How Accurate is it to Say that Campaigns for Traditional Values were Responsible for Political Divisions in the 1980s? Flashcards
Agree- Between Republicans and Democrats
Culture War
Culture war between liberal left + conservative right, exacerbated political divisions
Agree- Between Republicans and Democrats
Legislation
Reagan wanted to amend constitution to ban abortion, couludn’t get 2/3rds majority
Failed to endorse the Family Protection Act (school prayer, ban abortion, tax credits for private school pupils etc)
Bush declared support for anti-abortion constitutional amendment, but Democratic Congress wouldn’t agree
Agree- Between Republicans and Democrats
Supreme Court
1987- Reagan attempted to nominate Robert Bork as judge
He served under Reagan- opposed Civil Rights Act 1964, agianst affirmative action, supported denial of contraceptives (Conneticut), opposed abortion + women’s rights
Division between president + Senate,
Campaigning by NAACP + NOW, aggressive lobbying
Rejected nomination by 58 votes to 42
Agree- Within Republican Party
Supreme Court
Bush nominated David Souter for Supreme Court, views on abortion unknown (refused to discuss at confirmation hearnings)
Moral Majority disappointed
Approved nomination in 1990
Agree- Within Republican Party
Attacks on Bush
1988, Pat Buchanan (Reagan’s aide) + Pat Robertson (Televangelist) said Bush was ‘eastern establishment liberal’ and ‘all hat and no boots’
Attacked as insufficiently conservative
Contributed to defeat in 1992
Agree- Within Republican Party
Challenge to Nomination
Pat Buchanan challenged Bush for Republican nomination in 1992, promising to wage a ‘culture war’ against liberal influences in society, be ‘pitbull of the right’
Support from Republicans disillusioned w/ Bush’s tax hike + lack of enthusiasm for RR
Buchanon dominated National Convention
Bush couldn’t control his own party
Disagree- Economic Changes Deepened Divisions
Regulatory Bodies
Reagan attempted to limit power + funding of fed. regulatory bodies (Urban Development Department)- Democratic Senate (1986 mid-terms) objected
Disagree- Economic Changes Deepened Divisions
Government and States
April 1981- Presidential Advisory Committee on Federalism and Coordinating Task Force on Federalism
1982 State of the Union- plan to reduce fed. spending, give money directly to states
Failed to pass Congress- Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficits Control Act (December 1985) enforced spending cuts
Disagree- Economic Changes Deepened Divisions
Bush
Presented himself as ‘moderate’, called Reaganomics ‘voodoo economics’
1980- Clean Air Act 1992- Energy Policy Act
But raised income tax + cut spending in 1992, alienated Democrats (spending) and Republicans (tax)- lost the presidency to Clinton
Disagree- Democrat Intra-Party Divisions
Old-style vs New Democrats
Less bitter divisions.
Old-style missed New Deal + Great Society policies + big government, but realised more centrist ‘New Democrats’ were more electable
Advocacy for balanced fed. budget + decreased interventionism- Clinton said he wanted to ‘end welfare as we know it’
