Answer each of the three Freedom Questions for this unit in a 500-700 word essay each. All three essays should be saved in one document. At the top, indicate which

essay you would like for me to assess for a grade (a simple note will suffice). Please note that you must complete each essay to receive credit. Lack of a good faith

effort overall will result in a lowered grade. Save the file as a PDF (if you need help with that, call the Help Desk at 346-4357). Submit to D2L Dropbox. The same

rubric used in the Practice Essay will be used in the Portfolios.

Use the following introduction into the material to frame your thinking about the topic. Use readings listed on the syllabus.

The last two questions ask you to consider the rise of conservatism in the late twentieth-century United States. With the election of the Republican Richard Nixon in

1968, the country began a turn away from the Democratic Party dominated liberal state and toward a Republican Party conservative style of governance. There were many

reasons for this transition. Many liberals lost faith in the Democratic Party, seeing its leadership as responsible for the Vietnam War. Americans of both parties

found fault with government in the wake of Watergate and the Church Commission in the mid-1970s. In this moment of retreat from championing government, a large

opportunity opened for supporters of free enterprise.

Arguments by such proponents of that idea as Ronald Reagan argued that government was no longer the solution to social problems, but the problem itself. His leadership

of the Republican Party courted evangelical Christians, a growing group of Americans in the 1970s. He also used “coded” language to attract those Americans still

reluctant to support the continuing civil rights movement. In 1980s, he won the presidency in a landslide. Since then, the idea of free enterprise has become more and

more commonly accepted in the United States–a large reversal from the days of FDR’s New Deal. In fact, even Democratic Party leaders such as Bill Clinton accepted and

advanced the idea in the 1990s.

…….

How did these changes happen? That large question guides the two Freedom Questions for this unit and helps explain the world we live in today. In the 1970s, why did

many Americans turn away from New Deal and Great Society ideas about freedom? Why did conservative ideas about freedom gain popularity in the 1980s and 1990s? 20

In the 1970s, why did many Americans turn away from New Deal and Great Society ideas about freedom?
Of course, not all Americans turned away from the Democratic Party’s legacy of government programs (of which the New Deal and the Great Society were the most

significant). But many did. Your goal is to explain why they did.
Begin by listing all of the major conflicts of the 1970s—the “hot button issues.” For each, identify why they were important and why they seemed to undermine support

for the Democratic Party.
What patterns emerge in the list? You might find patterns in the types of freedom that reappear, or perhaps in the way each example revealed dissatisfaction with

Democrats.
Your main idea should be straightforward. Of course you cannot explain all the reasons why political opinion started shifting away from the Democrats’ longtime focus

on government programs, but you can offer a reasonable idea. Remember, it’s alright to note near your main idea the limits of what can be explained.
Now, take the rest of your time to brainstorm some sub-arguments. At this stage, it will be helpful to consider what did not make it into your main idea, but seemed

important to discuss.
Finally, check your work to make certain you’ve explained the ways in which freedom was used, just to make sure you have not left it undefined in its various contexts.
Why did conservative ideas about freedom gain popularity in the 1980s and 1990s?
Begin by thinking about how conservatives defined freedom. Make a short list of the most common ways conservatives thought about freedom in this decade.
Next to each, list all the conservatives who subscribed to that idea of freedom. Then, write down why. Be certain to note what sort of events or controversies they

were associated with.

…….

As you well know by now, you should start looking for patterns.
Your main idea should be direct. You might have found various good reasons, but focus on the one you think is most important. When you state your main idea, you can

always offer that it cannot account for everything, but that it is still an important idea.
Now, take the rest of your time to brainstorm some sub-arguments. At this stage, it will be helpful to consider what did not make it into your main idea, but seemed

important to discuss.

Questions to be answered
In the 1970s, why did many Americans turn away from New Deal and Great Society ideas about freedom?
Why did conservative ideas about freedom gain popularity in the 1980s and 1990s?

Use voices of freedom and use concert examples

Grading Rubric for Essays:
A: This work is excellent in nearly all aspects, keeping the interest of the reader by presenting original ideas clearly. Its style and organization seem natural and

easy. It supports claims with solid evidence, using impeccable logic to do so. In thorough and specific examples, the author demonstrates a deep knowledge of the

material.
B: Work in this category is competent and good, but with lapses here and there. Its thesis is clear, properly limited, and reasonable, and the writing is generally

…….

effective without rising to sustained distinction. The author uses specific examples, but not to a great extent.
C: This type of work is competent but not yet good. It is adequately organized, but the thesis tends to be vague or imprudent, though not necessarily implausible. Poor

presentation, unclear organization, or significant grammars errors may mar otherwise sound ideas. In some papers, the organization, style, and grammar are fine, but

the ideas need development.
D: This work demonstrates some effort on the author’s part, but technical problems or flaws in thinking keep it from being competent. The author shows minimal

familiarity with course meetings and assigned readings.
F: This is a failing grade, usually reserved for work that demonstrates minimal effort on the author’s part.

…….