Chapter 28 Resurgence of Conservatism

1. Chapter 28Resurgence of Conservatism

2. Section 1 The New Conservatism • 1970s American politics dominated by Liberals • Conservative ideas began growing in 1970s • Ronald Reagan elected president-1980, a strong conservative.

3. Liberalism • Liberals believe government should regulate the economy to protect people from the power of large corporations and wealthy elites. • Also believe that the Federal Government should give the wealthier people more taxes to help out unfortunate people.

4. Conservatism • Conservatives generally have a fundamental distrust of the power of government, particularly the federal government. • Believe government power should be split up between branches, split between the state and federal levels. • Believe free enterprise system is best way to organize society. • Also, believe that social problems result from issues of morality and character.

5. Conservatism and the Cold War • 1930’s-New Deal- conservatives lost much influence in national politics • Support for conservative ideas began to revive for two major reasons: 1. The struggle against communism revived the debate about the role of the government in the economy. 2. Many Americans viewed the Cold War in religious terms.

6. Conservatives Organize • 1955 - William F. Buckley founded a new conservative magazine called National Review, which revived conservative ideas in U.S. • 1960 - some 90 young conservative leaders met at Buckley’s family estate and founded Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) • Barry Goldwater, a conservative, won the Republican nomination for president, but President Johnson won re-election in a landslide.

7. The Rise of the Sunbelt • American society moved decisively in a conservative direction after 1964 election. • Conservatives in the South voted for Democrats and conservatives in West voted for Republicans. Liberals from the Northeast pulled both parties toward liberal policies. • The movement South and West was called the Sunbelt.

8. Sunbelt Conservatism • Rust Belt- Industry in the Northeast was in decline. • This region had more unemployed people than any other, and its cities were often congested and polluted. • Early 1970’s- “Sagebrush Rebellion”- rebellion against federal environmental regulations limiting ranching, controlling water use, and restricted development of region’s natural resources

9. Suburban Conservatism • 1960’s and 1970’s- many Americans moved to suburbs to escape chaos of cities. • 1970’s-Rapid inflation caused the buying power of average middle-class families to shrink, but taxes still high. • 1978- Howard Jarvis, a conservative activist, launched first successful tax revolt in California (Proposition 13, a referendum on the state ballot that greatly reduced property taxes).

10. The Religious Right • Roe v. Wade (legalized abortion), greatly concerned them. • Supreme Court start limiting praying in schools, also more rights for accused. • Feminist movement and the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) seemed an assault, to the religious right, on the traditional family. • Protestant ministers, such as Billy Graham and Oral Roberts, built national following. • Late 1970s- about 70 million Americans described themselves as “born again” Christians. • Televangelists- Marion “Pat” Robertson founded the Christian Broadcasting Network and Jerry Farwell used his television show The Old-Time Gospel Hour to form the “Moral Majority” movement

11. A New Coalition • The Watergate scandal, high taxes, and special interest politics had undermined many Americans’ faith in their government. • Rising unemployment, rapid inflation and the energy crisis had shaken their confidence in the economy. • Riots, crime, and drug abuse suggested that society itself was falling apart. • Many Americans wanted stability and a return to better times. • For some, the new conservatism and Ronald Reagan offered hope to a distressed nation.