The conservative party is a political party whose goals are to preserve traditional conditions and social institutions. They are also known as traditionalists. Due to a combination of domestic and international situations within the 60’s(such as counter culture, the hippies, and the cold war), conservatives were given political opportunities to capitalize on the American appeals to lower taxes, a renewal of the Cold War, and lower government regulation. At the same time, rising urban crime ratings recreated a demand for more strict law and order, which also helped convert people to the Conservative Party.
During the 1970s, Christian conservatives opposed the sexual revolution. This included opposition towards the new gay movement. Eventually, family values moved towards the center of conservative politics, as evidenced in the campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment, which failed to receive the necessary 38 states ratification due to the belief that it would discredit the roles of wife and homemaker. From 1973 to 1976 and onward, conservatives created a anti-abortion campaign to oppose the 1973 Roe v. Wade court case. In the late 1970s, the Conservatives sponsored a tax revolt based on the idea that increasing government regulation would eliminate jobs and raise business costs, eventually leading to Proposition 13 in California. Eventually, the election of 1980 would occur, and Ronald Reagan’s victory would symbolize a victory for the conservative party.
During the 1970s, Christian conservatives opposed the sexual revolution. This included opposition towards the new gay movement. Eventually, family values moved towards the center of conservative politics, as evidenced in the campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment, which failed to receive the necessary 38 states ratification due to the belief that it would discredit the roles of wife and homemaker. From 1973 to 1976 and onward, conservatives created a anti-abortion campaign to oppose the 1973 Roe v. Wade court case. In the late 1970s, the Conservatives sponsored a tax revolt based on the idea that increasing government regulation would eliminate jobs and raise business costs, eventually leading to Proposition 13 in California. Eventually, the election of 1980 would occur, and Ronald Reagan’s victory would symbolize a victory for the conservative party.
The Election of 1980 featured mainly conservative Ronald Reagan against Jimmy Carter. At this time, Carter’s approval rating was 21%, which was worse than Nixon when he resigned. A group of neoconservatives had attacked the attempts by Carter to shift foreign policy away from the cold war, and blamed his focus on human rights for endangering the “survival of freedom”. Also, many fundamentalists entered politics as conservatives as well, whereas Carter didn’t. Reagan, however, promised to “make America great again”, and that “the era of self-doubt is over” by ending stagflation. Reagan was able to create “a wave of dissatisfaction with the country’s condition”, and allowed this to help him win support of many conservatives and Religious Right upholders. As such, Reagan won the 1980 election by a huge electoral margin.
Artifact:
1) Election of 1980 (Map)
1) Election of 1980 (Map)