1980s and Neo-conservatism
1980s and Neo-conservatism• Neo-Conservatism• Election of 1980• Reagan• Reagonomics• Global Intervention• End of the Cold War – Reagan/Bush
New Rights
Neo-Conservatism
Economic Values
Social Values
New Right – Social Values• Denounced:• Abortion• Homosexuality• Affirmative action
• Advocated:• Loose separation of church and state
• Prayer in schools• Tougher penalties for criminals
New Right – Economic Values• Free Markets• Deregulation• Limited government intervention
1980s and Neo-conservatism• Neo-Conservatism• Election of 1980• Reagan• Reagonomics• Global Intervention• End of the Cold War – Reagan/Bush
Election of 1980
Reagan’s Characteristics• History:• A sports announcer for a radio station• Actor in Hollywood• President of the Screen Actors Guild (helped purge reds from the
industry)• Spokesman for General Electric• Governor of CA
Reagan’s Characteristics
• "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'“
- Ronald Reagan
1980s and Neo-conservatism• Neo-Conservatism• Election of 1980• Reagan• Reagonomics• Global Intervention• End of the Cold War – Reagan/Bush
The Reagan Revolution
Reaganomics• Supply Side Economics• budget constraints + tax reduction • Goal
• Stimulate investment• Boost productivity• Grow GDP• Reduce the federal deficit
Prosperity in the 1980s
Data 1979 1982 1985 198820th percentile $16,457 $15,548 $16,306 $17,006
Median (50th) $38,649 $36,811 $38,510 $40,678
80th percentile $68,318 $66,920 $71,433 $75,593
95th percentile $111,445 $111,516 $119,459 $127,958
Reality of Reaganomics• Income gaps widened between the rich and poor:• The poor got poorer (due to inflation)• The rich got richer• The middle class was stagnant
Reality of Reaganomics• Income gaps widened between the rich and poor:• The poor got poorer• The rich got richer• The middle class was stagnant
• Added $2 trillion to the national debt
National Debt
Check Up!
• Summarize the basic principles of Supply-Side Economics.
1980s and Neo-conservatism• Neo-Conservatism• Election of 1980• Reagan• Reagonomics• Global Intervention• End of the Cold War – Reagan/Bush
Lebanon• 1983• U.S. peace-keeping force arrive
• October 1983• suicide bomber attacks U.S. Marine barrack • 200 marines killed
Grenada• October 1983• Military coup in Grenada• Marxists seized power• American troops swiftly overran the island and ousted the
insurgents
Libya• Libya’s gov. sponsored a terrorist attack on a passenger liner• U.S. retaliated• Libya put on list of states who support terrorists
The Iran-Contra Affair• 1979 - Revolution deposed the dictator of Nicaragua
The Iran-Contra Affair
• 1979 - Revolution deposed the dictator of Nicaragua• Secret Dealings• Reagan requested aid for contra rebels fighting against the left-
wing Nicaragua regime• Congress refused
The Iran-Contra Affair
• 1979 - Revolution deposed the dictator of Nicaragua• Secret Dealings• Reagan requested aid for contra rebels fighting against the left-
wing Nicaragua regime• Congress refused
• 1985• Am. diplomats secretly arranged arms sales to the Iranians• Money from the payment for the arms was diverted to the
contras
The Iran-Contra Affair
• 1979 - Revolution deposed the dictator of Nicaragua• Secret Dealings• Reagan requested aid for contra rebels fighting against the left-
wing Nicaragua regime• Congress refused
• 1985• Am. diplomats secretly arranged arms sales to the Iranians• Money from the payment for the arms was diverted to the contras
• November 1986 • Congress investigates but does not impeach• A congressional committee concluded that “if the president did
not know what his national security advisers were doing, he should have”
Check Up!
• How did President Reagan’s administration reflect the basic ideas and principles of the Neoconservative movement?
1980s and Neo-conservatism• Neo-Conservatism• Election of 1980• Reagan• Reagonomics• Global Intervention• End of the Cold War – Reagan/Bush
Reagan’s Strategy With the Sovietso New arms raceo Goal: Bankrupt the Soviet Union
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)oGoal: Build
Satellites could fire laser beams to destroy ICBMs
Meanwhile in Russia…
Mikhail Gorbachev Elected 1985 Committed to radical
reforms in the Soviet Union
Reforms:o Glasnost –
Expand civil lib.o Perestroika –
Adopting free-market practices
Reagan Reacts• Reagan
– Tear Down this Wall (4:00)
George H.W. Bush and the End of the Cold War Yale educated Served in WWII oil business in TX Served as a
congressman Was emissary to China Ambassador to the UN Director of the CIA Vice president
The Fall of Communism
August 1989 Poland’s communist government is toppled by the people.
VS.
1956 1989
The Fall of Communism August 1989
Poland’s communist government ends
September-November 1989o The communist
regimes collapsed in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and Romania
The Fall of Communism August 1989
Poland’s communist government is toppled by the people.
September-November 1989o The communist regimes
collapsed in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and Romania
December 1989o The Berlin Wall fello This marked the beginning of
the end of the Cold War
The Fall of Communism August 1989
Poland’s communist government is toppled by the people.
September-November 1989o The communist regimes
collapsed in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and Romania
December 1989o The Berlin Wall fello This marked the beginning of
the end of the Cold War October 1990
o Germany reunited
Collapse of the USSR
December 1991o The Soviet Union dissolved into 15 republics loosely
confederated in the Commonwealth of Independent State (CIS),
1. Armenia, 2. Azerbaijan, 3. Belarus, 4. Estonia, 5. Georgia, 6. Kazakhstan, 7. Kyrgyzstan, 8. Latvia, 9. Lithuania, 10. Moldova, 11. Russia, 12. Tajikistan, 13. Turkmenistan, 14. Ukraine, 15. Uzbekistan
Results of the end of the Cold War No more tension over nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia It also marked the virtual end of communism world-wide Democracy now had no more ideological battles left to fight U.S. became uncontested world power
• Affirmative: The collapse of communism was due to internal pressures caused by social and political conflict within Eastern Europe.
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