It's not enough to win short-term political victories these days... the abortion debate alone is enough to prove that change-makers want their changes to last.
It's a constant theme in American history; factions of society want their viewpoint solidified and the other side's discounted.
Paul Starr, professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton, explores the concept in his book Entrenchment: Wealth, Power, and the Constitution of Democratic Societies. Listen for a bit of history mixed in with current political events.