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Difficulty: MediumThe Conservative Movement and the Election of 1980

Read the excerpt below.

'The old political divisions are fading. Our task is to bring together the businessman who is tired of federal regulation, the worker who sees his wages eroded by inflation, and the parent who believes that public policy has turned against traditional moral values. By uniting these groups under a single banner, we can reshape the nation’s political landscape.'
—Address by a conservative political strategist, 1979

The political strategy described in the excerpt contributed most directly to which of the following outcomes?

  1. A
    The expansion of federal regulatory powers to combat the effects of inflation.
  2. B
    A return to absolute diplomatic isolationism to avoid foreign military entanglements.
  3. The political realignment of the 1980 election, which united free-market advocates, social traditionalists, and disaffected working-class voters.Answer
  4. D
    The complete dismantlement of New Deal programs such as Social Security to eliminate the national debt.

Answer

The political realignment of the 1980 election, which united free-market advocates, social traditionalists, and disaffected working-class voters.
The correct answer is correct because the strategist's speech outlines the creation of the New Right coalition. In the 1980 presidential election, Ronald Reagan successfully united fiscal conservatives (who wanted deregulation and tax cuts), social conservatives (such as the Moral Majority who focused on traditional values), and working-class Democrats (often called Reagan Democrats) who were frustrated by economic stagflation, leading to a major political realignment.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus excerpt to identify the constituent groups mentioned in the coalition.
The excerpt identifies three key groups: businessmen frustrated with federal regulation, workers affected by inflation, and parents concerned with traditional moral values.
Understanding the components of the coalition helps determine the nature of the movement being described.
2
Evaluate the options to see which historical event or development represents the successful unification of these groups.
The election of 1980 and the rise of the modern conservative movement brought these disparate factions together under Ronald Reagan's campaign.
This links the strategic goals of the 1979 excerpt to the concrete political outcome of the 1980 realignment.

Key Concept

The Conservative Movement and the Election of 1980
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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The Conservative Movement and the Election of 1980

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