“Morning in America”: the Age of ReaganI. The 1980s: Conservatism seizes the brass ringa. Ronald Reagan as the “Anti-FDR”i. Born in Illinois in 1911b. First decade of conservative cultural/political dominancec. Growing racial fears among northern whitesII. The Political Odyssey of Ronald Reagan a. The Hollywood yearsi. Bedtime for Bonzoii. The Gipperb. Reagan the Liberali. Headman of new right conservatism1. Wants a conservatism revolution2. “roll back” the legacy of the 1960s, the great society, and maybe even the New Dealii. New Dealer, Union member1. Staunch liberal; admired FDRiii. HUAC testimony1. secret FBI informantc. Reagan’s Move to the Right in the 1950si. Begin to drift politically to the right during the Red Scared. 1960s – Reagan enters politicsi. The Goldwater campaign of ’64 and “The Speech”ii. Elected governor of California, 1966III. Enter the Bummer Decade…a. Conservatism rushes in to fill the voidIV. The 1980 Election and aftera. Got 40% of union members vote and 50% of blue collarworkers voteb. Four Reagan Administration goalsi. Revive “traditional” patriotism1. Vietnam as “noble cause”2. Pledge of allegiance in schoolsii. Massive increase in military strength1. “Rollback” = the new “containment”2. Vastly increased military spending; up 40%iii. Staunch support for aggressive capitalism, opposition to regulation, unions1. Unapologetic supporter of the wealthy2. Reaganomics (to make life easier for business)3. Tax cuts, “supply-side” and “trickle-down”a. Supply-side economics- if you cut taxes, then business profits will go up and businesses will invest the extra money to make the businesses bigger,and the workers will make more money to spend, etc.b. i.e.- the benefits will trickle-down4. Social welfare cuts5. Deregulationa. Getting rid of any gov’t rules and regulations about how businesses are runiv. Promote “traditional values”1. Women stay at home2. School prayer3. Against homosexuality, abortion, drugs, etc.V. Critics attack Reagan’s Domestic Policiesa. Said Reagan’s policies were a funnel to the richb. Criticisms of tax cuts, “supply-side” and “trickle-down”c. Deficitsi. Massive expansion of government debt – “borrow and spend”ii. Unwilling to make necessary cuts to balance the budgetiii. Increased military spending AND lowered taxesincreased debtiv. Cuts budget for welfare, job training, etc. in programs that the new right doesn’t like, but it’s not enoughv. 15% of Americans fall below the poverty lineVI. Critics attack Reagan’s Foreign Policya. The embrace of “monolithic communism”b. Support for anticommunist dictators and other unsavory folksi. El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, the Talibanii. Iran-Contra Scandal (1986) – the biggest since
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