Overview

The last decades of the twentieth century saw a resurgence of conservatism in the United States that stressed the importance of traditional values and rejected liberal views about society and the role of government. Conservatism was fueled by a loss of faith in the ability of the government to solve problems, a growth in religious fundamentalism, economic challenges, and disillusionment with elected officials.. Evangelical Christian organizations became politically active and sought to limit the influence of liberal social and political trends of earlier decades.

Conservatives found that some of the government programs they wanted to end enjoyed wide popularity with the general public. They were more successful in their effort to limit taxes and deregulate industries than they were with their moral and social initiatives. Many “bit government” programs were too popular for Republicans to cut or eliminate.

The Reagan administration made anticommunism a centerpiece of its foreign policy, though the president’s cordial relations with the Soviet Union leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, led to productive talks and arms reductions on both sides. With the end of the Cold War, the role of the United States changed dramatically from one of the two superpowers to a nation expected to be a global peacekeeper.

The attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon by Al Qaeda on September 11, 2001, however, placed the Middle East and the war on terrorism at the center of US concerns. US policy was refocused as the United States launched military attacks on both Afghanistan and Iraq, and efforts to achieve security and safety at home raised questions about the protection of civil liberties and the safeguarding of human rights.

As the twenty-first century dawned, the United States faced significant social, economic, and demographic changes. The country was now part of the global economy, and both information technology jobs and manufacturing jobs moved overseas. Union power declined, and real wages were stalled. Politicians were unable to agree on the right course concerning free trade agreements, tariffs, and government support for domestic industries. Continuing conflict in the Middle East threatened the oil supply, and local sources were not able to meet domestic demand. Computer technology and the Internet changed the way people did business, interacted socially, and were connected to the rest of the world.

The country’s population continued to move to the South and West, in search of jobs and friendlier climates. These same regions saw an influx of immigrants from Latin America and Asia, who filled entry-level jobs in those parts of the country. Issues of citizenship and illegal immigration dominated political debates. These and other demographic changes led to further discussions over issues like gender roles, family makeup, and group identity.