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).
The uprising of the New Right was, in my opinion, an inevitable counterattack on the aggressive forms of liberalism that were witnessed in the decades prior to the 1980’s. As a traditionally conservative country founded on Christian values, the popularity of New Right politics in the face of morally ‘threatening’ events such as the legalization of abortion and the teaching of evolution in public schools was a predictable outcome. It was a response that was elicited from a drawn out fear that the nation (particularly the youth) had ‘gone too far’ in questioning the staple of American life and posited that life was unfortunately not a free, drug-induced ride, but a God given honor. The movement’s success could be attributed to its guilt mongering tactics and reference to religious ethic that was often reinforced in President Reagan’s rhetoric on “good’ and “evil”. I would suggest that this instigated a public remorse for “sinfulness” and abandoned patriotism in earlier decades.
ReplyDeleteTiffany Korssen
24160806
In my opinion, the rise of the New Right was a reaction to a variety of factors; predominantly to the previous decades that had seen the prevalence of liberalism. Conservative Americans seemed to be appaulled at the apparent decline of moral standards of the nation, exercised through 'revolutions' campaigning for sexuality, feminism, abortion and homosexuality. The New Right was seen as a way to return to the traditional standards that the nation used to uphold; compulsory prayer and heavy religious influence in schools as opposed to the increasingly secular curriculum that was in practice. The Conservatives who felt suppressed by these modern standards of life found a voice through Reagan, who saw an abundant source of votes in this group and as such appealed to their desire for tradition.
ReplyDeleteMadeleine Campbell
24234575
I believe the New Right became such a strong force in American life because of the radical liberalism that took place in the mid 20th century. The changes that individuals and groups of this nature advocated challenged the traditional and basic moral standing of general US society. The advertisement of these activities through new developments in media (such as the television) escalated and perhaps exaggerated its influence, encouraging the New Right to develop and relate to the 'average' American. Also perhaps the increase in protest gave members of the New Right and likeminded individuals the confidence to also express their values in a grand and public sphere.
ReplyDeleteMadeleine Mulcahy
22617256
The New Right came to power for a few reasons concerning the failure of the left. Many groups were left dissatisfied with the achievements of left and it did not achieve what it promised. This fact drained the lefts power. The new right was seen as a safe alternative, a realistic response to the situation while at the same time not doing so badly concerning the needs of the people, which the New Right tended to at the same time as looking after the countries position and strength. Affirmative action was one move that disappointed a lot of people and alienated them. It was seen as a failure and immoral, and left many disillusioned with the left. The Left did not work as it was hoped it would, leaving a vulnerability in government for a new take on things, or a reversal of failing moves; the New Right.
ReplyDeleteThomas Owens
19442661
The presidential election of Ronald Reagan signaled the dominance of the New Right in the United States, as conservatism began to triumph against the liberalism of earlier decades. Liberalism was condemned as destroying the moral values of the American nation, as the sexual revolution, the increased experimentation and use of drugs, feminist and homosexual movements were all perceived as challenging to the traditional, Christian ideals of the nation. Desires to return America to its conservative roots were amplified by the failures of liberalism as problems such as Affirmative Action failed to enact much legitimate change. The ‘New Right’ conservatism, which aimed at restoring the United States to its former glory, replaced the counterculture of liberalism.
ReplyDeleteKate Rivington
23379820
The New Right became such a strong force in American life due to a combination of factors, including the rise of evangelical Christianity, a backlash against some forms of extreme liberalism and a general concern for what was conceived as a decline in morality in youth. Television was blamed for raising and creating a generation of young people with expectation of entitlement, which the conservatives disproved of immensely. America in the 20th century was, and still but to a lesser extent is, a predominantly white, Christian nation with many citizens sharing the traditional views of the movement, hence it’s success and influence.
ReplyDeleteTamara Ungar
22047174
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with much of the above in that some of the momentum of the New Right was gained in converts disillusioned with the methods of left, in the form of neoconservatives and the like; but I think the basis of the growth of the New Right was the manner in which the ‘silent majority’ was given a voice, and began to abandon that silence.
ReplyDeleteThe militarisation of the left during the 60s would eventually wake up the sleeping right, and force it to adopt similar tactics (in finding themselves on the back foot), through the development of a new kind of group consciousness. The threat to conservative morality was on its face perhaps the most prominent motivator – but I also think considerable weight can be given to what appeared to be a Leftist tendency towards communism, as well as ‘big government’ and welfare.
Aiden McKee
24231061
I agree with Tiffany that the emergence and strength of the New Right was clearly a response to the significant changes effected by liberals. In conservative minds, the decades of liberalism prior to the 1980s threatened many aspects of American life, particularly family values and morals. The New Right with its focus on returning to a moral and more traditional society highlights the concerns held by more conservative Americans regarding the liberal changes and would thus have gained support from many Americans.
ReplyDeleteHowever, government welfare programs would also have played a role in the conception of these threats as they were seen to erode American values of working hard to reap benefits. Taxing working Americans to directly assist others was not a popular move and resulted in an increased desire for small federal government. This concern was also reflected strongly in the New Right rhetoric.
Elyse Corzelius
The emergence of the New Right was, in my opinion, a result of the fact that many Americans felt that the traditional moral landscape of the United States had deteriorated, primarily from the effects of several movements that sought to end oppression for various groups in society eg: homosexuals, supporters of secular learning, abortion supporters. Many saw liberalism and the policy of affirmative action as the last straw in a string of bad decision by the government who were responding to pressure from radical groups. Reagan saw this as an opportunity to win over a large portion of the voters in the US and subsequently included them in his political campaigns, although he didn’t do much for them once he was in power.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the arguments presented above. There seems to be a sort of “push and pull” factors that contribute to the rise of the New Right. The disillusion of the government welfare programs, for example, can be considered as part of a backlash against earlier progressive breakthroughs, pushing America away from the prevalent liberalism of the first half of the 20th century. On the other side of the coin, it can be argued that America is inherently conservative. The “New” Right is only new in the sense that it is a rebirth. The waves of the New Right are born out of the newfound urgency to return to the perceived core American values.
ReplyDeleteGhian Tjandaputra Muhammad
21762198
The New Right gained momentum in the 1970s, as liberal churches were on the decline, but conservative churches were increasing in size. The previous decades of liberalism saw the rise of the Equal rights movement, the feminist revolution, and the homosexual revolution. This presented a moral dilemma with Christian conservatives, as they believed that America was losing its traditional values, morality, sensibility and patriotism. Members of the New Right felt the need to assert their views in the political arena, and were much more prepared to “use government for their own ends”. Their actions involved supporting campaigns against the Equal Rights Amendment and supporting Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign. Therefore, as Christian evangelism and discontentment of the previous decade of liberal movement rose, the New Right emerged as a stronghold to support those who believed that America needed to “return to biblical basics”.
ReplyDeleteShalomi Anandarajan
In my opinion, the powerful emergence of the New Right in America was acheived through a myriad of circumstances, but it was a backlash to the Liberalist sentiment and politics of the 1960's that served as its catalyst. A pivotal moment was the Roe V's Wade outcome that left Jerry Falwell with the urge to bring fundamentalist Christianity back into politics once again. Additionally, conservative deal makers were seeking new votes and new ways to get them, and this, coupled with the sophisticated and unparralleled use of media and communication technologies, opened up the American landscape to the New Right.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the emergence of the New Right became such a powerful force in reaction to various reasons, but mainly due to liberalism seen in the previous decades before the 1980’s. The United States was traditionally based on Christian and conservative ideals, with many conservative Americans fearing the decline of morality brought on by liberalism. This decline in morality was especially seen running rampant among the youth, as they campaigned for feminism, abortion rights, and freedom of sexuality. The New Right was seen as a way back to the United States’ former glory, a way back to core American values and a revival in morality.
ReplyDeleteAlyssia Rudd
Conservative forces have always existed within the United States. Following the Second World War, the liberal consensus combined a belief in the activist state with anti-Communist values. As a result of this political context, opposing views were often marginalised. However, with the rise of economic difficulties in the late 1960s-early 1970s and the perceived radicalisation of liberalism, the liberal consensus broke down. It was out of this development that the New Right emerged, with its reaction to the perceived social ills associated with liberalism. By tapping into the growing divisions in American society, the New Right has emerged as a strong force in American politics.
ReplyDelete