Conserviative reaction

• What year was Ronald Reagan elected as president?


  1980
• What were the main reasons for Reagan's election in 1980?


  Unpopularity of the Carter administration, failure to resolve the Iranian Hostage situation, and inflation issues
• Which demographic groups did Reagan successfully capture votes from in 1980?


  A large majority of southern white men and blue-collar neighborhoods in the north
• What concerns influenced Reagan's election regarding federal aid programs?


  Concerns about cost, bureaucracy, and welfare dependency from the 1960s and 1970s
• What economic ideas were introduced during Reagan's presidency?


  Reaganomics, which suggested tax reductions would generate economic growth
• In what year was Reagan re-elected?


  1984
• How did Reagan's presidency affect African Americans during his two terms?


  There were significant reductions in federal aid programs that adversely affected African Americans
• What percentage of African Americans were dependent on federal aid programs during Reagan's presidency?


  Around 20%
• What was a significant appointment made by Reagan to the Supreme Court?


  The appointment of William Rehnquist as chief justice in 1986
• How did Reagan's stance on civil rights legislation manifest during his presidency?


  He was openly hostile to civil rights legislation and had a history of opposing key civil rights acts
• What civil rights act did Reagan oppose in 1964?


  The 1964 Civil Rights Act
• What was significant about Reagan's veto in 1988?


  He was the first president to veto a civil rights bill since 1866
• What transformation occurred in the South between 1950 and 1980?


  The South underwent political and economic changes, often referred to as the 'New South'
• What trend was observed regarding African Americans in the South during the 1970s?


  Rising numbers of African Americans returned to the southern states after a century of migration
• What factors contributed to the new migratory trend of African Americans returning to the South?


  Reduction of segregation and better economic opportunities in the New South
• What economic changes occurred in the South after the 1970s?


  The South experienced unprecedented economic growth, attracting companies with lower taxes and wages
• What term is used to describe the southern economy in contrast to the declining northern industries?

  Sun Belt
• How did political progress for African Americans manifest in the South?


  There was an increase in the election of African Americans to high political office
• What were the positive changes for African Americans by 1990?


  • Right to vote guaranteed
  • Thousands held public office (e.g., 69 AA congressmen by 1992)
  • Increased presence in large city mayoralties
  • General Colin Powell became the first AA Chief of the Defence Staff
  • Growth of an AA middle class (1/3 in white-collar jobs by 1980)
  • Increased suburban living for AAs (36% increase from 1970 to 1976)
• What were the negative aspects of the African American experience by 1990?


  • Continuity of a large underclass in ghettos (9 million below poverty line in 1990)
  • Higher unemployment rates (5% higher than white Americans in 1998)
  • Life expectancy gap (68.1 years for black vs. 74.4 years for white in 1980)
  • Educational disparities (63% of AAs graduated high school vs. 77% of whites in 1989)
  • Overrepresentation in prisons (8 times higher than white Americans by 2000)
  • 4 million AAs denied the vote due to felony convictions
• What was the overall impact of Reagan's presidency on African Americans by 1990?


  While lives improved, persistent inequality and urban deprivation remained
• What was the situation for African American males aged 18-24 in 2010?


  They were more likely to be incarcerated than to be in higher education