Election of Reagan
6
1940s and 50s
bipartisan foreign policy
blurred party dividing lines
Liberals
beleived federal gov. should be very active
picked up as civil right and activist issues began to appear on national stage
protect rights of minorities and women
cooperation with international organisations and UN
conservatives
not very popular at the time
agreed with liberals in some aspects but differed in many things too
few conservative pres. in last few years and lost many votes after Barry Goldwater lost
liberalism loses appeal
counter culture
distanced white conservative Christians
distanced southern Americans and mid westerns
democratic party unravels
polarizing issues= first priority
vietnam
urban riots
loss of trust in gov.
watergate
Iran hostage crisis
reasons Reagan won
electoral votes
electoral votes are given "winner takes all" basis
won 50.6% of pop. vote and 90.9% of electoral
time for choosing speech
won by landslide
motivated many conservatives
won over lots of admiration
religion became popular and widespread
moral majority: political organization working to fulfill religious goals
2 mil. more voters
reached to Americans who normally didn't participate in political process
personality
convinced Americans he would bring new era of prosperity and patriotism
optimistic
more charismatic and polished than Goldwater
even-temmpered communicator skills (showed before debate
ideas and goals of conservatism
types of conservatives
warned about leaving traditional values for new freedoms from counterculture
traditionalists
neoconservatives
Milton Friedman (conservative economist) and wife Rose Friedman wrote free to choose
state gov. over federal
criticized "throwing money" at social problems
reduce taxes and limit gov. regulation of industry for economic growth
anticommunism
fought SALT II
questioned detente
focused on dangers posed by USSR
rise of conservative movement
sagebrush rebels
thought federal gov. controlled too much land in west
want more power to states
reagan became spearhead of new conservative movement
population trands
migration from rust belt to sunbelt
more moved to suburbs and liberal idea support waned bc cities were very liberal
republicans became dominant political party in south
new right!!!!!
thought gov. taxed too heavily
resurgent conservative movement
criticized liberal programs
thought Great society made things worse
some thought welfare programs were rewared lack of effort
