ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the thesis that the national elections from 1980 to 1988 reflected a profound conservative shift in public opinion. It analyzes the presidential elections, and explores the congressional elections. The chapter focuses on the elections in the California Assembly. The overwhelming conclusion from the studies of the 1980 presidential election was that Reagan did not win the election because of ideological support, but won because of the public's low evaluation of Carter's performance in office. Results from congressional elections show that voting did not shift toward conservatives in the 1980–88 elections. The California Assembly is included in the analysis because California is Ronald Reagan's home state, and it has such a significant social, economic, and political impact on the country. The election results from the late 1970s and the 1980s for Congress and the California Assembly show that no liberal-to-conservative shift occurred during the 1980s.
