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Difficulty: MediumThe Conservative Movement and the Election of 1980

Read the excerpt below and answer the following question:

"For years, the federal government has treated the traditional family not as the cornerstone of our society, but as an obstacle to progress. Bureaucrats in Washington have sought to displace the moral authority of parents, while inflation and high taxes have eroded the economic security of the home. We must rebuild an America where work is rewarded, government is limited to its proper constitutional functions, and the moral values that made this country great are once again respected in the public square."
—Adapted from a campaign pamphlet of the New Right coalition, 1980

Which of the following historical factors of the 1970s most directly facilitated the rise of the political movement described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    A bipartisan push to resolve inflation by expanding federal regulatory oversight and implementing demand-side tax hikes.
  2. B
    A widespread desire to protect Franklin Roosevelt’s Great Society programs from state-level legislative challenges.
  3. A growing public frustration with economic stagflation and perceived moral decline under the prevailing liberal consensus.Answer
  4. D
    A public consensus that the Cold War had been won due to diplomatic detente and the signing of strategic arms limitation treaties.

Answer

A growing public frustration with economic stagflation and perceived moral decline under the prevailing liberal consensus most directly facilitated the rise of the political movement described in the excerpt.
The rising public frustration with economic stagflation and perceived moral decline under the prevailing liberal consensus is correct because the economic crises of the 1970s, coupled with foreign policy setbacks like the Iran Hostage Crisis and social anxieties over cultural liberalization, led many Americans to embrace the New Right's calls for free markets, deregulation, tax cuts, traditional values, and a strong foreign policy, ultimately resulting in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source passage to identify the core themes and goals of the movement.
The text highlights concerns about federal government growth, decline of traditional family structures, high inflation, taxes, and a desire to limit government to constitutional functions while emphasizing moral values.
This establishes the ideological characteristics of the New Right coalition in 1980.
2
Evaluate the historical context of the late 1970s to find what precipitated these political grievances.
The 1970s were marked by economic stagflation (high inflation and high unemployment), foreign policy crises (such as the Iran Hostage Crisis), and social conflicts arising from the rights revolutions of the 1960s.
This links the grievances in the text to actual historical events that eroded confidence in the liberal political consensus.
3
Assess the options to determine which represents a valid cause of this rise in conservatism.
The growing public frustration with economic stagflation and perceived moral decline aligns with the economic and social anxieties that fueled the conservative resurgence and led to Ronald Reagan's victory in the 1980 election.
This confirms the correct answer and rejects the other options based on historical accuracy.

Key Concept

The Conservative Resurgence and the Rise of the New Right
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Topics

The Conservative Movement and the Election of 1980

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