Having read Chapters 28 and 29 and the accompanying documents discussing the crisis facing America in the 1970s and the conservative response that brought Reagan into the presidency in 1980?
This essay should be at least 300 words (please include in-text citations in footnotes, Chicago style); see the link below for the chapters in question.
American Crisis in 1970-Sample Solution
Several crises during the turbulent 1970s in the United States caused many people to lose faith and become disenchanted with the government and its institutions. High-energy prices, slow economic development, excessive inflation, and a loss of international influence all plagued the nation. In addition, the government’s ability to run the country’s affairs had been severely undermined by the defeat in the Vietnam War. Numerous Americans started to adopt conservative ideologies in response to these problems, emphasizing individuality, free-market capitalism, and reduced government. According to conservative leaders, the government had been too big and intrusive, and too much regulation and taxation were strangling innovation and economic growth. They also argued for a more muscular foreign policy to defend American interests overseas and reclaim worldwide dominance.(1970s American Crisis Essay-Sample)
Ronald Reagan was elected president due to this conservative response in 1980. Reagan promised to restore American grandeur and revitalize the economy while running on a platform of smaller government, lower taxes, and a more vigorous defense[1]. He contended that it was time to hand back authority to the people and unleashed the forces of the free market since the government had grown too large and wasteful. Several conservative policy achievements, such as tax cuts, deregulation, and military buildups, characterized Reagan’s presidency. Even if some of these measures were debatable, they were supported mainly by conservative voters and contributed to changing the course of American politics for years to come.(1970s American Crisis Essay-Sample)
In conclusion, many Americans adopted conservative values and policies due to the crisis America faced in the 1970s, characterized by economic stagnation, waning international influence, and a loss of faith in the government. By emphasizing limited government, a free-market economy, and a more muscular foreign policy, the conservative response, epitomized by Ronald Reagan’s victory as president in 1980, helped change American politics for decades.(1970s American Crisis Essay-Sample)
Bibliography
The American yawp: A massively collaborative open US history textbook, vol. 1: To 1877. Stanford University Press, 2022.
[1] The American yawp: A massively collaborative open US history textbook, vol. 1: To 1877. Stanford University Press, 2022.