Discuss the major political developments in Missouri during the 1980s.
The two-party system that define U.S. politics acted like a pendulum during the second half of the 20th century in Missouri. Missouri's politics had been ruled by Democrats throughout most of the 1950's and 1960's. The 1970's represented increasing Republican strength to the point of “equilibrium,” which in the 1980's turned into a period of Republican rule. Fiscal and social conservatives won a number of political battles, including elections, court cases, and public consensus. Liberals and progressives were a relative minority, but they too had some successes at promoting their causes during the 1980's.
1980 brought the “Hancock Amendment” to Missouri government. Passed by voter initiative, it sought to limit spending by the state government by requiring voters to approve tax hikes. This was a victory for fiscal conservatives in Missouri, who felt that the expanding role of government left taxpayers at the mercy of government programs with ever-increasing costs. Although the text states the amendment “essentially required a vote of the people to increase state or local taxes or to increase fees,” hampering the ability of officials to “address the problems of the state,” the actual amendment actually limits the rate of allowable tax increase by not allowing it to exceed the rate of average income increase by Missouri citizens – under the Hancock Amendment taxes are allowed to rise, but not faster than incomes (See http://www.cato.org/pubs/briefs/bp-020.html . Whether this is a good idea is certainly debatable, but the gloom-and-doom scenario the text presents is, I think, misleading.) The Hancock Amendment showed the trend toward fiscal conservatism in Missouri, as did debates on education funding. Indeed, rather than considering spending increases, those in power favored efficiency increases and raising user fees (see Identification 9 below).
In state and national elections Missouri Republicans also found much success during the '80's. Missouri's electoral votes went to Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, and to George Bush in 1988. Republicans won a string of elections to the office of governor, with Christopher Bond and John Ashcroft serving multiple terms. Missouri elected Republicans John Danforth and Christopher Bond to multiple U.S. Senate terms as well. Republicans all but swept state offices such as attorney general and auditor throughout the '80's. Although Republicans encroached on traditionally Democratic territory, getting U.S. Representatives elected, '80's elections were not a total loss for Democrats in Missouri. Indeed, they held their majorities in the state House and Senate, and won some important victories statewide – Democrats Harriet Woods and Mel Carnahan were both elected lieutenant governor, Woods being the first woman to hold a statewide office in Missouri.
Social conservatives found bolstered their political causes in Missouri during the '80's. One issue that caused much political debate was over abortion: Protesting the Roe v. Wade decision, the Missouri legislature had passed a statute that defined life as “beginning at conception” and restricted how “medical personnel” could perform abortions. When this law was challenged, Missouri's attorney general William Webster succeeded in taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which did not strike down Missouri's restrictive statute, a major victory for anti-abortion activists. Social liberals got a political victory in the debate over euthanasia: The case of Nancy Cruzan, a comatose woman from southwest Missouri whose family wanted to remove her from life support, became a rallying point for euthanasia. Again the Supreme Court was consulted, but this time the “pro-life” activist lost. Cruzan's family won the case, and was able to put Cruzan to rest. Courts gave conservatives victories in cases involving restricting free speech and “prescribing conduct” in public schools, with the Supreme Court ruling a Hazelwood school could suppress student newspaper stories, and a federal court ruling that a Purdy school could prohibit student dances on religious grounds.
Racial issues were less about left vs. right in 1980's politics and more about changing times. 15 African-Americans were elected into political office, reflecting the progress being made after the Civil Rights movement. The movement of the affluent, mostly white, Missourians led to de facto segregation of urban schools, however. Political debate raged as members of the judicial branch attempted solutions this problem: in St. Louis, Judge William Hungate sanctioned a plan that allowed parents to send children to schools outside their districts, setting goals for desegregated enrollment. In Kansas City, Judge Randall Clark made several bold decisions on desegregation, the most controversial involving an order to increase taxes to pay for his program to improve schools to encourage desegregation in Kansas City schools. Clark's actions were reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, which eventually upheld their constitutionality.
Conservation and environmental issues were also less polarized on a left/ right level in 1980's politics. The debate over Proposition A, designed to protect Missouri streams, largely raged over private property concerns instead of social or fiscal concerns. Likewise, the establishment of the Katy Trail (see Identification 6 below) also attracted this type of discussion. The scare over dioxin contamination at Times Beach (see Identification 5 below) and subsequent political actions were not divided on Republican/ Democrat grounds; members both parties rightly feared environmental hazards. Missourians also approved a tax designed to fund improvements to the state park system, including developments to Missouri's extensive collection of caves (the text states that Graham Cave is in Warren County; it's actually in Montgomery County, and is possibly its only tourist attraction).
The 1980's saw political favor swing to favor conservatives in Missouri, and these politicians and voters used this trend to their advantage, advancing their own causes in fiscal and social policy. Although Democrats only had minor success in 1980's political contests, they would regain much of what they lost as the oscillations of the two-party system continued in the 1990's.