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THE RESURGENCE OF CONSERVATISM IN THE US : FROM THE LATE 70s TO THE…
THE RESURGENCE OF CONSERVATISM IN THE US : FROM THE LATE 70s TO THE PRESENT
From the turbulent 60s to the stagnant 70s
Liberal ideas : never accepted by American (individualistic)
Trauma of the 1921's Great Depression = reason why they accepted the New Deal
Climax of violence in the 1960s : desillusion of some (asasination of M. Luther King, raise of movements such as black power)
70s : America suffered its first defeat in a war
Watergate scandal : Nixon forced to resign
The oil crisis (oil embargo organized by oil producing countries to portest against America's support to Israel) 1973-1974
Iranian Islamic Revolution of 1979 : American diplomats held hostage
New social Trends
Divorces and separation skyrocketed in the 70s
Aid to Families with dependent children
: from 3 million American in the 50s to 11 million in the 80s.
A child born in a female-headed family had more chance to be poor than a child born in a family with both parents
Conservatives : traditional family values = best way to fight against poverty
The new Economic situation
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Economic growth : decline
European countries and Japan emerged
More imports
Trade deficit : from 9.5 billion dollars in 1976 --> 34 billion in 1978
imports of steel : from 1975 with 13.5% to 1977 with 17.8% of domestic consumption
Japanese auto producers : 22% of the market in 1979
Decline in productivity
Inflation : 13% in 1979
Unemployement : 8.5% in 1975
STAGFLATION
The transformation of the American political reality
Americans : no longer believed in strong government
Conservatives : Denounced Great Society for affirmative action programs (against equal opportunity)
Liberalism = open door to abortion, pornography, forbid prayers in public schools
Middle-class voters : agreed with business organisation (too excessive taxes)
A deepening moral and spiritual crisis
WATERGATE : symbol of the collapse of moral authority of the government
National survey of 1975 : 69% of Americans had lost faith in their political leaders
Jimmy Carter : appealed by his lack of notoriety
But Carter failed to cope withthe declining economy
The Demise of the Liberal Consensus
Mass movement to slash property taxes and reduce administrative waste
1978 : Proposition 13 in California. Referendum which reduced property taxes and puts strict limits on state spending for social program
Revenue Act of 78 : 3/4 of all tax reductions goes to the wealthiest 2% of America's tax payers
Reagan's conservative agenda
Support from neoconservatives (group of very influencial and intellectual people who used to support the Dems)
Support from various religious group that supported abortion, traditional family values
Support from various business organizations (tax cut, less government regulation)
Support from blue-collar workers (thanks to his telegenic style)
Reagan's fiscal policy
David Stockman : budget director
Stockman wanted a balanced budget...impossible to attain because of military spending and Congress refusal to reduce spending on certain domestic issues
1981 : Recovery Tax Act
Reagan and the Welfare State
Many Great Socitey programs were cut or eliminated under Stckman
"Culture of dependendy" : the more you help the poor, the less they will be motivated to find a job
But he was careful was doing so
Reagan and Trade Unions
Reagan wanted to restore business confidence and profit
Reagan admistration aimed at undercut, if not destroyed the position and influence of labour organisations
Wanted to weaken the labour bargaining position vis-avis business
Reagan and the 1984 election
"Reagan Democrats" : a category of people who used to always vote for Democrats
Evangelical conservatives supported Reagan for his view oh abortion and stuff.
But the religious agenda was never a priority for the Reagan Administration...
Business approved Reagan's tax cut policies
Conservatism "decline"
But the Reagan administration did not pursued much of the Conservative agenda
Despite having the people's support, they did not accpet his message.
The GOP lost its majority in the Senate
Irangate : Reagan traded weapons for hostages in Iran, and funds of those sells were diverted to Contras.
As a result, Reagan's popularity declined dramatically.
But the GOP position's was strongly consolidated by the Christian Right in the South
This helped George H Bush to win the election of 1988
Reagan and the deregulation of the US economy
Time to give business the freedom they needed to grow
Reagan administration aimed at reducing the number of regulations with which business had to comply.
People started to reject government regulation