The Sixth Party System in American Politics (1976-2012)

The people who voted libertarian in 80 were not disaffected conservatives. They were disenchanted liberals of the New Politics mode. The growth of a conservative oriented libertarianism is an artifact of the Reagan era. Beyond Goldwater's disastrous campaign, they weren't a major force in American politics.

Yeah, but conservatives of the fiscal variety kept cropping up, no matter what was thrown at them. During the height of the New Deal, there was Robert Taft. During the Great Society, there was Goldwater and Reagan. Hubert Humphrey's new policies are not going to make this tendency go away forever.

The worst it could realistically get is another time period like between 1900 and 1920, between the era of the Bourbon Democrats and the proto-libertarian Republicans, where all major modes of political thought were different shades and degrees of liberalism (see the four major candidates in the 1912 election). Eventually, though, it's going to come back.
 
Where would the Religious Right go? A third party, perhaps strong in parts of the South and similar places?

Also, what would the communities spend the property tax money on? I can see a lot of areas spending more on police, fire, hospitals and parks...and still taking less in property taxes than OTL! (Of course, expect battles over where the education money will go to...)
 
Where would the Religious Right go? A third party, perhaps strong in parts of the South and similar places?

Also, what would the communities spend the property tax money on? I can see a lot of areas spending more on police, fire, hospitals and parks...and still taking less in property taxes than OTL! (Of course, expect battles over where the education money will go to...)

No, the Religious Right I think would stay loyally with the Republican Party. It's the fiscal conservatives who are S-O-L...
 

iddt3

Donor
No, the Religious Right I think would stay loyally with the Republican Party. It's the fiscal conservatives who are S-O-L...

Honestly this GOP will probably be more reflective of the Religious right, not less, Evangelical doctrine is quite comfortable helping the poor and destitute, and only recently has the whole "Dogma of Wealth" emerged from being on the barest fringe. What they will try to oppose and limit is federally funded contraceptives, abortions (though this is back when the consensus was far more in favor of abortions then now) and Gay Rights. In some ways it will be a lot less disturbing as you won't see the "love thy nieghbor" types telling the poor to get stuffed. It also might mean that the GOP has a real chance of pealing off the black vote if they quit with the Race Baiting.
 
Top