Social Science Syndicate 1

Explain the reasons why a new conservatism rose to prominence in

the United States between 1960 and 1989.

Recommended time breakdown: 10 minutes reading and summarizing the documents, 5

minutes categorizing the documents, and 40 minutes writing

Contextualization/Synthesis
Intended Audience
Purpose
Historical Context
Author’s Point of View

(Hook→ ) Though it may seem contradictory, the past is truly the future, as pointed out
by George Orwell in his seminal work 1984. (Historical background, definition of key
terms→)The influence of the past manifested with the resurgence of conservatism, beginning

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with the election of President Ronald Reagan in 1980. In fact, new conservatism was alive in the

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political realm with reactions against big government, in the economic realm with desires for a

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free market system, and even in the social realm with the backlash against feminism, gay rights,

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and abortion. (Thesis→ ) New conservatism rose to prominence in the United States due to a

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pushback against big-government, a negative reaction to social progressivism, and a perception
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of declining American strength at home and abroad.
Beginning with FDR’s New Deal, the American government began to intervene more and
more in the economic and social realms. New Deal programs were followed by the
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establishment of sweeping social welfare systems, such as medicare and social security. As
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pointed out by onetime republican presidential hopeful Barry Goldwater in a speech to his fellow
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conservatives, “government is engaged in activities in which it has no legitimate business” (Doc

1). He spoke for many when he enumerated that the rise of big government was pernicious, and
that such growth into the private sector was an “encroachment of individual freedom” (Doc 1).
Moreover, economist Milton Friedman went so far as to assert that federal programs had
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actually worsened the well-being of their recipients, stating “programs intended to improve the
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housing conditions of the poor…[have] worsened the housing conditions of the poor” (Doc 2).
Throughout his book Capitalism and Freedom, Friedman argues that free markets, devoid of
federal interference, are preferable. He also insists that “the greater part of the new ventures
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undertaken by government in the past few decades have failed to achieve their objectives.”
(Doc 2). Goldwater and Friedman’s concerns over the rising power of “big government” were
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vocalized by the American people in the 1980, when Ronald Reagan was elected under the
promise of a smaller federal government.
The second factor contributing to the rise of new conservatism was the negative reaction
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to social progressivism. Social progressivism began in the 1960s and spurred skepticism about
authority (the year 1968 is branded ‘stormy’ because of all the anti-government protests),
support for feminism and gay rights (as evidenced by the Stonewall Rebellion), and a sexual
revolution. While the idea of social progressivism perpetuated for approximately a decade, it
met its demise with the rise of conservatism. In fact, Jerry Falwell, with the purpose of critiquing
the morality of America, urged his supporters to “reverse the trend America finds herself in

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 Social Science Syndicate 2

today” (Doc 4). He advocated new conservatism by denouncing the youth of America for their
“loss of respect for human life,” their involvement with “the drug culture” (Doc 4). Falwell was the
founder of the Moral Majority, a group that pushed back against gay rights and feminism, and he
was a forerunner of the rise of new conservatism because of his speeches against social
progressivism. Teddi Holt also contributed to the rise of rise of new conservatism by denouncing
feminism, another facet of social progressivism. She criticized feminists by stating that they
“were calling for liberation from the things women like me love most—our husbands, our
children, our homes,” (Doc 6) and she even suggested that feminists were a detriment to the
safety of households across America by urging American citizens to “unite against threats to the
home” (Doc 6). Holt’s intended audience was not only her fellow conservatives, but also the
literate public of America as a whole.
Finally, a perception of declining American strength domestically and abroad contributed
to a resurgence of conservatism. Throughout the end of 1970’s, events such as the OPEC
embargo and the Iranian hostage crises led to rising fear among the American people that their
country was losing respect and power on the international stage. Conservative leadership

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capitalized on this fear, as the Reagan Platform of 1980 states “never before in modern history

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has the United States endured as many humiliations, insults, and defeats” as under non-

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conservative leadership (Doc 5). Although it was indubitably biased since political

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announcements often appeal more to emotions than to true facts, the message that America

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was weakening was widely accepted and reinforced by the sudden Soviet invasion of
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Afghanistan in 1979. International fears were matched with internal, as urban violence
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increased alongside integration. Rising inner city crime was often attributed to “dope addicts and
welfare cheats” (Doc 3), and some, as exemplified in a letter to the governor of New York,
emphasized that the rule of law was being subverted inside American cities themselves.
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Overall, there were three principal factors that contributed to the rise of new
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conservatism: pushback against big-government, a negative reaction to social progressivism,

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and a perception of declining American strength at home and abroad. These factors were
influential enough that American conservatism lasted until 1992, when the Republican party
finally lost control of the oval office to democrat Bill Clinton.
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