Ronald Reagan and the Rise of the New Christian Right

The bachelor's thesis "Ronald Reagan and the Rise of the New Christian Right" deals with the role of religion in American politics during Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s. The emergence of the religious right movement is explained as a response to the social and cultural upheavals of the 1960s and the 1970s and as part of the so-called Culture War. The New Christian Right used political lobbying in an attempt to promote conservative values in various social issues. By analyzing primary sources and secondary literature, the author seeks to explain to what extent the movement was successful in implementing their program into actual policy. Furthermore, the thesis attempts to answer the question, whether Ronald Reagan was a president of the Christian Right. The thesis is divided into two sections. The first part deals with the main issues in American society after the Second World War and explains the reasons that led conservative Christians to become politically active. It goes on to explain the ideology behind the New Christian Right movement, the ways in which it tried to achieve its goals, and its most prominent organizations and members. The second part of the thesis deals with the 40th president and his relationship with the New Christian Right. Based on an analysis of Reagan's approach..