Topic: The Enigma of Conservatism: Barry Goldwater and the Ideological Shift of the American Right-Wing
address the following question: How can a wealthy class persuade poverty to keep the wealthy class in power? Here in lies the who art of Conservative Politics in the twentieth century –starting with Barry Goldwater.
The American far-right steadily accreted new movements and subcultures after the Second World War that challenged conservative ideology. The purpose of my essay is to focus on the main catalysts within the American right-wing that marked the beginning of far-right fringe movements. The question I seek to ask is the following:
How can fringe movements that seek radical change transform conservative ideology that is rooted in preventing radical change? To provide focus, my essay will examine the emergence of Senator Barry Goldwater and the significance of the movement he embodied as a case study.
While he lost the presidential election of 1964 by a landslide, his fringe ideology was part of a broader right-wing social movement that represented privileged wealthy Americans who feared their status was being challenged.
Part I: Definitions
Part II: Theoretical Framework (Adorno’s Pseudo-Conservative and Hofstadter’s Paranoid Style)
Part II: Barry Goldwater’s Ideological Challenge to Republican Conservatism of the 1950s
Part III: Organizations and Activists Support for Goldwater
Part IV: The Demise of Republican Conservatism in the 1970s.
I think focusing on Goldwater and his base, including organizations that supported him, can be done in a 25 page paper.
