Before the 1960s Conservatism influence was on a decline. However in the 1960’s the conservative agenda regained support with the rise of Barry Goldwater and Reagan and the decline in Lyndon B. Johnson’s popularity. They emerged from their fervent opposition to modern liberal ideologies. Conservatives most enforced agenda is small government which is contradictory to their belief that America should have a big military. Also, conservatives enforced traditional values made them strong opposers of the 1960s counter-culture. Conservatives believed that their principles could bring America out the the recession of 1960 and back to prosperity The Rise: Johnson, Goldwater, and Reagan Although Lyndon B. Johnson was not a conservative he was significant …show more content…
However, by the turn of the century conservatives began to oppose this idea due to an increasing mistrust of government. Government has always been a major issue with conservatives. They strongly believe in Laissez-Faire principles where government does not interfere with businesses. Conservatives are strict interpreters of the constitution and believe that the government should be run accordingly. As specified by the tenth amendment, federal government only has powers given by the local and state government. According to conservatives, By allowing government control over local and state business issues is hereby disregarding the law of the land. This disregard has a tendency of diminishing order and justice. In 1960 the Younger Americans for Freedom(YAF), a group of young conservatives, gathered and made a list of conservatives beliefs. Within the statement, the YAF expressed that government inference “reduce[es] the moral and physical strength” of America. They are implying that business regulations like prohibiting monopolies decrease competition which gives America character. While liberals argue regulation of businesses decrease unfair working practices, Conservatives including William G. Laffer III would argue “raises prices” and “impair …show more content…
Conservatives believed that the counter-culture would soon lead America into an anarchic form of government because they were becoming too radical with their riots and The counter culture activist or hippies used their life as a symbol of rebellion towards the establishment, a government system who's agenda is only beneficial to them. Hippies were using drugs, having pre-marital sex. With the increase of sexual activity, a market opened up for birth control pills and other contraceptives. Abortions were steadily being legalized in each state and the reemergence of the feminist movement made certain that women had a voice. This movement influenced many women to begin living freely and disregard the constraints of motherhood. As a result, the feminist movement gained momentum with activist including Betty Friedan, the renowned author of The Feminine Mystique. Women across the country rallied for the Equal Rights Act that would ban gender discrimination and make women equal to men in the eyes of the law. The idea of women abandoning their positions as wife and mothers scared conservatives. One Conservative in particular was against the ERA even though it benefitted her, Phyllis Schlafly. She argued that the ERA, in fact,took away women rights rather than give them rights. Scholarly instead that the ERA will disregard the state support law, alimony, and state support law. Her
Starting during the 1970s, factions of American conservatives slowly came together to form a new and more radical dissenting conservative movement, the New Right. The New Right was just as radical as its liberal opposite, with agendas to increase government involvement beyond the established conservative view of government’s role. Although New Right politicians made admirable advances to dissemble New Deal economic policies, the movement as a whole counters conservativism and the ideologies that America was founded on. Although the New Right adopts conservative economic ideologies, its social agenda weakened the conservative movement by focusing public attention to social and cultural issues that have no place within the established Old
When most people think of the 1950’s or 1960’s, they think of Elvis, Greasers, jukeboxes, Woodstock, and rainbow peace signs and hippie love. Although these symbols are somewhat accurate (and very popular), not many people think about the changes society and culture went through. The 1950’s and 60’s were a time of great change and freedom for many Americans. Everything from World War II, to the gay liberation movement, to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped to change society. Many of the views American’s had on topics such as war, gender roles and sexual preference were changed greatly after these events and have led to our culture being what it is today. The 1950’s and 1960’s were a time where great changes took place that helped to
The liberal ideas of FDR’s New Deal were coming to an end. The failing economy, poor political leaders, and drastic social issues that took place in the 1970s left Americans searching for salvation. Over the next decade, the United States will later find that salvation in conservativism.
“War what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!” This message continually echoed among the American public during the 1970s, emphasizing its voice of protest against the Vietnam War. In contrast with the rise of counterculture in the 1960s, the 1970s saw the rise of conservatism; the desire to revert back to America’s traditional social and religious values. During this time Americans endured a loss of confidence from an unstable economy, an energy crisis, and ongoing action in Vietnam, and Americans thought that conservatism would provide stability. In the 1970s, Americans saw the rise of Motown in the music industry, which fit the mold of conservatism. Protest music became popular as a response to the Vietnam War, attracting Vietnam veterans as well as the younger
Betty Friedan believed that women should feel and be treated equal to men. Friedan fought for women to embody their power and worth. She was an activist for the women’s rights movement and a founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Her book, The Feminine Mystique, connected with her readers by illustrating the standards that women were put under for decades. In the 60’s, women were viewed as nothing but maids and child-bearers. Many women were hesitant to take a stand for this taboo subject; their own rights. Friedan took initiative when everyone else was afraid to. Betty Friedan’s contribution clearly advanced the progression of women’s equality. She accomplished this by writing her famous book, giving a debatable speech, and founding the National Organization for Women.
The political shifts in American history during the last two centuries are often explained by Arthur Schlesinger's cyclical explanation of eras of public purpose followed by private interest. What is considered liberal versus what is considered conservative shifts in a similar pattern. While laissez-faire policies are considered liberal in the Roaring 20's, the onset of the Great Depression in
Consequently, the failures of the policies of liberal presidents like Carter and the success of conservatives like Reagan lead to the resurgence of conservatism.
With the overwhelming amount of Levittown houses, the obsession to obtain the perfect American “ideal family” as seen on TV and the unspoken agreement to fear any and all foreign ideas and values, the 1950s were revealed to be a decade of prosperity, conformity and consensus. Just ten years later the atmosphere in America was shockingly different; the 1960s were a decade of turbulence, protest and disillusionment due to the ongoing struggle for civil rights, arising feminism, and the Vietnam War.
The Sixties, by Terry H. Anderson, takes the reader on a journey through one of the most turbulent decades in American life. Beginning with the crew-cut conformity of 1950s Cold War culture and ending with the transition into the uneasy '70s, Anderson notes the rise of an idealistic generation of baby boomers, widespread social activism, and revolutionary counterculture. Anderson explores the rapidly shifting mood of the country with the optimism during the Kennedy years, the liberal advances of Johnson's "Great Society," and the growing conflict over Vietnam that nearly tore America apart. The book also navigates through different themes regarding the decade's different currents of social change; including the anti-war movement, the civil
The 1950s, especially in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, is often described as a time of complacency as it was after the Second World War and people were sure there could be noting worse that could happen and they were slowly adjusting to post-war life. In contrast, the 1960s were a time of great change and activity. These changes include cultural, social, political and economic changes. These changes started in Britain and the United, and they then spread to the rest of the world after some time. Urban planning as a profession has also been affected by the cultural, social, political and economic changes that affected the world in the 1960s and as such it responded in a particular way to these changes.
The 1950s in America are often described as a time of complacency. By contrast, the 1960s and 1970s were a time of great change. But the economy of the 70s was not stable because of the Oil crisis and presidents did not seem to find a solution to get the economy work again. For the right, the federal government had been spending too much money on the social programs. Conservatism believes that the best way to run a society is to maintain social and political framework and that the government should be as limited as possible,
The words of Johnson outline the premise of the liberal consensus, that given the opportunity individuals would work to The "Great Society" programs that were to enable the change, were for the most part enacted under Johnson during his term in office. This stems largely from his experience and power with Congress.
The 1960’s was a decade that forever changed the culture and society of America. The
To some people the 1960s were the best of times, to others it was a
The 1960s are frequently referred to as a period of social protest and dissent. Antiwar demonstrators, civil-rights activists, feminists, and members of various other social groups demanded what they considered to be justice and sought reparation for the wrongs they believed they had suffered. The decade marked a shift from a collective view on politics, to a much more individualistic viewpoint. The 1960s could easily be characterized as a period during which political, ideological, and social tensions among radicals, liberals, and conservatives in American society are seen to have rapidly unfolded. Due to this, the decade has had an overwhelming effect on the decades that have followed. The sixties have had the greatest impact on American society out of any decade in recent history. Whether for better or for worse, the decade has had a profound influence on politics, society, foreign policy, and culture.