The New Right

Objective: Students will identify causes for the Reagan Revolution of 1980 in the New Conservative Movement of the late 70s.

I. The New Right The New Right –By the early seventies, a “New Right” Movement emerged –This movement attempted to elect officials that espoused both fiscally and socially conservative values Neoconservatism “Traditional” Conservatism

I. The New Right Neoconservatism –Promotes interventionism in other countries –Accepts a limited, reduced Welfare State –Often in favor of socially conservative initiatives Prayer in schools Pro-Life Movement Legal Promotion of Traditional Gender Roles

I. The New Right “Traditional” Conservatism –Emphatic support of Free Market Principles –Decentralized Government –Lowering Debt –Often in favor of the same socially conservative initiatives

I. The New Right Jesse Helms –Prominent Leader in the New Right –Neoconservative in most respects (1974) Opposed Busing (1974) Introduced legislation to ban abortion in all cases

II. Resurgence Defense of traditional gender roles –Phyllis Schlafly, the Positive Woman and the STOP ERA Campaign –Opposition to Roe v. Wade (1973) Hyde Amendment (1976) National Right to Life Committee

II. Resurgence Evangelicalism –Billy Graham, How to be Born Again (1977) –Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority (1979) “Pro-Family, Pro-Life, Pro-Defense, Pro-Israel” –Pat Robertson

III. Conservative Victory

The “Reagan Revolution” –Moral Majority credited with much of Reagan’s electoral success –Carter’s perceived weaknesses (Iran Hostage Crisis, especially) also helped Reagan to a landslide victory.