Political Conservatism Between 1964 And 1980

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The unexpected victories for political conservatism in the years between 1964 and 1980, which cumulated in Ronald Reagan's election as president, can be attributed to the rise of Malcolm X, the Watergate scandal, as well as the LGBT community. These circumstances brought a transformation in public attitudes and caused a shift in the political economy. These new changes/the change in how Americans felt about the government caused Americans to want a president who can restore the American faith. President Reagan was a known communicator of conservative ideas and his ability to connect with the citizen is why many white Americans voted for him. In 1954 the rise of civil war appeared, the Supreme Court ordered public schools to desegregate and …show more content…

During this time of the scandal, “... President Richard Nixon would be forced to resign, many of his principal aides and advisers would be convicted of unlawful activities, and many of the heretofore secret workings of the government would be exposed for public inspection”. The arrest of the five men as well as their guilty pleas revealed a series of wiretaps, slush funds, political sabotage, and unjustified firings. Through this recovery, the American people felt heavily betrayed due to President Nixon being the one to say how he would take charge and investigate when he was the one who planned the break-in. President Nixon had strong speeches and made the people of America feel good about their President. In 1972, President Nixon stated “So, I’m the first four-year president who hasn’t missed a day in office providing I make it to January 20… The great decisions in this office require calm… most important thing I can do is to make decisions for the long run. Vietnam, for example…The leader has to whip them up. The team goes as far as the leader, as the quarterback and coach, and I am both’”. Nixon’s speeches felt strong and connected to everyone, it gave them confidence in their government. However, this scandal caused the people in America …show more content…

The Vietnam War, which included violence and tragedy, the outbreaks of sustained public violence and assassinations, the Black Panther Party, the rise of Women's suffrage, and the introduction of birth control pills caused “homosexual liberation and struck against anti-homosexual prejudice” appeared. From the LGBTQ+ community, there was a massive increase in pop culture and social activism, the sexual liberation movement as well as the AIDs epidemic, causing an extreme social change. A group called GLF, Gay Liberation Front had an intellectual and political excitement during this time. GLF organized Sunday night meetings and was able to publish in the newspaper Come Out!, which became highly influential for the LGBT community. The GLF started the Gay Activists Alliance, GAA, which mainly focused on achieving civil rights for gay people. In 1975, Elaine Noble was elected to the House of Representatives in Massachusetts, allowing her to be the “first openly lesbian or gay state legislator in U.S. history”. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 which “forbids discrimination based on ‘race, color, religion, sex [or] national origin’ - targeted discrimination based on actual or perceived sexual orientation” caused nondiscrimination bills called “‘gay rights bills’” to be around. Not only that, many liberal universities passed laws that also aligned with and supported the LGBT community. The expansion of the queer