Free Essay Sample on The Rise and Fall of Modern American Conservatism

In his book The Rise and Fall of Modern Conservatism, David Farber identifies significant events in history which led to the rise and fall of conservatism. Each of the six political figures he analyzes provides pivotal points in the rise and fall of what is known as modern conservatism. Farber defines modern conservatism as "a disciplinary order generated by hostility to market restraints and fueled by religious faith, devotion to social order, and an individualized conception of political liberty" (1). The author shows that these forthright, captivating and often controversial conservative leaders were unified by a belief in the priority of social order, economic liberty, and national security. His overall argument depicted in this book is that conservatism as an identifiable political movement, ranging from Robert Taft in the early 1930s through George W. Bush in the 2000s, has begun to decline.

The modern movement of conservatism began in the mid-1930s in response to the New Deal created by president Franklin D Roosevelt. The New Deal was designed to promote economic recovery and social reform in acknowledgment of the effects caused by The Great Depression on the U.S. economy. The New Deal failed to generate sustained prosperity as well as its key victims were those of poor economic status. Robert Taft believed that the New Deal would lead to socialism and political tyranny. “By late 1934, the American Liberty League was established to stop the New Deal. In 1936, the league, spearheaded by many of America’s corporate and financial leaders, enrolled more than 125,000 members and spent more than a million dollars trying to defeat Roosevelt”(22). Taft first used the term ‘conservative’ in 1938 in his run for senate. This term referred to three overall themes: support for property ownership against an overbearing government, opposition to elite liberals who wanted to change society ‘for the better, and finally, individual responsibility was the key to success in American society. These were the general rules which most cooperatives stood by.

Farber argues that William Buckley is essential in the rise of conservatism for many reasons. ”Buckley gave conservatism a human face by becoming one of the first kings of media, with best-selling books, a nationally syndicated newspaper column, and a television show, while overseeing the Ur-text of modern conservatism, the National Review, for decades” (40). He gave conservatism humanity in the ways he was creatively portraying his opinions. He believed that conservatives needed to more than simply attempt to change legislative policies. He believed they needed to create a new political culture. In 1955, he created and founded The National Review, which eventually became an influential symbol that stimulated the conservative movement in the late 20th century. Buckley sought out to rally the conservative grassroots across society instead of running office himself. His goal was to educate Americans on the conservative issues at hand and provide a serious face to the movement.

Barry Goldwater was determined like Buckley, however, he believed himself to not be as smart as other politicians. Because of this reason, conservatism was not about mastering political philosophy, it was about plain common sense that came down to what he believed was a basic fact: ”America faced dangers at home and abroad that could destroy the nation”(78). He believed that liberty had to be preserved, which meant communism needed to be stopped. In 1952, he made his debut in the political realm as senator of Arizona. In spite of this, Goldwater is not most known for his time as a senator, but mostly for the presidential election of 1984. This election is perhaps one of the most significant events in the reshaping of the republican party. Goldwater’s stance was controversial as he suggested nuclear war might be a solution in the fight against communism. It was his stance on the cold war that doomed his candidacy. However, Goldwater’s nomination was a vast victory for conservatives even though he did not win. During his presidential campaign, he brought southern segregationists and anticommunists to the republican party. He had made race politics a significant subject to be dealt with. Goldwater’s conservative influence had an impact on the republican party and laid the political groundwork for the rise of the first conservative president, Ronald Reagan.

Barry Goldwater and Phyllis Shafley were tightly related as she was a central figure in his campaign. She had picked up where he left off. She was best known for being the voice of opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Before feminism was solidified, she did all she could to prove that women could do almost anything they wanted. Consequently, this did not mean she believed that they should. Her central belief was that women should put their familial duties first.“In former years . . . a woman’s place was in the home. Today, American women must stand together if we are to protect our home”(125). It was not only liberal feminists whom she was at odds with, but her other known causes were anti-communism and her passion fo free enterprise. Schlafey argued that free enterprise was the greatest liberator of women, since the purchase of new labor saving devices offered them true freedom in their traditional roles of wife and mother. She had shared her persuasive opinions in a book she authored, A Choice Not An Echo, which was embraced by the conservative audience.“Schlafly was doing more than standing up for all women in politics, she was speaking directly to her belief that ‘the values of ordinary American women’ were being ignored or worse, by the male politicians who ruled both political parties”(138). Most conservatives opposed the ERA as they thought it would eliminate laws designed to protect women. Schlafly’s anti-ERA campaign attracted thousands of women into the conservative fold, ultimately enlarging the conservative audience. Phylis Shafley had moved the conservative movement into favorable terrain. “To earn the victory, however, they would need to find another hero for the cause”(157).

Ronald Reagan was that hero. Most importantly, he was the first person to win the presidency as a conservative. At the beginning of the decade, most Americans feared the future, believing their greatest days were behind them. In response to this, Reagan promised them economic recovery and global leadership in the war on communism. He succeeded largely by pulling together many strands of conservatism. Nevertheless, before Reagan became a conservative leader, he was a supporter of FDR and The New Deal in the 1930s. In the late 1940s, most liberals were just as anti-communist as most conservatives. Reagan was one of these people. Many factors contributed to his switch in political opinion but many believe it was his frustration with liberal policymakers with high tax rates for the wealthy that pushed him from liberalism to conservatism. “Reagan the New Dealer, once focused on protecting the ‘little guy’ from the ‘economic royalists,’ had begun to look at the economy from the perspective of a self-made millionaire”(168). Reagan easily won the election in 1980 with his promises of preserving the American dream the country had once known. He was well liked by many people for different reasons. Economic conservatives were in favor of his anti union, low taxes, free market positions. Anti government campaigners and libertarians liked his opinion that government was not the solution to problems but was the problem itself. Noble efforts had been made by Taft, Buckley, Goldwater, and Schlafly. However, when Reagan’s presidency ended, he knew he had made conservatism stronger than when he had found it. He had taken opinions and strategies from all of these politicians who helped paved the way for him and made it into the success they had all wanted it to be.

Picking up where a political icon had left off was no easy task for president George Bush. Conservatism had developed a set of beliefs that eventually came crashing down onto him. As president, he continued to honor many of Reagan's beliefs: He cut taxes and deregulated the economy. He had reached out to religious traditionalists and attempted to combine religious awareness and sensibility into domestic and international policy making. However, these small successes were not as memorable as his failures.“George W. Bush had given modern conservatism a two-term presidency. But Bush’s military, international, domestic, and economic failures dealt the modern conservative movement a mighty blow”(256). He had disappointed the American people in his anti government ideology throughout the hurricane Katrina tragedy. He failed to provide millions of americans with health insurance, and increased military spending which led to the Great Recession. Bush had initially taken the torch which was passed to him with honor, but he failed to live up to the great expectations he had inherited from Ronald Reagan.

Ronald Reagan was "the beneficiary of all of these conservative activists and of the electorate they had stirred" (258). He brought a compelling attractiveness to the conservative movement. As president, he fulfilled the high hopes created by conservatives, whose ideas came before him, Taft, Buckley, Goldwater, and Schlafly. He became a great idol for conservatives because of the path all of these conservatives paved for him in their years of work. In his fascinating book The Rise and Fall of Modern Conservatism, David Farber retraces the steps taken within the conservative movement. From the rise in revolt in New Deal liberalism to its revival under Ronald Reagan, he shows how these leaders shared the same central ideas and executed bringing those ideas to life.