Week 10 Discussion Assignment – 30 points total

I. Original Message (15 pts) Post a brief (approx. 250 word) message addressing one of the following questions. Be sure to use information and examples from the textbook:

1. The Old is New Again. Provide a very brief working definition of conservatism in the context of late twentieth century U.S. history. (You can use Story’s definition, modify it, or come up with your own.) Describe some of the ways in which modern conservative politics is traditional (old) and in what ways it was unprecedented (new). Another way to think of this question: what parts of conservatism were “traditional” in the sense of going back before the 1960’s, and what parts were very much products of the late twentieth century?

Or

2. The Present Isn’t What It Used to Be. Like most social or political movements, conservative American politics in the late twentieth century relied on particular interpretations of history, both recent and not-so-recent history. What were some views of American history that conservatives often shared, and how were their views of history connected to their political ideas? For example, how did conservatives compare their contemporary American society (the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s) with earlier American periods (the American Revolution, World War II, the 1950’s, etc.)

II. Response on other question (15 pts) In addition, post a short (4-6 sentence) response to someone else’s message about the OTHER question, the one you did not answer.

Answer 

Conservatism was defined in late twentieth-century American history as the preservation of traditional values and opposition to change in the American way of life. Conservative ideas on government were one way that portions of conservatism were “traditional” in the meaning of conservatism prior to the 1960s. Conservatives, for example, did not want the government to meddle too much in people’s lives and wished to limit the government’s power. They aimed to limit the government’s influence by restricting its domestic, social, and economic activities. They also want a free market so that the government would not be responsible for both distributing economic resources and maintaining economic growth….Click below to purchase the full answer at $5