The Rise of Conservatism chapter 25. What is “Conservatism”? Religious Conservatism –...

The Rise of Conservatismchapter 25

What is “Conservatism”?

Religious Conservatism – Societies or governments guided by religion; Theocracies

Financial Conservatism

“laissez-faire”, government leaves the people and economy alone, low taxes, no assistance for the poor

Cultural Conservatism

• resistant to changes in traditional values or norms, have typically been anti-suffrage, anti-civil rights anti-change

Roots of Modern ConservativesHighlights and Lowlights

• 1934 – American Liberty League formed to oppose FDR and the New Deal. The Socialist Programs of the New Deal were the “downfall of democracy”. Members were accused of a plot to overthrow the American government in a military coup– Most members were

conservative DEMOCRATS

– Notable Member: Prescott Bush

VS.

• 1937 – Court Packing Fiasco – Public outcry against FDR’s attempt to load the Supreme Court with judges friendly to the New Deal.

• 1950’s and 1960’s - The Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Rights Movement, The Anti-War Movement, and the drug culture all concerned conservatives

Filthy hippies

• 1952 – Ike elected, 1st Republican President in 20 years• 1964 – Barry Goldwater loses to LBJ in a landslide 1973 – Roe vs. Wade angers many conservatives

• 1980 – Ronald Reagan wins the election of 1980, bringing conservatives to the White House

• Ronald Reagan’s election marks the convergence of Religious, Financial, and Cultural Conservatism within the Republican party

Reaganomics

• Supply Side economics – Give money to producers to stimulate the economy

– Alternately called Reaganomics, Supply Side Economics, Trickledown Economics and Voodoo Economics (George H. W. Bush)

– This is the EXACT opposite from New Deal and Great Society stimulus

– What is the 2008 Tax Rebate?

• Tax cuts for the wealthy (from 70% to 30%) – designed to stimulate investments

• Cuts in Government Agencies (EPA and Great Society Programs)

• Military Spending Increases – we spent the Soviet Union into the ground. The attempted to keep up with our military budget and bankrupted themselves in the process.

– This creates a HUGE budget deficit, and the National Debt

• Deregulation – removed restrictions on banks (this process started under Jimmy Carter, and continued under Reagan). Allowed them to make riskier loans.

– Led to the S&L Scandal – Collapse of the Savings and Loan, and the loss of 160 Billion Dollars in savings and investments. The US government (i.e. taxpayers) bailed out the S&L’s.

• Unequal Distribution of wealth in the 1980’s was higher than any period since WWII

• The economy slowed further under Reagan in the early 1980’s, but rebounded very strongly by the end of the decade

Iran Contra Affair• President Reagan

(and many others) wanted to undermine the Marxist government of Nicaragua, known as the “Sandinistas”

• CIA begins to train and arm “Contras”, who are anti-Sandinista rebels in Nicaragua. This was in violation of US laws forbidding intervening in the affairs of sovereign nations

• Congress becomes aware of the CIA’s activities, and cuts off funding. Many in the government still believe we should support the Contras.

• Government officials had been selling cheap arms to moderate, anti-Ayatollah Khomeni Iranians through Israel in return for the release of US hostages held by Hezbollah in Lebanon.

• Members of the Reagan administration began redirecting money from the Iranians to the Contra’s.

• This scheme is discovered, and members accused of conducting the activities are tried by the Senate (Even Reagan is called in). Oliver North becomes the “fall guy”

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfnRI5JTcXk

• Reagan denies all knowledge, and has never been associated directly to the sales to the Iranians or funding the Contras

Reagan and Communism– Staunch Anti-communist– Became very good friends with Mikhail Gorbachev

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0NXs_uWPgg

Gorbechev’s Reforms

• Perestroika – Reform of the Soviet political and economic reform

• Glasnost – Openness and transparency by the Soviet Government

• INF Treaty (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty) – major reduction of nukes in Europe

Strategic Defense Initiative

• A space based satellite system DREAMED up by Reagan to protect us from Russian missiles.

• Commonly known as “Star Wars”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMfmVzHZvkc

George H W Bush (aka Bush 41)

• Is a moderate Republican– Wants to boost the

Clean Air Act– Wants to balance the

budget

Harsh attacks on Michael Dukakis, and vice versa…

Greatest accomplishments is supervising the fall of the Soviet Union

Creates a global coalition and liberates Kuwait from Iraqi control

• 41 inherits the S&L scandal from Reagan• 41 inherits a huge budget deficit and a

skyrocketing nation debt

Read my lips: No New Taxes!

• In order to balance the budget, he is forced to break his election promise– His budget works, and the

budget deficit is reduced,– Plan carries over thru the

Clinton Administration, and up to 60% of Clintons budget surplus came from Bush’s Budget plan!

Betrayal (aka the Election of 1992)

Bush raised taxes and supported some “Liberal” agencies, which angered the “Far Right”. Many saw him as having betrayed the Reagan Revolution.

• The “Far Right” attacks Bush as being too liberal. He is attacked by Republican Leadership (Newt Gingrich), and has Conservatives run against him (Pat Robertson), and a third party candidate promising low taxes and control of the national debt (Ross Perot)

The Election of 1992 goes to Bill Clinton

• Clinton 43%• Bush 37%• Perot 19%

• Bush’s budget compromise and Clinton’s election push the Republican party further to the right, and liberal or moderate Republicans become a rarity, as do conservative Democrats