--- title: "New Right — APUSH Definition & Exam Guide" description: "The New Right was a 1960s-70s conservative coalition blending religious values and free-market ideas. It powered Reagan's 1980 win, central to APUSH Unit 9." canonical: "https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/new-right" type: "key-term" subject: "AP US History" unit: "Unit 9" --- # New Right — APUSH Definition & Exam Guide ## Definition The New Right was a conservative political coalition that emerged in the mid-1960s and 1970s, uniting religious traditionalists, free-market advocates, and anti-communists in opposition to liberal government programs. It fueled Ronald Reagan's 1980 victory and the conservative policy shift of the 1980s. ## What It Is The New Right was the conservative coalition that took shape in the mid-1960s and 1970s and reached full power with [Ronald Reagan](/apush/key-terms/ronald-reagan "fv-autolink")'s election in 1980. What made it "new" was the mix. It combined evangelical Christians worried about cultural change (groups like the Moral Majority), free-market economists who wanted lower taxes and deregulation, and staunch anti-communists who pushed for a bigger defense buildup. Together they argued that [liberal programs](/apush/unit-9/reagan-conservatism/study-guide/bhzREq69MW1ktHbBP8hg "fv-autolink") like the Great Society were counterproductive, claiming they failed to fight poverty and actually slowed economic growth (KC-9.1.I.B). Think of the New Right as the political engine behind [Reaganism](/apush/key-terms/reaganism "fv-autolink"). The movement built its base in the Sunbelt suburbs, mobilized churches as political organizations, and turned frustration with the 1960s counterculture, court decisions like *Roe v. Wade*, and 1970s stagflation into votes. When Reagan won in 1980, the New Right got the chance to enact its agenda, which meant significant tax cuts and continued deregulation of industries (KC-9.1.I.A). It didn't win everything, though. Many liberal programs stayed popular with voters, so efforts to shrink government hit real resistance (KC-9.1.I.C... well, B, and that tension is exactly what the CED wants you to see). ## Why It Matters The New Right lives in **Topic 9.2 (Reagan and Conservatism)** in [Unit 9](/apush/unit-9 "fv-autolink"): Globalization and Contemporary America, 1980-Present. It directly supports learning objective **[APUSH](/apush "fv-autolink") 9.2.A**, which asks you to explain the causes and effects of continuing policy debates about the role of the federal government over time. The New Right IS that debate in the late 20th century. It's the "smaller government" side pushing back against the New Deal and Great Society tradition. For the Politics and Power (PCE) theme, the New Right is your go-to evidence that American politics swings in cycles. Liberalism dominated from the 1930s through the 1960s, and the New Right is the organized counter-swing. If you can explain why it rose (backlash to social change, economic frustration, religious mobilization) and what it achieved and didn't achieve under Reagan, you've covered the core of Topic 9.2's argument. ## Connections ### [Election of 1980 (Unit 9)](/apush/key-terms/election-of-1980) This is the New Right's payoff moment. The CED calls Reagan's 1980 victory an important milestone because it let [conservatives](/apush/key-terms/conservatives "fv-autolink") actually enact tax cuts and deregulation instead of just campaigning on them. The New Right explains WHO elected Reagan; the election explains what they got for it. ### [Reaganomics (Unit 9)](/apush/key-terms/reaganomics) [Reaganomics](/apush/key-terms/reaganomics "fv-autolink") is the New Right's economic wish list turned into policy. Supply-side tax cuts and deregulation came straight from the movement's argument that government intervention strangled growth. If an essay asks for effects of the New Right, Reaganomics is your strongest specific evidence. ### Great Society backlash (Unit 8) The New Right didn't appear out of nowhere in 1980. It grew in [Unit 8](/apush/unit-8 "fv-autolink") as a reaction against Johnson's Great Society, the counterculture, and 1960s court decisions. Goldwater's 1964 campaign lost badly but planted the seeds. That's the continuity-and-change story the exam loves. ### [Defense spending (Unit 9)](/apush/key-terms/defense-spending) The New Right wasn't only about taxes and religion. Its anti-communist wing demanded a military buildup against the Soviet Union, which is why Reagan cut domestic spending while massively increasing the defense budget. Same coalition, foreign policy edition. ## On the AP Exam On multiple choice, the New Right usually shows up in continuity-and-change questions. A Fiveable-style practice question asks you to explain the relationship between the rise of the New Right in the 1980s and earlier conservative movements, so be ready to link it backward to Goldwater, opposition to the New Deal, and 1960s backlash politics. No released FRQ has used the term verbatim, but it's tailor-made for LEQs and DBQs about debates over the role of the federal government (the exact framing of APUSH 9.2.A). The move that scores points is specificity. Don't just say "conservatives opposed big government." Name the coalition's pieces (religious right, free-market advocates, anti-communists), name the cause (backlash to the Great Society and 1970s economic troubles), and name the effect (Reagan's 1980 win, tax cuts, deregulation). Also know the limit: many liberal programs stayed popular, so the New Right did not dismantle the welfare state. ## New Right vs New Left Similar names, opposite movements. The New Left was the 1960s movement of young activists pushing for civil rights, anti-war protest, and social change (Unit 8). The New Right was the conservative reaction that mobilized partly AGAINST the New Left's cultural and political agenda. If a question is about campus protests and SDS, that's New Left. If it's about evangelical voters, tax cuts, and Reagan, that's New Right. ## Key Takeaways - The New Right was a conservative coalition of religious traditionalists, free-market advocates, and anti-communists that formed in the mid-1960s and 1970s. - It argued that liberal programs like the Great Society were counterproductive in fighting poverty and stimulating economic growth, which is the core conservative claim in KC-9.1.I.B. - Reagan's 1980 election was the New Right's breakthrough, allowing conservatives to enact significant tax cuts and continue deregulating industries. - The movement had real limits because many federal programs remained popular with voters, so efforts to shrink government often stalled. - On the exam, connect the New Right backward to earlier conservatism (Goldwater, anti-New Deal politics) and forward to Reaganomics for a strong continuity-and-change argument. ## FAQs ### What was the New Right in APUSH? The New Right was a conservative political coalition that emerged in the mid-1960s and 1970s, combining religious values, free-market economics, and anti-communism in opposition to liberal government programs. It powered Reagan's 1980 election and the conservative turn of the 1980s, covered in APUSH Topic 9.2. ### Did the New Right succeed in shrinking the federal government? Only partially. Reagan delivered major tax cuts and deregulation, but many liberal programs like Social Security and Medicare stayed popular with voters, so the welfare state largely survived. The CED specifically notes that conservative efforts to reduce government met with inertia and liberal opposition. ### How is the New Right different from the New Left? They're opposites. The New Left was the 1960s movement of liberal activists pushing civil rights and anti-war protest, while the New Right was the conservative coalition that mobilized partly in reaction against it. The New Right peaked in 1980 with Reagan's election; the New Left peaked in the late 1960s. ### Why did the New Right rise in the 1970s? Three big drivers came together. Evangelical Christians reacted against cultural changes like Roe v. Wade (1973), free-market conservatives blamed government for 1970s stagflation, and anti-communists wanted a tougher Cold War stance. Reagan united all three groups in 1980. ### Is the New Right the same thing as Reaganism? Not exactly. The New Right is the movement and voter coalition; Reaganism is the set of policies that movement produced once Reagan won, including supply-side tax cuts, deregulation, and increased defense spending. Think of the New Right as the cause and Reaganism as the effect. ## Related Study Guides - [9.2 Reagan and Conservatism ](/apush/unit-9/reagan-conservatism/study-guide/bhzREq69MW1ktHbBP8hg) ## Structured Data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/new-right#resource","name":"New Right — APUSH Definition & Exam Guide","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/new-right","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP® / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/new-right#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-06-11T05:27:32.907Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"AP US History Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/new-right#term","name":"New Right","description":"The New Right was a conservative political coalition that emerged in the mid-1960s and 1970s, uniting religious traditionalists, free-market advocates, and anti-communists in opposition to liberal government programs. It fueled Ronald Reagan's 1980 victory and the conservative policy shift of the 1980s.","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms/new-right","inDefinedTermSet":{"@type":"DefinedTermSet","name":"AP US History Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What was the New Right in APUSH?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The New Right was a conservative political coalition that emerged in the mid-1960s and 1970s, combining religious values, free-market economics, and anti-communism in opposition to liberal government programs. It powered Reagan's 1980 election and the conservative turn of the 1980s, covered in APUSH Topic 9.2."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Did the New Right succeed in shrinking the federal government?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Only partially. Reagan delivered major tax cuts and deregulation, but many liberal programs like Social Security and Medicare stayed popular with voters, so the welfare state largely survived. The CED specifically notes that conservative efforts to reduce government met with inertia and liberal opposition."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How is the New Right different from the New Left?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"They're opposites. The New Left was the 1960s movement of liberal activists pushing civil rights and anti-war protest, while the New Right was the conservative coalition that mobilized partly in reaction against it. The New Right peaked in 1980 with Reagan's election; the New Left peaked in the late 1960s."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Why did the New Right rise in the 1970s?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Three big drivers came together. Evangelical Christians reacted against cultural changes like Roe v. Wade (1973), free-market conservatives blamed government for 1970s stagflation, and anti-communists wanted a tougher Cold War stance. Reagan united all three groups in 1980."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is the New Right the same thing as Reaganism?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Not exactly. The New Right is the movement and voter coalition; Reaganism is the set of policies that movement produced once Reagan won, including supply-side tax cuts, deregulation, and increased defense spending. Think of the New Right as the cause and Reaganism as the effect."}}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"AP US History","item":"https://fiveable.me/apush"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Key Terms","item":"https://fiveable.me/apush/key-terms"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Unit 9","item":"https://fiveable.me/apush/unit-9"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"New Right"}]}]} ```