Rise of Conservatism

Kathy Hu, Ho Yin Ho, Talia Gushchina,

Kevin Liang, Chun Chieh Chou, Michael Deng

American Exceptionalism

Theory that the US is different from other countries

Affected how presidents dealt with domestic policies
o Federal government vs. States
o Federal government vs. Religion
o Federal government vs. Economy

City upon a hill

o John F. Kennedy
o Ronald Reagan

President Richard Nixon

Goals
o Decrease size & influence of
federal government
New Federalism

o Increase federal spending for

some social programs
Family Assistance Plan (FAP)

o Dismantle some nation's social programs

Impoundment

New Federalism

Purposes:
Power of Federal
Government

State Government
Local Government

o $$$$$

Revenue Sharing
State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act (1972)

Family Assistance Plan (FAP)

Purposes:
o reduces role of federal government
o citizens are responsible
Views
o House of Representatives: Yes
o Senate: No
Min. payments and work req too stiff
Final Decision
o Bill not passed

Impoundment

Definition: Withholding necessary funds for programs

o Many programs held back: 100+
Health
Housing
Education
Nixons impoundment deemed unconstitutional

Watergate Scandal

5 burglars tried to break into DNC HQ

o Nixon tried to cover up the crime
End Results
o Nixon never admitted to any criminal wrongdoing
o Citizens were filled with distrust and cynicism

Further disappointment to nation

Some people who became conservatists because of Nixon
abandoned conservatism

Southern Strategy

Purpose: for Nixon to attract his opponents voters

Actions:
o Slowing down of integration

civil rights policies

Dept of Health, Edu. and Welfare (HEW)
delay desegregation
violation of second Brown v. Board of Education
opposed extension of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
buses

Effect:
o South understood Nixon's position

Religion and Conservatism

Many Conservatists tied to their religion

o Evangelicals and Fundamentalists

Separation of church and state? Whats that?

Conservative messages spread by organizations

o Moral Majority

Advertisements
Television

Goals of the Movement

Shrink size of the federal government

Reduce federal spending
Promote family values and patriotic ideals
Stimulate business by reducing government
regulations/lowering taxes
Strengthen the national
defense

Political Movements and Organizations

New Right - a political movement that promoted the concept of a free market and "traditional"
social values.
o Fought against
high taxes
environmental regulations

highway speed limits

affirmative action
school desegregation plans

Moral Majority

Founded and run by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson

founded in 1979
dissolved in late 1980s

Members of Moral Majority

Saw affirmative action = reverse discrimination.
Held literal interpretations of the Bible.
Condemned liberal attitudes
Favored "traditional morals"

Moral Majority, cont.

Grew to be one of the largest conservative lobby groups

Millions of members.
Made up of conservative Fundamentalist political committees who wished to maintain Christian
moral law, which they believed represented the majority of Americans.
The end of the Reagan administration brought with it a decline in Christian
organizations, including that of Moral Majority.
Falwell disbanded the organization in 1989, stating, Our goal has been
achieved...The religious right is solidly in place and religious conservatives in
America are now in for the duration.

W
O
R
D
L
E
Reagans A Time For Choosing
-given October 27, 1964
-during the presidential campaigns.

Roe Vs. Wade

Prosecutor
o Roe
Defense
o County District Attorney Wade

Verdict: Roe Wins

Issues
o If the fetus endangers the mothers life, is abortion legal?
o New Right
Americas media too liberal for young minds?
Americas government have too many regulations?

Womens Rights
Labor Laws

Basic economic terms

Deficit spending - spending over the allotted budget

Inflation - Value of currency decreasing / prices increasing

Credit - Money that is lent out to purchase goods

Nixon vs. Stagflation

Reasons

Lyndon B. Johnson
Dependence on foreign oil
A lot of new workers

Raised taxes and cut

budgets
Raised interest rates
Froze workers wages and
business fees

Ford W.I.N.s

Cut back on gas and oil consumption

Failed because none of the public had an incentive to do so

Tight Money Policy

Ford cut government spending and encouraged the Federal Reserve Board increase interest rates in order to
restrict credit

Caused the worst recession in 40 years

Carters era

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

National Energy Act

o Decreased US dependence on foreign oil

Fuel Shortage
o Carter could not find a solution for the inflation
o From his fireside speeches, it sounded like he gave up

Changing Job Markets

Foreign competition

Disappearance of low skill manual labor

Reagan Administration
Reaganomics
Budget cuts
Tax cuts
Increased defense spending
Deregulation
Environmental Protection Agency

George W. H. Bush

Forced to raise taxes

Clinton Era

Balanced Federal Budget

o Decrease in deficit spending
o lowered taxes
o Social programs to help children and improve healthcare
Budget Surplus for the first time in 30 years
o National debt $5.5 trillion
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

George W. Bush (junior)

Weakened economy

Sarbanes-Oxley Act

$350 million tax cuts

A board to oversee accounting industry and its involvement with corporations

Obama Administration
Economic Stimulus Package
Combat against recession due to crash of financial markets

Tea Party
We The People Rule

Bibliography

http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/nixon-domestic/
http://umich.edu/~lawrace/votetour10.htm
http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/museum/ArtifactCollectionSamples/WIN.html
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=30136
http://www.ushistory.org/us/59b.asp
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/conservative-mom-poses-bible-gun-flag-article-1.1862261
http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-2005/the-new-conservatism-and-a-new-world-order/conservatism-andthe-rise-of-ronald-reagan.php
http://usconservatives.about.com/od/churchstate/qt/Religion_in_Politics.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/americanexceptionalism.htm
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/OYhUZE2Qo0-ogdV7ok900A.aspx
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/primary-resources/reagan-farewell/
http://www.teaparty.org/