On the Eve and Duration of the Conservative Revolution

On the Eve and Duration of the Conservative Revolution

On the Eve of the Conservative Revolution Emerging from an era dominated by liberalism: FDR New Deal JFK New Frontier LBJ Great Society

Rose from obscurity was a peanut farmer before entering politics as a governor of Georgia in 1970. Used reputation as an outsider to his advantage; following the years of the Watergate Scandal I will never lie to you. Preferred to surround himself with staff from Georgia rather than Washington insiders. Made passing legislation more difficult

Yom Kippur War Camp David Accords: an agreement which provided a framework for peace between Israel and Egypt. Israel would return captured land. Egypt would establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Celebrating the signing of the Camp David Accords: Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter, Anwar El Sadat

Result of a build-up of tensions stemming from a US CIA backed operation to put Reza Pahlavi in power to stop Prime Minister Mossadegh from nationalizing American oil companies in Iran. This meant cheap oil for the US, but bad relations with Iran. The crisis began on Nov. 4, 1979 when 400 armed Muslim militants took the American Embassy in Tehran, Iran captive. Iran Hostage Crisis 1979 (ABC News Report From 11/11/1979)

Economic Struggles: inherited a struggling economy. Stagflation: Inflation (i.e. rise in prices) was high, but unemployment were low.

Following OPEC s oil embargo, the world s oil dependence upon the region inspired OPEC to raise prices of oil from $2-3 a barrel to $12 a barrel causing a prolonged energy crisis. In response, Carter proposed a plan to emphasize energy conservation. National Energy Act: a simplified version of Carter s original plans; offered tax credits as incentives to people who conserved energy (i.e. insulating homes; using solar panels, etc.)

Earth Day: April 22, 1970 first Earth Day; wide success for environment friendly projects across the nation. Environment movement emerged as a result of more widespread environmental concerns. Sierra Club (1892) gained larger membership. The Clean Water Act of 1972: limited the amount of sewage and other pollutants flowing into waterways.

Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974: allowed the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the quality of drinking water. Directed the EPA to set maximum allowable levels for certain chemical and biological pollutants. Brought almost 240,000 community water supply systems under EPA standards, serving more than 200 million people. EPA also began to addressing other issues associated with pollution such as regulating car exhaust.

The Three Mile Island Accident Three Mile Island was a nuclear power plant. On March 28, 1979 the plan suffered a partial meltdown. It was recovered, but not before some radioactive gases escaped into the atmosphere. No new nuclear power plants have been built since 1979. Three Mile Island, Nuclear Power Plant Accident: March 28, 1979

By 1970s women were entering more professions that were traditionally male dominated. (i.e. accounting, chemistry, law, medicine). Fight to address workplace segregation; unequal pay; unaffordable childcare; etc. National Women s Political Caucus: formed in 1971 to encourage women to take an active role in the fight for equality, but also to help support males who took a strong stance on women s issues. Increase in female delegates

Conservatives of the 1980 s felt that big government was a problem and that the government should limit costly social programs and not interfere too much with business practices. The Conservative Revolution Cartoon courtesy of Mike Shelton

Ronald Reagan led the conservative revolution, serving as President from 1980 1988.

Reaganomics Sometimes called the theory of Supply-side economics. Rests on the assumption that if taxes are reduced, people will work more and have more money to spend, causing the economy to grow. The government will then collect more taxes. But in order to cut taxes and balance the budget, Reagan would need to reduce federal spending on programs favored by both democrats and republicans. Economic Recovery Act of 1981 Reduced taxes by 25% over 3 years.

Reagan s Economic Plan: - large tax cuts that were meant to stimulate the economy - spending cuts to costly social programs - Deregulation removal of governmental control over industry. Deregulated airline, tele-communications, and banking industries. Also cut funding for federal agencies that oversaw many other agencies. Reagan Advocates Small Government (0:46) President Reagan remarks on Economic Bill of Rights during the Star Spangled Salute to America at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC. (July 3, 1987)

Sanders Cartoon-Commentary

Mixed Results: While the economy grew, the country suffered from a record budget deficit. (Example: $240 billion deficit in 1986) The budget deficit was caused by a large increase in military spending, along with massive tax cuts, which made it impossible to create a balanced budget. Despite Reagan s economic policies, the economy experienced a severe recession from 1980 1982. 10% unemployment!

As noted, Reagan and other conservatives generally opposed most government spending on welfare. Under Reagan, Congress cut funds for many of President Johnson s Great Society programs: Food Stamps Aid to the elderly, poor, and disabled Student loans Subsidized Housing programs Esp. affected single women with young children Children living in poverty increased by 25% in 1980s.

Believed that the federal government should be less involved in the enforcement of civil rights. Reluctant to extend 1965 Voting Rights Act Against using busing to enforce desegregation in schools Called for end to Affirmative Action (reverse discrimination) His policies alienated civil rights groups.

The first few cases of AIDS were discovered in 1983 Several young gay males in San Francisco in 1983 were shown to be exhibiting symptoms of Kaposi s Sarcoma, a type of cancer, which was syptomatic of HIV/AIDS While it was considered a Gay plague AIDS affected all types of people, including heterosexuals Created increased prejudiced attitudes and activities targeting the LGBT community Prompted many protests over Reagan s lack of funding for AIDS Research Forced increased research for AIDS treatment

Regarded Communism as an immoral and destructive ideology; Soviet Union bent on world domination. In a famous speech on March 8, 1983, referred to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," he also called the Soviets "the focus of evil in the modern world. Had supported containment policy under Truman; opposed the policy of détente during 1970s (relaxation of tension)

Supported efforts to roll back communist control and influence As stated by Charles Krauthammer's words in 1985, The Reagan Doctrine was a policy of "democratic militancy" that "proclaims overt and unabashed support for anti-communist revolution." CIA involved in numerous anti-communist efforts throughout the decade Angola Nicaragua El Salvador Poland Afghanistan Grenada

Nicaragua U.S-backed Anastasio Somoza Debayle was ousted by the Sandinistas a Marxist group. Reagan cut off aid to Nicaragua saying that the Sandinistas were backed by the USSR. Reagan then allowed the CIA to equip and train a Sandinista opposition group called the Contras. Congress cut off funds to the Contras and banned all further direct or indirect U.S. support of them. Found that CIA had been illegally placing mines in Nicaraguan Harbors.

Despite the Congressional ban on U.S. funds for the Contras war, Reagan s national security staff sought to continue the funding. In 1985 National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane persuaded Reagan to sell arms to Iran in hopes that Iran would help obtain the release of U.S. hostages in Lebanon. This violated a U.S. arms embargo. Members of the National Security Council staff then secretly diverted the money from the sale of arms to Iran to the Contras in Nicaragua.

Vice Admiral John Poindexter and Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North carried out the plan to divert arms sale money to the Contras. When the Iran-Contra affair came to light, Congress wanted to know if anyone higher up was involved. Reagan admitted authorizing the sale of arms to Iran but denied knowing that the money was then diverted to the Contras. Full details of the affair are not known because the administration engaged in a cover-up of their actions. North admitted destroying key documents. High-level Reagan staff members lied in testimony to Congress and withheld evidence. North was convicted of destroying documents and perjury. His conviction was overturned on technicalities.

An End to the Cold War Pres. Reagan increased military spending and pursued a weapons program known as Star Wars that could shoot down missiles from space. This helped to destroy the economy of the Soviet Union, as they were unable to match U.S. spending on the military and provide for their citizens at the same time. Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) logo

Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev began a policy called glasnost, in which he allowed more freedom of speech and the press. Reagan Meets Gorbachev (4:46) See President Ronald Reagan meet Mikhail Gorbachev, set to "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour.

Gorbachev also signed an arms control treaty, called the INF Treaty, with Pres. Reagan in 1987. Eventually, however, Gorbachev was forced to resign in 1991, and the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

As a result, fifteen Soviet republics gained their independence. Post-Soviet states in alphabetical order: 1. Armenia; 2. Azerbaijan; 3. Belarus; 4. Estonia; 5. Georgia; 6. Kazakhstan; 7. Kyrgyzstan; 8. Latvia; 9. Lithuania; 10. Moldova; 11. Russia; 12. Tajikistan; 13. Turkmenistan; 14. Ukraine; 15. Uzbekistan

President George H.W. Bush: Pres. George H.W. Bush continued Reagan s policies with his famous promise, Read my lips. No new taxes.

However, by 1990, the economy was in a recession, forcing Bush to raise taxes.

"The purpose of the ADA... is to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate to end discrimination against individuals with disabilities and to bring those individuals into the economic and social mainstream of American life." Banned discrimination in employment against people with disabilities. Requires employers and schools to make reasonable accommodations to help disabled employees and students.

Bush s greatest test came when Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, then threatened to move into Saudi Arabia.

On September 11, 1990,Bush sent 425,000 American troops to the region, they were joined by 118,000 troops from allied nations. On January 16,1991 the United States declared war on Iraq and began a massive air attack on Iraq. On February 23,1991 allied troops invaded Iraq. Four days later the war was over. The ground war lasted only one hundred hours, the shortest war in history at the time. Hussein was still in power but no longer occupied Kuwait.