religion, the mass media and higher education
TRANSCRIPT
USA has “bucked the trend” of most developed countries by seeing an increase in religious attendance and devotion in the past 50 years.
Officially church and state are completely separated in the US
Unofficially religion plays a huge part in political life
Source of unity - “one nation under God” - and division
The religious beliefs of prospective Presidents are often major talking points
Red Scare – a fear of Godless Communism (the USSR and China were officially Non-Religious)
Stability in the face of change
Evangelical Preachers
Name given to a very conservative movement led by ________ ______________
Demanded abortion, homosexuality, contraception be banned – felt America was “drowning in sin”
Had a large influence on the Republican Party and played a large part in the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan.
Many members have objected to the teaching of evolution in schools
Often accused of bigotry and intolerance
Sarah Palin (former candidate in US Pres election) would be an example of a “moral majority” politician.
“If Chief Justice Warren and his associates had known God's word and had desired to do the Lord's will, I am quite confident that the 1954 decision (that said separate facilities for black people was unconstitutional) would never had been made. The facilities should be separate. When God has drawn a line of distinction, we should not attempt to cross that line”
"Gay folks would just as soon kill you as look at you”
“AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals, it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals”.
“He is purple – the gay pride colour; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle – the gay-pride symbol."
Newspaper readership and circulation began to decline in the US after the war, being overtaken as a news source by Television and the Internet
However Newspapers still had the ability to do in depth reporting – example: the Washington Post’s uncovering of the Watergate Scandal
This led to a reduction in the powers of Presidents
What did Nixon’s Campaign call the Watergate incident?What organisation did two of the burglars belong to?What did Nixon do on April 30th 1973?What did the Senate do after this?What was installed by Nixon in the Oval Office in 1971?
What was Ford’s “dubious honour”?
Cinema attendance declined after WW2 as TV gained popularity
However, Movies remained important – often rerun on TV
Some famous examples of movies commented on themes facing American Society – e.g. Invasion of the body snatchers highlighted anti-communist fears
Influenced Politics by shaping Public Opinion
Made politics more expensive – needed to pay for TV ads
Tended to simplify complex issues
Altered the nature of political debate – mannerisms, posture etc of candidate were widely reported
Had big influence on public reaction to Vietnam War and Civil Rights Campaign
Educational uptake boomed after WW2, despite huge cost of US College education
More technological society meant greater demand for highly skilled graduates
GI Bill – Army veterans got college paid for by US Government = big increase in both army and college recruitment
College and University Numbers in 1945 = 1.5 Million
College and University Numbers in 1975 = 9.7 Million