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Difficulty: MediumThe Conservative Movement and the Election of 1980

"Our coordinate task is clear. We must work to restore traditional moral values to our classrooms and families, resisting the secular humanism that has invaded our public institutions. At the same time, we must free the productive capacity of the American enterprise system from the regulatory excesses of the federal bureaucracy. These two struggles are not separate; they are the twin pillars of a renewed America."
— Moral Majority political platform document, 1980

Which of the following historical developments in the late twentieth century is best reflected by the sentiments expressed in the excerpt?

  1. A
    A renewed public consensus in support of expanding the federal regulatory power established during the Great Society
  2. B
    An economic shift toward Keynesian demand-side fiscal policies to combat stagflation
  3. The formation of a new conservative political coalition uniting business leaders and social traditionalistsAnswer
  4. D
    A rejection of international treaties in favor of absolute diplomatic isolationism

Answer

The formation of a new conservative political coalition uniting business leaders and social traditionalists
The correct answer is correct because the excerpt demonstrates how the conservative movement of the late twentieth century successfully built a coalition that merged economic goals (reducing federal regulations and taxes) with social goals (promoting traditional moral and religious values in public life).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source document to identify its core themes, which include restoring traditional moral values (social conservatism) and freeing the enterprise system from federal regulations (economic conservatism).
The document combines social traditionalism with free-market deregulation.
To understand the dual objectives of the political group represented in the excerpt.
2
Relate these dual themes to the political climate of 1980, specifically the rise of the conservative movement and the election of Ronald Reagan.
Identify that these themes represent the core platform of the conservative realignment in the 1980 election.
To contextualize the document within late-twentieth-century political history.
3
Match the combined themes of social traditionalism and free-market capitalism to the composition of the new conservative coalition.
The movement united previously distinct political groups into a single powerful coalition.
To determine which historical development best explains the sentiments in the excerpt.

Key Concept

The Conservative Coalition of 1980
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Topics

The Conservative Movement and the Election of 1980

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