Barry Goldwater's Influence on the Conservative Movement

Barry Goldwater

Barry Goldwater's ideology and the modern Conservative Movement are one in the same. No other person has influenced the conservative movement of the latter half of the 20^th Century more than Barry Goldwater. Goldwater was the United States Senator of Arizona form 1953-1965 and 1969-1987. His beliefs influenced many conservatives, most notably Ronald Reagan, who has been deified in conservative circles. Goldwater’s ideology repudiated the beliefs of FDR’s New Deal, stressed the importance of state’s rights, and touted the strengths of small government.

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However, Goldwater’s views were often controversial and contradictory. For example, Goldwater opposed civil rights legislation, believing it a matter best left up to the states. In 1960 Goldwater stated, “Thus the cornerstone of the Republic, our chief bulwark, against the encroachment of individual freedom by Big Government, is fast disappearing under the piling sands of absolutism…” Goldwater also said “The Constitution, I repeat, draws a sharp and clear line between federal jurisdiction and state jurisdiction.” He also said on the problems of states becoming too powerful or making erroneous decisions, “If the people are unhappy with say, their State’s disability insurance program, they can bring pressure to bear on their state officials and, if that fails, they can elect a new set of officials.” The problem with these statements is they do not take into account when a state oppresses a minority. Without the ability to vote African-Americans would have no way of electing new state officials to change the way their state is governed, as theorized by Goldwater. Without the federal government’s intervention in states’ racist policies during the 1960’s they would not have conceded to integration and allowed for the voting rights of African-Americans.

Although Goldwater had a strong influence on future conservative leaders, it is my belief that his ideology concerning state’s rights would have led to the continued discrimination of minorities by states if not for the intervention of the federal government.