Breathing Lessons | Historical Context
Political Apathy
Poor economic conditions at the end of the 1970s led to a change in the political landscape of America. In 1980 Ronald Reagan won the presidential election with only 51.6 percent of the popular vote. His "landslide victory" resulted from a turnout of only fifty-four percent of the voting-age population. In other words, only twenty-seven percent of all eligible voters elected Reagan to office. Many commentators expressed disappointment over voter apathy and the lack of democratic participation.
The Decade of Greed and the Working Class
In 1981 Reagan...
[The entire page is 574 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Navigate
See Also:
- - Breathing Lessons summary and study guide in the eNotes.
Tell a friend about Breathing Lessons at eNotes.
- Add Breathing Lessons to your favorites