Chapter 30: The Conservative Ascendancy

I. The Overextended Society 1970s

A. A Troubled Economy 1.Stagflation 2.Oil embargo = a.Gas doubles b.Rationing c.Dept. of Energy – trickle effect? d.Local gov’t 3.Outsourcing effects? 4.Women in the workforce

B. Sunbelt/Snowbelt 1.Population shifts – Why? a.Sunbelt b.Snowbelt/rustbelt

Gerald Ford ( ) 1.Nixon pardon 2.WIN? Effectiveness?

C. Jimmy Carter ( ) 1.“Outsider” 2.Effects of deregulating airline industry 3.Banks 4.inflation

Urban Politics 1.Politics at the local level increased 2.AA politicians increased 3.Fiscal crisis of ’70s a.Politicians ineffective b.Job programs ineffective c.Affirmative Action = “reverse discrimination” d.Conservatives endorse candidates who favored law-abiding, hard-working, tax- paying majority, not minorities, jobless and criminals

Endangered Environment 1.Three Mile Island, Pa. 2.Love Canal, NY. 3.Florida Everglades 4.Silent Spring 5.Results a.Earth Day b.Recycling c.Decreased meat consumption d.Personal gardens; organic e.Environmental groups

II. The New Conservatism 30.2

II. The New Conservatism A. The New Right 1.“Moral majority” 2.Televangelists Jerry Falwell 3.Jesse Helms a.KKK, segregation, tobacco companies, Watergate, pollution b.MLK c.Becomes Senator of North Carolina

B. Anti-ERA, Anti-abortion 1. For a.Balanced budget Amend. b.School prayers c.Death penalty 2. Against 1.Gov’t funded day care 2.Reforms establishing educational equity 3.Social services for battered women and single moms 4.ERA

C. Equal Rights Amendment 1.To end gender discrimination 2.Phyllis Schlafly

D. Roe v. Wade (1973) 1.Crime for state to allow abortions 2.Women have the right to choose

E. “The Me Decade” 1.Personal well-being 2.Emotional security 3.Therapy 4.Health and fitness

30.3: Adjusting to a New World

A. A Thaw in the Cold War 1.Both US and SU’s economy suffering 2.Deficit spending 3.Nat’l debt a $257 B b $908 B 4.Late 1970s a.Decreased productivity, personal savings and skilled workforce b.inflation

SALT II 1.Started with Ford, ended with Carter 2.Not ratified by US due to SU invasion of Afghanistan

B. Foreign Policy & “Moral Principles” 1.No economic support for violations of human rights a.Brazil, b.Argentina c.Chile d.S. Africa 2.CIA reforms 3.Camp David Accords 4.Return of Panama Canal 2000

C. Camp David Accords (1978) 1.Egypt recognizes Israel's rights to exist 2.Nobel Peace prize 3.Return of the Sinai Peninsula; stop settlements there but continue in other disputed areas 4.Sadat assassinated Begin, Carter, el-Sadat

D. Iran Hostage Crisis 1.Shah Phalavi overthrow by fundamentalists 2.Led by Ayatollah Khomeini 3.US allows shah entry into US due to cancer treatment = hostage situation Current: Ali Khamene’i

E. Ronald Reagan ( ) 1.Landslide win 2.Supported by “moral majority” and Jesse Helms 3.Voter turn out – about 50%

30.4 Reagan

A. “The Great Communicator” 1.From Illinois 2.Actor turned politician 3.anticommunist 4.Gov. of California a.Decreased state welfare b.Decreased state employees c.Income on tax revenues shared w/local gov’t d.Spoke out against student protesters during V. war

B.Reaganomics 1. Supply-side economics a.Increase production by decreasing taxes and deregulating industries b.Consumers will then benefit from a greater supply of goods and services at lower prices. c.Industry will then have more money to: i.Invest ii.hire employees, therefore, putting more money into the economy iii.Resulting in more people to tax on income

C. Economic Recovery Tax Act Decrease income and corporate taxes 2.Decrease max. tax on income from 70% to 50% 3.Decrease ma. Capital gains tax from 25% to 20% 4.No distinction between earned and unearned income (inheritance/gifting)

D. Methods of increasing productivity during the Reagan years 1.Decrease regulations on EPA standards, workplace safety and consumer protection 2.Deregulated industries, esp. car pollution standards 3.Develop reserved wildlife lands and wetlands 4.Encourage speculation in market trading (reality=corruption)

E. Reagan’s Recession, Recovery, & Fiscal Crisis 1.Highest debt ever! Rich are getting richer! recession: > 11% 3.National debt has tripled a $914 Billion b $2.7 Trillion c.Today - $ trillion! ($42,000) 4.Interest on debt was 14% of federal budget; only allotted for 7% 5.We became the world’s biggest debtor nation

F. Reagan Doctrine Instability in underdeveloped countries due to influence of the SU

G. Iran-Contra Scandal 1.“Arms-for-hostage” deal 2.US selling arms to Iran so they can fight Iraq 3.US gives money to Nicaraguan Contras to help overthrow the Sandinistas 4.Violates the Boland Amendment – no aid to contras of Nicaragua

H. Collapse of Communism 1. Mikhail Gorbachev (1985) a.Economic and political reforms via glasnost and perestroika b.Allowed for some capitalist practices c.Stopped the arms race d.Freed dissidents from prison 2.Wall falls on November 9, Gorbachev resigns Dec. 25, 1991