1. The Triumph of Conservatism

2. Gerald Ford Pardoned Nixon almost immediately
Americans didn’t like this so he wasn’t very popular after that
Not much more to say about him
Ford, ladies and gentlemen

3. Jimmy Carter Was considered an “outsider”
Promised to never lie to the American people
Appointed an unprecedented number of African-Americans to his cabinet
Similar to the progressives

4. Camp David Carter tried to help international peace
1979 Carter brokered a peace agreement between the leaders of Egypt and Israel at Camp David

5. The Middle East Carter had shown public support for the Shah
1979- The Shah was overthrown and Iran became an Islamic Republic
Middle East went from socialism and Arab nationalism to religious fundamentalism

6. The Iran Crisis
We let the deposed Shah seek medical help in the U.S. making us very unpopular
This caused outrage in Iran leading to the Iranian hostage crisis
In 1979, 53 Americans at the American embassy were taken hostage and didn’t get their freedom until Carter left office in 1981

7. Afghanistan Crisis
The Soviet Union tried to support a pro-soviet government in Afghanistan –Soviet’s Vietnam
Led to the Carter Doctrine –the use of military force to protect its interest in the Persian Gulf
Carter put an embargo on exports to the Soviets and boycotted the Moscow Olympics
We also funded the fundamentalist Muslims fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan
Led to the rise of the Taliban

8. The religious right
Carter was the first “born-again” Christian to become president
There was a rise in fundamentalism especially in conservative politicians
Response to the sexual revolution
Sort of a Third Great Awakening
Pro-life, pro-family, pro-America
War against sin

9. Election of 1980 Carter’s approval rating was down to 21%
Conservative tide rising through the western world
Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of Great Britain
Reagan campaigned on the slogans “let’s make America great again” and the “the era of self-doubt is over”

10. Reagan’s Platform State’s rights
Condemned welfare cheats and affirmative action
The Republican party also reversed it’s platform of support for the Equal Rights Amendment
Reagan was the first divorced man to run for president and wasn’t overly religious but still easily gain support from the Religious Right

11. Welfare Queens

12. The Reagan Revolution Went from New Deal Democrat to conservative
Preached the virtues of unregulated capitalism
Made a speech at the Barry Goldwater Republican National Convention in 1964
Supported by Old and new conservatives, sunbelt suburbanites, urban working-class, anti-government crusaders, libertarians, and the Christian Right

13. FREEDOM! “We have it in our power to begin the world over again”
Invoked the idea that America was divinely appointed to be a beacon of liberty and freedom to the world
Used the word “freedom” more than any president before him

14. Reaganomics Economic freedom
Limiting union powers, dismantling regulations, and reducing taxes
Tax Reform Act reduced the tax on the wealthiest Americans to 28%
Cut back environmental protection and workplace safety rules

15. Second Gilded Age
Lots of money and lots of big business
Yuppies

16. Reagan and Conservatives
Wasn’t doing enough according to many conservatives –abortion still legal, women still going into the workforce, Medicare and Medicaid still intact, first female Supreme Court justice appointed –Sandra Day O’Connor
Bowers v Hardwick –found it constitutional for states to outlaw homosexual acts (not reversed until 2003)

17. Iran-Contra Affair
Scandal that involved selling weapons to Iran despite an embargo partially in exchange for hostages in Lebanon
Some of that money then went to buy supplies for the Contras fighting the Nicaraguan government –something that had been banned by Congress
11 members of the administration we convicted but Reagan claimed he had no knowledge of the whole thing

18. Gorbachev Reagan had good relations with Gorbachev
The two men worked together to end a lot of the Cold War tensions between the countries