Ronald Reagan & The Conservative Tide Takes Washington

The New Right: A Conservative Movements Begins Ever since Barry Goldwater’s candidacy for president in 1964, many conservative Americans argued that individuals, businesses, and state governments needed more freedom from the federal government in Washington D.C.

The Problem: The Federal Government Many Americans agreed with California Governor Ronald Reagan when he asserted “Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.”

Conservatives’ Beef with the Government Entitlement Programs: cost the American taxpayers $300 billion annually. Civil Rights Policy: Long distance bussing to achieve a fixed ratio of black & white students. Affirmative Action: Requirement of employers and universities to give special consideration to women, African Americans, and other minority groups.

The New Right As individuals, the New Right focused its energy on controversial social issues, such as: Opposing abortion Blocking the Equal Rights Amendment Evading court-ordered bussing A return to school prayer, which had been outlawed in 1962.

Conservative Coalition As the New Right gathered momentum, it grew into the conservative coalition. As a coalition, individuals were now an allied group containing business leaders, middle-class voters, disgruntled Democrats fundamentalist Christian groups known as the Moral Majority. All of these groups rallied behind Ronald Reagan in 1980

Moral Majority The Moral Majority, organized by Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, called for America to return to traditional, moral values. “ Our nation’s internal problems are the direct result of her spiritual condition . . . Right living must be reestablished as an American way of life . . . Now is the time to begin calling America back to God, back to the Bible, back to morality.”

Unity Behind Reagan In the end, all conservative groups rallied behind Ronald Reagan. Reagan edged out Carter in the 1980 election in large part because of his candor and wit. When commenting on the poor economy under Carter, Reagan joked “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his.”