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THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT AFTER RONALD REGAN (Clinton's winning…
THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT AFTER RONALD REGAN
The disintegration of the Reagan Coalition
The conservative coalition no longer had a viable policy to cope with structural changes affecting the American economy
Economic recession in 92
Bush won the war in Iraq, but his performances with the economy were less rewarding
Bush embraced the politial agenda of the republican right : pro-life movement, traditional family values...But Americans couldn't care less.
"Read my lips : no new taxes..." 90 : increases tax. Republicans felt outraged by that
Civil Right Act 1991 : even more outraged
End of communism = end of unity among the conservative movement
Clinton's winning strategy
"Triangulation" = to adopt the idea of the opposition
Republican started to complain that Clinton had stolen their ideas
New centrist approach of governing
1996 : New Welfare Reform : this reform required 50 states to deal more directly with social burdens and the budget expense of poverty
Decentralisation
Mandates work requirements, impose a five-year lifetime limit on welfare help to needy families
Liberal and Democrats were ashamed
Republicans won the ideological war
Clinton won the 1996 election
Republicans maintained control on both the Senate and House of Representatives
Clinton's first two years and the Conservative revigoration
Division amongt the Democratic party
Healthcare and Welfare reforms = failure
1994 mid-term election : "a contract with America"
Republicans
Offered a new Reaganist formula of reduced taxes, increased military spending, balanced budget amendement, "Culture War" on abortion, illegetimacy...
Big sucess
Best oragnized groups, such as the Christian Coalition, or Gun owners, were on the right
1994 : for the first time since 1952, Congress ended up in Republican hands
The New strategies of the Christian Right
Attained unprecedented degree of legitimacy and influence in American politics
But many said the Christian Right would disappear because of the excessive presence of the Christian Right in Bush presidency and the failure of the latter because of this reason
From a desorganisazed and decentralised movement to a more organised structure
The Christian Right in the 90s
Grassroots organisation that emphasize politics, not religious affiliation
Concentrated their effort on local and state elections
Tried to mobilize voters and activits in order to teach them how to control the political agenda by giving them training manuals
Avoid the trap of religious extremism
Avoid religious language in public, secular arguments
Emphasize tax cuts, crime and others concerns likely to appeal to a majority of voters
High taxes = decline of family = women have to work instead of staying home
George W Bush and compassionate conservatism
William Jefferson Clinton (Bill Clinton)
Endorsed tax cuts for the middle-class
Supported government assisting programs to provide educationl and job training
"Workfare" : program which was an attempt to end the vicious circle of welfare dependency
Those on welfare who were physically and mentally fit either to accept some degree of personal responsibilité for finding work or to risk the prospect of losing their benefit
Conservative approach
Clinton described himsel as a "third way"
Economic uncertainty (recession of 92) and fear (important riots in LA and death of a black man killed by a policeman in 92)
Played a major role on determining who would win and who would lose