RISE OF CONSERVATISM - History 

Essay : 

• up to and including Reagan

• Intro, thesis analyse 2 docs, conclusions

• so need to know : everything abt reagan and domestic challenges in the US

include in Civil Rights or Economic challenges

The term "New Right" refers to a political movement or ideology that emerged in the latter half of the 20th century, particularly in the United States. The New Right is often associated with conservative or libertarian perspectives.

• New Right, grassroots coalition of American conservatives that collectively led what scholars often refer to as the “conservative ascendancy” or “Republican ascendancy” of the late 20th century. 

• in contrast to the New Left counterculture of the 1960s

• consisted of conservative activists who voiced opposition on a variety of issues, including abortion, homosexuality, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), the Panama Canal Treaty, affirmative action, and most forms of taxation.

• grew rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s, thanks in part to organizations such as Young Americans for Freedom and College Republicans.

  •  shared demographic characteristics (white, middle-class, Protestant,suburban) 

•  were frustrated with a perceived decline in morality during the 1960s and 1970s, including rampant drug use and more-open and public displays of sexuality as well as rising crime rates, race riots, civil rights unrest, and protest movements against the Vietnam War. 

• New Right conservatives often blamed the nation’s ills on liberalism, which they saw as contributing to the mismanagement and corruption of the federal government.

What we identify as conservatism today found its roots in the 1920s. Policies already existed then, so the movement was not created out of nothing. However, those were top down actions and the conservative movement began in the 1950’s, in reaction to Dwight D Eisenhower’s policies as he had a modern vision of being a Republican. 

The conservatism movement focused on traditional values and on keeping America as it was.

But first, here are some of the elements that we identify with conservatism today:

A call for lower taxes, limited government regulation of business and investing, a strong national defense, and individual financial responsibility for personal needs (as retirement income or healthcare coverage). Since the 1970s, conservatism has also become identified with evangelicalism, which is the belief in reliance on the Bible as the primary source of knowledge and morality.

There are two different viewpoints on the roots of modern conservatism in the U.S.:

1.) The first holds that conservative elements raise their voices following times of massive intervention by the federal government: following WWI, the New Deal and WWII, the Great Society and the election of Barack Obama and his bailout for the banking and auto industries This point of view views conservatism, therefor, as a backlash to federal intervention at these moments in modern U.S. History. ⇒ backlash to liberal policies 

2.) Another viewpoint holds that conservatism is the bass continuum in U.S. History, and that the above events are all exceptions to that.

Both cases can be well-argued. We will look at conservatism from the point of view of the first viewpoint, however.

Conservatism before WWII : 

Prior to WW2 and following WW1, there is conservative influences in the U.S.’ society, economics and politics, but we really cannot speak of a self-identified and unified movement. For instance : Harding's election in 1920 with his promise of a "Return to Normalcy", which hinted at ending war-time regulations as " The business of America is business!". This meant lowering taxes through the trickle down theory, it was pro-big business at the expense of labor unions and aimed at limiting the role of government as "the best government is little government". These are top down actions. The "red scare" of the 1920s also foreshadows the "evil empire" of the 1980s under Reagan. Evangelicalism (emphasizing salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual) was not a political force but they were strongly behind the teaching of creationism in schools as an alternative to evolution and they supported prohibition. 

In the inter-war years, evangelicals were more focused on revivalism rather than national politics. In fact, it was ministers should not be involved in politics, but aimed at “convert the soul and save the nation” 

Post-War conservatism :

Following WW2, conservatism began to be more central in the Republican party. This was clear in the 1964 presidential race when Barry Goldwater was the Republican candidate. Conservatism was apparent in many, but still dis-unified ways. Many people identified it with the extremism of the McCarthy era. "Modern Republicans" like Ike, tried to distance themselves from this. Ike was a Republican, Ike but still expanded some New Deal programs, like the social security and increased the minimum wage. He was also willing to pursue a thaw in relations with the USSR. He believed a President should be a moderator between the left and the right. In the 1950s, major church groups remained on the political side-lines, and focused on fostering christian values and traditional family structures. 

Conservatism as a movement

1955 was a big year for the beginning of conservatism as a national movement. William F. Buckley, Jr launched a magazine called the National Review to develop conservatism into an ideology that could shape the national debate on important issues. Buckley tried to bring together libertarians, conservatives. and anti-communists. Buckley backed Joe McCarthy but distanced himself from white supremacists and anti-Semites.

Beginning in 1966 and going to 1999, Buckley hosted a conservative talk show called "Firing Line". He was also a syndicated columnist and appeared in 140 newspapers. He realized the role of the media was crucial and began forming a grassroot movement.

Buckley wanted a conservative voice to be heard on college campuses so in 1960 he helped to start the Young Americans for Freedom. Buckley wanted YAFF to be able to compete with the liberals attitudes of the SDS (Students for democratic Society) for instance.  

1958 marked the founding of the John Birch Society by Robert Welch. He was militantly anti-communist and against the civil rights movement. The Birch Society became the template for establishing a national organization with a tightly controlled message. This led to the "New-Right Network" of conservatism in the 1970s.

Barry Goldwater and the 1964 Presidential campaign : 

1964 was a watershed year for conservatism with the nomination of Senator Barry Goldwater over Nelson Rockefeller, a liberal republican. His positions in the campaign against LBJ were : "roll-back" policy against communism, he was against the power of unions and against the welfare state of the Great Society. He wanted to eliminate large programs like Social Security. He opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as an infringement on state's rights.

YAFF got grass-roots support for Goldwater's nomination. In his acceptance speech at the convention, Goldwater declared "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." His slogan was " In your heart, you know he is right". The Democrats responded by saying "In your guts, you know he's nuts!". Goldwater lost in a landslide to LBJ but his campaign defined what conservative values are. He put conservative movement on the national stage as the 1st conservative candidate. In the long run, his movement didn’t lose. 

In the long-term, the election meant that all subsequent Republican candidates would have to deal with the conservatives in the party. For example, Richard Nixon sought the endorsement of Goldwater in the 1968 campaign, and picked a conservative, Spiro Agnew, as his running-mate. The importance of a grass-roots campaign to motivate the conservative constituency took hold, and led to the creation of the new-right network of the 1970s. This network was made up of conservative lobbying groups and the idea of direct mailing to mobilize people around single-issue groups like the NRA (National Rifle Association) and The Right to Life. Direct-mailing was also meant to counter the liberal media.

One of the most important groups of the new-right network was a political organization founded in 1979 by Jerry Falwell called The Moral Majority. It used direct-mailings, rallies, and tele-evangalists to mobilize conservatives in the U.S. to support office-seekers who supported their social conservative agenda. It is the Moral Majority that made the "religious right" or Christian right" a part of the American political scene, and it became associated with the Republican party. It was anti-LGBT, anti-abortion, and promoted traditional family values. 

Ronald Reagan : 

(1981-89) 

Known as the “Great Communicator” → straight forward addresses But 1 worst presidents: disengaged manager 

Ronald Reagan and the Reagan Revolution :

Reagan is the template for conservative Republicans. The early seventies saw a backlash to the Great Society, especially with the affirmative action program which integrated racial minorities. Moreover, a couple of Supreme Court decisions fed into the conservative movement, following the ruling on the unconstitutionality of school prayer in 1971, and Roe v. Wade in 1973 which allowed abortion for women. Former Governor of California Ronald Reagan was able to capitalize on the malaise of the Carter presidency and present his conservative vision of "Morning in America". 

Reagan was strongly anti-communist : testified as a "friendly witness" as President of the Actors' Guild in Hollywood in front of McArthy's House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA). He was anti-Union and fired 11K air-traffic controllers after they went on strike and didn’t return. He wanted to export American-style democracy unilaterally and was against international organizations. He also aimed to build up the military and came up with the strategic defense initiative. Reagan came to office facing "stagflation". He went back to the trickle down theory, right after tax revolts throughout the country. This became known as Reaganomics, which greatly benefitted the rich by cutting the tax-rate from 70% to 28%-- at the expense of the middle class. He was for the deregulation of certain industries, but not steel. He was against big government : "Government is not the solution to our problems, Government IS the problem". 

He was a social conservative and pro-life. He was also pro-school prayer, pro-family and anti gay. Reagan was against government spending for AIDS research and said it was a punishment from God. He had the full support of the evangelicals. Reagan gave his "evil empire" speech in 1983. Like Trump, he was able to appoint 3 justices (O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy). However, only Scalia was reliably conservative as it turned out. Indeed, O’Connor was the 1st woman Justice and was pro-choice. Ronald Reagan won in a landslide victory over Jimmy Carter and re-aligned American politics in doing so. A new category of voter, a Reagan Democrat, is part of the definition of 'the Reagan Revolution"

Resurrected the Cold War 

→ Like Carter (in sense) looked @ world as moral place: on mission from God (Mother Theresa in hospital after assassination attempt) 

→ USSR= “evil empire”: Christian self-righteousness good v bad 

→ Negotiate peaceful relations but from position of strength 

Economy: 

- “supply-side economics”: lower taxes → more gvt revenue bc ppl buy/invest more 

- Raise Military spending 

“Reaganomics”: “Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the problem” 

Csq presidency: 

→ Ppl have notion he brought end cold war but role = overblown, just luck would coincide w/ presidency Gorbashev 

→ Social and economic policies among worse in Am history: 

- Budget debts tripled under RR 

- Eco policies benefited the rich at the expense of the poor 

→ Defined conservative presidency

Key characteristics of the New Right :

Under Reagan, "the Three Leg Stool" — the three legs being social conservatives (consisting of the Christian right and paleo-conservatives), war hawks (consisting of interventionists and neoconservatives), and fiscal conservatives

1. Emphasis on Free Market Economics: New Right proponents often advocate for limited government intervention in the economy, emphasizing free-market principles and deregulation.

2. Social Conservatism: The New Right tends to promote traditional values and social conservatism, including opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and other social changes seen as contrary to traditional norms.

3. Nationalism and Patriotism: Many New Right movements and figures emphasize nationalism, often with a focus on protecting national sovereignty, securing borders, and promoting national identity.

4. Anti-Communism: Historically, the New Right emerged during the Cold War era and was characterized by strong anti-communist sentiments.

5. Critique of Liberalism and Progressivism: The New Right often criticizes liberal and progressive ideologies, advocating for a return to what they see as traditional values and institutions.

6. Emphasis on Individual Rights and Freedoms: While the New Right emphasizes individual liberties, it often does so within a framework that prioritizes personal responsibility and self- reliance.

7. Support for Strong Defense and Law Enforcement: New Right proponents generally support robust national defense policies and law enforcement measures, often emphasizing the importance of maintaining order and security.

8. Skepticism of International Institutions: The New Right tends to be skeptical of international organizations and agreements that they perceive as infringing upon national sovereignty.

It's important to note that the specific beliefs and priorities associated with the New Right can vary across different contexts and regions. Additionally, the term "New Right" is sometimes used interchangeably with terms like "conservative movement" or "right-wing populism," though there may be nuances that distinguish these concepts from one another.

Neoliberalism : subset of the new right = Economic part → free market, economic deregulation