Political Shifts 60s90s

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Political Shifts 60s-90s
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1960s Perspectives

• Popular Media Image of the Sixties
• Rebellion, Marches, Hippies, Sex, Drugs, Rock and
  Roll, Flower Children, Protests, Smoking Pot,
  casual attitudes
• Counterculture
• Left movements (Women, Gays/Lesbians, etc)

3
Political Right Gains Strength

• Media image as the 60s as high tide of liberal
  activism may be true but 60s also was the era of
  the growing strength of the Political Right
• The Right may have been more influential and
  enduring

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Cultural Constituencies of Liberal Left?

• Supporting Unions and the Working Class
• Ex. New Deal
• Aiding the poor
• Ex New Deal, Great Society
• Advocating for racial/ethnic equality
• Ex. Civil Rights and Affirmative Action
• Advocating for women and homosexuals
• Ex. NOW, Steinem, Friedan, Gay Marriage

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Constituencies of the Conservative Right?

• Anti Communism/Stronger Role of Military
• Religious Traditionalism/ Traditional Values
• Libertarianism
• Free Markets
• Limited Government
• Limited Taxation

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Barry Goldwater Election of 1964

• (R) Five Term Arizona Senator
• Libertarianism, minimal government except for
  focus on defense of contracts and defense of the
  nation. Other government roles are questionable
  or illegitimate.
• People know how to spend their own money far
  better than the government knows how to spend tax
  dollars

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Barry Goldwater Election of 1964

• Ronald Reagan will go out on the stump for
  Goldwater
• Desire to control spending and limit/end deficit
• Young Americans for Freedom Biggest political
  youth organization. More members than CORE, SNCC
  or SDS
• Rejected counterculture
• Goldwater Girls

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Barry Goldwater Election of 1964

• Campaign is like trying to stand up in a
  hammock.
• Politically Goldwater is out there on the right,
  shoots from the hip
• Says the thought of being president scares me to
  death
• Casually suggests using nuclear weapons in
  Vietnam and bagging Social Security
• Anti Goldwater campaign ad (Girl and Cloud)

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Barry Goldwater Election of 1964

• Goldwater only wins five states, but where are
  they? The seeds of political realignment
• How does the Republican party become viable in
  the South?

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Republican Viability in the South

• Nixons Southern Strategy
• Government has become too invasive
• Controversial Supreme Court Cases
• Engle ? Vs. Vitow? Ends School Prayer
• Griswold vs. Connecticut Legalizes Birth
  Control Pill
• Miranda vs. Arizona ?Making police job more
  difficult at a time of social unrest?

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Republican Viability in the South

• Great Societys increased entitlement programs
• HUD
• Costs!!!
• Urban Riots erode any possible base of goodwill