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Week7-Lecture1-ConservativeRevolution.pptxThe Conservative Revolution: Key Terms https://pollev.com/andrewhighsmith992
Conservatism
Liberalism
New Right
Family values
Sunbelt conservatism
Phyllis Schlafly
Young Americans for Freedom
Barry Goldwater
George C. Wallace
Ricard Nixon
Law and order
Conservative populism
Silent Majority/Forgotten Americans
The Rise of the New Right: Three Definitions
Conservativism: political philosophy upholding more traditional attitudes; reluctant to embrace change. Set of ideas and policies linked to modern Republican Party. Issues: low taxes; smaller govt.; free markets; big business; anticommunism; national defense; religion; traditional family roles; opp. To abortion, civil rights, gay rights.
Liberalism: political philosophy revolving around themes of liberty and equality. Using government power to soften the harshest effects of capitalism and inequality. Typically, liberalism in modern US linked to Democratic Party.
New Right: Resurgence of conservativism in second half of twentieth century.
The Polarized 1960s
Traditional view of 1960s as period dominated by left-wing, radical protest (CRM, women’s movement, antiwar movement, etc.) obscures the rise of the New Right in the same period.
Main point of lecture: 1960s: a period of political radicalization on both left AND right.
Issues Fueling Rise of New Right
Feeling (among whites) that civil rights movement had gone too far, too fast
Fears of communism, disloyalty
Concerns about “big government,” taxes, govt. social programs
Desire for more “law and order”
“Family values”
Evangelical Christianity
Suburban Warriors
Growth of suburbs and Cold War defense spending, esp. in “Sunbelt” South and West, spur growth of New Right
Orange County, CA: a powerful base for conservative activism
Women at forefront of conservative movement
Phyllis Schlafly (on right): promoted conservative social and economic principles;
Conservatives on Campus
1960: Sharon Statement. A manifesto for conservative youth emphasizing anticommunism, free market capitalism, states’ rights
Young Americans for Freedom: one of the largest conservative groups on college campuses. By 1960, 30,000 members on 100 campuses, including UC Irvine
National Review, an important conservative publication founded by William F. Buckley in 1955
Barry Goldwater
Conservative US senator from Arizona (on right)
The Conscience of a Conservative (1960)
Opposition to Social Security and other govt. programs; eliminating taxes and regulations; anticommunism; opposition to civil right reforms.
Defense of conservative “extremism”
The Presidential Election of 1964
Barry Goldwater (Republican) v. Lyndon Johnson (Democrat)
Johnson won in landslide, but Goldwater inspired generation of conservative activists
Goldwater portrayed as reckless, hateful extremist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDTBnsqxZ3k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-VzZQGWOqA
Liberals Dismiss Conservatism
1950: Liberal intellectual Lionel Trilling wrote: “In the United States at this time liberalism is not only the dominant but even the sole intellectual tradition.”
1962: Nation magazine: conservatives as “simple-minded,” “frivolous.”
Perceptions of liberal “elitism” drove conservative growth
Conservative Populism: The Case of George C. Wallace
George C. Wallace, segregationist Alabama governor
Gains support nationwide for opposition to civil rights and liberal elites and support for “law and order.” A voice of conservative populism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcNv4aQI_QQ
Ran several unsuccessful presidential campaigns
Question to consider: To what extent did Wallace/Goldwater help to shape the modern Republican Party?
Cracks in the Liberal Consensus
1930s-1960s: Liberalism expanded the power of govt.; made govt. more compassionate and responsive to social problems. Significant reforms for minority Americans; expanded health care and education programs; reduced poverty.
But liberalism also galvanized the new conservative movement.
1968
Richard Nixon (Republican) and the Silent Majority/Forgotten Americans. Won 1968 presidential election.
Major protests at 1968 Democratic National Convention alienated silent majority voters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_9OJnRnZjU
Nixon: a more moderate Republican than Wallace, Goldwater
Question to consider: Was the Republican Party of the 1960s a center-right party or a party of extremism?
Re-Thinking the Politics of the 1960s
A main idea of today’s lecture:
1960s as time of growth and radicalization on political left AND right.
Understanding polarization in American politics helps to explain rise of Ronald Reagan (on right) as major conservative political figure
