Political Test: Do you know if you are a “conservative” or a “liberal”?

Take a guess at which you are and write that in your QW and explain 2 details about yourself that you feel make you one or the other.

Some of you might not know, just guess at it. You’ll find out the meanings later today if you didn’t know.

CONSERVATISM & REAGAN

America was Changing

As America reached the 1980’s, people’s ideals began to shift

America was becoming a more conservative nation

The new conservative group and the liberals will begin to clash on the roll of government

Domination of Liberation

Liberals had dominated American society for most of the 1900’s

A person might consider themselves liberal for a number of reasons A belief that the government should regulate the

economy Should play an active role in helping the

disadvantaged Tax burdens should be placed on the wealthy Suspicious of the government on regulation of social

behavior Big on free speech and privacy

New Conservatives

Feel if the government regulates the economy, it makes the economy less efficient Which results in less

wealth and more poverty

Believe in free enterprise and very little government interference

New Conservatives

Unlike liberals, generally have a fundamental distrust of the growing power of government

Believe in the original intent and wording of the Constitution

New Conservatives

For these reasons conservatives oppose high taxes and government programs that transfer wealth

Feel that taxes and government programs can take away the hard work and fortune of Americans

New Conservatives Many

conservatives believe that religious faith is very important

Feel that most social issues are from one’s morality and character Which can be

guided properly by a devotion to religion

The Geography

Geographical regions tend to support either liberal or conservative ideas

One of the early problems to the rise of conservatives was that they tended split their votes

As the late 50’s and early 60’s rolled around there was a shift in the conservative population to the South and West

This would become known as the, Sun Belt

Conservatism and Religion

Conservatism also tended to draw people who felt that American society had lost its traditional values

American’s with deep religious values were shocked by the Counter Culture and Hippie movement of the 1970’s

Conservatism and Religion

The Feminist Movement seemed to go against them as well Felt it

challenged the traditional family

Conservatism and Religion Religious revivals began to

gain popularity with the likes of people such as Billy Graham

Ideas of “born again” Christianity

They began to run their own newspapers, magazines, radio stations and television networks Earned the nickname

“televangelists”

A new Coalition

By the end of the 1970’s, the new conservation coalition of voters was coming together

Although they still carried with them some differing believes they all believed in one thing: America had lost its way

A new Coalition Watergate, high

taxes, and special interest politics had weakened the faith in the government

Rising unemployment, riots, drug abuse, the hostage crisis in Iran

They argued that America was tired of upheaval and change

A new Coalition They argued that

America was tired of upheaval and change

Wanted stability and a return to what they remember they considered better times

Ronald Reagan would seem to offer some that opportunity

Ronald Reagan

Reagan believed that government policies were responsible for the countries social and economic problems

He would use his experience as a Hollywood actor and governor of California to lead a successful campaign to the presidency

His ideas of supporting high interest rates and tax cuts become known as Reaganomics

Election of 1980

Reagan’s campaign appealed to Americans who were frustrated with the economy and worried that the US had become weak internationally

Election of 1980

Reagan promised Tax cuts Increase spending

(think about this, essentially he was saying,) “I want to earn less

money, but spend more!”

This will lead the US to debt later

Election of 1980

In addition, Reagan called for a ban on abortion

During one debate he would ask Carter supporters

“Are you better off than you were four years ago?

The answer was …no With the support of the

new conservatives, Reagan would win the election

Reagan’s Domestic Policies

Believing that government was the problem, Reagan cut services

Felt Americans should not look to Washington for answers

His first goal was to fix the economy and its stagflation

assassination attempt occurred on March 30, 1981, just 69 days into the presidency of Ronald Reagan.

While leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley, Jr.

Reagan suffered a punctured lung, but prompt medical attention allowed him to recover quickly despite his age.

Reagan was the first serving United States president to survive being shot in an assassination attempt

Reaganomics

Reagan would combine two ideas to create his own solution

“Monetarism” Argues that was too much money in

circulation So you increase interest rates to limit

people’s desire to borrow “Supply-side economics”

Argued the economy was too weak because taxes were too high

Combining the two and you get Reaganomics

Reaganomics

“Trickle-down economics” The idea was simple, help the wealthy

Americans and corperations and then they will help the less fortunate

Meaning, start with the top and because they are doing so well, they will be struck with the desire to pass the wealth to less fortunate

Cutting it all Up

Cutting the tax rate mean that the government would receive less money

This would create a budget deficit, so to offset it, Reagan cut social programs Welfare Food Stamps School Lunch Programs

Economy Finally Booms

By 1983 the economy is booming Unemployment had

fallen Production was up Wages were

increasing It looked like Reagan

had done it He would be elected

to a second term

Reagan’s Second Term

During his second term Reagan would see the largest military build up during a time of peace in American history

Reagan was rejecting the ideas of BOTH containment and détente

In his view he didn’t want to negotiate or try to contain communism He wanted to destroy it

Peace Through Strength

Reagan spent nearly $1.5 trillion dollars over 5 years in military build up

Meanwhile Reagan is continuing to drive up the national deficient

Peace Through Strength

However, he was providing jobs with his spending

Again Reagan hoped to offset his spending by eliminating more government programs

Also he was banking on the boom in the economy to bring in more tax revenue

Iran-Contra Scandal

As it turned out Reagan would have his own scandal

American weapons were being sold to rebels in Iran in exchange for American hostages

Reagan said he never knew this illegal arms sale was happening

Even though he claimed he did no wrong it would taint his second term

Star Wars

Regan also invested in a new defensive program called the Strategic Defense Initiative, or SDI

The plan was nickname the “Star Wars” defense for its supposed ability to shoot down incoming missiles with lasers from satellites.

Tear Down This Wall

Reagan’s biggest credit is often for his work towards the end of the Cold War

He would work with new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to end the division

Asked for the biggest symbol of that division to be destroyed

Tear Down This Wall

“Mr. Gorbachev…tear down this wall!”

The Berlin Wall, would fall

Often considered one of Regan’s biggest successes