Chapter 8 - Skewing the System Flashcards
What was a key psychological advantage that Republicans gained by portraying Democrats as the enemy?
It forced Democrats to be on the defensive, explaining themselves instead of countering their opponents. This made it easier for Republicans to skew the political system in their favor
How did Republicans mobilize their evangelical support in 1986?
Grover Norquist brought together Nixon’s alliance of big business, evangelicals, and social conservatives into Americans for Tax Reform. They used family values to defend measures like tax cuts and pro-business legislation, and attacked programs that aided the poor
What “ballot integrity measures” did Republicans begin to implement, and what was their goal?
Republicans started talking about “ballot integrity measures” that they hoped would knock Black voters off the rolls. They also accused Democrats of turning to “illegal,” usually immigrant, voters
What claims did Republican candidates make after losing in the 1994 midterm elections?
They claimed that Democrats had won through “voter fraud”. Although investigations turned up nothing, they continued to push these claims in the media to convince Americans that Democratic voter fraud was a serious issue
What happened in Florida that suppressed Black voters and influenced the 2000 presidential election?
The Florida legislature passed a law that purged up to a hundred thousand Black voters, presumed to be Democrats, from the system after a corrupt 1997 Miami mayoral race. This purge contributed to George W. Bush’s victory in Florida, which ultimately decided the 2000 election. A confusing ballot also siphoned votes from Gore to a third-party candidate. A hand recount was stopped by Republican operatives in Miami-Dade County
What was the “Brooks Brothers riot,” and what did it signify?
The “Brooks Brothers riot” was when Republican operatives attacked the recount venue in Miami-Dade County to stop the recount in the 2000 election. It signified that Republicans now saw politics as a street fight for victory, and that they were willing to use aggressive tactics to achieve their goals
How did the Supreme Court influence the 2000 presidential election?
The Supreme Court, led by five Republican-appointed justices, stepped in to decide the winner, ultimately awarding the presidency to George W. Bush
What is the theory of the “unitary executive”?
The theory of the unitary executive states that because the president is the head of one of the three unique branches of government, any oversight of that office by Congress or the courts is unconstitutional. Republicans were setting up the idea that a president could act alone
What is “judicial activism,” and why did conservatives oppose it?
“Judicial activism” refers to the Supreme Court’s use of the Fourteenth Amendment to apply the first ten amendments to state governments, which outlawed racial discrimination and other restrictions. Conservatives opposed this, arguing that the court was “legislating from the bench” and taking away from the states the right to make their own decisions. They believed the national government should only do what is explicitly written in the Constitution
How did the Reagan administration seek to change the judiciary?
Reagan’s attorney general, Edwin Meese, sought to “institutionalize the Reagan revolution” by nominating judges based on their ideological purity. They aimed to stack the courts with “originalists” like Antonin Scalia. They also nominated Robert Bork who was seen as an extremist, but this nomination was ultimately rejected
What was the Iran-Contra affair?
The Reagan administration illegally sold arms to Iran and funneled the profits to the Contras in Nicaragua, despite a congressional ban. This scandal was marked by “secrecy, deception, and disdain for the law
How did the Iran-Contra affair affect American democracy?
Despite indictments and convictions, the pardoning of officials involved in the Iran-Contra affair by George H.W. Bush weakened American democracy. This demonstrated that “powerful people with powerful allies” could commit serious crimes without consequences
