with America (Paperback)

~ Republican National Committee (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Now that the word Democrat has become virtually synonymous with arrogant ineptitude and and the inevitable corruptions of entrenchment, everybody in the country will be eager to discover what sort of salvation our new leaders have in store for us. Will Contract with America be the equivalent of Mao's little red book? To be fair, even Republicans have not yet gone that far. They even concede that while "the vast majority of American people" agree with the ideas behind the contract there may be some disagreement over the details. Would they also be willing to concede that this "vast majority" hasn't but the vaguest idea what this contract really is? Well, if anyone wants to know, this little book spells out the contract (four pages), repeats this process in more detail, and for each subject rebuts the "myths" about the plan with "facts." Additional cheerleading and comments by Newt Gingrich fill out the volume. In reality, many will probably agree wholeheartedly with big chunks of the contract, and in some regions of the country this little book could become a hot item, at least for the next few months. Stuart Whitwell

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1st edition (December 26, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812925866
• ISBN-13: 978-0812925869
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #805,240 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Republicans Can Save America!, August 9, 2001

By	Brian (Cleveland, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

In 1993, Democrats, with the help of Vice-President Gore, passed the largest tax increase in America. Through 1993, and 1994, there was no success with these tax hikes. Fortunately for America, Newt Gingrich and an overwhelming majority of Congressional Republicans were elected into office in November of 1994. What the recipe to the Republican's success? This book. As oppose to pork barrel spending, and double talk, Republicans sent a clear vision to the people, showing what they wanted and how it would get done. This was more than a mere election promise, it was the best way to renew America from the tight grip of the Clinton Administration. It worked. Within the first 100 days of the new Republican majority, 9 of the 10 points published in this contract were passed by the House. The Republican's promise to live up to their vision, and make the Contract happen is probably what has enabled them to maintain the leadership in the House and Senate. (The population of Vermont did not vote on whether or not Sen. Jeffords should switch political parties.)This book is the key to the Gingrich Revolution and should be in the hands of all conservatives!

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legislation for a stronger America, October 10, 2000

By	ray (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Within this book are ideas that have helped make America a better place in terms of the economy, crime reduction, welfare reform, and improving conditions for families. I'll admit Newt Gingrich is not going to win the character of the year award, but his treatise, along with approval from his fellow Republicans, was a stepping-stone to ensure that wasteful, inefficient liberal spending was ended and fiscal responsibility was integrated. Because of this, we enjoy the budget surpluses of today.

Unfortunately, not all parts of the Contract were signed into law, but what did get signed clearly shows in what it set out to accomplish. Gingrich takes on many issues like budget deficits, welfare, crime, family issues, judicial affairs, the size of government, and job creation and offers commons sense ideas on how to either improve in these areas or solve these burdens on the American people. He gives hypothetical myths and answers with actual facts, and how the Contract was not some kind of political stunt or way to win voters. It was a necessary collection of ideas that stress personal and fiscal responsibility, limited government, liberty, and safety at home and abroad. It also preaches the need to end modern liberal spending pracices and return to more sensical limits to government's scope and power. Luckily for America, the Contract started the ball rolling to clean up government and give more voice to the people who desire the power to fix America's problems.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Blueprint for Americas Future, December 23, 1999

By A Customer

Every political party that wishes to guide America's future should be required to assemble a treatise such as this. The Contract with America is a bold and fresh plan for dealing with the problems that plague us -over-taxation, over-regulation, poverty, welfare, failing public schools, violence, budget deficits, and an out-of-control legal system. Many of these problems have been around for decades, with most attempts to resolve them rooted in the liberal philosophy of government knows best. Yet, after forty years of liberal experimentation and spending trillions of dollars, the only real change is that we now have a horrendously oversized federal bureaucracy with a price tag that stifles economic growth. The Contract with America recognizes the failure of the liberal tax-and-spend philosophy and realizes that it is time to try a new approach. The Contract provides the essential plan for dealing with these core problems/issues, except the solutions are rooted in a conservative philosophy where maximum freedom and individual responsibility are at the core. This book is must reading for conservatives who wish to look into the mind of perhaps this country's most brilliant conservative visionary, Newt Gingrich. Liberals should probably also read this book in order to dispense with the myths and misinformation that they have accepted wholesale from a media biased against the conservative ideas contained in The Contract.