Building Blocs: The Group Origins of Cultural Conservatism in the Republican Party

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Leading up to Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980, cultural conservatives felt excluded from major decisions in both parties. New developments in the Democratic Party, such as the increasing presence of women’s rights groups and teachers unions, created conflicts with party members with traditional religious beliefs. Estranged from the Democratic Party, evangelical Christians and culturally conservative pressure groups organized to influence Republican nominations. Despite the promises of a new voting base, many Republican politicians tried to block their influence, partly because they were reluctant to alienate existing voters and interests. A relatively unpopular group of cultural conservatives induced a large political party to address its concerns by mobilizing voters, issuing group-based appeals, and withholding votes. This study conflicts with other accounts by arguing that social group leaders, rather than politicians, were the most important “building blocs” on the assembly line of party transformation. Elected politicians, the public face of parties, impeded the efforts of underrepresented groups to change a party.