Small Government
large government endangers economic growth and individual choice
limit government intervention over industry
lower taxes to stimulate the consumer market
Traditional Values
reaction to the "degradation of modern youth"
religion
Anti-Communism
questioned detente
fought against SALT II
Favored a strong military
radiated optimism
Previous actor/radio host
made his communication style easygoing and likable
supported Barry Goldwater in 1964 speech
Governor of California
Loss of faith in the government
Watergate Scandal
Vietnam War
Iran Hostage Crisis
Stagflation
Great Society
"welfare increased the amount of children born out of wedlock"
Moral Majority
the rise of counterculture alienated small town Americans
Political organization working to fulfill religious goals
founded by Jerry Falwell in 1979
Got a lot of support for Republicans by reaching out to religious Americans who didn't usually participate in politics
Unfunded Mandates
programs required but not funded by the government
Sagebrush Rebels
group who thought the government controlled too much land out west
More people who previously lived in large, democratic cities moved to the suburbs where they began to separate form those values
Rustbelt to Sunbelt
Crushed Carter in the debate
"are you better off than you were 4 years ago?"
Republicans won the Senate for the first time since 1955
landslide victory!