The Resurgence of Conservatism
1980-2000
The Election of 1980
• Pres. Jimmy Carter: Democrat
• Ronald Reagan: Republican
• Reagan
• Former Actor
• Former Gov. of CA
• “New Right”
• neoconservatives
Reagan Revolution
• Iranian Hostage Crisis
• Reagan’s Goals:
• Reduce size of govt.
• March 6, 1981:
• Assassination attempt
Reagan Revolution
• Battle of the Budget-Reaganomics
• Tax cuts
• “Supply-side” Economics
• Recession of 1982
• Reagan renews the Cold War
• Expand U.S. military expenditures
• Strategic Defense Initiative-”Star Wars”
• 1982: Israel Invades Lebanon
• El Salvador
• Granada
• 1983: Korean airliner shot down in Soviet
airspace
Reagan Revolution
• Election of 1984
• Reagan v. Mondale
• VP running mate:
• Geraldine Ferraro
• Second Term
• Gorbachev
• Glasnost & Perestroika
• 1985 INF Treaty
Iran Contra Scandal
Reagan’s Economic Legacy
• Reaganomics
• Failure
• $200 billion in annual deficits
• Welfare State
• 1990s-median household income declined
Religious Right
• Rev. Jerry Falwell
• Moral Majority
-against
•sexual permissiveness
•Abortion
•Feminism
•Spread of gay rights
Conservatism in Courts
• Reagan appointed 3 conservative
judges: (Sandra Day O’Connor-1st
female justice)
• Reaganism rejected affirmative action
and abortion
• Affirmative Action:
• 1989 Ward’s Cove Packing v. Antonia & Martin v.
Wilks
• Abortion
• 1973 Roe v. Wade
• 1989 Webster v. Reproductive Health Services
• 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey
Referendum on Reaganism 1988
• “Black Monday” Oct. 19, 1987
• Election of 1988
• George Bush: Republican VP
• Jesse Jackson: Rainbow Coalition
• Michael Dukakis: Democratic candidate
• Bush wins!
Ch. 41 Highlights
• Election of 92 – Ross Perot
• “Don’t ask, don’t tell”, Health Care, Brady
Bill
• WTC, Oklahoma City, Branch Davidians
• Welfare Cuts
• Republican Backlash
• NAFTA, WTO
• Decrease in military, FBI, CIA
• “Monicagate”
• W: Florida, 9/11, Iraq, Patriot Act, Tax Cuts