1943-
U.S. Representative (1979-1998);
Speaker (1995-1998)

Background.

Changing the Nature of Congressional Politics.

Fundamental Change.

New Republican Majority.

Leaving Politics.

The Legacy.

Gingrich brought a new style to American politics—media-savvy, in-your-face, partisan, and ideological. It has become the mainstay of much of the business of Congress, especially in the House; it sparked a national debate about the decline of civility in American political discourse. Furthermore, he was responsible for setting the political agenda that made the Republican Party the majority party in the House after four frustrating decades of wandering in the political wilderness of seemingly perpetual minority status. His Contract with America enjoyed some very real successes, notably in welfare reform, and the issues it raised remain a fundamental part of the American political landscape at the end of the decade.

Sources:

Ed Gillespie and Bob Schellhas, eds., Contract with America: The Bold...