Chapter 30 The Revival of Conservatism, 1980-1992

1. Chapter 30The Revival of Conservatism, 1980-1992 The American People, 6th ed.

2. The Conservative Transformation

3. The New Politics • The adaptation of conservatism was not limited to America, it was a world-wide phenomena in the 1980s • Conservatives seized on Thomas Jefferson’s maxim: “Government is best that governs least” • The conservative philosophy had enormous appeal and covered a broad political spectrum

5. Conservative Leadership • Ronald Reagan, running against Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election personified the conservative ideal • His eight years as president saw a return to nationalism and consistently high approval ratings for the executive office • In 1988 Reagan’s Vice President, George Bush, captured the White House and continued the policies of his former boss

7. An End to Social Reform

10. Civil Rights • Republican policies slowed the civil rights movement • Regan opposed busing and worked to eliminate affirmative-action programs • Women fared somewhat better with high-profile nominations within the federal government

11. The Environmental Movement • Public policy of the 1980s and early 90s were discouraging to environmentalists • The federal government consistently leased forest lands, wilderness areas, and coastal waters for economic exploitation with little concern for the future

12. Economic and Demographic Change

13. The Changing Nature of Work • Technological advances, primarily in the field of automation, had significant impact on the workplace • Less people were needed for production jobs and had to retrain for the growing service industry based on computers • Although work became less labor intensive, Americans worked longer hours

15. Workers in Transition • The trade union movement, always and integral part of American business, faltered as the economy changed to a service-based system • Increases in women and young people in the workforce eroded unions even more • Farmers were also hurt as growing consolidation meant fewer farms

20. Foreign Policy and the End of the Cold War

21. The End of the Cold War • Gorbachev’s vision of a restructured and modernized Soviet Union met with aggressive opposition; he was overthrown in 1991 • Boris Yeltsin, president of Russia, was powerless to stop the emerging nationalism of the former satellite states of the U.S.S.R • Communist regimes throughout Europe crumbled, seemingly overnight, and the Berlin Wall was finally dismantled