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The Resurgence of Conservatism

Explore the roots of the Conservative Movement through figures like Barry Goldwater and Milton Friedman. Witness the rise of the Religious Right and the transformative Reagan era, marked by economic policies, Cold War tensions, and international conflicts.

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The Resurgence of Conservatism

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  1. The Resurgence of Conservatism 1980-2000

  2. Conservative Movement Roots • Barry Goldwater The Conscience of a Conservative

  3. Three-Legged Stool of New Conservatism • Anticommunism • Free-market economics • Religious traditionalism

  4. Free-market Practices Milton Friedman (Nobel Prize, U of Chicago) Friedrich von Hayek Fought against “the despotic aspects of egalitarianism”

  5. Religion • “Fourth Great Awakening” • 1970s and 1980s • Roots w/ Billy Graham (40s/50s) • Newsweek • 1976 – “Year of the Evangelical” – 34% • Falwell, Robertson, Bakkers

  6. I. The Religious Right • 1979- Moral Majority- Jerry Falwell, conservative causes • “Goldwater was too liberal” • Answer to radical movements of 60s & 70s

  7. A. The Election of Ronald Reagan, 1980 • FDR was his hero- both charismatic • Communism & acting- changed party, neo-conservative • Questioned welfare programs • Election of 1980 • 489-49 • Iranian hostages freed

  8. Carter’s “Malaise” Speech “It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the every heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social & political fabric of America.”

  9. Democratic Challenger • Ted Kennedy • Haunted by Chappaquiddick

  10. “Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his.” • -Ronald Reagan

  11. “The Great Communicator”

  12. Reagan’s Background • Supported FDR • “…The Democratic Party left me...” • Former president of SAG • Root out the Reds

  13. B. The Reagan Revolution • Balance budget, cut welfare, cut taxes • Helped by Republican controlled Congress &”boll weevils” • March 30, 1981- assassination attempt

  14. C. The Battle of the Budget • Huge cuts in Great Society • Tax cuts & “supply side” economics • Criticisms- for wealthy, hurt poor • Income gap widening, standard of living lowering • “yuppies” • Budget didn’t stay balanced- military expenditures- 2 trillion on defense

  15. Government De-Regulation Airlines Oil and gas Long distance phone service Interstate bus Ocean shipping

  16. Supply-Side Economics (Reaganomics) • Economic Recovery Tax Act (ERTA) – 1981 • David Stockman • Reagan’s Budget Director

  17. 1st term- hard line against USSR New “defensive” arms race with SDI- Star Wars Force the Soviets to negotiate arms limits Peace talks stalled in Sept. 1983 1980 boycott of Moscow Olympics 1984 boycott of LA Olympics D. Reagan Renews the Cold War

  18. Defense Spending “You spend what you need” Military spending ¼ of all federal expenditures during Reagan years

  19. E. Troubles Abroad • Israel & the US (Lebanon) • Sandinistas in Nicaragua- Carter supported them (ignored anti-American rhetoric) Reagan supported the “Contras”

  20. Election of 1984 • “It’s morning in America” • Jesse Jackson

  21. "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience,"  • -Ronald Reagan

  22. F. Round Two For Reagan • Against Walter Mondale & Geraldine Ferraro • 525-13 • Reagan would focus on foreign issues w/ Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev • Glasnost- openness • Perestroika- restructuring

  23. Perceived Threats in Latin America Grenada – 1983 invasion Haiti – 1986, 1991 Guatemala – 1989 El Salvador – 1980-1990 Panama – 1989 – arrest Noriega Nicaragua – Sandinistas in power 1979, Contra opposition

  24. G. The Iran Contra Imbroglio • Hostages in Beirut, Lebanon • Sandinistas still in Nicaragua • Arms sold to warring Iranians in exchange for help getting hostages released

  25. Boland Amendment Passed as early as 1982 – prohibited US from seeking overthrow of Sandinista gov’t 1984 – exposed that CIA had mined Nicaraguan ports Conservatives (including Barry Goldwater) and Liberals upset

  26. Other aid? • North sought new sources of aid to Contras • At least $50 million delivered to Contras • Friendly gov’ts – Taiwan, Brunei, Saudi Arabia • Wealthy US citizens • Beer magnate Joseph Coors

  27. Money from arms sales sent to Contras Beirut, Lebanon newspaper published Iranian sources showing a link between arms sales to Iran and hoped-for hostage releases Blame placed on Col. Oliver North & Admiral John Poindexter (resigned)

  28. Iran-Contra Fallout • Lt. Col. Oliver North takes the fall • Pardoned by GHW Bush • Tower Investigation, Special Prosecutor Walsh – 1994 – says probably should’ve been impeached • The “Teflon President” • Coined by Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder

  29. Challenger Disaster Jan 28, 1986 Equipment failure 73 seconds into flight Led to 32 month hiatus in space program

  30. Reagan Doctrine • Announced Feb, 1986 • US would support guerilla fighters against Communist regimes

  31. H. Reagan’s Economic Legacy • Tax cuts for wealthy • Huge military expenditures • Deep cuts in welfare programs • Trade deficits • Mammoth national debt & budget deficits

  32. J. Conservatism in the Courts • Ward’s Cove Packing v. Antonia • Martin v. Wilks • Made proving racial discrimination in hiring more difficult • Webster v. Reproductive Health Services • Planned Parenthood v. Casey • Placed restrictions on abortion

  33. Robert Bork • Appointed by Reagan to Supreme Court • Not confirmed • Joe Biden

  34. Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens' doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the Government, and the doors of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens • -Ted Kennedy

  35. Ending the Cold War? • Reykjavik, Iceland 1986 • Reagan and Gorbachev • Eliminate all nukes? • Gorbachev’s demand – No SDI • Reagan walked out

  36. INF treaty in 1987 • “This treaty represents a landmark in postwar history, be cause it is not just an arms control but an arms reduction agreement. Unlike treaties of the past…it altogether abolishes and entire class of U.S. and Soviet nuclear missiles.” • -Ronald Reagan

  37. “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

  38. 1987 Stock Market Crash • Friday, October Sixteenth • First hundred point Dow Jones drop on a single day in history • By Monday down 508 pts – “Black Monday” • Worse than any day in 1929 • Trillions of $$ lost in hours

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