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WITNESS HISTORY AUDIO
SECTION

Step-by-Step Backlash Against Liberal Programs


Instruction By 1980, public discontent with liberal programs,

SECTION
from welfare to school busing, had grown consider-
ably. Many middle- and working-class Americans, in
particular, felt that the reforms enacted during the
1960s and carried out in the 1970s threatened the
Objectives American dream.
As you teach this section, keep students
focused on the following objectives to help
“ If, during the 1960s and 1970s, there was an elite
wisdom that shaped the directions of social policy,
them answer the Section Focus Question and there was also a popular wisdom that explained why
master core content. things were falling apart. . . . The popular wisdom is
• Describe the differences between liberal characterized by hostility toward welfare (it makes
and conservative viewpoints. people lazy), toward lenient judges (they encourage
Frustration over 䊳 crime), and toward socially conscious schools (too
• Analyze the reasons behind the rise of controversial issues busy busing kids to teach them to read).”
conservatism in the early 1980s. in the 1970s, such —Charles Murray, Losing Ground, 1984
as the busing battle
• Explain why Ronald Reagan won the
featured on this
presidency in 1980. cover of Time from
1975, lingered into
the 1980s.

The Conservative Movement Grows


Objectives Why It Matters The 1964 election marked a low point for conserva-
• Describe the differences between liberal and tives in the post–World War II era. Barry Goldwater, favorite of the
conservative viewpoints. conservative movement, lost the election in a landslide. Nonetheless,
Prepare to Read conservatives were not defeated by this loss at the polls. On the con-
• Analyze the reasons behind the rise of
trary, they set out to build an organization and to put forth a clear
conservatism in the early 1980s.
Background Knowledge L3 vision of their goals and values that would enable them to win in the
• Explain why Ronald Reagan won the future. By 1980, their plan had worked: Ronald Reagan, the new hero
Ask students if they have heard the presidency in 1980. of the conservatives, was elected President. The modern conservative
terms “conservative” or “liberal.” Ask
movement spearheaded by Ronald Reagan deeply affected the nation’s
them to predict how the two terms Terms and People policies for decades. Section Focus Question: What spurred the rise of
might differ. liberal unfunded mandate conservatism in the late 1970s and early 1980s?
conservative Moral Majority
Set a Purpose L3 New Right Ronald Reagan
쐍 WITNESS HISTORY Read the selec- Two Views: Liberal and Conservative
tion aloud, or play the audio. The two major political parties in the United States in the late twen-
tieth century were the Democrats, many of whom were “liberals,”
Witness History Audio CD, and the Republicans, who were often labeled “conservatives.” Liberals
Reading Skill: Summarize As you read,
Backlash Against Liberal generally favored government intervention to help the needy, whereas
summarize the rise of the conservative movement in
Programs conservatives generally favored allowing the free market, private
an outline. Use the one below as a starting point.
organizations, and individuals to do that. Although the two parties did
Ask According to Charles Mur- agree on many basic issues, including core American values such as
I. Two Views: Liberal and Conservative
ray, what was the difference A. Liberal ideas and goals freedom and equality, they diverged on many others. In addition, indi-
between “elite wisdom” and 1. vidual members within both parties did not always conform to their
“popular wisdom?” (“Elite wis- 2.
party’s majority.
dom” shaped social policy, while
“popular wisdom” explained why
things were falling apart.)
쐍 Focus Point out the Section Focus
Question, and write it on the board. Use the information below and the following resource to teach students the high-use word
Tell students to refer to this ques- from this section. Teaching Resources, Vocabulary Builder, p. 11
tion as they read. (Answer appears
with Section 1 Assessment answers.) High-Use Word Definition and Sample Sentence
쐍 Preview Have students preview degeneration n. declining in quality
the Section Objectives and the list of The environmental movement grew as citizens tried to stop air and water
Terms and People. degeneration.
쐍 Reading Skill Have students use
the Reading Strategy: Summarize
worksheet. Teaching Resources, p. 12

740 The Conservative Resurgence


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The Ideas and Goals of Liberalism In the late 1970s, liberals tended to
쐍 Using the Paragraph
believe that the federal government should play a significant role in improving
the lives of all Americans. They valued social programs that helped the poor, Shrinking strategy (TE, p. T20), have
unemployed, elderly, and others. They also sponsored laws that protected the students read this section. As they
rights of minorities and women, especially in the post–World War II period. read, have students summarize the
They supported greater government regulation of industry. In the foreign policy rise of the conservative movement.
realm, liberals tended to favor cooperating with international organizations Reading and Note Taking Study Guide
like the United Nations.

The Ideas and Goals of Conservatism In contrast, some conservatives felt


that a large central government endangered economic growth and individual Teach
choice. They felt the liberal policies of the 1960s amd 1970s left a legacy of rising
inflation and enormous waste. Futhermore, some conservatives criticized the
liberal solution of “throwing money” at social problems. They sought to reduce Two Views: Liberal
taxes and limit government regulation of industry in order to promote economic
growth. As conservative economist Milton Friedman and his wife Rose Fried-
and Conservative L3
man wrote in their book Free to Choose, “The story of the United States is the
story of an economic miracle. . . . What produced this miracle? Clearly not cen- Instruct
tral direction by government.” 쐍 Introduce: Key Terms Ask stu-
Other conservatives, neoconservatives or traditionalists, warned about the dents to find the key terms liberals
dangers posed to society by abandoning traditional values in favor of the new and conservatives (in bold) in the
freedoms exemplified by the counterculture and advertised by the mass media. Vocabulary Builder text. Ask What is the difference
This concern with the perceived degeneration of modern youth dovetailed with degeneration –(dee jehn er AY between what liberals and con-
many conservatives’ religious beliefs. shuhn) n. declining in quality
servatives expect from their
Anticommunism formed the third leg of modern conservatism. Most anticom- government? (Liberals expect inter-
munists focused on the dangers posed to the United States by the Soviet Union. vention, but conservatives do not.)
They questioned the wisdom of the détente policy followed by Presidents Nixon,
Ford, and Carter. They also fought against the SALT II treaty in the Senate. 쐍 Teach Have students describe
the different political parties’
How was conservatism different from liberalism in the early
approaches to social problems. Ask
1980s?
How might liberals and conser-
vatives use different approaches
The Conservative Movement Gains Strength to help the poor or unemployed?
During the 1940s and 1950s, the lines separating Republicans and Democrats
(Sample response: Liberals might
had blurred. The two parties had developed a bipartisan foreign policy aimed at give them money or work through a
containing communism. Both favored a relatively significant role for the gov- government program. Conservatives
ernment in domestic affairs. However, during the 1960s and 1970s, many might lower taxes to promote eco-
Republicans became increasingly critical of the liberal policies of the Demo- nomic growth so that businesses will
crats. They advanced a new conservative agenda. The differences between the have more money to hire people.)
two major parties grew more pronounced. The New Right, as the resurgent con- 쐍 Quick Activity To help students
servative movement was called, grew rapidly and was a coalition of several dif-
better understand the difference
ferent groups with varying ideas and goals.
between liberal and conservative
viewpoints, have them complete
Two Viewpoints: Liberal and Conservative the worksheet Viewpoints: Liberals
Issue Liberal Viewpoint Conservative Viewpoint and Conservatives. Teaching
Role of Favored more government involvement to Favored limited government involvement
Resources, p. 15
government in lessen extreme economic inequalities through in order to stimulate economic growth by
the economy • social programs (often leading
to higher taxes)
• reducing taxes
• decreasing regulation of industry
Independent Practice
• government regulation of industry Have students use their outlines to
Foreign policy Favored international diplomacy to combat Favored relying on our own national begin summarizing information about
communism in other countries defense and actively fighting against the conservative movement.
communism in other countries

Monitor Progress
As students fill in their outlines, circu-
late to make sure that they understand
the differences between liberal and
An American Original The grandson of Polish Jew- label him a right-wing extremist. Johnson’s victory over conservative opinions. For a completed
ish immigrants, Barry Goldwater (1909–1998) came Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election showed version of the graphic organizer, see
from a family that made its fortune operating depart- that America had indeed been wary of Goldwater and Note Taking Transparencies, B-145.
ment stores in Arizona. Running these stores, Goldwa- his anti-civil rights and pro-Vietnam War voting record.
ter instituted progressive policies such as higher In spite of his loss, Goldwater did not leave politics.
wages, profit sharing, health insurance, and a 40- He was a five-term senator and even played a crucial
hour work week. During World War II, Goldwater role in the Watergate scandal. Today, he is remem-
served as an air force reserve pilot. He entered politics bered as a “true American original” and noted for pav- Answer
as a conservative Republican in predominantly ing the way for the 1980s conservative resurgence.
Liberalism supported government pro-
Democrat Arizona and became a senator in 1952.
grams and intervention to help the poor
The senator’s abrasive personality and unyielding
and needy. Conservatism supported less
politics caused supporters and detractors alike to
government intervention and a smaller
central government.
Chapter 23 Section 1 741
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Liberalism Loses Its Appeal One reason for the revival of the Republican
The Conservative Party was the unraveling of the Democratic Party. The Vietnam War and urban
riots of the 1960s divided the same people who had rallied around President
Movement Gains Johnson’s vision of the Great Society. The rise of the counterculture had alien-
Strength L3 ated many midwestern Americans and white conservative Christians in the
South. Watergate, the oil crises of the 1970s, and the Iran hostage crisis further
Instruct weakened the public’s faith in the federal government.
Just as importantly, the shifts in the economy of the 1970s, including the
쐍 Introduce: Key Term Ask stu-
decline in northern industries, dampened America’s optimism about the future.
dents to find the key term Moral America had supported the Great Society, in part, because Johnson had sug-
Majority (in bold). Guide students gested that the war on poverty and other new programs would not demand
in understanding how religious higher taxes. When the economy stagnated, liberal ideas lost their pull and con-
organizations such as the Moral servative beliefs became more attractive.
Majority might increase the politi-
cal activism of a previously less- The New Right Criticizes Liberal Programs Many conservatives believed
prominent voting group. Point out that liberal policies were responsible for stagflation and other economic prob-
that these religious groups opposed lems of the late 1970s. They believed that the government taxed citizens and
many liberal policies, and have stu- businesses too heavily and spent too much on the wrong programs. They com-
dents predict how the Moral Majority plained about unfunded mandates, programs required but not paid for by the
Politics and Religion Meet federal government.
will affect the Republican Party.
Reverend Jerry Falwell, founder of Some conservatives also criticized federal welfare programs, arguing they
쐍 Teach Using the Quick Study chart the Moral Majority, stands in front rewarded lack of effort. Furthermore, they thought that the Great Society had
on the previous page, review the dif- of his home church in Lynchburg, made the problem of poverty worse not better. They believed that welfare con-
ferences between liberals and conser- Virginia, in August 1980. A banner on tributed to the rise in the number of children born out of wedlock and therefore
top of the church’s sign encourages encouraged the decline of the traditional family, consisting of a married father
vatives with students. Point out that
members to register to vote. How was
many cultural and demographic fac- and mother and their children. They also felt that affirmative action programs
the Moral Majority different from
tors contributed to the rise of the New went too far and contributed to reverse discrimination.
traditional religious groups?
Right. Create a two-column chart on Another group that supported the conservative platform was the “sagebrush
the board, labeling one column “Cul- rebels.” Sagebrush rebels were activists who believed that the federal govern-
tural Changes” and the other “Effect ment controlled too much land in the western states. They thought the federal
on Political Parties.” Ask volunteers to government should give control of this land to the states,
first fill in the chart with information to be used to their best economic advantage. Most envi-
relating to cultural and social events ronmentalists opposed the movement, not wanting to
expose preserved lands to possible development.
of the 1960s and 1970s. Then, have
the class work together to fill in the Religious Participation Rises At the same time, con-
second column, describing how the cern with cultural change caused more religious groups to
changes helped or hindered the two become actively involved in politics. The Moral Majority,
major political parties. founded by Reverend Jerry Falwell in 1979, was a politi-
쐍 Quick Activity Display Color cal organization working to fulfill religious goals. It also
worried about the decline of the traditional family. The
Transparency: Winning the South.
Moral Majority opposed the 1962 Supreme Court decision
Use the lesson suggested in the Engel v. Vitale, which forbade religious teaching in
transparency book to guide a discus- schools, as well as the historic 1973 Roe v. Wade decision,
sion about Republican gains in the which legalized abortion. It condemned the Equal Rights
Sunbelt states. Color Transparencies Amendment and homosexuality.
A-137 The Moral Majority boosted the Republican Party’s
chances of winning the presidency by reaching out to
Independent Practice Americans who had traditionally not participated in the
Group students in pairs, and ask them political process. With other groups like it, the Moral
to explore the growth of the New Majority registered at least 2 million new voters before the
Right. Ask partners to create a cause- 1980 presidential election. One of their tactics was to dis-
tribute Moral Majority “report cards” on candidates,
and-effect chart explaining the reasons
which almost always favored Republicans.
that a particular event or change
encouraged the New Right at the
expense of liberalism.

Monitor Progress
To check student understanding, point L1 Special Needs Students L2 English Language Learners L2 Less Proficient Readers
out the image of Jerry Falwell. Ask
students to draw connections between Explain that the words liberal and conservative can the different meanings of the terms, have them dis-
his increasingly active role in politics have different meanings in different contexts. Have cuss what aspects of these terms the Republican and
and the rise of the conservative students find different definitions of the words in dic- Democratic parties used to describe their policies.
movement. tionaries and then make a chart with two columns. In Then, ask how the opposition used the negative con-
the left column, have them list the terms’ positive notations of these terms as a criticism of the other
Answer connotations. In the right column, have them list the party’s policies.
terms’ negative connotations. After students explore
Caption Unlike traditional religious
groups, the Moral Majority billed itself as a
political organization and took specific politi-
cal stands on issues.
742 The Conservative Resurgence
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Population Trends Boost Conservatism Demographic, or population,


trends also strengthened the conservative movement. Historically, northern cit- Reagan Wins the
ies stood as the stronghold of liberal Democrats. When an increasing number of
Americans moved to the suburbs, their attachment to liberalism waned as they
Presidency L3
struggled financially during the tough economic days of the late 1970s. At the
same time, Republicans emphasized issues that they believed would convince Instruct
moderate liberals to switch their party allegiance. For instance, Republicans 쐍 Introduce Ask students to preview
attacked school busing as a form of social engineering that threatened the long- the HISTORY MAKERS feature about
cherished ideal of neighborhood schools. Ronald Reagan on this page.
Republicans also benefited from the migration from the Rust Belt to the Sun- Explain that Reagan’s communica-
belt, which took place in the 1970s, and a historical realignment of white voters tion skills contributed greatly to his
in the Deep South. Since the Civil War, most white southerners had voted for success both before and after his
the Democratic Party. Following the enactment of civil rights legislation in the
presidency. Ask students to consider
mid-1960s, however, many white southerners began to shift their party alle-
how an entertainment background
giance. By the 1980s, the Republicans had become the dominant political party
could help or hinder a politician’s
in the region.
career.
What were some of the forces that helped the Republican
쐍 Teach Ask What events weak-
Party grow during the 1970s?
ened Carter’s position as an
incumbent? (inflation, the hostage
crisis, the Soviet invasion of Afghan-
Reagan Wins the Presidency istan) How would Reagan’s back-
The growing conservative movement swept the ground have helped him to suc-
Republican presidential candidate, a man named Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) ceed in the presidential debate?
Ronald Reagan, to victory in the 1980 election. Much Ronald Reagan’s easy communication
(Reagan’s background as an actor
more charismatic and polished than Goldwater, style, which appealed so much to his
supporters, was rooted in his would help him appear comfortable
Reagan made clear his opposition to big government,
background as an entertainer. After and confident before an audience.)
his support for a strong military, and his faith in tra-
ditional values. Just as importantly, he radiated opti- graduating from college, he worked as 쐍 Quick Activity Direct students to
a radio sports announcer until, in
mism, convincing Americans that he would usher in the Presidential Election map on the
1937, he signed a contract with a
a new era of prosperity and patriotism. next page. Ask them to summarize
movie studio. In 1954, he began
Reagan’s Path to the White House Born in hosting a television show sponsored the results of the popular and elec-
Tampico, Illinois, in 1911, Reagan suffered the hard- by General Electric. Soon, he was toral votes. Using the Think-Write-
ships of the Great Depression as a young adult before
touring the country for the company, Pair-Share strategy (TE, p. T23),
giving speeches that promoted have them analyze why the popular
landing a job in Hollywood as a movie actor. Never a
traditional values and American vote was so much closer than the
big star, Reagan appeared in many “B” or low-budget business. As Reagan’s views
films. His most famous starring role was in Knute electoral vote.
became more conservative, he
Rockne, a film based on the life of Notre Dame’s leg- switched from the Democratic to the
endary football coach. Republican Party. He gained political Independent Practice
When his acting career began to wane, Reagan fame in 1964 with a speech supporting To make sure that students under-
became a spokesperson for General Electric and conservative senator Barry Goldwater’s run for stand the main issues of the growing
toured the nation giving speeches. Although once a the presidency.
conservative movement, have them
staunch New Dealer, Reagan had become a Goldwa-
analyze the Primary Source quotation
ter conservative. In these speeches he began to criti-
from “A Time for Choosing.” Ask them
cize big government and high taxes and warned of the dangers of communism.
to complete these sentences: “Reagan
In 1964, near the end of Goldwater’s presidential campaign, Reagan delivered a
wants Americans to reject (being gov-
nationally televised address in which he spelled out these views:
erned by a small, distant group.)” and
“ This is the issue of this election, whether we believe in “Reagan wants Americans to support
our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and (self-government).”
confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us
better than we can plan them ourselves. ” Monitor Progress
—Ronald Reagan, “A Time for Choosing,” 1964
To review this section, ask students to
trace Reagan’s path from Hollywood to
Washington, D.C. Remind them to list
the personal qualities, as well as the
world events, that helped Reagan win
the election.
Iran Hostage Crisis On November 4, 1979, a group embassy, releasing them 20 minutes after Ronald Rea-
of Iranian university students overran the U.S. embassy gan took office.
in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. Iran had just One of the Iranian instigators was engineering student
overthrown its shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whose Ebrahim Asgharzadeh. Today, he is a reform politician
dictatorship was supported by the United States. The who has been critical of the current Iranian government
new government, led by the religious leader Ayatollah led by President Mamud Ahmadi-Nejad, another hostage-
Khomeini, was hostile to the United States. President taker. The former embassy is now an anti-American
Jimmy Carter responded to the assault by halting oil museum, called by Iranians the “den of spies.” Artifacts Answer
imports from Iran and freezing Iranian assets held in the from the former embassy are on permanent display in
United States. Efforts at freeing the Americans failed. For “The Great Aban 13th Exhibition,” the date on the a stagnant economy, the rise of religious
444 days, militants held the hostages within the Persian calendar that corresponds with November 4. groups such as the Moral Majority, a
decline in cities, and a movement from
cities to suburbs
Chapter 23 Section 1 743
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While the speech failed to bolster Goldwater’s campaign, it won the admira-
tion of many conservatives. Two years later, Reagan won the governorship of
Assess and Reteach California. He served for two terms as governor and nearly won the Republican
presidential nomination in 1976. In 1980, he won the nomination by a landslide.
Assess Progress L3 His opponent was Jimmy Carter, the Democratic incumbent.
쐍 Have students complete the Section
Reagan Wins a Close Election As the election approached, Carter looked
Assessment. like a lame duck. Persistent inflation, the Iran hostage crisis, and the Soviet
쐍 Administer the Section Quiz. invasion of Afghanistan made it easy for Reagan to cast the Carter presidency
Teaching Resources, p. 21 in a negative light. “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Reagan
asked audiences on the campaign trail, know-
쐍 To further assess student under- ing that most Americans would say, “No.”
standing, use Progress Monitoring
The Presidential Election of 1980 The race remained relatively close until about
Transparencies, 141. one week before the election, when Reagan and
WA NH
9
MT VT
4
ME Carter held their only presidential debate. In
ND 3 4

Reteach OR
4 3 MN
10 M A this debate, Reagan’s gifts as a communicator
6 NY 14
ID SD WI 41 shone. He appeared friendly and even-tempered
If students need more instruction, 4 WY 4 11 M I
CT 4
RI
3
IA
21
PA DC 8
and calmed fears that he did not have enough
have them read the section summary. NV NE
5
8
IL IN
OH 27 3 NJ
17 experience to serve as President. On Election Day,
3 UT 25 D E
26 1 3
CA 4 CO WV VA 3
Reading and Note Taking L3 45 7 KS
7
MO
12
KY
9
6 12 MD
10
Reagan won 50.6 percent of the popular vote.
NC Because most states award electoral votes on a
Study Guide AZ OK
TN
10
13
6 NM
4
8 AR
6
SC
8
“winner-takes-all” basis, Reagan won an over-
Adapted Reading and L1 L2 MS AL
7 9
G
12
A
whelming majority of electoral college votes
LA
Note Taking Study Guide TX
26
10 despite the narrow margin by which he won
AK FL
Spanish Reading and L2 3 17 the popular vote. Even though the Democrats
Note Taking Study Guide maintained control of the House of Representa-
HI
4
tives, Republicans captured the U.S. Senate for
the first time since 1955. The conservatives
Extend L4 Candidate (Party) Electoral Popular % Electoral % Popular were back.
Vote Vote Vote Vote
Have students use a “conservative” or Ronald Reagan (Republican) 489 43,642,639 90.9 50.6
What did Ronald Reagan
a “liberal” approach in writing a short James Carter (Democratic) 49 35,480,948 9.1 41.2
promise to do if elected to the presidency?
argument that addresses a particular John Anderson (Independent) — 5,719,437 — 6.6

problem. Students should use informa-


tion that describes Republican and
Democratic responses to issues such as

1
healthcare, poverty, or foreign affairs.
SECTION

Assessment Progress Monitoring Online


For: Self-test with vocabulary practice
Answer Web Code: nea-1902

Reagan promised to restore prosperity Comprehension 2. Reading Skill: Critical Thinking


and patriotism to the United States. 1. Terms and People For each item Summarize Use your outline to 4. Compare Points of View Describe
below, write a sentence explaining how answer the Section Focus Question: one major difference between liberals
it related to the rise of conservatism in What spurred the rise of conservatism and conservatives in the early 1980s.
the late 1970s. in the late 1970s and early 1980s? 5. Identify Central Issues What
• liberal Writing About History policies did members of the New Right
• conservative criticize?
• New Right 3. Quick Write: Choose a Topic
Choose a topic from this section, such 6. Summarize How did the Moral
• unfunded mandate Majority help strengthen the
as Ronald Reagan’s path to the White
• Moral Majority Republican Party?
House, that would suit the creation of a
• Ronald Reagan
multimedia presentation. Keep in mind 7. Draw Conclusions Why did
that a multimedia presentation is an Americans elect Ronald Reagan to the
oral report that is enhanced with art- presidency in 1980?
work, charts, music, videos, and so on.

Section 1 Assessment easily illustrated through the use of mul- 6. The Moral Majority increased participa-
timedia devices. tion in elections, encouraging Republican-
1. Sentences should reflect an understand- minded voters to participate.
4. Possible response: Liberals believed that
ing of how each term or person is related
the government should provide pro- 7. Americans elected Reagan because the
to the rise of conservatism in the 1970s.
grams for the poor or disadvantaged. economy was suffering and American
2. Conservatives valued most the ideas of Conservatives believed that private foreign policy was not going well. Voters
individualism, patriotism, and self- charities or tax incentives would provide thought Reagan would bring positive
determination. The social and economic aid and produce jobs for those in need. changes.
declines of the 1970s showed the failure
5. Members of the New Right criticized
of the liberal response to these problems
policies, such as welfare, which, they
and led to the rise of conservatism.
believed were too expensive, failed to For additional assessment, have students access
3. Responses should show the ability to provide adequate results, and encour-
highlight historical incidents that can be Progress Monitoring Online at Web
aged the decline of the traditional
Code nea-1902.
family.

744 The Conservative Resurgence

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