The American Yawp Chapter 29 The Triumph of the Right

George Wallace

Ran for president advocating segregation, criticized the government and civil rights appealing to white working-class angry about civil rights.

Origins of the Religious Right

Grew in response to cultural change pushing for moral laws and political power. United thorough topics like abortion and traditional family values

Woman in the Conservative Movement

Women who didn't support feminism, ERA, abortion, and gay rights. They believed women should be mothers like a traditional family

Jerry Falwell

Preacher who founded the Moral Majority supporting conservative causes and candidates. Pro-life, pro-family, and pro-America

Tax Exemptions for Religious Schools

Conservatives backed "racist" Christian schools when the IRS said that if they didn't integrate black students they would lose tax-exempt status so they would have to pay taxes.

1980 Presidential Election

Ronald Reagan won the election as a conservative outsider promising lower taxes, smaller government, and a tougher stance on communism

Ronald Reagan

Promoted conservative values, he was the symbol of the New Right, and created Reaganomics

Reaganomics

The idea that if the government gave big tax cuts to the rich, the money would "trickle down" and help everyone but it just made the rich richer and cut money from programs that helped others.

Racial Diversity

Black Americans gained more visibility and political power but poverty and unemployment stayed high and Reagan's policies hurt minority communities.

Finance

The government reducing rules for banks led to risky banking and Wall Street Speculations causing the savings and loan crisis and big stock market crash

Popular Culture in the 1980s

TV, MTV, video games, and consumerism exploded reflecting conservative values and consumerism but some pop culture was criticized for being anti-Christian

Women in the Workforce

More women worked outside the house than inside it and began to make gains in politics but they still faced challenges around abortion and family roles.

Abortion

A major issue with conservatives trying to limit it while others fought to keep it legal

AIDS

A deadly disease that hit gay and minority communities hard and since the government was slow to respond local groups too action to raise awareness.

The US in Central America

Reagan supported anti-communist groups (even violent ones) leading to controversy and human rights issues.

Nuclear Arms Policy

Reagan built up the US military and called the USSR an "evil empire" sparking protests, while also pushing for missile defense.

Iran-Contra

The US secretly sold weapons to Iran and used the money to fund rebels in Nicaragua breaking the law and hurting Reagan's image