The Rise of Conservatism

Michelle Han, Samantha Han, Sarika Islam, Aaron Jay, and Samuel Lam

Table of Contents
1. Context
a. Central Ideas
b. Social Conservatism
c. Economic Conservatism
2. Central Ideas
3. Significant Figures
a. George H.W. Bush
b. George W. Bush
c. Ronald Reagan
4. WORDLE
a. Word Cloud
b. Analysis
5. American Exceptionalism
a. Historical Precedent
b. Reagans Shining City on a Hill
c. Oklahoma tries to ban APUSH

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Significant Event: Proposition 8

Legacy
Summary
Citations
Quiz Questions can be found here: https://
docs.google.com/document/d/
1nirovqF5HRUxk12LSE37IvTAGhivD6oD
94LauznzYzk/edit

Context

What is Conservatism?
A political philosophy that promotes traditional institutions in a
countrys culture

Time (1960s-Present)
Economic Conservatism (1960-Present)
Social Conservatism (1960-Present)

Circumstance
A desire to return to a simpler time with traditional values.
People were also discontent with the actions of the government.

A Brief Timeline

-1930s: The Great Depression led to the disfavor of

Republicans/Conservatives as Democrat FDR pushed for
the New Deal
-1937: Conservative Republicans/Democrats form the
Conservative Coalition and block most liberal proposals
until the 1960s
-1946: Republicans score landslide victories in the House
and Senate and set about enacting a conservative agenda.

A Brief Timeline

-1952: Eisenhower (moderate/liberal Republicans) vs. Taft

(conservative Republican) election. Eisenhower wins.
-1964: Berry Goldwater (conservative Republican) vs.
Lyndon Johnson (Democrat). Johnson wins.
-1980: Ronald Reagan (conservative Republican) vs.
Jimmy Carter (Democrat). Reagan wins.
-2009- Tea Party Movement: demanded reduction in U.S.
debt and federal budget deficit by reducing government
spending/taxes.

Central Ideas

Social Values
Held on to traditional gender roles.
Promoted family values.

Attitude Towards Government

Conservatives felt that the federal government was too powerful.
Feared that too much federal interference would hurt business.
Wanted reduced taxation and legislation that promoted business.

Foreign Policy
Hostile towards Communism.
Strengthen national defense.

Central Ideas

Role of the Federal Government

Religion
o The government should not interfere with religious freedom.
States
o Conservatives favored more state power over federal rights.
Economics
Deregulation of business.
The government should work to promote trade rather than control
it.

Social Conservatism

The Collapse of Families

Advent of birth control + sexual revolution
o
o

Shift in attitude away from traditional ideas about sex.

Birth control = women could enter the workforce without having
children .

Traditional families were divorcing at higher rates.

Number of women in the workforce soared and birth rates
declined.
o

Seen as further evidence of the breakdown of the family unit.

Social Conservatism

Opposition to the Rights Movement

Giving minority groups equal rights = breakdown of social order.
Many people feared that minorities would have the liberty to retaliate.

Gender Equality
Conservatives opposed to equal opportunity in the workforce.
Held on to traditional gender roles.

Social Conservatism

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

Designed to give women equal rights under the law.
NOW (National Organization for Women) focused on it in the 1970s.

Phyllis Schlafly -- a major opponent of the ERA (1970s)

Saw the ERA as a bid for power by feminists.
o Claimed that it was a move against American Housewives.
o Denounced feminists for not considering older women in
need of benefits.
Brought up the possibility of women being conscripted.
These claims were her method of gaining support against the ERA.

Social Conservatism

How Close Were We to Ratifying the ERA?

By 1977, 35 states had ratified the ERA.
o They were 3 states short from the majority.
5 of the 35 states had rescinded their ratifications.
Though the deadline for ratification had been extended, the federal
ERA was not ratified.

Economic Conservatism

Government Involvement
Government spending should decrease.

Welfare
Government aid encouraged dependence on the government.
o Hence, poor people would remain in poverty.

Taxation
Believed that taxes should be reduced
Reducing taxes = more disposable income = more consumers = more
business

George H.W. Bush

His political view was compassionate conservatism, a political philosophy
that stressed being traditionally conservative to improve the general
welfare of society.
Presidency was driven by foreign policy.
o Berlin Wall fell and Soviet Union dissolved.
o Military operations were conducted in Panama and
the Persian Gulf.
Raised taxes because of rising deficits and a recession
that began in 1990 despite it being against his
campaign pledge.

George W. Bush

Launched the War on Terror military campaign after 9/11.

Promoted policies on the economy, healthcare, education, social
security reform, and called for a constitutional amendment to forbid
same-sex marriage.
Signed broad tax cuts, the Patriot Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, the
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, Medicare prescription drug benefits for
seniors, and funded an AIDS relief program known as PEPFAR.
His tenure had national debates on immigration, social security,
electronic surveillance, and torture.

Ronald Reagan

Trickle-down economics
The idea that all wealth and benefits given to businesses would
eventually "trickle-down" to the general population.

Reaganomics (1981)
The four Rs: reduce, reduce, reduce, and reduce
o reduce government spending
o reduce income tax
o reduce government control
o reduce inflation
Taxes were reduced, but spending increased dramatically

Key Words

Government: In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our

problem; government is the problem.
Core belief of conservatism: the federal government is too powerful
Believe: ...to believe that together with God's help we can and will resolve
the problems which now confront us.
Emphasized the need for the Americans to believe that the administration
could fix the economy

Key Words

Americans: ...this administration's objective will be a healthy, vigorous,

growing economy that provides equal opportunities for all Americans
The targets of the administrations actions
Outlines the goals of the administration and gives insight into how
Reaganomics develops
Freedom: We will again be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of
hope for those who do not now have freedom.
Appealed to the values that the nation was founded on

Key Words

Nation: It is time for us to realize that we're too great a nation to limit
ourselves to small dreams.
World: In the eyes of many in the world, this every 4-year ceremony we
accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.
Appeals to the idea that America is a special country
Raises the idea that Americans themselves are special
Affirms that America is a model nation in the view of the world

American
"The last best hope of man on earth."

Historical Precedent

City Upon a Hill

For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a hill. The eyes of
all people are upon us.
John Winthrop, 1600s

America was to be a community that would serve as shining example to

Europe.

Geographic Isolation
Isolated from the politics of Europe for most of the 19th century.

Historical Precedent

Immigration
America was a place where many people had a chance
at upward social and economic movement
Large numbers of immigrants came in search of work
and a new life
o

Many considered America to be a Land of Opportunity

Reagans Shining City on a Hill

Invokes the Words of John Winthrop

United States Constitution
Mentions how the United States constitution is unique in terms of rights
o

other constitutions say, Government grants you these rights and ours
says, You are born with these rights, they are yours by the grace of God

American Contributions and Lifestyle

United States must act as a role model society
Provides a sense of American greatness

Oklahoma Tries To Ban APUSH

Lawmakers claim that APUSH classes portray the

United States in an unnecessarily negative way.
A proposed bill would stop state money from going
to these classes.
The replacement class would be required to discuss the
history of the representative form of limited government,
the free-market economic system and American
exceptionalism.

Significant Event: Proposition 8

Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition that made same-sex marriage

illegal in California.
The elections results were close: 52.24% of people voted in favor of Prop 8
while 47.76% of people voted against it.
In the end, Prop 8 was passed and same-sex marriages were banned.
However, homosexual couples that were already married werent
affected and their marriages were still valid.

Arguments Regarding Proposition 8

Arguments in favor
o Claimed that it protected the free expression of religion, as many religions
strictly defined marriage as only between a man and a woman.
o "Protected" children from being taught in public schools that homosexual
marriages were as legitimate as heterosexual marriages.
Arguments in opposition
o "Equal protection under the law is the foundation of American society."
o Traditional marriage itself degrades the institution of marriage. About 50%
of heterosexual marriages ends in divorce.

Legacy

Belief in decreasing taxes and government control over lives.

Belief that the United States is a role model society and needs to spread
its ideas
Belief in the existence of evils (such as communism and terrorism) trying to
destroy US freedom
Little change has been made in liberal issues
o Abortion is still legal
o Only some states have legalized same-sex marriage
Emphasis on ideology rather than reality in politics
Belief in the free market
Affirmative action allowed in college acceptance process

Citations

https://books.google.com/books?id=hGMcnUaLhEC&pg=PA224#v=onepage&q&f=false
https://books.google.com/books?id=hGMcnUaLhEC&pg=PA227#v=onepage&q&f=false
http://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_8,_the_
%22Eliminates_Right_of_Same-Sex_Couples_to_Marry
%22_Initiative_(2008)
https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/georgehwbush
http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/Reaganomics.html
http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist111/1970sand1980s.html
http://www.erusd.org/ourpages/auto/2011/10/12/56014881/March
%202013-TAH%20Conservatism.pdf
https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/georgewbush

Image Citations

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http://images.christianpost.com/full/58163/phyllis-schlafly.jpg?w=262
http://developmentdiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/gender-equality.jpg
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1209300/images/o-WORKING-WOMAN-facebook.jpg
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/10/05/966121/obamacare-birth-control-abortion/
http://www.ushistory.org/us/images/00040069.jpg
http://www.adfmedia.org/files/YesOn8.jpg
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