Americas Rising

Conservatism
Presentation
Beatriz Verduzco
During Carters presidency the nation seemed
beset by blows to its domestic prosperity and
international status that neither Carter nor
Congress seemed able to solve. These problems
contributed to a conservative resurgence that
blamed liberal policies for most of the nations
troubles. 1
Overview
Religious Rights
Equal Rights Amendment
Abortion Controversy
Tax Revolt
Earth Day
Highly visible among New Right groups were
evangelical Christian sects, many of whose
ministers were televangelists preachers who
used radio and television to spread the gospel.
Receiving donations that exceeded a billion
dollars a year, they did not hesitate to mix
religion and politics. 2
Reaching millions of Americans, Falwell called
on listeners to wage political war against liberal
government officials whose views on the Bible,
homosexuality, prayer in school, abortion, and
communism were too liberal. Falwell told his
listeners to get people saved, baptized, and
registered. 3

Religion
Equal Rights Amendment
In 1972, Congress had pro-posed an Equal Rights
Amendment (ERA) and sent it to the states for
ratification. 4
Opposition stiffened under the leadership of
conservative Phyllis Schlafly, who claimed the
amendment diminished the rights and status of
women and altered the role of the American
woman as wife and mother. 5
Pro-ERA groups asked President Carter to endorse
the amendment and an extension for ratification.
Carter endorsed both and Congress extended the
ratification process by thirty-nine months, but in the
end, the amendment fell three states short of
ratification. 6
Conservative women quickly linked the
Equal Rights Amendment to abortion and
other issues, creating a wider pro-family
movement. 7
The Medicaid program paid out more than
$45 million for abortion services in 1973. 8
Anti-abortion forces demanded that
Congress pass the Hyde Amendment (1976),
which prohibited the use of federal
Medicaid funds to pay for abortions. 9
Abortion Controversy
Ronald Reagan said that the central
problem facing the nation was liberalism.
Reagan said the federal government was
too big, too inefficient, and too expensive,
and that liberal programs actually harmed
those who worked hard, saved their money,
and paid their taxes. 10
Throughout the 1970s, state and local taxes had
risen while at the federal level Social Security taxes,
now including Medicare, grew by 30 percent and
income taxes, pushed by an inflation-fueled
bracket creep, increased by as much as 20
percent. 11
In California, Republicans and Democrats joined
forces and used a referendum in 1978 to pass
Proposition 13, which placed limits on property
taxes and state spending. It isnt just a tax revolt,
observed a Carter official, it is a revolution against
government. 12
Tax Revolt
In April 1970, when communities and thousands of
schools and colleges hosted Earth Day activities. It
was the largest single-day demonstration in
American history and showed a public deeply
concerned about a worsening environment. 13
Between 1970 and 1974, Congress and Nixon also
approved a wide variety of environment legislation,
including a Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act,
and an Endangered Species Act. Watching the
actions of OSHA, the EPA, and other regulatory
agencies, many conservatives, including Nixons
economic adviser, complained that he was imposing
the most regulation on the economy, since the New
Deal. 14
Earth Day
Conclusion
As president, Reagan fulfilled many conservative
expectations by reducing support for some social
programs, easing and eliminating some
government regulations, and exerting American
power around the world altering the structure of
Soviet-American relations. 15
Resources
1. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 896
2. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 877
3. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 872
4. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 872
5. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 872
6. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 872
7. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 872
8. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 872
9. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 872
10. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 877
11. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 877
12. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 878
13. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. American Under Stress, 1967- 1976." In Making
America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 860
14. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. America Under Stress, 1967- 1976." In Making
America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 860
15. Gormly, James, Carol Berkin, Christopher Miller, and Robert Cherny. New Economic and Political Alignments, 1976-
1992." In Making America: A History of the United States. : Wadsworth, 2013. 897
(Web) http://blottingoutgod.com/2014/04/05/the-last-50-years-in-america-1970s-1980s (accessed July 2014)
(Web) http://tropicsofmeta.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/stalking-the-tax-man-the-pervasive-influence-of-the-property-tax-
revolt/ (accessed July 2014)
(Web) Herald-Examiner Collection photo courtesy of The Los Angeles Public Library (accessed July 2014