Popular Culture of the 1980s in the USA. The Reagan Administration and the Use of Nostalgia

Essay , 2014 , 7 Pages , Grade: 1,7

American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography

This essay focuses on the early years of Ronald Reagan's presidential era and addresses the following questions in particular:
Which were the main components of the attacks on the Sixties and how were the Fifties revalidated within these attacks?
How did the Reagan administration put nostalgia in action?
How strong of an influence did the New Right/New Right social issues, according to Marcus, have on the administration’s policies?
How did President Reagan himself establish a relation to the past? Which past was rejected? Which past was embraced?
Which impression of the 1980s did you get from reading Marcus’ argument?

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• The Conservative Uses of Nostalgia
• Nostalgia Embodied
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This essay aims to analyze the conservative ideology of the 1980s, particularly focusing on Ronald Reagan's presidency and his use of nostalgia to revalidate the 1950s as a golden age. The essay examines how conservatives framed the 1960s as a period of decline and how they sought to restore traditional values and economic prosperity.

• The Conservative Critique of the 1960s
• The Revalidation of the 1950s
• Ronald Reagan's Nostalgic Agenda
• The Influence of the New Right
• Reagan's Embodied Nostalgia

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The first chapter explores the conservative critique of the 1960s, highlighting their perception of the decade as a period of social and economic decline. Conservatives blamed the counterculture, the antiwar movement, and the civil rights movement for undermining traditional values and eroding American strength. They saw the 1960s as a time of excessive government spending, social upheaval, and a decline in family stability.

The second chapter examines how conservatives revalidated the 1950s as a golden age in contrast to the perceived chaos of the 1960s. They presented the 1950s as a period of economic prosperity, social stability, and strong family structures. This nostalgic view of the past served as a blueprint for the conservative agenda of the 1980s.

The third chapter focuses on Ronald Reagan's presidency and his implementation of a nostalgic agenda. Reagan's economic policies aimed to restore the prosperity of the 1950s through tax cuts, deregulation, and increased military spending. His social policies sought to reinforce traditional values and family structures, often drawing inspiration from the 1950s.

The fourth chapter analyzes the influence of the New Right movement on Reagan's administration. The New Right, with its emphasis on traditional values and social conservatism, aligned with Reagan's nostalgic agenda. However, the essay argues that the New Right's influence on Reagan's domestic policies was limited, as the administration prioritized economic and military restructuring.

The fifth chapter explores Reagan's embodied nostalgia, examining how his personal image and rhetoric reinforced the conservative vision of the past. Reagan's public persona, often portrayed as a strong, masculine, and optimistic figure, resonated with the nostalgic ideal of the 1950s. His speeches and campaigns frequently invoked stories of American exceptionalism and a return to a simpler, more prosperous past.

Schlüsselwörter

The key themes and keywords of this text include Ronald Reagan, conservatism, nostalgia, the 1950s, the 1960s, the New Right, economic policy, social policy, American exceptionalism, and the Cold War. The essay explores how conservatives used nostalgia to frame the 1960s as a period of decline and to revalidate the 1950s as a golden age. It examines Reagan's presidency and his implementation of a nostalgic agenda, focusing on his economic and social policies, as well as the influence of the New Right movement.

• College: Dresden Technical University (Anglistik/Amerikanistik)
• Course: The USA: 1980-Today
• Grade: 1,7
• Author: Lisa Pflister (Author)
• Publication Year: 2014
• Pages: 7
• Catalog Number: V284114
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656842217
• Language: English
• Tags: Reagan, Nostalgia, Eighties, 1980, 1980s, 80s, Ronald Reagan, New Right, Uses of Nostalgia