The Resurgence of Conservatism Rise of Conservatism n

The Resurgence of Conservatism

Rise of Conservatism n n Barry Goldwater… Nixon & Ford … William F. Buckley Jr…. Milton Friedman…

Conservative Issues n High Taxes n CA Proposition 13

n n Moral Decay Televangelism n n Pat Robertson Oral Roberts Jim Bakker “Moral Majority” n Jerry Falwell

Election of 1980 n n Ronald Reagan “Are you better off now than you were four years ago? ” n n Jimmy Carter Re-elect Carter

Two Months Later…

Ronald Reagan – 40 th President n Reagan Revolution n n Lower Taxes Buildup Military Conservative Courts Reduce Government Spending

Reaganomics (Supply Side Economics) n n Tax Reduction… Spending Cuts… Deregulation… Critics charged “Trickle Down” Method

Recession and Recovery n n n 1982 recession Reaganomics… Inflation rate falls to 4% 1983 Recovery “Yuppies”…

Election of 1984

Reaganomic’s Critics: National Debt and Trade Deficits

Reagan’s Foreign Policy n Orlando 1983 – Declared Soviet Union “the evil empire”

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

“Star Wars” n n Military Spending … Unknown at the time…

“Mr. Gorbachev: Tear Down This Wall”

Mikhail Gorbachev n n 1985 Glasnost… Perestroika… Pulls out of Afghanistan

The Legacy of Ronald Reagan