Why did the New Right, as many called it, capture the imagination of the nation during this period? What social and economic concerns underlay the movement? Were its values truly traditional, and to what extent did the movement change popular behavior?
The Democratic movement had taken hold in America starting with Roosevelt’s New Deal, and continuing through the 60’s and Vietnam War. There were a multitude of factors that lead to the New Right. First, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not help the Democratic party retain southern states. Middle and upper class citizens in the west and northeast also joined the Republican party, most likely for benefits that are enjoyed by higher tax bracket earners under conservative presidents. Most people currently age 65+ have conservative views about the country, so the New Right was a success during this time. Lyndon Johnson is quoted stating to his aid when he signed the Act “I think we just delivered the South to the Republican Party for your lifetime.”
The economic and social atmosphere during this time was that of recession and progressivism respectively. Women’s rights, federal government regulations, drugs center stage in popular culture, and the opposition towards the Vietnam War allowed for a group to take the opposing side. Roe v Wade was incredibly important in many ways. First, and most importantly, it allowed abortions to be had by women within a certain timeframe of becoming pregnant. The second result of this victory was more subtle. The case was used as justification to return to family values. Just as the GOP noticeably started heading farther right after the 2008 election, the same thing virtually happened 30 years prior. Religious conservatives were able to organize themselves into a political and social power to reckon with. Mega-churches popped up in the south, midwest, and southwest of the country. It was during this time that the Republican party took a hard opposing stance on homosexuality as a relevant political topic.
Ronald Reagan rallied the New conservatives against the “welfare state” on the basis that the Federal Government had grown too large and needed to be downsized. Reagan promised to fight against the Soviets, diminish government involvement in the economy, lower taxes, and restore family values. By family values, it seems that Reagan stood against the popular liberal and progressive stances of the 1960’s. By enacting a war on drugs, Reagan appeared to support family values by enacting harsh punishments against those in possession or distribution of narcotics. The D.A.R.E. program was created during this time, which was an easy way to gain the political middle to middle right family voters of America. The new movement also opposed environmental regulation, and viewed global warming as a farce. This dangerous way of questioning scientific theories as not true is something that America still experiences today, probably as a result of the New Right movement. While the Reagan Administration took their hands away from the economy, they seemed to stifle social movements rather than take their purported “hands off” approach. For a group that wanted government to be less intrusive, the 80’s brought about frustrating legislation for many people not fortunate enough to be a part of the middle to upper class.
group3hist110 
Politics during the 1980’s had a great impact on today’s society. I think that the most influential thing that occurred during this time was the Watergate scandal. Because of Reagan and the issue at Watergate where he taped into the democratic’s conference to chew this election, many American citizens lost confidence and trust in the government. I think that this still holds true today because there are so many people that want less government control in society. This changed society today and how people react to government regulations because now people are more reluctant to trust in the President and other officials.
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I believe that the “Reaganomics” of the 1980’s truly influenced politics in today’s society. Reagan’s economic policies initially proved less successful than planned, particularly when it came to balancing the budget. Huge increases in military spending were not offset by spending cuts or tax increases elsewhere. By early 1982, the United States was experiencing its worst recession since the Great Depression, and is why I believe many Americans have such a distrust with the government. In Ronald Reagan’s eight years in office, the federal government accumulated more debt than it had in its entire history. This can be compared to the eight years George W. Bush was in office, in which he added the second greatest amount of debt as President. As time has gone on, Americans have lost confidence in government officials because of the mass amounts of spending going on. While many are struggling to pay their bills and provide for their families, corporate CEO’s and many others are receiving bonuses and raises to their already million dollar incomes.
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Politics certainly changed because of the 1980’s. The Watergate scandal allowed people to realize that politicians are sneaky as well. This decreased the trust in government and allowed people to be more skeptical of what is actually going on behind closed doors.
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