Unit 1: Post Cold War Era

What do Classical Liberals and Classical Conservatives fear and want?

Liberals

• want: less government, more liberty

• fear: tyranny

Conservatives

• want: law and order

• fear: chaos, mobs, violence, bloodshed

New Left vs Old Left

New

• don’t focus on economy

• wants basic food and housing

Old

• could be labelled as a socialist or communist

Who were the New Left?

• students who can from affluent white families

  • Part of Students for a Democratic Society

    • wanted freedom in the form as participatory democracy

      • expressed through the Port Huron Statement

  • disillusioned

    • don’t want to be like their parents

    • don’t want to have opportunities they don’t want

    • reject being a part of corporate America

    • reject “American Dream“

    • want to do what they want to do

Anti-War Movement during the Vietnam War

• disliked the draft

• too much money/resources spent

  • Americans were poor

  • angry that money is going to war instead of the people

• decisions were being made without public discussion

• losing fate in leaders

  • leaders lying about information of the Vietnam War

Counterculture during the Vietnam War

counterculture = opposite of mainstream culture

• anti-capitalist/anti-consumerist

  • backfired because merch signaling counterculture were sold

• wanted people to live happily

  • music festivals

  • feeding school children

• rejecting corporate America

• drug use

New Social Movements during Vietnam War

• women’s rights

• gay rights

• native american rights

• latino rights

all of these movements followed the methods of the civil rights movement, student protesters, and anti-war protesters

What was Earth Day?

• first Earth Day: April 22, 1970

• Rachel Carson “Silent Spring“

  • use of DDT (pesticide)

    • bad for humans to consume

    • contaminate water resources

  • use government to help with environmental issues

• Clean Air Act

  • government can be involved if it benefits general society

What was the methods of people who want quick change vs gradual change?

Quick

• rebellion

• protest

• riots

Gradual [the change is more longer lasting]

• reform

• working with the system

• use of Supreme Court was supported

What four aspects changed happened while Earl Warren was a Supreme Court Justice?

1) Free Speech

2) Police State

3) Church and State

4) Privacy

How did Free Speech changed while Earl Warren was a Supreme Court Justice?

• you are a criminal if you committed a crime

• you are not a criminal if you have different beliefs

How did Police State changed while Earl Warren was a Supreme Court Justice?

• Miranda Rights

  • upholding accused rights

    • right to remain silent

    • right to have an attorney before interrogation

How did Church and State changed while Earl Warren was a Supreme Court Justice?

• prohibit prayer in public schools

• separation of church and state

How did Privacy changed while Earl Warren was a Supreme Court Justice?

• women and reproductive rights

  • Griswold v. Connecticut

    • it was illegal to give info on avoiding pregnancy (birth control, contraceptives)

    • husband had to give permission for contraceptives

    • case decided that women have the right to make decisions for her own reproductive health and have privacy surrounding that

  • Roe v. Wade

    • allowed abortion

    • overturned today

      • abortion rights depend on state

How was 1968 the “Global Turning Point“

• height of protests, movements, riots (especially surrounding Vietnam)

• younger people are demanding change worldwide

• division about federal law vs state law on choices

  • government making changes to force states to follow these changes

  • conservatives in Southern states want state control NOT federal

• more freedoms, but less order + control (+ more chaos)

  • ie) more drug use and protests

• divide between white vs minorities, men vs women, old vs young etc

• rest of the world don’t have a good reputation of the US because of US losing in Vietnam

What was Nixon and the Reaction of the New Left of the 60s?

• Nixon won by a little bit

• Tapped into fears of American public

  • need of stronger leadership

  • need of law + order

  • people losing trust in leadership

  • Nixon promises to restore leadership

• represents “Silent Majority“

  • referring to how the left has gone “too far“

What caused the rise of Conservatism?

• oil prices gone up

  • people can’t get gas

    • get gas on certain days based on license plate

  • due to relationship with Middle East

• inflation

• unemployment

• economic instability

What is Modern Conservatism?

traditional, don’t like change

wants:

• law + order

• less government regulation on businesses

• less taxes

• less social programs

fears:

• crime

• drug use

• less political/military power

• affirmative action

  • hiring + admitting based on minority status

  • attempt to reverse the affects of power against minority groups

  • critiques that it’s “reverse racism“

    • takes jobs + college admissions away from white people

Who were the Evangelical Protestants and the “Moral Majority“?

• concerned with Roe v. Wade

• wanted Christian Nuclear Family

• emphasized “family values“

• want to reverse Civil Rights Movement’s achievements

• Televangelist: Evangelical Protestants speakers on TVs

Who was Ronald Reagan?

• Ronald Reagan won over Jimmy Carter

• 1st president to divorce and remarry

• was an actor

  • was a president of an actor union

    • became anti-union as a president

• from California down South

• was governor of California

What was Reagan’s support and campaign?

• promised people traditional values and political power

• voted by Evangelical Protestants because they prioritized other issues and could excuse his lack of “family values“

What was Reagan’s economic policies?

• Reaganomics

  • trickle down economy

    • CON: expecting people to do a thing, but then they don’t

  • tax cut for the wealthy in hopes they spend that money on business

    • no money was spent on new business, but instead on luxuries

What was the result of Reagan’s presidency?

• abortion still legal

• state and church still separate

• “War on Drugs“ and investment in prisons

  • led to people with drugs getting arrested

• more women in workplace

• tough on Soviets

  • “Star Wars“ programs

    • missile defense system to protect US from Soviet missiles

• support of dictators during cold war