Compare And Contrast Nixon Liberal Or Conservative

Although the argument can be made that Nixon was actually more liberal than conservative, it is clear by his actions that he looked to appeal to conservative voters. Some might argue that because his justices turned out to be liberal and ruled for Roe v. Wade and Brown v. Board Nixon was also liberal 11. This is untrue, as these justices were originally conservative, yet may have changed their stance due to the changing times. This can not be a fault of Nixon. Nixon stated his support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964:
“At the same time, Congress also added to the impetus of desegregation by passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an act that as a private citizen I endorsed and supported.” 12
However, this only proves that he as a “private citizen”

Like Nixon and Goldwater, Reagan promised to reverse the growth of government as well as committed to free enterprise and individual freedom 13. For his first executive order, Reagan abolished price controls, reduced taxes, and worked with the Federal Reserve Board to slow federal spending 14. It was very important to Reagan and conservatives everywhere that spending on nonessentials was cut. This was a characteristic of both modern and traditional conservatism. Reagan was heavy on military spending; he poured money into defense for the sake of combating communism and protecting those oppressed by the Soviet Union 15. However, this military budget was unopposed by Americans who feared the communist revolution taking place around the globe. Reagan’s policies appealed to conservatives, which helped expand support of the Republican

He refers to awakening the "industrial giant" which means he plans to take down regulations blocking the free market 16. Reagan attempted to break down hurdles that business had to overcome through his strike of price controls and taxes. Under Reagan, the price of oil reduced by 50%, which saved consumers about $100 billion per year 17. Conservatives approved of such reductions because they helped business all over the country and most importantly rose production. With increased production and a boosted economy, the standard of living rose and Reagan became a celebrated leader. By leaning libertarian in his economic policies, Reagan appealed to conservatives everywhere and attracted new voters to the Republican Party. Later in his speech, Reagan comments on his reluctance to become involved in a conflict 18. This shows that he wants to avoid war while also having a huge military, which is another modern conservative belief. Although he was against communism, the communist war did not involve too much fighting. The need for a huge military was more of an intimidation factor as well as a comfort for those panicking about the possibility of communist attack. The federal budget, specifically the military budgets, were important to Reagan’s agenda and his supporters