Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Conservative Movement Grows: Prepare To Read
The Conservative Movement Grows: Prepare To Read
1
1
WITNESS HISTORY AUDIO
SECTION
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 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.
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
hsus_te_ch19_s01_s.fm Page 742 Friday, December 12, 2008 6:20 PM
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
hsus_te_ch19_s01_s.fm Page 743 Friday, December 12, 2008 6:20 PM
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
1
healthcare, poverty, or foreign affairs.
SECTION
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.