The Rise of Conservatism and the End of the Cold War

Nixon

  • Shifted stances, pledged de-escalation but expanded conflict beyond Vietnam ("Vietnamization").
  • Pentagon Papers leaked in 1971.
  • Pulled out U.S. troops; North invaded South in 1975, unifying the country.

Vietnam War's Legacy

  • Far more casualties in Vietnam (1-3 million) than among Americans.
  • Lingering distrust of U.S. government and military by civilians.
  • Major blow to Cold Warriors’ morale.

Ronald Reagan

  • Popular cowboy actor, SAG president, California governor.
  • "Government is the problem."
  • Supply-side economics.

AIDS Crisis

  • Became a pandemic in the early 1980s.
  • Deaths escalated, peaking around 50,000 a year in the mid-90s.
  • Disproportionately impacted gay communities in urban areas.
  • Treatments and stigma improved when celebrities contracted the disease.

The War on Drugs and Immigration

  • Term popularized by Nixon in the early ‘70s as part of a “tough on crime” campaign.
  • Crime Control Act (1984) introduced federal mandatory minimum sentences.
  • Immigration Reform/Control Act (1986) granted amnesty to “illegal” immigrants and reinforced border security.

Deregulation

  • Reagan appointed Mark Fowler as head of FCC.
  • 1981: Lifted regulation on advertising during children’s programming.
  • 1987: Repealed fairness doctrine.
  • Air Traffic Strike.
  • Tax cuts and increased military spending contributed to recession, then economic boom.

1980s Popular Culture and Consumerism

  • More “apolitical” than the ‘70s.
  • Attempts to reclaim valor from Vietnam.
  • Children’s entertainment expanded dramatically with video games and unregulated cartoons.

Cold Warriors

  • Detente lessened.
  • Invasion of Grenada.
  • Resumed backing international regimes.
  • "Tear down this wall" speech.

1984 Election

  • Reagan (R) won 97.5% of electoral vote and 59% of popular vote against Walter Mondale (D).

The End of the Cold War

  • Premier Mikhail Gorbachev met with Reagan multiple times.
  • Pressure from numerous groups.
  • Open resistance within Warsaw Pact countries spread to its republics.
  • Warsaw Pact dissolved by 1989; USSR dissolved in 1991.

Iran-Contra Affair

  • Transfer of arms, hostages, and funds between U.S., Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Contras in Nicaragua.
  • Damaged the defense department and Reagan's image.

George H.W. Bush

  • Former UN ambassador, director of CIA, VP.
  • Less charismatic than Reagan.
  • Willie Horton ad.
  • Oversaw another economic decline.

1988 Election

  • Bush (R) won 79% of electoral vote and 53% of popular vote against Michael Dukakis (D).

Persian Gulf War

  • U.S. led a U.N. coalition in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
  • Technological superiority led to a rapid victory, "shaking" Vietnam syndrome.

Bill Clinton

  • Long-time governor of Arkansas.
  • Moderate from the South.

1992 Election

  • Clinton (D) won 69% of electoral vote and 43% of popular vote against Bush (R) and Ross Perot (Ind).

Progressive Victory?

  • Clinton was a centrist; actions like NAFTA and bank deregulation were conservative.
  • GOP took both House and Senate in the first midterm after Clinton’s election for the first time in 40 years.