Chapter 40: The Resurgence of Conservatism, 1980-1992 Flashcards
- To what extent was the election of Reagan an endorsement of his conservative ideology, and to what extent was it a repudiation of the perceived failures of federal government policies in the stalemated 1970s?
Ronald Regan appeared on the political stage at a time when America started to lean in favor of conservatives. The New Deal of 1933 had been a dominant political movement for almost thirty years, but in the 60s, it began to break down because of race, class, and the Vietnam War. Republicans became more and more resistant to strong government intervention, and several white southerners became even stronger in this belief due to the enforcement of civil rights laws in the 60s. After the Watergate Scandal and Gerald Ford’s pardon of Nixon, the democratic candidates were weakened. The people were discouraged with the failures of their president Nixon, and it was this that led to Regan’s victory.
- What were the successes and failures of American foreign policy in the post-Cold War era? Was the use of American military power in the Persian Gulf War and the Balkans a model for how American power could be effectively brought to bear, or did it demonstrate the limits of even the sole superpowers ability to resolve regional conflicts?
After the Cold War, America’s foreign policy focused on the Persian Gulf Crisis. Saddam Hussein was the evil ruler of Iraq. He sent his army to overrun Kuwait for its oil. Financially, Iran was in trouble because of its war with Iran. To solve the problem, Hussein wanted to dominate the entire Persian Gulf region. The US had given him the weapons in the war with Iran, and it backfired. When Hussein attacked Kuwait, the UN created an economic embargo that failed. The US then sent in military to the Arabian Peninsula, hoping to quell the force of his rage. After bombing Iraq, they retaliated by launching missiles into Saudi Arabia and Israel, the US’s allies. After much fighting, Saddam accepted a cease-fire and Kuwait was freed. Most Americans considered the quickness of the war to see it as successful. However, the war failed in the sense that Saddam Hussein would later cause more problems, and the US would become entangled in the Middle East. The use of military power showed the effectiveness of American force for liberation as well as its shortcomings in quelling regional conflicts.
- What was the real cause of the end of the Cold War? Did America win the Cold War, or did the Soviets lose the Cold War is there a difference?
The Cold War didn’t end because of one side or the other. The Cold War ended because of negotiations and agreements reached on both sides. After years of the arms race and later negotiations, the Cold War reached its culmination during Reagan and Gorbachev’s terms. Mikhail Gorbachev became the chairman of the Soviet Communist party in 1985. He initiated the policies of openness and restructuring. Both policies called for the reduction of weapons. This initiated an opportunity for the West to attempt to make reconciliation with the Soviet Union. Reagan and Gorbachev had many meetings that ended the Cold War. Neither side “won” or “lost” the Cold War. However, the Russian economy suffered drastically after the Cold war because military spending was cut and many were unemployed.
- Compare and contrast the rise of the Moral Majority in the 1980s with that of the Beats of the 1950s and the Hippies of the 1960s and 70s. What commonalities do they have with each other?
The Moral Majority was made up of televangelists who advocated for conservative causes. They were often known as “movement conservatives,” which actually refers to the liberal protest movements of the 1960s. It reflected the radicalism of the 60s in some ways. In the 60s, feminists said that “the personal was political,” which was an approach also taken by advocates for the religious right. The Hippies of the 70s wanted rights for gay voters and Latino voters. While there are many differences between each movement, one similarity is that they all passionately argued for something that they believed in. The Moral Majority played a major role in mobilizing Christians as a political force, which contributed to Republican victories. Some, such as Rev. Falwell, campaigned against free sex, abortion, gay rights, and feminism. They campaigned on issues that were central to maintaining what they believed to be moral law. The Beats, on the other hand, were focused on materialism, rejecting normal standards and using illegal drugs. They did however, have an interest in religion, but not the religion of the Moral Majority. They set the stage for the “hippie” movement, which embraced the opposite of the Moral Majority’s beliefs; sexual freedom, drugs, and meditative music.
- How should history view the presidency of Ronald Reagan? Was he a great, good, fair, or bad president and why?
Reagan seems to be regarded by many, Republicans and Democrats, as a good president. However, most conservatives view him with a more reverent lens than liberals. He certainly wasn’t a bad president, but how different people view him will be based on their worldview lens and no one can set a standard for how “history” views him. The commonality between all perspectives, however, is that he was a gifted orator and extremely moving speaker.
