Chapter 40: The Resurgence of Conservatism The Reagan Administration
The Election of Ronald Reagan Social/Economic Views Naturally sided with the New Right on social issues Against: Big government Federal intervention in local affairs Favoritism for minorities Elitism of bureaucrats Neoconservatives- Business liberated from govt restraints Harsh anti-soviet positions Reassertion of traditional values of individualism and importance of family
Elec%on of 1980 Carter s administra%on damaged Iranian hostage crisis Inability to control infla%on Fight for Democra%c %cket against Ted Kennedy Kennedy too liberal, car accident = major problem
The Reagan Revolu%on Iran hostage crisis ends on inaugura%on day (444 days) Reduce federal government Goal is to dismantle the welfare state Reversal of the poli%cal evolu%on of the New Deal and the Great Society Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher Both conserva%ve Reduce the power of labor unions Reduce govt involvement in business Strong foreign policy against Soviet Union
Reagan s An%- govt/an%- tax Proposi'on 13 movement Reagan s smaller govt policies Cut $35 billion from social programs (food stamps, job- training centers) How? Boll weevils- southern conserva%ve Dems. Part 2 of his economic program called for reduc%ons in tax rates over 3 years (approved in 1981) Lowered individual tax rates and federal estate taxes Known as supply- side economics
Supply Side Economics Reagan s combina%on of budgetary discipline and tax reduc%ons would: S%mulate new investment Boost produc%vity Foster economic growth Reduce the federal deficit Reality of Reaganomics Economy slid into deepest recession since 1930s Unemployment reached 11% (1982) Businesses collapsed, banks failed Reality- recession started in 1979 under Carter
Effects of Supply Side Economics Economic recovery began in 1983 Income gaps widened between the richest and the poorest New income group- Yuppies Did Reaganomics really create the upturn in the economy? No- massive military expenditures ($2 trillion) to the Pentagon in the 1980s Federal budget deficit reached $100 billion in 1982 America became the world s heaviest borrowers
Reagan Renews the Cold War Reagan- Soviets will lie, cheat, commit crimes to achieve their goal of world conquest Strategy for dealing with USSR Threaten the Soviets an expensive new round of the arms race and send the USSR to economic ruin March 1983- Reagan announced Strategic Defense Ini'a've (SDI) Rela'ons begin to deteriorate Poland s Solidarity movement Korean Airlines Flight 007 Arms- control nego%a%ons broken off Soviet boycoj of 1984 Olympic Games in LA
Troubles Abroad Israel Friendship w/us strained- new establishments along West Bank of Jordan River Israel invaded Lebanon (1982) to defeat Pales%nian fighters Reagan sent troops to Lebanon in 1983- peacekeeping force Suicide bomber killed more than 200 marines Reagan withdrew rest of troops No poli%cal damage for Reagan- Teflon President
Nicaragua Troubles Abroad Sandinistas- an%- American revolu%onaries (Daniel Ortega- president 1984) Reagan accused them turning Nic. into base for Soviet and Cuban military to move into all of Central America Reagan supplies contras (Am. backed rebels) with weapons to fight Sandinistas Nic. also sending weapons to El Salvador Reagan sends advisors to support El Salvador s govt Decade long struggle for peace in Nicaragua
Round Two for Reagan Democrats nominate Walter Mondale and VP candidate Geraldine Ferraro (1 st woman VP) Mondale s problem- he was Carter s VP 525-13
Reagan s 2 nd Term 2 nd Term dominated by foreign policy issues Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev becomes new leader of Soviet Union in 1985 Commijed to reforming USSR Glasnost- introducing free speech and some poli%cal liberty Perestroika- revive economy by adop%ng free- market prac%ces Required USSR to reduce size of military and redirect money/energy to economy
End of the Cold War? Reagan and Gorbachev agree to 4 summit mee%ngs 3 rd mee%ng- signing of the Intermediate- Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty Banning all of these missiles from Europe Final summit mee%ng- end of the Cold War kind of
The Iran- Contra Affair Reagan s 2 major foreign policy problems 1. con%nued cap%vity of American hostages seized by Muslim extremist groups in Lebanon 2. Sandinista government in Nicaragua Many govt officials saw a possible link
1985- Americans arranged to sell arms to Iran (at war w/iraq) IN RETURN- Iran would release at least 1 American hostage. Money Iran paid for the weapons went to the Contras in Nicaragua Violated the Boland Amendment- limited aid to contras News leaked out in 1986 Major blow to Reagan s foreign policy, but did remain one of the most popular presidents of modern US history
Reagan s Economic Legacy Supply- side economic theory promised to lower taxes that would INCREASE govt revenue- would s%mulate the economy FACT- combina%on of tax reduc%on and huge increases in military spending opened revenue hole of $200 million annual deficits Reagan added $2 trillion to the na%onal debt Reagan years were a great economic failure Economic failure, but poli%cal triumph Able to block or repeal social programs of Great Society- contained the welfare system (highest
The Religious Right Moral Majority Poli%cal organiza%on founded by Reverend Jerry Falwell Aggressive poli%cal advocates for conserva%ves New powerful, poli%cal movement- gender roles, homosexuality, and prayer Right to life movement Several religious leaders involved in scandals in mid- late 1980s- did not diminish conserva%ve Chris%ans
Conserva%sm in the Courts Reagan was able to appoint a near- majority of all sea%ng judges Sandra Day O Connor William Rehnquist Antonin Scalia Anthony Kennedy
Major Court Cases Reaganism against affirma%ve ac%on and abor%on Ward s Cove Packing v. Antonia and Mar6n v. Wilks Job seniority outweighs AA concerns Difficult to prove that an employer prac%ced racial discrimina%on in hiring Easier for whites to argue for reverse discrimina%on
Webster v. Reproduc6ve Health Services (1989) Imposed certain restric%ons on: The use of state funds The use of facili%es Employees performing abor%ons, assis%ng, or counseling Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) States can restrict access to abor%on as long as they do not place an undue burden on the woman Wives do not have to inform their husbands, but a
Referendum on Reaganism in in 1988 Republicans lost the Senate in 1986 elec%on Democra%c majority begin road toward 1988 presiden%al elec%on Play up the Iran- Contra Affair Signs of economic trouble ahead Federal budget deficit Interna%onal trade deficit Falling oil prices in SW Federal rescue opera%on = $500 billion Banks holding near- worthless loans- more banks to close since 1930s
Elec%on of 1988 Democra%c front- runner- former CO Senator Gary Hart- forced to drop out arer charges of sexual misconduct Democrats chose Gov. of Mass- Michael Dukakis Republicans nominated VP George HW Bush Dukakis flaw- emo%onless on tv Bush s strength- Reagan s VP
George Bush and the End of the Cold War Communism seemed to be ending around the world China s Tiananmen Square- tanks and machine guns killed hundreds of protestors Solidarity movement in Poland ended their communist govt Communism ending in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Romania Berlin Wall ended 1990
The end of USSR Gorbachev able to prevent military coup in 1991, with help from Boris Yeltsin (Russian Republic president) Resigned in 1991 as Soviet president Soviet Union dissolved into 15 republics called the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Russia the most powerful state Boris Yeltsin becomes leader
Effects of the end of the Cold War Russia START II- US and Russia to reduce long- range nuclear missiles by 2/3 within 10 years Chechnyan minori%es try to declare independence Ethnic warfare in Yugoslavia United States Containing Soviet communism had been goal of US foreign policy for almost 50 years Pentagon closed 34 military bases- unemployment rose US economy was dependent on defense spending
Persian Gulf Crisis August 2, 1990- Saddam Hussein ajacked Kuwait- oil rich desert to the South of Iraq Why? Oil- Saddam needs oil to pay huge war bills Control of the en%re Persian Gulf region Would be in charge of oil supplies for the rest of the world Possibly total destruc%on of Israel Problem- US had helped build Saddam s military machine during 1980s (Saddam v. Iran)
Reac%on to Saddam s ajack UN Security Council demanded his withdrawal Ul%matum- leave now or UN will use necessary means to make you leave - Jan 15, 1991 Jan 1991-539,000 Americans entered Persian Gulf For 37 days warplanes targeted Kuwait and Iraq New technology- modern warfare begins
American Forces led by Stormin Norman Schwarzkopf Stormin Norman s gain plan: Relentless bombings against Iraq Ground troops to ajack Opera%on Desert Storm Lasted only 4 days Feb. 27- Kuwait liberated, cease- fire signed Saddam survives- Bush worried about full assault on Baghdad (lives and support)
Bush on the Home Front Americans w/disabili%es ACT (ADA) 1990- prohibited discrimina%on against 43 million US ci%zens w/physical or mental disabili%es Bush social issues Con%nued Reagan s fight against Affirma%ve Ac%on and abor%on Clarence Thomas Nominated for SC in 1991 Against AA and opposed liberal groups Senate Judiciary Comm. Divided 7-7 Anita Hill controversy
Republican Power changing? Thomas confirma%on suggested social issues that helped Reagan and Bush were losing electoral appeal Women grew increasingly cri%cal over Bush s abor%on views 1992- unemployment rose to 7% Bush agreed to budget increase that included $133 billion in new taxes (1990) but promised in 1988- Read My Lips