Ideological Shifts in American History It has

It has been observed by any number of historians, including Paul Johnson (1997), that between 1932 and 2000 the United States has experienced a series of shifts between so-called "liberalism" and so-called "conservatism." This thesis will be addressed herein, providing support for the assertion that changes in the dominant political ideology as represented by presidential election outcomes are commonplace in a democracy and are an artifact of changing social, economic and political climates that shape and inform public opinion. Further, as Eric Foner (1998) noted, the very meaning of "liberalism" and "conservatism" tends to change over time in response to such conditions.

Generally, if one considers the political orientation of the U.S. presidents since 1932, the following chronology and ideological association can be offered.

Franklin D. Roosevelt 1932-1948 Liberal Democrat Harry S. Truman 1948 Moderate Democrat

Dwight D. Eisenhower 1952 -1960 Moderate Republican

John F. Kennedy 1960 Liberal Democrat

Lyndon B. Johnson 1963 Liberal Democrat

Richard M. Nixon 1964 Conservative Republican

Gerald R. Ford 1971 Moderate Republican

Jimmy Carter 1976 Liberal Democrat

Ronald Reagan 1980 Conservative Republican

George Bush 1988 Conservative Republican

Bill Clinton 1992 Liberal Democrat

George W. Bush 2000 Conservative Republican

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What accounts for these ideological shifts? Eric Foner (1998) suggests that a number of factors are at work in shaping the national political ethos at any given time. The economic situation, the degree of uncertainty regarding America's prospects (both economically and politically), the presence or absence of conflicts impacting upon the country, and emergent socio-cultural attitudes all shape this orientation. Foner (1998) as well as Johnson (1996) suggests that variables such as these are important determinants of how Americans will vote - with voting the primary means of determining the ideological orientation of the country at any point in time. Over the course of years from 1932 - when America was in the grips of a debilitating and far-reaching economic depression - to the present, the shift from a liberal engagement with the world to a conservative withdrawal from the world (expressed as isolationist foreign policy) has also been observed (Judis, 2002; Korb & Tiersky, 2001). Foreign policy that actively engages the U.S. with the world can be variously interpreted as either liberal or conservative. For example, American involvement in many Central and South American countries that has supported right-wing dictators

Category: History - I