The last decades of the 20th Century saw the rise
to dominance of the New Right. Historians have argued why, from economic
turmoil, the rise of the Sunbelt, white backlash, disillusionment with government
welfare programs, or simply the ideological exhaustion of liberalism. Why do
you think the New Right became such a strong force in American life? (100-150
words, by 5pm Friday May 17).
I think the New Right came as a result of varying factors, all culminating under the banner of a tumultuous Cold War climate. The American public appeared to be looking for a government that would protect them, and put their interests as the first priority. The Cold War years brought a huge degree of uncertainty, and Reagan made many promises to the American people, such as tax cuts and a clear anti-communist message, which encouraged support. He reached out to those who valued conservatism, a wise move in the light of the various movements (feminist wave, abortion, gay rights) which questioned traditional moral values. By reaching out to this group, and appearing to value things in accordance with their values, he appeared to be an advocate for religious moralism, resulting in massive support. Perhaps the American public were also looking for a political leadership who were not favouring liberalism, as past governments had not met their expectations. This new Republican government may have been more likely to bring about the changes they desired.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the New Right became such a strong force in American life for a variety of reasons.There were a number of movements in the early 60's, 70's and 80's that went against traditional white Christian Protestant values( feminism,pro-abortion,gay and civil rights movements. While the conservative right had lied dormant from the 20's to the 60's due to being shut down by the rest of America for their 'extremist' and 'closed minded' views on evolution being taught in schools, the push for abortion to be legalised brought many out of the woodwork. The fierce protests against the pro-abortion movement made the rest of America start to take a serious look into this conservative right all over again. With the Cold War also looming in the background, the American people were looking for someone they could rely upon to solve their problems and protect them from all foreign threats. Realising that the New Right had truly awoken out its slumber and that the number of this New Right was significant,Ronald Reagan wasted no time in getting them on side by appealing to their conservative values By legitimising their opinion through his outward show of support,Reagan gave the New Right the boost they needed to spread their message far and wide, gathering more than 2 Milton new voters under Baptist Jerry Forwells organisation, the "Moral Majority".The New Right was now a strong force to be reckoned with in America.
ReplyDeleteThe new right rose in America firstly because of the overall lack lustre effects of LBJ’s Great Society, which promised a great deal more than it delivered. Secondly it was a natural reaction by conservative America to the progressive developments that had occurred post-WW2 including the Civil Rights movement, and the legalising of abortion, as well as a reaction to other liberal movements such as feminism and the gay rights movement, which provided a strong rallying point for something to fight against. Finally it was able to grasp new economic theories, especially around the lowering of tax that appealed to Americans and promised to improve the US economy once more and as such promised a strong America for the future.
ReplyDeleteThe new right came about for a variety of reasons. The conservative element of American society was always present but after incidents like the ridicule of evangelicals upon the Stokes trial to stop Darwinian Evolution from being taught in schools, these groups slid from public consciousness to prevent them facing further public scrutiny. However, in the time period between 1925 and the emergence of the New Right issues such as the civil rights movement, abortion, women’s rights and gay rights were all debated publically and these groups could no longer lie dormant if they wanted their beliefs to be upheld. Previously they had been essentially ignored by government but under the guidance of Jerry Falwell, the moral majority received public acknowledgement by President Reagan. Essentially issues emerged that the conservatives were no longer able to ignore and with the endorsement of Reagan they were able to vocalise these beliefs allowing them to swell into a much larger movement than they may have been otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI think the New Right came out of white backlash due to the radical reforms of the previous decade. During the 1960’s there was a period of radical transformation in terms of women’s rights, civil rights and the empowerment of minority groups. This lead to a backlash from white Christians who felt that everyone was benefiting from programs such as social welfare except them. This backlash was captured and used by Reagan who transformed the voting pattern in America, with the South becoming Republican instead of Democrat. It provided something for American’s to unite against and aim for in terms of the way they wanted America to be.
ReplyDeleteThe rise of the new right came as a response to the protests and right's movements of the 60's and early 70's, which stirred up conservatives and prompted them to unite as a political movement. Throughout the 60's we saw a dramatic change in social attitudes. Women's rights, minority groups, students, and civil right's movements exploded on the political stage throughout the 60's, with social reforms leading to increased left wing beliefs, liberalization of sexual attitudes, and challenges to abortion laws. These groups provoked the 'silent majority' to band together, as they were outraged by what they believed were spoilt students and minorities taking the political focus away from the everyday, hardworking, religious American. Reagan saw this, and captured this attitude to gain political support, prompting the rise of the new right in America.
ReplyDeleteThe New Right rose due to a mixture of influences and conditions that allowed it to foster. Although the conservative element of the American people was always evident, it developed into a strong movement during the radical transformation of the 1960's. In which, civil, women and minority groups gained greater rights. This led to a backlash from white Christians, used by Reagan to gain support, many whites felt oppressed due to certain benefits others were receiving based on who they are. These issues were no longer able to be overlooked by conservatives and gave way to the rise of the New Right.
ReplyDeleteI believe the New Right emerged in response to the numerous protests and government dissatisfaction in the 1960's and 1970's, evidenced by the anti-war movement, civil rights and women's rights movements. The introduction of all these different social attitudes and ways of thinking concerned conservatives and motivated them to work together in an effort to suppress these radicals. Reagan took advantage of the fear of these new ideas and groups and was able o harness support from religious groups and gain strong support for his policies
ReplyDeleteBy the end of the 60s and 70s many Americans found themselves fed up with the support and push for civil rights. The Liberal youth of America preached love, freedom and reality, a generation awakened by the Vietnam war and who actively shrugged off the values and morals endorsed by their parents. This was met by fierce opposition by the radical right-wing 'born again' Christians. This budding movement dubbed the 'new right' was essentially a resurrection of old values: shunning homosexuality; abortion and reinforcing the woman's rightful place at home. The liberal 60s and 70s were shrouded in dark malaise by many Americans including Reagan. Morning in America was about to dawn.
ReplyDeleteThe New Right became a strong force in American life due to an interplay of two important factors. Firstly, most Americans observed that the country moved in a distinctly liberal direction during the 1960s and 1970s, in terms of freer attitudes to sex and drugs, equality marches for women, and the legalisation of abortion. A responsive growth in evangelical and fundamentalist movements followed. This in turn led to the second factor, which was a reassertion of political conservatism specifically designed to harness the concerns of new religious groups. This gave Reagan a strong mandate to legislate on social issues which were fundamental to American life.
ReplyDeleteThe reasons for the rise of the new rights are numerous and complex. The backlash against the radical movements in the 1960’s is notable, with President Reagan in particularly taking advantage of the ‘moral majority’ and with Nixon in leading the ‘great silent majority to victory’. This moral majority had found its traditional ideals and presumptions of race, minority groups and gender relations challenged by what they saw as a vocal minority. These traditional views were furthermore at odds with the new welfare programs and direct action ideals propelled in the 1960’s which was in conflict with strongly held views of small government and of lower taxes. The rise of the new right was further compounded by the rise of the ‘Sun Belt’ with the population of these usually traditional and conservative states growing rapidly putting further strength into what used to be a ‘silent’ majority.
ReplyDelete