Civilization United States

The conservative « Revolution »

Outline:
I- Conservatism: definition
II- From the Liberal Consensus to the “Conservative Consensus”
III- The Turbulent Sixties
IV- The 1970’s: The Lost Decade
V- The Republican Party, the Christian Right and Culture War
VI- The Reagan “Revolution”
VII- William Jefferson Clinton: A Third Way Democrat
VIII- George W. Bush and Compassionate Conservation
IX- Barack Obama: The Great Recession, the Tea Party Movement (populism) and
Race Relations
X- Donald Trump and the Alternative Right (mostly composed of white conspiracists)

I- Definition of Conservatism
An increase and the use of the term Conservative as emerge.
In the 1980’s a national opinion survey was convicted, and this survey told that: “45% were
conservative and only 34% classified themselves as liberal”. Conservatism in the 80’s was
dominant.

Ronald Reagan’s economic policies which consisted in reducing taxes and reducing further
spending and, at the same time, increasing the defense project. These policies were defined as
conservative.
 Reducing social programs and increases a defense project.

To define political conservatism, we have to study the main principals of conservatism which
are:
1) Order and continuity
The most wildly accepted principal. The conservatives believe in the importance of order and
society. They believe that respect for tradition is the first requirement for a good government.
Conservatives are against swiping changes, radical changes but in favor of grader change, a
change which is established. One of the main philosopher Edmund Burk wrote extensively
the destruction of institutions in order in France during the French revolution. And he
develops the principals most associated with modern conservatism.
Traditional destroyed the monarchy, social order, aristocracy, and he brought a lot of changes
in France. These changes preserve the monarchy and the aristocratical system and bring social
order.

2) Power and limits of government

In the conservative philosophy the main function of government is to protect the country
against threats and to keep order at home, increase the budget of the police/FBI. 
“Fonctions régaliennes de l’Etat”. Conservatives reject government introduction of economy,
and they are also against the welfare state (Etat Providence), because for the conservatives, a
welfare state creates independency, the poverty threat. For conservatives the more you
encouraged them the more you encourage laziness and create independency which is
transmitted to one generation to another.
For them there are 2 categories of poor people: the undesiring poor (well health, young…)
and the desiring poor (sick, old, handicap, justify help…).
They believe in trickle down (la théorie du ruissèlement) = if you reduce taxes from the rich,
they will invest, and this investment will create an economic grow and so jobs, reduce
unemployment which will be benefic for the poor.

3) Decentralization of social institutions

According to the Conservatives, the main function of the government is not to concentrate
power it is instead to diffuse power, to disperse power to the institutions of society like
churches, private associations, charities associations. For them, these institutions will stand
and play the role between the government and the population.
 To reduce the power of the federal government and to give more power to the states.

4) Man morality
Reverence for God and respect for tradition is a significant element of the conservative
philosophy. They have a strong believe in God and they are very attached to traditional
values. The conservative view of man is centered around the biblical doctrine of the
“Original Sin” (péché originel): man is flawed, imperfectible. They have a very pessimistic
view of human nature; man make mistakes and there is always tentation. That is why they
believe in religion, because it teaches people how to resist tentation.
They believe in the preeminence of duties over rights. People tend to ask for their rights
before they accomplished their duties.

Clinton Rossiter said: “rights are something to be earned rather than given”.

5) Property
Economic conservative emphasizes private property and the profits motive as between basis
of economy, design to encouraged individual initiatives. Sanctify the property: the
government does not have to decides, the government does not have to interfere in the
management of a private company. That is why conservatives believe that the “laisser faire”
capitalism is the best.

6) Liberty and Equality

Very important principal because when you are here this term, they didn’t have the same
meaning when they are said by the conservatives and the liberals. Liberalism has been
emphasized by the concept of equality. Liberalists fought for the liberty but not for all people,
so women must defend their equality between men and women.
Taxing rich people so the money can go to the poor and the less fortunate.
Conservatives believe that equal part to opportunity. People are equal under the law.
Conservatives are against an egalitarian society, the gov would taxes the rich to redistribute it
to the poor, the government should guarantee equality of opportunity.
 they are convicts that everybody could raise from rags to riches = everybody could start
from nothing and could climb the social environment without bridge, you don’t need the gov
to interevent. The conservatives: if you help the poor you create “poverty trap”, a “culture of
dependency”. That is why they divide poor in two categories the desiring and the undesiring.
 7) The leadership Class
They believe in the leadership class, it is open to everyone. They just need to be smart,
intelligent. The LC must be capable to run the Nation.

To conclude, we can say that the conservative movement is an alliance between social
conservatives and economic conservatives. Social conservatives are people who focus on
traditional values, the rule of religion, against women rights-same sex marriage-guns
(reactionaries). Economic conservatives fight for less taxes and for the privatization of
economic centers, they need each other support. This is an opportunistic alliance bc EC need
social movements to be heard.

Neoconservatism: movement which emerge in the 70’s, liberals who have been mugged up.
They have reacted of the excesses of the conservatism, they decided to join the republican
party.

Neoliberalism is the product of the reaction to the excesses of liberalism in the 1960.
However, the neoliberals did not decide to join the republican party, they decided to continue
to support the democratic party but try to reform the party from within, inside.
“A third-way democrat” = troisième voie.
 even in the rest of Europe.

Libertarianism sometimes is considered as a type of conservatism bc libertarians believe in

the autonomy of the individual and they believe in minimum rule of the government, in both
economic and non-economic theories.
 Primacy of the individuals, they think that gov should do nothing to restrain.
They sometimes are more liberalists and sometimes more conservatives.

From this point of view, they are sometimes considered as liberals because they are for the
non-intervention of the government in the economic and the social.

II- The new deal and the Liberal Consensus

At the end of the 2nd WW, liberalism should have the dominant and the American public this
ideology
It conserves the influence of the policies of the national government. The federal gov was
accepted has a legitimate force for social action. We can say that the circle of liberalism
started in 1932, with the president Roosevelt and it have dominated American politics and …
until the late 70’s. During this period, the themes were self-action, decease gov spending and
opposition to gov regulation. Sounded an achronistic, were opposed to these actions.
The new deal (Roosevelt), the fair deal, the new frontier (JFK), the great society. In the US,
each presidents have slogans.  indorse the gov has a positive force. The liberal policies
were supported about a great majority of American people. Why? Bc the post-warriors had
been appeared of the remarkable 30’s (30 glorieuses), they were convinced that economic
growth and prosperity will continue forever. In addition, after the 2nd WW, countries like
Japan, GB had completely lost their economic capacity and …. With the Marshall plan and
the military victory, the US emerge as a leading political financial and economic power.
 reasons why American people had supported liberalism.

What are the reasons why liberalism had decline?

Conservatism moved from backstage to ??? in the American history.

III- The Turbulent Sixties

All the social movement that emerged were liberal, the most important: the civil rights
movement to end segregation and it attain its goal with the 1964 civil right Act and in 1965 of
the voting rights Acts.
After these successes, this movement raise a lot of hope, the American gov engaged in a very
ambitious program: War on poverty.  poverty was no longer considered as an individual
program but a social prog that the gov had to deal with and Johnson promised to give houses.
He raises a lot of hopes and people have a lot of expectations. A lot of people were
disappointed bc the liberal policies did not bring immediate results. They result in violence.
The Black matters movement, violence has reach is climax with the riots in big cities. A lot of
people were scared, and violence create a backlash in the liberalism.
Tried to capitalize on that violence to win the presidential election. Nixon’s main slogan:
Bring back law and order.
Apart the violence generated by black separatism, they call black & twice. Blacks would
never attain equality in a society run by white people.
Woodstock festival is the equivalent of a rave party.
 create another backlash (violence and hippy movement)  return to a traditional life,
rejected mainstream values  vote for the republican party because it conserves
traditional values.

Conservative Backlash in reaction to what happened in the 60’s. There are liberal movement,
left-ring movements which are progressist.

The Feminist Movement has emerged with the National Organization… they call for equality
between men and women in professional, social, and family life. The same movement call for
the legalization of the abortion movement in America. Women wanted to have the right to
decide for their own body. Form married women to single ones.
The conservatives would take advantages of the radicalism of small factions on the Women
Movement do discredit this movement and to accuse to engaging war against men 
feminists don’t want equality; they want to attack men  create a backlash against feminism.
Feminists obtain the right for abortion  Roe VS Wade (1973), Roe wins. Abortion was
against the constitution; it legalized the abortion and then vote the right to privacy to let
women have abortion. This legalization would trigger an important movement call the anti-
abortion movement or the Pro-life movement. These people believe that life begins at
conception, and they declare that abortion is murder and should be prohibited. So, they
organized and important movement, first by the Catholic church who were joined by the
Republicans. This movement would become very influential within the Republican Party. It is
still “poisoning” American Political Life. In each election, this topic is still present.
The democrats were “Pro-Choice”  It is up to the women to choose.
 Legalized in 1963, 7 judges were for the abortion, and 2 against. Today, shift in the
situation, only two are for. The State have voted laws to restrain this right to abortion.

Joe Biden who has gone to church is for the right of abortion. He
should be ex-communicated (by who?).

The Gay Rights Movement has become more and more important: Gay Pride.

The Environmentalist Movement were business organizations. Economic and not social
conservatives: “this movement imposes very strict regulations on companies”. Led to
joblessness.

The Consumer Movement, business organizations, they believe that the movement imposes
very costly???

The 1968: The Nixon backlash and the “silent majority”. It reaches its climax, and Nixon was
republican, he took advantage of this instability and he said, “I would bring back law and
order”. When he talks about the Silent Majority he said, “we have … to the silent majority in
the US”. He was elected in reaction to the movement that took place in the 1960. It was the
first success in election. And the first reaction the violence in 1960’s.

 Americans have a lot of influence in Occident.

IV- The Stagnant Seventies or “the Lost Decade”

The energy crisis emerged in 73-74. Due to the boycott of oil: giving oil to the US was a way
to protest the alliance with Israel. A lot of companies used oil and gas, and when it has
increased these companies would increase their prices to be able to buy oil  inflation

The Watergate scandal: politic crisis: Nixon spied on the democratic party to win the election.
For the first time in the US history a President had to resign to avoid impeachment. American
people lost faith in their politician leaders, and so, on their institutions. Because apart for
spying, it revealed the abusive power of President Nixon and political corruption and the
importance of money in the US political system.

The Vietnam War defeat (1975), they had to flee (fuire) and it was an humiliating for
American people, it symbolized the collapse of the leader ship of the country in the world and
the triumph of communism in Asia.
The economic crisis: Stagflation (high inflation + economic stagnation): millions of jobs were
lost and in the manufacturing sector number of companies decided to delocalize key
American industries, they had to faced competition from European countries and Japan. 
unemployment rate started to increase.

Then 2 major important international events:

1979: The Islamic Revolution and the Iran hostage crisis. Iran was a monarchy, governed by
the Shah. (Iran democracy in the 50’s  operation AJAX: coalition between UK and US to
end this democratic area) the Shah flee to the Us to take refuge. A certain number of Iranians
attack the American ambassy in Iran and take American diplomate hostage.
1979: The invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union decided to help
Afghanistan to maintain order. Here again Jimmy Carter was unable to stop conflict. It was
the symbol of American non-leadership and the success of communism.
Reagan promised to restore American leadership in the world  End of the liberal
consensus. People started to hold the liberalism and the democrats responsible for American
economic crisis, raising unemployment, inflation rate and for the loss of American leadership
in the world.
 Reasons which explain why conservatism move to backstage from centerstage in American
political life. The liberal movements in the 60’s started to decline into new movements:
Christian right movement and more.

1970s = the lost decade

The End of the Liberal Consensus

Roe VS Wade (1973) and the rise of the anti-abortion movement (pro-life movement).
Jerry Farwell, the rise of Moral Majority and the Christian Right movement.  He was
evangelist (television channel). Larry Flynt  movie, Jerry wanted to end pornography in the
US.

V- The Reagan “Revolution”

Ronald Reagan and the Triumph of Conservative Ideas

In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the
problem.
During the political campaign, Reagan put the blame on the democratic for the economic
crisis and he tries to associate the democratic with the state deficit.  put the blame on Jimmy
Carters (chief of the democrat party).

To have the Christian Right on his side, Reagan promised to ban abortion and to restore
American traditional values. To appeal to business interest, he promised to reduce taxes, to
reduce the welfare state and to reduce government regulation of business. He promised to
reduce the size and the scope of the federal government. “To get the government off our
back”.
 convinced by Reagan proposals

R., tries to use white working class people by convincing them that liberals and democrats
impose high taxes on hard working Americans to finance an inefficient welfare state that
benefited minorities and black Americans: “The Welfare Queens” = dog whistle politics.

R., promised “preferential hiring” Affirmative Action, proposed by Kennedy and it was put
in place by Johnson, the aim was to create a black middle class, encourage big companies to
hire them, and to encourage universities to admit more African Americans.
 Extended to other minorities (Mexicans…) and to women. In the 1970s there was a
backlash which came from the white male: reverse disc.
White men were seduced by the proposals made by Reagan to make action.

All this groups were called the Reagan coalition. Normally these people used to vote for the
democrats and for the first time they decided to vote for the republican and Reagan = the
Reagan Democrats.

R., tried to bring to the WH a conservative vision and conservative world view. And his
election symbolized the triumph of conservative ideas, and it constituted an important plot,
part in American political life and it announced the end of the liberal consensus and the
emergence of the conservative consensus.

Reaganomics

- Supply-side Economics
(théorie de l’offre qui remplace la théorie de Kaynes) Reagan nominated David
Stockman at the office of Management and Budget (OMB) and he was convicts
by the supply-sider, to slash, to help the poor and the independent poor.
 If you reduce taxes for the rich and for companies, they will use their money
to invest in the economy, this would convict them to do it. If they invest that
would create economic growth and that would help the creation of new jobs:
so, reduce unemployment and increase the purchasing power of the population
who will then consume. Companies will then have to produce more, therefore
hire more and make more income... GREEN CIRCLE, TRICKLE DOWN
EFFECT (théorie du ruissellement).
- Tax cuts
Courbe de Arthur Laffer  reduce government spending, reduce taxes, to
create a balanced budget.
- Deregulation of the Economy
- Reduce the Welfare State
- Increase the Military Budget (SDI or Star Wars)
A program called Strategic Defense Initiative. Against the Soviet Union that
would attack the US. Program and instead of producing a balanced budget but
increase a deficit.
The programs like social security (adopted by Roosevelt in 1969) they
remain intact, not reduced. Programme de retraite fédérale, une assurance.
- Weaken Trade Union
Reduce the power of trade union and he had the occasion to do that in august
1981, The Air Traffic Controllers’ union went on stick and Reagan say the
strike was illegal. He gave those stickers: “Go back to work, if you don’t, you
will be fired”. More than 1 thousand were fired and replaced by people who
worked for the army. If Reagan wanted to do that it was to warn other Trade
Union: if the go on strike they will be all fired. And nobody has reacted, that is
the evidence the liberalism was ended.
The number of strikes had declined dramatically to level that have not been
seen since before.

Reagan decided to focus on economy to create job etc because revenues in 1984, American
people would reelect him if he was able to show them that he could end crisis.
 To pay lip service (des mots mais pas des actes)

Reagan and the 1984 Elections

Abortion rights / Traditional family values

Apart from symbolic measures, his government didn’t do a lot. The US would not finance a
program???
By indorsing the ideas of Christian rights, R, not only legitimize those ideas but he
popularized them by convincing an increasing number of American people of the necessity to
ban abortion and to return to traditional American values in order “to end American moral
decay”.
The Great Communication, R, was a movie actor and knows how to convinces people, to
appeal to American people.

Reagan become the icon of the Conservative party. During Reagans first two year the US had
to face an important economic recession because the Reagan administration decided to
increase interest rates  slow economic activity, but for R it was the only way to reduce the
inflation. But quickly after reduction of inflation, the US had known an important economic
growth because millions of jobs were created, but mostly in the service field. Lowkey jobs.
Statistics in the US show an important rate.
To restore American leadership abroad, ? he fights communism and the “evil empire”. The
US had restored its leadership in the world and had become a hegemony.

It was a new chapter in the American life.

Business interest continues to support RR because he reduces taxes and government
regulation of American business. He has reduced the power and influence of trade unions and
create a more favorable context for business activities.

The Christian Rights too, even though in the agenda, they were not the priorities.

The Reagan democrats, bc they were convicts that democrat and liberal were supported, were
on their side: the end of preference hiring.

Conclusion: Reagan Legacy

VI- William Jefferson Clinton: A Third Way Democrat

Clinton’s first two Years and the Conservative Renaissance

He invented a new approach. A third-way democrat: no from the right and no from the left 
he tried to move the democratic party to the center and decided to abandon traditional liberal
democratic principles. In the 90s Tony Blair said he was a third way too.
 Evolution on the political field.

He believes that given the dominants of the conservative ideas it was the only way for the
democratic party to win the presidential election. During the elect campaign, one of Clintons’
main complaints was to establish the weaken place in universal health and insurance
coverage. At that time American people haven’t insurance. And this proposal seduced a lot of
American voters. In the Us there are two programs:
 - Medicaid: health insurance for the poor, below the poverty line.
- Medicare: health insurance for old people, more than 65 years old.
There are federal programs.
Some peoples have insurance from their employers, the company pays. People who are in the
service sector don’t have insurance coverage because their employers can’t pay. But in the US
there are people who are not poor enough to be part of the Medicaid but not too rich to pay it
themselves or to buy a private insurance. (Tarif libre, il n’y a pas de prix fixe pour un type de
soin, cela dépend du médecin).

Reform the US welfare system: “to end welfare as we know it”. After his election Clinton’s
first two years in 1992, before: had the majority in both Houses of Congress. But they failed
in their programs that has created a division in the democratic party.  Democrats were
divided with these two issues.
Negative impact in the next election. He failed in the reform of the welfare system. The
democrats increased taxes in the 1995. Another factor which reunited people: their hate for
Hillary Clinton, bc he gave his wife the responsibility to head a task force to prepare the
health insurance effort. And they were against the fact that Bill gave powers to his wife. In
addition, Clinton and his wife represented the first baby boomers in the WH and represented
all the evidence of the 1960s that the republicans and conservatives did not lie.
The conservatives tried to depicted Clinton has a cocaine dealer, a drogue addict and they
even believed that he was a potential dictator.

 Impact on the failure of Clinton to reform the health insurance system and the propaganda
of the conservatives had an important impact of the popularity of Clinton and the democrats in
general.

For the 1994 mid-term elections, Rep was elected by Contract with America. This contract
promised to reduced taxes, would increase the military budget, would adopt balanced budget
amendment and they would engage on culture war: ban abortion, illegitimacy, idleness, and
would fight against illegal immigration. Rep goes further than RR measures. Apart from these
proposals, Rep succeeded, applied, and promised to reduce the size and the scope for the
federal government.
How would they reduce spending to achieve a balance budget?
Using old social issues especially the fight against illegal immigration and crime and new
once. In the 1990s most important social movements were on the right, the best organized
groups at that time included the Christian conservatives and the Gun owners. They were also
movements to limited taxes, to shutdown immigration, to punish illegal migrancy, and to
impose turn limits on politicians.
By contrast, the mass movements associated with progressivism or the democrats like trade
unions (labor movement) or the civil rights movements were in decline in the 1990s. 
Congress ended up by saying the Rep won the majority in both Houses of Congress for the
first time since 1952. In addition, Rep won, control 30 governorships including 8 of the 10
largest states.
The success of Rep in 1994, was considered to be a shift of historic proportions, after their
failure Clinton has to find new strategy.

How the Christian right became powerful in 1994?

 VII- The Republican Party, the Christian Right and Culture War
The new strategies of the Christian Rights

Since the election of the Rep majority in Congress, the Christian Right movement has
attended and impressively degree of legitimacy and influence in political. The success of the
Christian Right was the result of a calculated and sophisticated strategy. The aim of this
strategy was to transform a disorganized social movement into a remarkable organization with
an important network of activists and militants. The Christian Right of the late 1970s and 80s,
was a social movement charactered by disorganization, decentralization, and a lack of
effectively developed institutional structures. The leaders of the movement like Jerry Falwell
used extreme and confrontational rhetoric to mobilized supporters and those leaders who
remembered the defeats of the 80s have learned from their mistakes and adopted new
strategies. According to some observers, the CR has gradually adjusted itself to the secular
norms, and practices of American politics.
They concentrated in the creation of grassroots (Populaire, the mass) organizations that
emphasize politics not religion. The CR of the 1990s argue that they would work with other
Christians (Catholics) and even with conservative, Jews, and Muslims to restore American
traditional values. These organizations motto was: “Think like Jesus, fight like David, lead
like Moses, run like Lincoln!”. They decided to concentrate their effort on local election,
they think that of issues that concerned pro family Catholics and Evangelicals like abortion,
drogues, traditional education, the future lies at the State and local lands. These orga
distributed training manuals to teach activists how to gain political influence, how to talk to
the media, how to build alliances with other groups, how to influence politicians, how to
influence public opinion and so on.
The CR try to avoid the extremism that destroyed and organization like the moral majority of
Jerry Falwell. In addition, these CR orga have worked hard to win nominations for their own
candidates, and, they had to support other candidates supported of the Rep party.
The strategy of the CR, Two elements:
- Ban religious language in a public meeting, and instead use secular arguments to
support the same position. To attract people who are not religious. To know the
audience and then use the appropriate rhetoric.
- Emphasize not religion but taxes, crime, illegal immigration and other concerns, issues
likely to appeal to most voters.
Some demo recognized that the CR benefits won elections by hiding their real agendas. Demo
acknowledge by .. conservative Christian leaders as extremists bc those leaders can employed
mainstream rhetoric and they also successfully managed their introduction with the media.
Has CR groups have burthened their agenda, they have become better able to get coalition and
to attract big supporters.
These coalitions did more than come together, they shared information and strategy and
learned from each other.
Economic conservatives and … were very concerned about the Christian conservatives, by
their success, to take control of the Rep party organizations, at the local and State levels. And
these mother Rep believe that the … extremist CR agenda.
By adopting this new strategy, the CR of the 1990s has emerge has a more effective political
force. That’s how they contributed to the success of the Rep party in the 1994 mid-term
elections.
 VIII- Clinton’s Winning strategy
1918: Reagan elected
1994: ???
 success of…
Move to the center, especially form issues if culture and ???
Understood that American people would accommodate ????

By the end of 1995, the Rep in congress engaged in showdown (bras de fer) with the president
Clinton. The WH and the Rep dominating congress would not … in the budget, and the
militant members of the Rep Party in Congress thought that shooting down the gov would
oblige Clinton to make concessions. to gov closures in November and December, and like
what Clinton predicted, American people put the blame on the extremism of the Rep Party.
The Rep Party agreed to reopen the gov to gentry sex in ….
1995 1996, one days, 5 days,
Led to massive furloughs and significant

Clinton decided to adopt a strategy of triangulation consists in embracing, adopting some of

the ideas offered by the Rep Party. Try to adopt more popular purpose.
Some American think that Clinton as stolen the ideas but he decided to move to the right of
what … particularly on the welfare issue.
On august 22 1996, Clinton decided to end 6 decades of guaranteeing help to Americans
poorer children by signing into law a vast new … reform named: The Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
When congress passes a designation, he the President is agree with a law he sign it, if not he
uses his veto. Instead of casting his veto, Clinton decided to sign the resignation and it was the
end of the 6 decades of guaranteeing help to Americans poorer children. Giving assistance to
the poor. This resignation would require this helfy state to the more directly with the budget
expense of poverty. That is to say, this resolution, gives more power to the State, it would
decentralize the Welfare system. It would affect millions of poor American bc this resignation
will mandate work requirements and will impose a five-year lifetime limit on welfare to
needed families. = a family could not receive assistant for more than five years. In addition,
this resignation, reform would cut $56 billion in spending and give states vaster new powers
to remove people from welfare rolls. This reform instituted Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families (TANF).

Reforms that Clinton decided to adopt instead of signing a veto. Only few weeks before the
November elections  to get reelected + he promised to reform welfare as we know it.

Liberal democrats criticized Clinton for his decisions and said that, by signing this reform,
Clinton made the Rep dreamed a reality.
If Clinton won, the Rep won the …. War. The passage of the welfare reform signifies more
than the end of welfare as we know it, it signifies the end of a certain kind of liberalism.

David Brook wrote in 1996, “liberalism now resembles a person who has undergone 27 face-
lifts; the natural contours have disappeared.”
After his success in election Clinton declared, “Tonight we proclaim that the vital American
center is alive and well. It is the common ground on which we have made our progress.”
He won 50% for the popular vote. The independent candidate Ross Perot won …%. But the
Rep kept the majority in both houses. It was the first time in 68 years that the Rep Party
maintain control of both houses of Congress trough two straight elections.

Culture war:
In 1991, the war is seen
Why is it concerned has a war? Bc of the excesses and dramatic … in American political life,
and it is very difficult to reconcile on the … conservatives and liberals.
Even today, there is no possibility of a compromise between Republicans and Liberals. The
US is divided between groups: traditionalist or conservatives VS progressive or liberal VS
independent voters. This is why American politics is very polarized. It goes to 1960, it
became more relevant at this time.

In American usage the term may imply a conflict between those values considered
traditionalist or conservative and those considered progressive or liberal.
The expression entered the vocabulary of United States politics with the publication of Cult
Wars: The Struggle to Define America by the sociologist James D. Hunter in 1991. Hunter
perceived a dramatic polarization that had transformed United States politics and culture,
including the issues of abortion, federal and state gun laws, global warming, immigration,
separation of church and state, privacy, recreational drug use and homosexuality. Hunter
traces the concept to the 1960s. The definition of the American culture war has taken various
forms since then.

Monika Lewinsky Scandal:

She was an intern at the WH, and she used Clinton misconduct and he said that he had no sex
with her on television, the Rep and Conservatives took advantage to this scandal to organize
investigations and call of the impeachment of Clinton by accusing him of plurgery.
Kenneth Star was the investigator. The big question at this time was about that.
There was a juridical battle. The legal debate lasted for two months.

Clinton was not impeached bc the Rep did not have the majority. This poses the question of
religion in the State.

IX- Religion and the 2000 Presidential campaign:

Conservatives and liberals said that democrats or socialist, communist, atheist, godless etc.
They tried to breach the … gap between the Rep and Democratic Party. And they decided to
choose Senator Joseph Lieberman as their running mate. He was a very reserving judge. He
said: “The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom from religion”. It means
that you are obliged to choose one religion, if you are atheist, you are against the Constitution.

Doug Wead, American historian, was the first to use the terms “compassionate
conservativism” in a speech. And G.W. Bush was the first candidate who popularized this
term.
 has been define as the believe that conservatism and compassion complete each other.
Compassionate conservativism might see the social problem in the US such as health care,
drogues, …, as issues that are better solve to corporation with charities and religious
institutions. Rather than directly too government democracy.
 they believe that private institutions and religious orga are more competent, better
equipped to deal with those social problems.
 According to G.W. Buch, it is the theory that the gov should encourage the effective
provision of social services without providing the service extend.
Not provide social services but encourage private institutions and religious
organizations to do that.

Argues some policies and support of traditionally values, welfare reform, to promote
individual responsibility to poor around the world.
An empty praise to make traditional conservatism sound more appealing to American voters.
Compassionate conservatism is a strategy to remove American social SafetyNet out of the
hand of government and give it to conservative Christian churches.

George W. Bush:
He was influenced by the notion of Compassionate conservatism.
Bush Political Philosopher. https://youtu.be/xMiP9zfqlTI
“I am standing in front for you as a sinner who sought redemption”. He said that is favorite
philosopher was Jesus Christ bc he changed is life.
His background: a presbyterian family, they are quite liberal and after his marriage with
Laura, Bush decided to learn his wife religion, and before embracing her religion he was a
drunker, and considered by his family like the dark sheep (celui qui a échoué).
He was sincerely religious. And by declaring the sentence, he won the majority of supporters
in the evangelical voters. They are more than 50 million in the US.

GWBush won the debate and surprised a lot of the audience but not the evangelical, it was a
turning point in his election.

Compassionate conservatism:
Liberals had always been accused the mean. Bush wanted to show that Conservatives are as
compassionate as liberals.
He was influenced by Marvin Olasky. This man was a professor of journalism at the
University of Texas and became advisor to George W. Bush 1995. He has written a series of
books, the most famous among these was The Tragedy of American Compassion, published in
1992.
In this book, Marvin Olasky celebrated what he termed the "Early American Model of
Compassion' of strictly voluntary, private, local, moralizing, “faith-based” charity. Chief
among its virtues was a sharp distinction between the deserving and undeserving poor and a
coupling of the receiving of charity with shame and an obligation to repair whatever failings
might have led to poverty and degradation.

At that time, section between the D poor and the UnD poor. The D poor are people who are
sick, old, handicap, mentally health. The UnD poor are healthy, young… and didn’t “deserve”
help.
They try to repair what where wrong in the life  the D poor.

Poverty is an individual problem, and it should be dealt with individually: it is not up to the
government to deal with the problem of poverty.  reject the welfare state, bc for them the
more lang the poor, the more you create a culture of dependency. Idleness, poverty trap. The
best way to help the poor is not to provide any assistance to them.
 Marvin Olasky contrasted this model of compassionate social
policy with the 20th-century American welfare state, in which
secular state bureaucrats replaced faithful local neighbors as the
agents of compassion. Put in place by reform elites (of both parties)
over the course of the century, the American welfare state took its
most disastrous turn in the 1960s when the War on Poverty took
shape as a "war on shame" in which reformers taught the poor to
regard public assistance as an entitlement rather than a confession
of moral failure and a down payment on reformation. There
followed a collapse of responsibility in the precincts of the poor
and an explosion there of illegitimacy, drug abuse, crime, and the
other pathologies of a now hopeless "underclass."
 when you help the poor, you lead to the collapse. Les conservateurs luttent contre les
impôts, donc ils font la guerre aux pauvres.
- Individual responsibility = if you are poor, it is your responsibility and not the
responsibility of the government.

2000 elections took place at the time while the US economy was in an extended period of
prosperity and an enormous federal deficit left form the Reagan and Bush presidencies had
been transformed into surplus  Presidency of Clinton (democrat), economic growth, the
Americans were supposed to vote for a democrat.

At that time Clinton was very popular and Albert Gore (Al Gore) provided to lose a winnable
election bc of the impact of the Lewinsky sex scandal. Negative impact on the election
campaign of Al Gore. Bc of the sex effect scandal, Al Gore decided to distance himself as
much as possible from Clinton (Al Gore = vice-president of Clinton). Al Gore was not able to
capitalize or take advantage of the prestress economy, instead he tried to win by portraying
himself as independent from Clinton’s presidency and as a candidate concerned with more
values and a strong national defense.  collapse of the communism.
Clinton decided to reduce the defense budget bc “the Soviet Union was disappearing”, so
there was no need to increase the defense budget: superpower  hyper power. Of course, he
was criticized by the Conservatives and Al Gore said, “I would build a strong national
defense.” Al Gore decided to abandon the slogan that made the success of Clinton: “It’s the
Economy, stupid!”  mistake. The main concern is economy and not traditional values… Al
Gore focused on the economy: important recession.
On top of that Al Gore was perceived as liberal 1and in an election in which the majority
American voters identify themselves either moderate or conservative. He was seen as liberal
bc he has spent part of his life fighting against global warming.
During the campaign, Al Gore attack big business, defended civil rights, defended affirmative
action, defended the legalization of abortion, he was in favor of gun control, and he was in
favor of women rights and environment protection.  to on the left, to liberal. Al Gore was
defined by “Earth in the Balance: Ecology and Human Spirit” (book written by Al Gore in
1992). In addition, Ralph Nader2, he is a lawyer, known for the defence of consumer rights,
the champion of the consumers rights. He decided to run for the presidential election has a
candidate of the Green Party, and his candidacy: liberal voted for him  defeat of Al Gore
because he took liberal voters.
1
Liberal = progressiste, de gauche ≠ en français où ça veut dire de droite
2
One of the most popular person in the US (counterpunch.org)
G. W. Bush was the gov of Texas and demonstrates his conservatism with taxes cuts and
capital banishment, and he said, to attracts the voters: he supported the reform of education,
and his slogan of Compassionate conservatism combine the republican conservative discourse
with a more modern approach according to racism and poverty. Unlike Reagan, Bush did not
believe that the gov was not the problem, he believed in a restrain gov: “a restrain
government have a positive role to play”. He describes himself has a uniter, not a divider. And
he said that he would conduct a “humble” noninterventionist foreign policy. He decided to
implement “triangulation3”. He said he would reform the welfare system.

Why Bush could speech the language of the moderates?

His truth tongue was faith based, religious Christian conservatism. Bush as an evangelical
Christian and tried to use triangulation to seduce voters. But in reality, Bushes philosophy is
faith based on Christian conservatism.
Carl Rove.
To target conservative Christian organizations and to mobilize the Christian conservative
vote. Conservative Christian orga and religious social networks massively mobilized and
worked effectively to convince their members to vote for Bush. And social and cultural
changes of the 1990s combined with what was perceived as a morally corrupt presidency (Sex
scandal) gave the religious right an imperative for fundamental change in the White House. 
For the religious Clinton and his wife symbolized why conservatives is most hated. The aim
was to defeat Al Gore and so the democratic candidate bc they identify him with Clinton.
Closest election in the US history.

Big government conservatism

- The No Child Left Behind Act (2001)
o Managed by the State, but this act gives more power to the gov to have an
impact on the educational system  Mandate student testing and tie (lié)
federal family to the results = federal gov give subsidies to children who pass a
test so that all children of USA are great.
o Several democrats criticize it bc they said that federal gov did not provide
enough money.
- Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (2003)
o Major changes in Medicare
o Criticize by democrats = important concession to the pharmaceutics
- Economic Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (2001)
- Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (2003)
o Both reduce taxes and become known as the “Bush tax cuts”. Big companies
and the super-rich were the many benefiters.
- Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (2002)
- Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act (2003)
- Unborn Victims of Violence Act (2004)
o To please Christian conservatives.
o Prohibited late term abortion.
o Protect unborn child: if he is hurt  sentence.

3
Voler les idées de la droite
 o The unborn child as a legal status and should be protected.
o To show that they care, and that abortion should be prohibited.

The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI)

 On January 29, 2001, President George W. Bush "issued two

executive orders related to faith-based and community
organizations. The first executive order established a White
House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
 The White House OFCBI has been established to make
Federal programs more friendly to faith-based and
community solutions and to make federal funding more
accessible.
 Creation of the office is in concert with Bush's pledge to
spend $8 billion in expanding 'charitable choice'
(amendment to the 1996 Welfare Reform Act of 1996), in
which churches and religious groups would receive federal
funding to provide social services.

Give funds to religious orga and they would use the funds to provide social services to poor
people  Marvin Olasky: “faith-based charity”. Kind of privatization of the Welfare State.
Risk of corruption: Religious would try to convert people.

President Bush created the new White House office "to give religious groups a role in the
delivery of government social services and ordered agencies to figure out ways to work with
such groups.
- Cabinet Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives:
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Labor
- Department of Justice
- Department of Education

All departments have programs designed to provide funds to faith-based organization.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Bush presidency

It has been largely shaped by the terrorist attacks. Bush tried to unite the nation, immediately
after. These attacks transformed Bush into a wartime president.

- A wartime president: more power

- Civil liberties: USA Patriot Act (2001): granted powers to law enforcement (FBI,
CIA…) and they were given the power to secretly wiretap (écouter les conversations)
spy on American citizens and open American letters, read their e-mails, without a
warrant.
 - Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: set a detention camp, so the possible terrorist were in
prison.
- Afghanistan War (2001): Before attacking Afghanistan, ask to the Taliban to
extradite Oussama Ben Laden because he was responsible for the attack, they say that
they were ready but not to the US but to be judged in Switzerland, they would also
extradite Ben Laden to a Muslim camp. Bush destroy the Taliban regime.
In 79, Taliban went to power thanks to the American (CIA): USA weaponized Taliban
to fight Communism, but then, the Taliban have turned their jacket against the
American. Bush decided to destroy this regime bc of the attack.
- Iraq War (2003): At that time, this country was as rich as Arabia Saoudite. US gov
accused Iraq of weapon possession and to support international terrorism.

90% of American supported Bush after the attack. France, Russia, China, supported the US
intervention in Afghanistan but not in Iraq because it was not explained and there was no
reason. They do not find evidence that the Iraq gov was part of the terrorist organization. 
Fail.

The main measures taken by Bush.

Bush and the 2004 elections:
He was supported by conservative evangelical Christians, anti-abortion, pro-gun control, anti-
tax groups and he used to do war against terrorism = willing/winning strategy and not how he
won the presidential election  success for the Rep party, and they obtain the majority in
both Houses of Congress.

Bush second term was characterized by series of political failures. These failures led to the
decline of the president approval rating (popularity).
- Hurricane Katrina: most important
- Subprime mortgage crisis
- Financial collapse and gov responses
o Bc he encouraged home ownership regardless of needs (enough pay back or
not). It turned a blind eye to the deceptive landing processes used by many
banks (did not provide enough info to the people).
o To conclude Bush became the fourth republican president in American history
to serve two full terms (only four presidents did that). No vice-president has
ever played as important role in a presidential administration as Dick Cheney.
 Foreign policy: made Cush invade Irak. Bush won the most important tax
cut in the US history. Bush father did not reduce taxes, he was increasing them
≠ Bush Junior. Bush signed into law the biggest expansion of a social program
since 1960 and the Great Society (Johnson)  Medicare drug benefit. For
old people (more than 60 y.o). Bush let the US into war (Afghanistan and Irak)
and show that he was still debating with administration deliberately lied to
American people to justify the war bc intelligence services found no weapons
of mass destruction in Irak and no evidence of a tie to Al-Qaida terrorists.
- The Great Recession
o Found the largest surplus in American history and left office with the largest
deficit.
o He was the first president to place African Americans in such keys White
House presidency such as security of state: Powell, and national security
adviser: Rice.
 o Economic policy and Bush economic performance were its weakest in the Us
economic performance since the 1929 Great Depression = the Bush
administration had a very weak performance.
o Bush’s anti-terrorism strategies damaged American standing, image in the
world. They quickly ended Bush’s legacy.

Concerning abortion Bush signed a lot of legislation on abortion.

Barack Obama and the Promise of a Post-

racial Society
The Rhetoric …

Before his election Obama wanted to create an image of an inclusive America and the
American dream.

Senator Obama created a vision of an inclusive America and the American dream in his 2004
Keynote Democratic National Convention Speech (support of John Kerry) and in his book,
The Audacity of Hope.
uw.youtube.com/watch?v=ueMNadB1https://wOIE

What is the rhetoric of hope?

The rhetoric of hope is the use of symbols to get Americans to care about their country, to
want to believe in this country, to regain hope and faith in this country, and to believe that
Americans are more alike than they are different with a common destiny and a core set of
values.

Term hope is quite often used in Obama’s speeches.

Senator Obama implies that the hope is that all of us will one day prosper. At the end of his
Keynote Democratic National Convention speech, he forcefully states: "We are one people,
all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of
America. In the end, that is what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of
cynicism, or do we participate in a politics of hope?”
Hope is always very present  a lot of optimism during the campaign, that led to the
success of Obama.

• It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs. The hope of immigrants
setting out for distant shores.

• The hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta.

• The hope of a mil worker's son who dares to defy the odds.

• The hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him,
too.
• Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!"

Hussein was Obama’s middle name. His mother was white, and his father was an
immigrate, so during the campaign people were pointing his middle name as a reason
not to vote form him: “your middle name does not sound very American”.

The meaning of Obama’s Election

Nobody expected an African American to become the president of the US and so became one
of the most influential persons in the world. He symbolized hope: “Yes we can!” and he
wanted to propaganda the fact that everything is possible in the US.

A lot of hope among African Americans, prejudices and stereotypes would disappear with
Obama’s election. Black people could climb the social later and became at the head of the
state.
He became a role model. For White people, his election announced the advent of a post-racial
America. Race relations would improve, race would not become an issue anymore, a color-
blind society and a lot of conservative withe people argue that the election of Obama showed
that the US is not racist, and that racism was in decline. Conservatives used the election to say
that there is no need to maintain a certain number of programs like the Affirmative Action and
other programs that benefit the Black American.

The other side of the election: a lot of conspiracy theories emerged: among them Birtherism.
Definition of Birtherism (Merriam-Webster):
Belief in or endorsement of any of various discredited claims that former US, President
Barack Obama is not a natural-born U.S. citizen and therefore was not constitutionally
eligible to be president of the United States.

Obama was not born in the US but in Indonesia so he could not be at the head of the
government. So, for the Birtherism people his birth certificate was fake. These people had
never accepted the idea of having an African American president in the US. They tried to find
a way to delegitimize Obama’s success in the elections. So, they said that Obama was not a
Christian but a hidden Muslim (because his mother was Muslim) and that he wanted to
impose Charia Laws in the US.

➯ Rejected Obama election and tried to delegitimize it.

Obama’s priority was …. To prevent US system to collapse. Fail: Lebiman Brothers =

bankrupt. The risk was of other institutions of fall like dominos. The Obama decided to bail
out banks = they used the taxes pays money  “too big to fail”.
The decision of Obama to bail out bank was rejected by a certain number of American that
believe if bank fail, the government should not interfere, it is to the bank to find a solution and
not to the taxpayers to help you.

Obama and the TEA Party Movement  Taxed Enough Already (TEA)
The Tea Party movement: a conservative populist social and political movement that emerged
in 2009 in the United States, generally opposing excessive taxation and government
intervention in the private sector while supporting stronger immigration controls.
Reference to the Boston TEA party: British monarchy decide to increase taxes on TEA for the
colonies, American colonies refused and to protest against this they decided to through tea
package on the sea.

Obama wanted to save the banks, so they portrayed him as Hitler, Marx… and other socialists
personality. Among those who joined the TEA party movement, there were people who never
accepted Obama as a President.

White Supremacists joined the movement.

It is kind of the fact that the TEA party was against gov spending and taxes, the supporters of
the movement were also dilated by intense ostenty against Obama, his name, race, origin,
political background provoke … populist in general and certain number of white Americans
were… by the worst economic recession since the great depression of 1929. And the TEA
party supporters emerged as a dominant faction within be a republican elector coalition and
they would push the republican party further to the right. And the movement would have a
significant impact in the 2010 midterm election.

Paradox: Obama was not a traditional liberal, he was a moderate democrat or centrist. So the
campaign of the tea party that are depicted him as a socialist. Biden is much more on the left,
progressive than Obama was.

Oppose to Obama agenda and more particularly his reform health insurance: Obama Care bc
they were convicts that O. Care was a socialist reform that would increase the size and scope
of the federal gov and the health care system: “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act”. Opinion polls showed that 90% of the TEA party members strongly opposed Obama’s
policy. They also believed that Obama certificate was fake and that he was a socialist and
communist + Obama would encourage immigration to the US.
They were more socially conservative, more likely to oppose abortion, a large majority of
them were opposed to same sex marriage, and also when it comes to programs according
welfare state, against environmental laws, for the right of people to keep and bear arms.
42 million American did not have a health care security.

Obama made a lot of concessions to get his proposal to congress and paradox: the congress
was less liberal than the one proposed by Nixon in 1970. Reform first proposed by the
Heritage Foundation is a very conservative think tank (boîte à idée). Proposal supported by
the Rep party at that time. It was a central, moderate reform.
Main proposes:
- Ban exclusion for previous health problems  before you had to take a private health
insurance, and it was allowed only for healthy people.
- Ban on lifetime caps for insurance costs and treatments  chronic diseased people not
allowed. Ban these practices.
- Inclusion of children in the family’s plan
- Health care costs will be reduced
- Obliged people, every American to have health insurance  “individual mandate”.
A lot of people thought it is socialism.
Those who opposed the Obama care said he was socialistic; he would expend the authority of
the federal government and unconstitutional bc he imposed health care. It was very costly, he
would place economic burden on ???, he would add, increase to the federal deficit, and it
would oblige, not give people the freedom to choose their doctors and their treatments.
Last but not least: he is against the free market philosophy.
Repeal the legislation. According to Trump he was the worst one.

Republican governors try to sabotage this reform. Bc they knew that if this reform successes it
would favor the democratic party.
The US supreme court rejected reclaim.
In spite of its limits, it was one of ??? of Obama’s presidency.

The mobilization of the TEA party in 2010 led to an important success for the Republican
Party  won the majority in both Houses of Congress, which led to “cohabitation”
government and Obama tried to concede with people who were against his agenda. Socialists
predicted the defeat of democrats.

Donald Trump and the Alt-Right

Definition of alt-right (Merriam-Webster):
A right-wing, primarily online political movement or grouping based in the U.S, whose
members reject mainstream conservative politics and espouse extremist beliefs and policies
typically centered on ideas of white nationalism.

Reject mainstream conservative politics. It goes further to the right, further than the
conservative movement. Promoted white nationalism, and these groups supported actively
Trump.
Steve Bannon was the architect of Trump’s electoral strategy. He was the director of the
“Breitbart news network”  establish, create vision in other country (in favor of Zemmour /
Lepen).  he was at the head of an asso which raised funds to build the wall.

Alt-Right: new Nazi groups joined this movement. The Evangelicals massively supported D.
Trump. They thought that Trump was send by God to save the America.
“To make America great again”.
He was disrespectful about women. Fight against lobbies etc  bc he was already a
businessman. He would reduce taxes, gov regulation business, he did not believe on global
warming, he thought it was invented by the Chinese, the conservatives.
 Conspirative theories.

Trump said that Hillary was incompetent to lead the US although she had a better knowledge
of the political field.
She won the popular vote: 3.5 million people voted for her, but Trump was elected. Trump
won the presidency.
His first action: reduce taxes for the superrich (himself), instead of beating the lobbies he
elected them to the board. He decided to attack government regulation business like the
Environmental Protection Agency. So, he nominated somebody who came from the coal
industry and who did not believe in global warming.

Trump decided to engage the Trade War against China but also European countries  taxed a
certain number of European products. But the presidency was in the … of the Covid-19
pandemic and … the second … of his term and Trump did not react, he underestimated the
importance of the pandemic but also encourage people not to wear masks. He said it was not
dangerous. His management of the pandemic led to the decline of his popularity and the
midterm election: the democratic party was able to win the majority on both houses of
congress, but Trump continue to make decisions in order to dismantle all the reforms that
Obama made. He tried to … Obama Care, he promised to introduce a new reform, but he did
not propose anything after the election. The major decision made by D.T. was against illegal
immigration
An executive order made by Obama: the “dreamers” (people who came illegally when they
were children) could be able to stay in the US. Obama gave the the permanent status of US
and Trump decided to cut this order (he did not success). So, he built a wall between the
Mexican borders. But the democrats and congress were opposed bc they said it would be very
costly and ineffective. Trump made a lot of controversial statements: Mexicans are criminals,
rapists, who would take advantage of the American system.  Hispanic Americans decided
to mobilize.

Joe Biden & conservative Catholics

He was very religious, one of the most religious presidents in the US and did not want to take
his religion to won the elections.
He was for the abortion right, so the pro-life said he was not a real catholic. He used the
decline of Trump’s popularity. Around the world, the image of the US had been particularly
affected. He took advantage of this unpopularity.
Biden promised to restore US popularity in the world. In spite of being popular, the
evangelicals continue to support massively Trump. The majority of Biden’s voters were
independent ones: not conservative, not liberal, they vote for the republican candidate when
he is not too republican (same for the democrat = not to on the left).

Trump said that the election was stolen, and an important number of Trump’s supporters
continue to think that it was. It put in question the legitimacy of Biden at the head of the
country. They continue to believe that Biden is not the real president.
One of the main legacies of Trump: transform the Rep Party and he polarized the American
political life and the justices to the US supreme court and changed the balance of power in
favor of the conservatives in the us supreme court.
Impact: would last not only for the years to come but last for the decades to come.
The political life has been “Trumpatized”.