Unit 9: 1980-Present

If the mid-20th century was defined by the New Deal and its liberal legacy, the end of the 20th century was defined by the Reagan Revolution and its conservative legacy, especially after 1980.

If the mid-20th century was defined by the New Deal and its liberal legacy, the end of the 20th century was defined by the Reagan Revolution and its conservative legacy, especially after 1980.

Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980 and re-election in 1984 was the result of many ongoing processes that had their roots in earlier US politics. You should be able to explain his rise to the presidency in 1980 (see also the roots of all this backlash in the 1960s/1970s in Unit 8) and what his policies looked like in the 1980s.

The precise causes of the end of the Cold War are debatable, but there are several factors that you should keep in mind. 

The rise of globalization in the late 20th century continued to affect the United States’ economy as it became more and more enmeshed with the rest of the world. Some jobs went overseas and US companies became even larger multinational corporations. 

During WWII, Americans began to move more to the South and West of the country, thanks partly to defense industry plants on the Pacific Coast and to Army bases located in the South. This trend continued during the post-war period and into the 21st century, as the aerospace industry continued to grow in Florida (NASA), California, and Seattle (Boeing). The new computer industries of the 1980s and onward were based in places like Texas and Silicon Valley in California. This trend was also about comfort: air conditioning made living in hotter climates more tolerable. Finally, the deregulation or continued lack of labor protections in Southern states led to manufacturing and other industries moving their production facilities to more Southern states, particularly in the automobile industry. 

Al Gore, Bill Clinton’s vice president, was nominated by the Democrats and George W. Bush, the governor of Texas and son of President George H. W. Bush was nominated by the Republicans. Ralph Nader running on the Green (third) party ticket complicated the election. While he won a small percentage of the vote, in a close election, a few points could make all the difference.

These topics are explained in detail in earlier sections, so use this section as a reminder and review.