The Conservative Revolution

1. The Conservative Revolution Ch. 26, Sec. 1, 2

2. Roots of Revolution • Conservative Republican movement grew dramatically with Reagan’s election. • Movement saw beginnings during ___________________. • Conservatives opposed much New Deal regulation, as it increased size, scope, & power of gov’t. • Said US couldn’t afford huge federal spending & budget deficits. • 1934-conservatives formed _____________________. • Pushed respect for _______________________________, importance of _______________________ (do it yourself). • FDR’s Court Packing Plan helped form coalition to oppose New Deal legislation. • Under FDR & Truman, Democrats controlled White House for ______________-.

3. 1952-Ike elected, practiced “________________ ____________________________”. • Accepted basic outline of New Deal, did not cut down size of gov’t. • Grew size of gov’t with creation of _______________ ___________________________________. • 1964-Republican ________________________ ran against LBJ. • Opposed gov’t activism (including social security), federal civil rights laws, antipoverty program; promoted military buildup to oppose USSR. • Many NE Republicans felt Goldwater _____________. • Lost by huge margin to LBJ. • Goldwater strongly supported by Southerners. • Showed that conservative Southern Democrats might cross over to Republican Party.

4. Conservatives shut down during LBJ’s Great Society programs. • 1968-Nixon elected, bringing Republicans back. • Opposed most _______________________________, billions in spending, wanted to cut. • Failed, Congress opposed cuts. • Again, gov’t grew with creation of _______________. • Many felt (rightly) that new programs interfered with private lives, property, business. • Conservatives didn’t like ___________________. • Sex- and drug-promoting rock music, use of illegal drugs, violent protests & riots (lack of law & order). • Opposed birth control pills, hated Roe v. Wade. • Many opposed women’s rights movement.

5. Most conservatives were fine with civil rights movement. • Opposed _________________________________ ____________________ (reverse discrimination). • Many Democrats also opposed affirmative action, busing programs; helped Republicans win elections in 1980s.

6. Reagan Revolution • __________________ was a New Deal Democrat during Great Depression, saw FDR as a hero. • 1930s-40s-While in Hollywood, RR was active in ___________________________, movie union. • Was also active in exposing Communists in Hollywood; earned him death threats, shot at. • By 1950s, RR was conservative Republican. • Felt Democrats letting gov’t get too big, too soft on Communism. • 1950s-joined _______________, hosted tv show, gave speeches across US praising ____________ ____________________________, attacked gov’t regulation, Communism.

7. 1966-RR elected _______________________, later reelected. • Cut back social programs, limited state spending, slight tax increase eliminated CA budget deficits. • Strongly opposed to ________________________ ___________ on college campuses; used National Guard to keep order at UC Berkeley. • 1976-RR ran against _____________________ for Republican nomination, barely lost. • Speeches energized Republicans, made RR household name.

8. Late 1970s-conservative groups formed _____ __________ coalition. • Wanted _________________, less regulation & taxes, cutting social programs, return to more traditional _______________________. • New right strongly backed RR in 1980. • 1980-RR ran against Carter. • RR very funny, witty, had simple message, “____ _______________________________________”. • Made fun of Carter’s ideas, policies. • “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job, A depression is when you lose yours. A recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his.” • When Carter started in on US’ problems-”There you go again.”

9. RR won 51% of popular vote to Carter’s 41%, RR carried 44 states to Carter’s 6. • RR had 489 electoral votes, Carter had 49. • Republicans also gained control of Senate for first time since Ike. • RR and Republican party had clear _________ to carry out their ideas. • Support of the people.

10. Reagan’s First Term • Three main goals: ______________________ _____________________________________ _______________________________________ • When sworn in, went right to work. • Economic program called “_________________”. • Focused on “_____________________________”. • Cutting taxes, especially on job-creators, would encourage business growth, more money in pockets. • 1981-passed 5% tax cut. • 1982-1983-2 10% tax cuts. • 1986-Huge tax reform bill cut taxes at all levels, closed loopholes so all had to pay their share.

11. RR also began major program of _____________. • Continued & expanded Carter’s energy & transportation deregulation. • Cut budgets of most gov’t regulatory agencies (ex-EPA). • RR argued that the more businesses had to spend to meet ________________, the less money they could spend to grow their businesses, hire employees. • RR also challenged _______________. • 1981-______________________________________ __________________________ struck for higher pay. • RR gave the 13,000 strikers 2 days to return to work. • Most didn’t, RR fired them; unions don’t have right to disrupt vital services.

12. RR believed that success came from _______ _________________________. • Opposite of welfare system beliefs-gov’t should help those who can’t help themselves. • Felt gov’t was too ______________________ _______________, began cutting size of gov’t. • Cut public service jobs, reduced unemployment benefits, welfare benefits, reduced spending on food stamps. • Created ______________________ program. • Gov’t would not tell states how to use federal aid.

13. RR called USSR the “________________”, was determined to roll back Communism. • Spent $_____________ on military in 5 years. • Bought new missile systems, new bombers, new missile subs (boomers). • 1983-announced __________________________ ____________, known as ___________________. • Space-based missile defense shield to destroy incoming nukes. • Gov’t would began funding research. • USSR complained that US was being aggressive, called RR a “______________”.

14. US involved in other areas besides USSR under RR. • ___________________ was in a civil war. • 1982-RR sent Marines into capital ___________ to keep peace. • October 1983-Truck bomb blew up Marine barracks, killed __________________________. • Americans demanded we pull out, did in Feb 1984. • Libya, run by ___________________, financed terror attacks on US & Israeli targets in Europe. • RR ordered airstrikes on Qadaffi in 1986, no more problems.

15. US also fought Communism in Americas. • Paid ___________________ $1 million/day to help resist takeover by Communist guerrillas. • 1983-Military coup in ___________________ installed Communist-friendly gov’t. • RR sent in troops to protect medical school with US students, overthrew gov’t, oversaw free elections.

16. Right after he took office, US experienced worst recession since Great Depression. • Very brief, only lasted 1.5 years. • RR’s tax cuts quickly stimulated economy, ended recession, economy grew dramatically. • Even though RR promised reduced spending, balanced budget, no deficit, deficit grew during 1980s. • Due mainly to military spending, aid to countries resisting Communism.