Rise of the Modern Conservative Movement (College Board AP® US History)

Timeline:

1960 ‒ Founding of Young Americans for Freedom

1972 ‒ Affirmative Action

1972‒ The Watergate scandal

1973‒1982 ‒ Stagflation in the U.S. 

1973 ‒Roe v. Wade

Summary

The 1960s and 1970s were transformative decades in the United States, marked by liberal advances in civil rights, social programs, and cultural change. However, political scandals and economic challenges led to the rise of the modern conservative movement. Events like the Watergate scandal reduced trust in the government. 

Conservative ideas gained momentum, advocating for limited government and traditional social values. Decisions like Roe v Wade (1973) which legalized abortion faced backlash from religious conservatives, energizing the Christian Right to promote pro-life policies and uphold “family values”. This rise in modern conservatism signaled a major political and cultural shift in response to the challenges and controversies of the previous decades.

Political & Social Movements of the 1960s & 1970s

Young Americans for Freedom (YAF)

• The YAF was founded in 1960 by William Buckley

  • Buckley was a conservative writer and political commentator

• The organization was a group of conservative college students who supported:

  • the Vietnam War

  • limited government

  • traditional family values

• The YAF played a key role in shaping youth involvement in the conservative movement

• By supporting the Vietnam War, YAF contributed to the growing divide between conservative and liberal students during the 1960s

Stagflation

• Stagflation is defined as the combination of high unemployment and high inflation which stagnates the economy 

  • It caused widespread economic hardship

• Stagnation was caused between 1973‒1982 by:

  • rising consumer debt

  • inflation

  • federal spending on the Vietnam War

  • a sharp increase in oil prices

• President Richard Nixon increased federal spending, which worsened the economic climate

  • The government’s inability to effectively address stagnation set the stage for the rise of conservative economic policies championed by Ronald Reagan

    • for example, tax cuts and deregulation

• The economic struggles led many Americans to question government intervention

Affirmative action 

• Affirmative action was introduced in 1972 by President Richard Nixon

• The program aimed to ensure equal hiring opportunities for racial minorities in hiring and admissions to colleges and universities through quotas

• This policy faced controversy and opposition from conservatives

  • They viewed it as unfair and discriminatory

Watergate

• Watergate was a political scandal in 1972, involving President Richard Nixon and the Republican Party

• Nixon’s operatives were arrested while breaking into Democratic headquarters in the Watergate building during the re-election of Richard Nixon

  • Nixon claimed no knowledge of the operation

  • Secret tape recordings from the Oval Office later revealed Nixon’s involvement in efforts to cover up the crime

  • Nixon resigned in 1974 under threat of impeachment 

• Following this, the American voter's trust in the government deteriorated

  • leading to widespread cynicism and a lack of trust in political leaders     

Roe v. Wade

• Roe v. Wade (1973) is a Supreme Court case

• Abortion was legalized nationwide under the “right to privacy” protected by the Fourteenth Amendment

  • This was a major victory for women’s rights

• This was a landmark decision that sparked ongoing debate about reproductive rights and women’s health

• The decision led to the rise of the religious right, who opposed abortion

Religious right

• The religious right were a movement of conservative Christians who supported the Republican party

• The movement sought to bring back conservative views such as: 

  • prayer in schools

  • anti-abortion

  • anti-gay rights

• Key figures include:

  • Jerry Falwell: a religious leader and TV personality who founded the “Moral Majority” in 1979

    • opposed LGTBQ+, the women's movement, and abortion

  • Pat Robertson: a religious leader and TV host of the Christian program The 700 Club 

    • promoted conservative Christian values

  • Dr. James Dobson: an American psychologist host of the media program Focus on the Family

    • promoted Christian, conservative family values

  • Billy Graham: an American evangelist

    • promoted Protestant values across the U.S.

John Birch Society

• The John Birch Society was a far-right conservative advocacy group that focused on:

  • anti-communism

  • anti-government intervention

• The group was influential in early conservative movements but criticized for being too extreme

New Right and the modern conservative movement

• New Right and the modern conservative movement gained momentum in the 1980s, under President Ronald Reagan

• Key focus on conservative values:

  • tax cuts, deregulation, and reducing government intervention

  • strong anti-communist foreign policy and support for military spending

  • wanted to bring back prayer in schools

  • supported traditional family and religious values 

  • anti-abortion laws