Module 11

The Conservative Element: Politics, Social Reform, and Redefinition (post 1970s)

  1. backlash to liberalism, especially the Great Society
    1. some agitation from groups like the Heritage Foundation and paramilitary groups (fundamentalists), most from centrist religious conservatives
    2. New Right used marketing techniques to promote itself through televangelists
      1. preached message of central beliefs, core Protestantism and Catholicism
      2. wanted repeal of Roe v. Wade, repeal of the ban on prayer in schools, opposed the ERA, opposed gay rights (immorality arguments used), opposed welfare programs that felt spent too much, etc.
      3. flourishing of narcissism and concern with personal growth (carefully mandated within certain norms), also religious cults and “despairing and nihilistic” music or “nostalgia” or “decadent and indifferent”
    3. Moral Majority: pressure group designed to draw away from liberal reform and reinforce traditional family values (as defined by religious conservatives)
      1. led by conservative ministers such as Jerry Falwell and politicians like Pat Buchanan, wanted to create a solid group of conservative voices to counteract turbulent forces in American society–saw destruction of US moral system and its values on the horizon
      2. group called the Christian Coalition was later formed to express those beliefs in politics and use its powerful lobby to sway Congress
  2. Ronald Reagan, Republican (1981-1989): centrist governor of California, appealed to conservative vote and advantage that he wasn’t Carter (whom most Americans either hated or felt was weak) and was well-known, affable and loved America/patriotic
    1. Ronald Reagan’s successful run for the presidency in 1980 marked a conservative shift in American politics and society. It was part of the continued backlash against the upheavals associated with the 1960s, as well as the increasing political involvement of fundamentalist and evangelical Christianity, the rhetoric of militant anticommunism, and the veneration of the free-market economy.
    2. In an effort to stabilize the national economy and reduce federal spending, he cut spending on social programs, cut taxes on wealthiest groups to stimulate economic groups through the “trickle-down effect” and supply–side economics, deregulated much of major corporations and industries like airlines, telecommunications, banking, etc. to encourage competition
    3. Although Reagan failed to translate into concrete policy his beliefs in conservative moral and social goals, his rhetoric nonetheless captured the support of many Americans and revitalized the role of the American president. Reagan had a unique ability to maintain popular support, despite his gaffes and his administration’s errors, and his landslide victory in the 1984 election proved his appeal with the American public. He won with
    4. Reagan’s conservative agenda successfully put liberals on the defensive in the 1980s. African Americans, other racial and ethnic minorities, women, and homosexuals scrambled
      to protect the gains that they had won in the past and secure new rights. Pressure groups, realizing that the federal administration and judiciary would stand against them, pursued their agenda at the local level which, ironically, is where most reform issues had their start only to be recognized later at the national level.
    5. Although Reagan scored important victories in his first term, it became clear by his second term that his economic policies carried a heavy cost, as the U.S. trade deficit soared, investment declined, and the annual deficit and overall debt of the federal government reached astronomical levels. Gridlock in Congress, scandal in the administration, and a temperament that prevented Reagan from launching an all-out effort to secure the most controversial planks of his platform all ensured that the president would fall short of delivering an end to the welfare state.
  3. George H.W. Bush, Republican (1989-1993)
    1. Popular VP for Reagan, won 1988 elections versus Walter Mondale (Dem) with relative ease
    2. His policies continued the conservative track and he was extremely popular with most Americans, particularly after the First Gulf War. In many ways, this war was a triumph for the victims of the liberal generation who had seen such upheaval during the 1960s (as it was limited and few casualties were inflicted on the American military, certainly nothing within the same scope as Vietnam).
    3. As with Reagan, Bush Sr. seemed to capture the American entrepreneurial fighting spirit that conservatives had been fighting to revive, the traditional family values which had seemed to erode in the 1960s and 1970s. In his bid for reelection in 1992, Bush Sr. maintained the conservative stance which had served the nation’s interests for the previous 12 years, yet he lost. Most historians attribute this loss (despite one of the highest approval ratings for a president in US history) to ineffectual campaign leadership and a slow return on recession recovery.
  4. William Clinton, Democrat (1993-2000)
    1. As a reflection of American move toward conservatism, Clinton’s strategy for the 1992 election focused on refashioning the Democratic Party, shunning its past associations with liberal politics in favor of a more centrist image. To counter Bush’s strong conservative backing, Clinton and his running mate Al Gore billed themselves as the “new Democrats” in the election of 1992, in an effort to distance themselves from the Democratic Party of old. In brilliant move conceived by his campaign managers, Clinton and Gore also sought to appeal to young voters with a “”youthful, hip” approach in direct contrast to the previous administration almost staid image.
    2. Clinton recognized that the electorate, weary of the economic woes under the administration of George H.W. Bush, hungered for change but formed no majority around a particular direction that change could take. By projecting himself as a moderate, Clinton capitalized on the desire for change without alienating voters.
  5. “Contract with America“–led by Newt Gingrich, Republican program in 1995 (proposed in 1994 elections)
    1. cut taxes
    2. limit congressional terms
    3. adopt a balanced budget amendment
    4. welfare reform (many conservatives felt undermined work ethic and had become handout–move to “welfare to work” idea)
    5. eliminate affirmative action (many felt not necessary anymore, reasons for it did not exist–challenges in CA, IL, FL)
    6. met with marginal success, widely divergent and failure in the balance budget led to a brief government shut down though it would later be achieved to minor short term success in the late 1990s
  6. From 2001, the conservative movement still maintains its hold on American politics, with the election of George W. Bush to two terms in office. Both electoral victories in 2000 and 2004 demonstrated strong moderate to conservative leanings from the American people. So, while some fundamental issues remain apart ideologically, membership of both leading political parties (Republicans and Democrats) has moved to the centrist position, perhaps the best reflection of the moderate shift in the electorate as a whole. In an age when “liberal” now connotes radicalism, the political spectrum remains wide open for the future. Who knows? Perhaps the next decade or so of elections will see another shift, one in which the moderates are secured for each party but the radical right or left becomes the sought after vote, especially if those individuals who comprise the right and left factions increase in number and power.

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