8.14 Society in Transition

From 1968 to 1980, American society and politics changed as the optimism of the early 1960s gave way to economic trouble, political scandals, and culture wars. Stagflation, distrust in government, and debates over social change helped set up the conservative turn of the late 1970s.

Americans became deeply divided over social values, economic policies, and government's role in society, ending the unity that had existed since World War II.

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What to Know About Society in Transition

• Conservatives organized against liberal policies and changing social values, while tax protests such as California's Proposition 13 pushed for lower taxes.
• Trust in government fell sharply as Watergate exposed White House corruption and the Pentagon Papers revealed lies about the Vietnam War.
• Inflation, unemployment, factory closures, and energy shortages strained Americans' finances and fueled demands for fewer regulations and lower taxes.
• Nixon's resignation over Watergate, revelations of illegal spying, and Ford's pardon of Nixon deepened public suspicion of government leaders.
• Debates over the Equal Rights Amendment and abortion sharpened cultural divisions, while the Moral Majority organized religious conservatives for political action.
• Reagan's 1980 victory over Carter signaled a conservative shift driven partly by frustration with inflation, unemployment, and the Iran hostage crisis.

The Conservative Challenge

By the late 1960s, many Americans worried about rapid social changes and big government. Conservatives organized to push back against liberal policies and what they saw as America's moral decline.

• Issues like abortion, school prayer, and pornography motivated religious conservatives
• Many Americans opposed court-ordered busing to integrate schools
• Rising crime rates led to calls for "law and order"
• High taxes and inflation sparked taxpayer revolts like California's Proposition 13 in 1978
• Conservative groups started think tanks like the Heritage Foundation to develop new policies
• Politicians like George Wallace appealed to working-class voters who felt left behind by Democrats
• Republicans increasingly took conservative positions on social issues and limited government

The conservative movement brought together different groups who opposed liberal policies and worried about changing cultural values.

Crisis of Confidence

Public trust in government dropped dramatically during the 1970s, falling from 77% in 1964 to just 25% by 1980. This happened because of political scandals, economic problems, and foreign policy failures that made Americans doubt their leaders and institutions.

• The Watergate scandal showed corruption in the Nixon White House
• The Pentagon Papers revealed government lies about the Vietnam War
• News about FBI and CIA abuses shocked the public
• The oil crisis showed America's weakness in energy independence
• The economy suffered from both high unemployment and high inflation
• The Iran hostage crisis highlighted America's declining global power
• Problems like urban decay and crime seemed unsolvable
• President Carter's famous "malaise" speech acknowledged the nation's low spirits

Americans increasingly doubted whether government could fix national problems, making anti-government messages more appealing.

Economic Challenges

The 1970s ended the post-World War II economic boom, as America faced new economic problems that couldn't be solved using old methods.

• Prices rose quickly, eating away at savings and buying power
• Unemployment reached about 9% in 1975, the highest since the Great Depression up to that point
• American factories closed as foreign competition increased
• The 1973-1974 stock market crash wiped out people's investments
• Gas prices skyrocketed during the 1973 oil embargo
• The 1979 energy crisis caused gas shortages and long lines at pumps
• Interest rates reached a painful 20%
• Workers' real wages stagnated during the 1970s after decades of postwar growth
• America imported more than it exported, hurting the economy

These money troubles made people question government management of the economy and demand fewer regulations and lower taxes.

Political Scandals

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A series of political scandals in the 1970s destroyed public trust in government leaders, with Watergate being the worst.

• The Watergate scandal forced President Nixon to resign in 1974
• Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned in 1973 after tax cheating charges
• Investigations revealed CIA assassination plots and illegal spying on Americans
• The FBI was caught illegally targeting political activists
• President Ford's pardon of Nixon looked like a corrupt deal to many
• Several Congress members were caught taking bribes in the ABSCAM investigation
• News about politicians' financial and sexual misconduct became common

These scandals created a more suspicious media and public attitude toward government, making corruption a major concern in American politics.

Cultural Conflicts

Deep divisions emerged over social and cultural issues, with heated debates about race, gender roles, family values, and morality.

• School busing for racial integration caused protests in Northern cities
• Affirmative action sparked complaints about "reverse discrimination"
• The women's movement faced growing opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment
• Abortion became a divisive issue after the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973
• Gay rights advocates faced strong pushback from religious conservatives
• Arguments over school teachings, especially about evolution and sex education, heated up
• The divorce rate doubled between 1965 and 1980, changing family life
• Drug use and crime were seen as signs of social breakdown

These cultural fights increasingly lined up with political divisions, making American politics more polarized.

Rise of Religious Conservatism

The 1970s saw significant growth in evangelical Christianity and increased political activism by religious conservatives worried about secularism and changing social values.

• Evangelical and Pentecostal churches grew rapidly
• TV preachers like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson reached millions
• The "born-again" Christian movement gained popularity
• The Moral Majority, founded in 1979, organized Christians for political action
• Christian schools and homeschooling grew as alternatives to public education
• Religious conservatives fought against gay rights laws in several cities
• Anti-abortion activism increased after Roe v. Wade
• Christian bookstores, music, and media created an alternative culture

Religious conservatives became a powerful voting group, reshaping the Republican Party and American politics.

The 1980 Election

The 1980 presidential election marked a turning point in American politics, with Ronald Reagan's big win signaling a conservative shift in the national mood.

• Reagan beat President Jimmy Carter by almost 10 percentage points
• Republicans gained control of the Senate for the first time since 1952
• Reagan promised tax cuts, military strength, and smaller government
• The election showed public frustration with inflation, unemployment, and the Iran hostage crisis
• Conservative Democrats, later called "Reagan Democrats," voted Republican
• The Republican platform embraced positions supported by religious conservatives

Reagan's victory showed how economic concerns, cultural anxieties, and declining faith in government had transformed American politics since the mid-1960s.

The changes of 1968-1980 fundamentally altered America. Public trust in government's ability to solve problems fell dramatically, while conservative movements gained strength by appealing to economic frustrations and cultural worries. As the decade ended, America stood at a turning point, with the liberal policies of the post-war era giving way to a new conservative era that would dominate the 1980s and reshape debates about government's role in American life.