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Johnson Chooses Not to Run for 2nd Term
Due to major losses and opposition to the Vietnam war that President Lyndon B. Johnson intensified, he became very unpopular during his presidency. He therefore chose and announced to the public that he would not be running for a second term. This aided the rise of conservatism by removing fro office the person who heightened tensions and could be replaced then by someone willing to remove U.S. troops from Vietnam -
Nixon's Vietnamization Starts
Nixon's "Vietnamization" consisted of American soldiers at war training the Vietnamese to fight for themselves, making them strong enough to fight the Communists on their own so American troops could be withdrawn. This was a step in the direction of conservatism because it was a step away from war. By bringing home U.S. soldiers, the United States reverted back slightly to the policy of Isolationism, which would be considered as very conservative. -
Nixon Wins Reelection
President Nixon winning a second term is important to the rise of conservatism because it paved way for future Republican/conservative presidents to succeed. Nixon was very popular with the public, until Watergate, and his popularity became associated with conservatism. People would become more fond of the conservative ideals and thus allow conservatism to become an even stronger force in America. -
Roe v. Wade
The significance of Roe v. Wade and the rise of conservatism in the United States is not the decision reached by the Supreme Court. If anything, the decision was a setback for the Republican (conservative) Party. The reason Roe v. Wade helped bring a rise to Conservatism is that it unified all conservatives and helped bring them all together into one party, the Republican. Roe v. Wade may have had a bad decision for Republicans, but ultimately helped the Republican Party become stronger. -
The "Moral Majority" Becomes Powerful Force for Republicans
The "Moral Majority" was a religious group lead by Jerry Farwell which supported Republicans strongly. After the Democratic National Convention filled with violence, many christians came to support the republican party. This aided conservatism because with more people voting republican, more republicans with conservative views would now be in office and could execute more conservative policies. -
Equal Rights Amendment Dies Out
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to keep everyone equal under the law. Many women took to this idea in a new wave of feminism, but others were opposed. Women like Phyllis Schlafly argued that the American woman who chose to stay home would not be allowed to if this was put in effect, and this aided conservatism by keeping a separation of gender. -
Ronald Reagan Wins Presidency
Ronald Reagan won the 1980 election after being the two - term republican governor of California at the age of 68 during his win. Reagan was more like a social conservative, and like the typical conservative president, reforms were slow but they did not stop during his presidency. -
Reaganomics Put Into Effect
Following Reagan's victory, he began his economic policy (known as Reaganomics). To many, this was seen as a success. Reagan's success with the economy, which had been suffering for years, greatly increased his popularity. More popularity with Reagan would bring more support to the Republican (conservative) Party and allow conservatism to grow. -
George H. W. Bush Elected President
After Ronald Reagan left office due to serving two terms, George H. W. Bush was elected president rather easily. He was a Republican and his election showed that the country were content with a Republican president. It also brought more people into the Republican Party, which gave more power to conservatism. -
Webster v. Reproductive Health Services
After the undesired outcome of Roe v. Wade, the decision made in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services was beneficial towards the Republican Party and conservatives. It allowed states to have restrictions and legislate abortions. This was beneficial to the rise of conservatism because it gave way to a very conservative policy (states' rights). It also pleased conservatives with putting limits on abortions, which would lead them to throw support behind the Republican Party.
