The Conservative Revival

The Conservative Turning Point in American Life

Historical Context and Transition:
    * The period of the $1970\text{s}$ and $1980\text{s}$ marks a significant turning point in American culture and politics.
    * This era witnessed a "conservative revival," shifting the nation away from the dominance of liberalism that characterized the mid- $20\text{th}$ century, particularly the $1960\text{s}$ .
    * Conservatism became a prominent feature of the American landscape during these decades and is argued to have remained in the ascendancy through the present day.
    * While there have been Democratic presidents since then ( $\text{Bill Clinton}$ , $\text{Barack Obama}$ , $\text{Joe Biden}$ ), they are viewed as less "adventurous" or liberal compared to figures like $\text{Lyndon B. Johnson}$ in the $1960\text{s}$ .
Measuring the Shift ( $\text{Roe v. Wade}$ vs. Subsequent Reversals):
* In $1973$ , the Supreme Court decision in $\text{Roe v. Wade}$ removed legal barriers to abortion, representing a peak of liberal influence.
* In $2022$ , the Supreme Court reversed that decision, which serves as a contemporary measure of the growth and sustained presence of conservatism in American life.
Three Pillars of the Lecture:
    1. The two distinct brands of conservatism that constituted the revival.
    2. The $\text{Ronald Reagan}$ presidency of the $1980\text{s}$ as an effort to operationalize conservative values.
    3. The impact of this revival (specifically anti-communism) on the end of the Cold War.

Economic & Social Conservatism

1) Economic

The Idea of Limited Government:
* Economic conservatism centers on support for limited government and a growing hostility toward "big government."
* This grew from a perception in the $1970\text{s}$ and $1980\text{s}$ that government had failed, leading to massive skepticism, anger, and frustration directed at politicians and institutions.
Drivers of Skepticism and Frustration:
    * The Watergate Crisis: This fueled the perception that politicians were self-serving and that the government was a corrupt institution.
    * The War in Vietnam: Represented the first defeat in the nation's history. It created a sense that leaders had led the United States into a "morass."
    * Economic Problems of the $1970\text{s}$ : Since $1945$ , America had enjoyed growing prosperity, but the $1970\text{s}$ saw a sharp downturn.
Stagflation and Wealth Trajectories:
    * Stagflation Definition: A "very unpleasant combination" of high unemployment and high inflation. Normally, these two economic indicators do not rise simultaneously.
    * Impact on Citizens: With more people out of work (or working part-time) and the price of goods increasing, Americans felt a significant loss in spending power. Money did not go as far as it once did.
    * Visual Data (Average Weekly Earnings): A graph showing real average weekly earnings expressed in $2,009$ dollar terms indicates that earnings peaked around $1972$ . Following this peak, there was a clear decline and an "anemic pickup" into the $21\text{st}$ century.
Geographic Centers of Economic Conservatism:
* The West: Known for "cowboy individualism," self-reliance, and the belief that the individual should stand on their own two feet. $\text{Washington D.C.}$ was perceived as physically and ideologically distant.
* The South: Historically skeptical of government power (dating back to debates over slavery and the Civil War). The South's modern skepticism was fueled by federal "interference" during the Civil Rights movement of the $1960\text{s}$ , specifically involving desegregation and voting rights.

2) Social Conservatism (The "New Right")

Foundations of Religious Conservatism:
    * Social conservatism grew from a feeling that the country was heading in the wrong moral direction.
    * It is viewed as a conservative backlash against the social and cultural movements of the $1960\text{s}$ that challenged the status quo.
    * Targeted groups and lifestyles included: $\text{Hippies}$ (free love and drug use), $\text{Feminists}$ (challenging traditional gender roles), $\text{Homosexuality}$ , and general sexual permissiveness.
The Televangelist Phenomenon:
    * Television preachers, or "televangelists," became highly influential in the $1970\text{s}$ and $1980\text{s}$ .
    * They utilized the medium of television to reach millions of viewers and raise millions of dollars for conservative causes.
    * Example: $\text{Jerry Falwell}$ was a prominent figure in this movement.
Goals of Social Conservatism:
    * Restoration of traditional moral values.
    * Opposition to sex education in schools.
    * Opposition to abortion and feminism.
    * Introduction of more religion into public life, such as supporting prayer in schools to "rekindle America's moral values."

Questions & Discussion: Social and Economic Overlap

Question (Instructor): What is $\text{Jerry Falwell's}$ main beef with modern society based on his survey/text?
Response (Student): He blames the newer generation for being "indoctrinated" into a lack of morality via the public school system and the government. He mentions a movement away from traditional mindsets, specifically targeting feminism and homosexuality, and suggests a return to the Bible.
Question (Instructor): Where is this indoctrination coming from?
Response (Student): The public school system, the government (socialism/welfare), and television culture. $\text{Falwell}$ argues the United States has turned its back on God, leading to moral decline.
Question (Instructor): What about the First Amendment's Establishment Clause (separation of church and state)? How does $\text{Falwell}$ handle the " $800\text{-pound gorilla}$ in the room"?
Response (Instructor/Student Dialogue): While the Constitution prevents the government from establishing a religion, $\text{Falwell}$ and social conservatives sought to "thread the needle" by arguing for more religion in public life without necessarily establishing a state church. This was their way of trying to restore moral backbone.
Question (Instructor): Can we see a connection between economic and social conservatives here?
Response (Alexander): Yes, $\text{Falwell}$ is critical of the welfare state. He claims the government taught people that the world "owed them a living" whether they worked or not. This is a critique of big government, aligning with economic conservative goals.
Question (Mason): Why would the South specifically welcome this limited government conservatism?
Response (Mason/Instructor): Because the government made big decisions they disagreed with, like racial equality and Civil Rights legislation that interfered with Southern affairs.

The Reagan Revolution

Ronald Reagan's Background:
    * His rise was once considered odd: he was a movie star and an advertiser for the $\text{General Electric Company}$ .
    * He served as the Governor of $\text{California}$ before becoming the Republican Party's standard bearer in $1980$ .
    * Elected in $1980$ and re-elected in $1984$ .
    * Unlike previous Republican presidents $\text{Dwight D. Eisenhower}$ or $\text{Richard Nixon}$ , $\text{Reagan}$ was much more conservative-minded and sought to roll back the consensus that government was a force for good.
Reagan's Political Philosophy:
    * He used history to argue that America prospered due to small government and individual self-reliance.
    * Famous Quote (1981 Inaugural): "Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem."
    * He aimed to roll back the welfare state established since the $1930\text{s}$ , emphasizing individual freedom consistent with an orderly society.
Operationalizing the Revolution:
    1. Tax Cuts: $\text{Reagan}$ passed the biggest tax cut in US history. This was based on Supply-Side Economics, which argues that tax cuts stimulate economic activity. If businesses keep more money, they reinvest and expand; if individuals keep more, they work harder.
    2. Cuts in Federal Spending: He targeted social programs from the $1960\text{s}$ , such as the food stamp program (now the $\text{SNAP}$ program) and $\text{Medicaid}$ (health care for the poor).
        * Impact: People just around the poverty line lost eligibility or had benefits reduced. This led to a widening gap between the rich and the poor, reversing a narrowing trend that had existed since World War II.
    3. Deregulation: $\text{Reagan}$ reduced government oversight in the banking industry and environmental regulations. He believed a less regulated economy was a "freer" economy and promoted growth by removing government "shackles."
The Budget Deficit Irony:
* Despite cutting spending, $\text{Reagan}$ left office with a huge budget deficit.
* Reasons: He did not cut spending enough to offset tax cuts; he was afraid to cut popular programs like $\text{Social Security}$ (pensions) and $\text{Medicare}$ (medical coverage for the elderly); and he spent massively on a military buildup during the $1980\text{s}$ .

Diplomacy and End of the Cold War

Anti-Soviet Stance:
* Conservatives in the $1980\text{s}$ were fiercely anti-communist. $\text{Reagan}$ used tough, moralistic language, describing the Soviet Union as living in "totalitarian darkness" and as the "focus of evil in the modern world."
* He viewed the $\text{U.S.}-\text{Soviet}$ confrontation as a biblical struggle between good and evil.
Massive Military Buildup:
    * Designed to restore American power post-Vietnam, intimidate the Russians, and reassure allies.
    * Included the development of a new generation of nuclear weapons and a much larger navy.
    * Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI): Nicknamed "Star Wars" by critics. It was a planned space-based defense system using satellites to shoot down Soviet nuclear warheads. While the technology did not exist in the $1980\text{s}$ to make it "leak-proof," $\text{Reagan}$ invested heavily in it.
High Tensions and Popular Culture:
    * The early $1980\text{s}$ was an extraordinarily tense period, with many fearing World War III.
    * Cultural Reflections: TV movies like The Day After; the album War by $\text{U2}$ ; the single "The Russians" by $\text{Sting}$ ; and "Enola Gay" by $\text{Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark}$ ( $\text{OMD}$ ).
    * The Incident of October $1983$ : $\text{Professor Catton}$ shares a personal anecdote from his time as a freshman in $\text{Britain}$ living in old $\text{RAF}$ barracks. A $\text{NATO}$ military exercise caused such commotion (sirens, lights, planes) that students called home to say goodbye, thinking the "balloon was going up" for World War III. Declassified records later revealed the Russians believed the exercise was a real prelude to war and sent ballistic missile submarines under the polar ice caps in readiness.
Ending the Cold War ( $\text{The Great Irony}$ ):
    * Relations went from their worst in the early $1980\text{s}$ to their best since World War II by $1989$ .
    * Mikhail Gorbachev: Became the Soviet leader in $1985$ . He was younger ( $\text{late 40s/early 50s}$ ), more pragmatic, and less ideological than previous leaders (described as "walking zombies").
    * The Debate over Reagan's Success:
        1. Supporters' View: $\text{Reagan's}$ tough diplomacy and military buildup forced the Russians to "blink" because they were being bankrupted trying to keep up.
        2. Critics/Historians' View: Other factors were at play, primarily the rise of a new, more flexible generation of Soviet leaders like $\text{Gorbachev}$ .
    * Personal Chemistry: $\text{Reagan}$ hated "communists in the abstract" but liked and trusted $\text{Gorbachev}$ as a person. $\text{Reagan}$ ignored advisors who claimed $\text{Gorbachev}$ was a fake (famously described by skeptics as "Joseph Stalin in Gucci shoes") and reached out in friendship, effectively ending $40\text{ years}$ of rivalry.