New Right

In the United States, the term New Right describes the grassroots coalition of conservatives that collectively led what scholars often refer to as the “Conservative Ascendancy” or “Republican Ascendancy” of the late 20th century. Dubbed the “New Right” partly in contrast to the “New Left” counterculture of the 1960s, the New Right theoretically consisted of conservative grassroots activists opposed to a variety of issues, including abortion, busing, homosexuality, the Equal Rights Amendment, the Panama Canal Treaty, affirmative action, and most forms of taxation.

The “newness” of the New Right refers to several things. It refers to reinvigorated and redefined forms of conservative political activity. It also refers to the geographic hubs of New Right activity, as well as the youthfulness and mobilization of a previously disorganized suburban middle class. The New Right grew rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s, thanks in part to organizations such as the Young Americans for Freedom and College Republicans at colleges and universities. These organizations shared frustrations with Americans generally, sharing common demographic characteristics (white, middle-class, Protestant, suburban). Broadly speaking, these frustrations reflected perceived declines in morality during the 1960s and 1970s. These perceptions were based in part on things such as rampant drug use, more open and public displays of sexuality, as well as rising crime rates, race riots, civil rights unrest, and protest movements against the Vietnam War. Additionally, New Right conservatives of the 1960s and 1970s often blamed the nation's ills on “liberalism.” In attacking liberal philosophy, the New Right contributed to new connotations of liberalism, which rhetorically connected that philosophy in conservative political communication with the mismanagement and corruption of the federal government.

Though some debate as to the regional birthplace of the New Right still exists among scholars, the most popular view sees the Sun Belt—or, the area of land stretching from southern California across the Southwest, through Texas, and into Florida—as the geographic home of the New Right. Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign is often viewed as a watershed in the rise of the New Right, while Ronald Reagan is often seen as its iconic hero. Other key players in the rise of the New Right include Phyllis Schlafly and Richard Viguerie, whose pioneering work in the field of direct mail revolutionized political strategies for mobilizing grassroots support.

The “Religious Right” is often confused with the New Right. Although most factions included in the Religious Right were simultaneously active in the rise of the New Right, many conservatives identified as [Page 495]part of the New Right did not support and, in some cases, openly rejected strictly social and religious agendas. The New Right is not a synonym for the Republican Party, though much of the New Right's political activity functioned in tandem with and to the benefit of the GOP. The New Right is a term often used interchangeably with “Silent Majority,” though even that comparison is not wholly accurate.