Conservatism & the Reagan Revolution (Chapter 29 Pt 1)

Background: From New Deal Dominance to 1970s Disillusionment

• 1930s–1960s: Democrats = majority party, identified with liberalism, large federal role, New Deal + WWII + post-war boom seemingly validate activist government.
• 1970s economic shocks (“stagflation”):
  • High inflation ($\text{CPI} \uparrow$), low growth (< $3\%$ annually), wage stagnation.
  • Oil crises (1973, 1979) amplify price spikes.
• Public begins doubting government competence → ideological shift from liberalism to conservatism.

Rise of the Sunbelt

• Geography: Southern & southwestern tier—FL, GA, TX, AZ, CA.
• Demography (1970–1980):
  • Rust-belt states NY, PA, OH, MI lose population (green on map).
  • Sunbelt states gain (orange/red).
• Drivers
  • Widespread air-conditioning + inexpensive suburban housing.
  • Federal inputs: interstate highways, military bases, defense contracts.
  • Business-friendly policies: no/low state income tax (TX, FL), anti-union climate.
• Political culture: low taxes, small gov’t, evangelical religiosity (Bible Belt), tight military ties → conservative voting blocs.

The Modern Conservative Movement (3-Legged “Stool”)

1. Free-market economics — low taxes, deregulation.
2. Traditional morality — opposition to abortion, feminism, gay rights.
3. Anti-communism — strong defense, militant patriotism.

• Emotional catalyst: fear of rising violent crime (mid-1960s–mid-1990s spike).
  • NYC murders: $2{,}300$ (1990) vs $\approx400$ today.
  • Pop-culture reflections: Dirty Harry (1971), Death Wish (1974) lionize vigilante justice.

Tax Revolt: California Proposition 13 (1978)

• Property-tax increases provoke “mad-as-hell” campaign.
• Prop 13 passes with $\approx70\%$ YES → caps assessments & hurts local revenue.
• Sparks similar measures nationwide; cements “Republicans = party of low taxes.”

Social-Issue Flashpoints

Feminism & ERA

• Equal Rights Amendment clears Congress (1972); needs $38$ states.
• Ratifications stall at $35$ after STOP-ERA campaign (Phyllis Schlafly). Arguments: draft women, weaken alimony/child-support, threaten family roles.

Gay Rights Backlash

• Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children” (1977) overturns Miami anti-discrimination law. Frame: homosexuality = immoral choice, recruits children.
• California Prop 6 (Briggs Initiative, 1978) would fire gay teachers + ban positive speech. Defeated after Harvey Milk leads NO campaign.
  • Milk assassinated 1979; killer receives only $2$-year sentence → illustrates cultural hostility.

Anti-Communism: “Glue” of Conservatism

• Combines free-marketers (oppose socialist economics) + religious right (oppose atheistic regimes).
• John Birch Society = mass grassroots network.
• 1970s perception of U.S. losing Cold War:
  • Fall of South Vietnam (1975), communist gains in Angola, Ethiopia, Nicaragua.
  • Detente viewed as failure → hunger for assertive leadership.

Ronald Reagan’s Path to Power

• Early life: Dixon, IL; alcoholic father, devout mother → optimism + storytelling.
• Hollywood actor (1930s–50s) → Screen Actors Guild leader → TV host.
• Political conversion: New Deal kid → conservative spokesman for GE.
• CA Governor (1967–75): wins on anti-hippie/anti-Black-Panther message; pragmatic—signs no-fault divorce (1969) & therapeutic-abortion law (1970).
• Narrow primary loss to Ford (1976) positions him for 1980.

Election of 1980

• Context: inflation, Iranian hostage crisis, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
• Reagan’s persona: “Happy Warrior,” exudes optimism; dodges Goldwater-style “extremist” label.
• Landslide win; repeats in 1984.

Reagan’s Governing Philosophy

• Inaugural mantra: “Government is not the solution…government is the problem.”
• Priorities hierarchy:
  1. Cut taxes & regulation (Reaganomics).
  2. Build military (anti-communism).
  3. Social issues—low priority, symbolic rhetoric.
• Political skill: “Great Communicator” leverages TV; simplifies complex policy.

Domestic Policy & Reaganomics

• Economic Recovery Tax Act (1981):
  • Top marginal rate ↓ from $70\%$ → $50\%$ (later $28\%$ by 1986). Current ≈ $35\%$.
  • Supply-side theory: tax cuts spur investment (“trickle-down”).
• Deregulation of energy, transportation, finance.
• Spending:
  • Small trims to anti-poverty programs; no cuts to Social Security/Medicare/food stamps → federal outlays remain ~$(22\text{–}23)\%$ of GDP (level, not shrinking).
• Political effect: halts expansion of welfare state; makes big-government liberalism suspect.

Cultural Politics of Wealth

• 1980s celebrate affluence: Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous, yuppies, designer brands.
• Film “Wall Street” (1987): villain/anti-hero Gordon Gekko proclaims “$\text{Greed is good}$,” mirrors revived Social Darwinism.

Foreign Policy: Two Phases

1. Peace Through Strength (Term 1)

• Defense budget soars ($\uparrow40\%$ real increase).
• Strategic initiatives: B-1 bomber revival, MX missile, “Star Wars” SDI proposal (1983).
• Covert aid to anti-communists (“freedom fighters”): Contras (Nicaragua), Mujahideen (Afghanistan).
• Rhetoric: labels USSR “evil empire” (1983) – pop-culture infused.

2. Strength Through Peace (Term 2)

• Soviet turnover → Mikhail Gorbachev (1985) introduces glasnost (openness) & perestroika (restructuring).
• Summits: Geneva ’85, Reykjavik ’86, Washington ’87 (INF Treaty eliminates all intermediate-range nukes), Moscow ’88.
• Reagan softens language; publicly denies “evil empire” label in Red Square (1988).
• Strategy: encourage reform to hasten communist collapse—proved prescient (Berlin Wall falls 1989; USSR dissolves 1991).

The 1980s: Bright Spots & Shadows

• Optimism rebound: national pride, booming stock market, tech advances (PC revolution).
• Social ills:
  • Homelessness spikes (cuts to mental-health funding + housing costs).
  • Farm crisis: high interest rates, foreclosures.
  • Crack-cocaine epidemic → violent crime, mass incarceration.
  • AIDS crisis: > $1\text{ million}$ U.S. cases/deaths by early 1990s; initial federal inaction.
  • Family change: divorce rate peaks (≈$50\%$ of marriages), teen pregnancy high.

Limits & Contradictions of Reagan Era

• Religious right gets symbolic nods (e.g., “Just Say No,” School Prayer amendment push) but little substantive policy.
• Federal deficit balloons (tax cuts + defense $\uparrow$, spending cuts modest) → national debt triples $\to\$2.6\text{ trillion}$ by 1988.
• Iran-Contra scandal (1986–87): covert arms sales to Iran, illegal funds to Contras; stains administration but public popularity endures.

Legacy & Historical Impact

• Ideological realignment:
  • “Liberal” becomes pejorative; Democrats rebrand “progressive.”
  • 1990s Clinton era: “The era of big government is over.”
• Government size stabilized; long-term ceiling on welfare expansion until 2020s.
• Cold War end credited (partly) to Reagan-Gorbachev diplomacy + Soviet systemic woes.
• Cultural imprint: enduring valorization of free markets, entrepreneur worship, patriotic imagery.
• Conservative coalition (economic + religious + hawkish) remains GOP core, though post-Cold-War cohesion tested.

These notes compile the factual narrative, conceptual frameworks, cultural references, numerical data, and long-term implications surrounding conservatism’s ascendance and Ronald Reagan’s presidency, forming a self-contained study guide to Chapter 29, Part 1.