5. Modern Conservatism and Liberalism in the United States Flashcards
What were the key goals of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal?
Key Goals of the New Deal:
1. Relief: Provide immediate aid to the unemployed and struggling families (e.g., CCC, WPA, FERA).
2. Recovery: Stimulate the economy and create jobs through public works (e.g., PWA, AAA).
3. Reform: Prevent future economic disasters by regulating banks and establishing Social Security (e.g., FDIC, SEC, Social Security Act).
Name two major achievements of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society.
- Civil Rights Act (1964):
- Banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in public places, schools, and employment.
- Ended segregation in schools and public accommodations.
- Strengthened federal laws against discrimination, making it easier to sue.
- Medicare/Medicaid (1965):
- Medicare: Provided health insurance for people 65 and older, regardless of income or medical history.
- Medicaid: Offered health insurance for low-income individuals and families, expanding access to medical care for the poor.
Straightforward, direct action on civil rights and healthcare access!
What is the central philosophy of John Rawls’s Theory of Justice?
Justice as fairness, ensuring equality and protecting vulnerable populations through public reason.
How did 9/11 shape liberal critiques of U.S. policy?
Liberals opposed the Patriot Act’s erosion of privacy and criticized unilateral military interventions like the Iraq War.
Define pragmatic liberalism.
A practical approach focusing on effective solutions, cultural pluralism, and incremental progress.
How did George W. Bush’s policies influence liberal activism?
Liberals rallied against the Iraq War, tax inequality, and surveillance overreach.
What were the main criticisms of the Great Society?
Accusations of government overreach and displacement of minority communities in urban renewal projects.
Government Overreach:
Some people (especially conservatives, but not exclusively) criticized the Great Society as an example of too much government intervention. They argued that it expanded the federal government in a way that was inefficient and didn’t respect state sovereignty. Critics feared that more programs meant more bureaucratic control and that the government was becoming too involved in citizens’ lives. That’s where you see the “overreach” accusations—people were worried about big government spending and regulations that interfered with personal responsibility.
Urban Renewal Projects:
Okay, this one gets tricky. A major component of the Great Society was the War on Poverty, which included urban renewal projects to improve cities, reduce crime, and expand housing. On the surface, it sounds like a good deal—who doesn’t want safer, nicer neighborhoods? But here’s the kicker: these projects often led to the displacement of low-income and minority communities. Poor neighborhoods, often predominantly Black or Latinx, were torn down to make way for new developments or infrastructure. The idea was to clean up and revitalize, but the result was frequently the displacement of people who had little recourse, and the creation of new areas where they couldn’t afford to live.
Explain polemical liberalism.
A confrontational branch advocating for grassroots action on issues like inequality and systemic corruption.
What does Rawlsian liberalism prioritize in governance?
Fairness, equal opportunities, and protection of individual rights.
Why is the New Deal significant in liberal history?
It established the first federal safety net and set a precedent for government intervention in economic crises.
When did neoconservatism emerge?
Neoconservatism emerged in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. It began among liberal intellectuals who became disillusioned with the Democratic Party’s increasingly pacifist stance and the radicalism of the New Left and counterculture movements
The movement gained significant influence in the 1980s and 1990s, particularly during the Reagan administration, and reached its peak during the presidency of George W. Bush, especially with the promotion and planning of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
What does theocon mean?
A “theocon” is a person with conservative views who believes that religion, especially Christianity, should be the dominant influence in government policy.
The term first appeared in 1996 in an article in The New Republic titled “Neocon v. Theocon” by Jacob Heilbrunn.
What is academic relativism?
Academic relativism is a philosophical perspective that suggests that knowledge, truth, and morality are not absolute but are relative to the perspectives or contexts from which they are viewed. This means that what is considered true or valid can vary depending on cultural, social, or individual factors.
Here are some key points about academic relativism:
- Epistemic Relativism: This form of relativism holds that there are no absolute principles regarding belief, justification, or rationality. Instead, these are seen as relative to specific frameworks or contexts.
- Moral Relativism: This suggests that moral judgments and values are not universal but are shaped by cultural or individual preferences].
- Cultural Relativism: Often used in anthropology, this approach involves understanding and evaluating behaviors and beliefs within their cultural context, avoiding ethnocentric judgments.
Academic relativism is often debated because it challenges the notion of objective truth and can lead to the idea that all viewpoints are equally valid, which can be controversial in fields that rely on empirical evidence and universal standards. [1]
Biblical creationism:
Belief that the universe and life originate from specific acts of divine creation (e.g., Genesis).
“Instant Analysis” Defined:
Rapid, often critical interpretations of events (e.g., live news commentary), which conservatives saw as undermining patriotism and authority.
New Journalism Definition:
A style of journalism blending factual reporting with subjective, narrative techniques.
Features of New Journalism
first-person perspective and focus on emotional truth over pure objectivity.
What is the essence of modern liberalism in the U.S.?
Balancing individual rights, social equality, and government intervention to promote collective welfare, rooted in Enlightenment ideals of liberty and democracy.
What key programs defined Roosevelt’s New Deal, and why are they important?
Social Security Act (safety net), WPA (employment via infrastructure), and FDIC (bank deposit insurance). They marked federal responsibility for economic stability
How did Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society differ from the New Deal?
While the New Deal focused on economic recovery, the Great Society targeted poverty and racial inequality through Civil Rights Acts, Medicare, and Medicaid.
What is Rawlsian liberalism, and why is it considered idealistic?
It emphasizes fairness and universal rights, grounded in justice as fairness. Critics argue it’s too theoretical for practical politics.
What distinguishes radical liberalism from other liberal strands?
It embraces grassroots activism, focuses on wealth redistribution, and opposes systemic corruption, e.g., Bernie Sanders’s focus on wealth inequality.
What historical conditions birthed neoconservatism?
Disillusioned liberals reacting to the excesses of counterculture and radical leftism in the 1960s-70s, emphasizing national defense and moral clarity.
Who is Leo Strauss, and why is he relevant to neoconservatism?
A philosopher who critiqued modernity’s moral relativism, advocating for shared traditional values to maintain societal order.
Why do neoconservatives link democracy with moral superiority?
They see it as the ultimate governance system, justifying U.S. interventions as moral responsibilities to spread democracy.
What does it mean that neoconservatives valued religion for its “sociological utility”?
They embraced religion for fostering social order and moral stability rather than for its intrinsic truth claims.
How did neoconservatism evolve during the George W. Bush era?
It focused on spreading democracy globally (e.g., Iraq War), coupling moral justifications with military interventionism.
Define postmodernism in one sentence.
A critique of universal truths, asserting that knowledge and truth are shaped by power and cultural contexts.
How does postmodernism ironically influence conservatism?
Conservatives borrow its relativism to challenge liberal dominance, e.g., pushing Intelligent Design by arguing for “alternative perspectives.”
What is Intelligent Design, and how does it critique Darwinism?
A pseudo-scientific idea that life’s complexity implies a designer, challenging evolution by claiming gaps in natural selection’s explanations.
Why did Intelligent Design gain legislative traction, like with the No Child Left Behind Act?
Conservatives framed it as “teaching all sides,” aligning with the Act’s focus on educational standards and “diverse” viewpoints.
What is theocons’ beef with the Enlightenment?
They see Enlightenment ideals of reason and secularism as threats to faith, undermining divine truth and traditional values.
What is “instant analysis,” and why did conservatives hate it?
Rapid, critical event interpretations in media. Conservatives saw it as undermining authority and favoring liberal elitism.
What is “New Journalism,” and how did conservatives use it?
A narrative-driven, subjective style of reporting. Conservatives adopted it for partisan media, blending facts with emotional appeals.
How did conservatives accuse the media of bias post-Vietnam War?
They claimed the press favored liberal urban elites, alienating the “silent majority” with critical, anti-patriotic coverage.
Why did the 1990s culture wars mark a conservative win?
Conservatives weaponized postmodern critiques to expose liberal hypocrisies in academia and media, strengthening their cultural influence.
What is partisan rhetoric, and why is it effective?
Emotionally charged, biased communication that rallies supporters by framing issues as “Us vs. Them,” avoiding meaningful debate.
How do conservatives criticize identity politics while also contributing to it?
They denounce group-specific grievances yet amplify white identity and cultural exceptionalism in reactionary ways.
What’s the conservative strategy behind pushing for “academic freedom”?
Framing conservative ideas as marginalized to demand intellectual diversity, often echoing postmodern critiques of knowledge.
What is the paradox of postmodern conservatism?
It uses relativistic tactics (all truth is subjective) to undermine liberal narratives while claiming to defend absolute values.
How does postmodern conservatism threaten critical thinking?
By blurring truth with opinion, prioritizing emotional appeal, and reducing debates to echo chambers.
