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Most likely due to the widespread failure of lefty politics over the decades.
For how few people actually believe in the politics of the left, they have held on to power in far higher numbers then they should have.
Lefty policies could not possibly have succeeded, because they were gutted by tax-lowering partisan politics.
One thing that is definitely verifiable is that the rich have gotten richer. But much of that at the expense of the middle class, which then blamed their lower take-home pay on taxes, and they then blamed their taxes on programs associated with liberal policy.
So the rich diverted more money from the middle class, and then persuaded the middle class to blame it on the beneficiaries of social programs. The shift was based on perception, rather than reality.
Its not really clear what Americans believe. For example its claimed they are anti-government, but they routinely vote for politicians who boast of what federal money they have brought home to their state. Federal spending, adjusted for inflation, grew sharply the last three decades dominated by conservative politics. What Americans wanted, based on the policies followed, is a lot more spending without increased taxes to pay for it. Thus we borrowed a lot.
That said two things contributed to conservative political victories. First, social conservatives voted for Republicans while Democrats got less support from social liberals (because the former saw social policies as important enough to vote on and the later did not). Second, the boomers were shocked by Watergate and Vietnam and thus voted for parties that proclaimed they were opposed to government (as long as goods and services were not actually cut). At the same time it became accepted wisdom that the private sector was more efficient than the public.
The increase in minorities and the passing of the boomers from the population will cause a shift back to the middle or more likely ad hoc policies in the future neither left nor right. Addtionally the public is losing confidence in business decisions although its no more positive about government. I don't know where that will lead.
I think there has been a shift to the left, if anything.
On social issues like gay rights there has been a tremendous shift in recent decades towards support of legalized gay marriage and ending DADT. Medicinal marijuana is another issue that is gaining momentum, with CA leading they way. Very soon we will see full legalization of marijuana in some states. And of course the election of Barack Obama, the first black president, something unthinkable only a decade or two ago shows incredible progress in American attitudes towards race. I think gun control is one of the few issues where public opinion has shifted to the right.
On economic issues, it is less clear. In polls, Americans indicated that they prefer smaller government. But when asked which spending programs they would like to see cut, they usually respond with things like foreign aid, funding for mass transit, science and environment - in other words small things that hardly make a difference in the budget. Entitlement programs like SS and Medicare - which make up the bulk of federal spending- are very popular even among Tea Party people who are supposedly all about balanced budget and tax cuts. Even Republicans expanded Medicare in 2006 and positioned themselves as trying to defend it during the recent health care debate.
So I'm not sure where this rightward shift is observed. On most issues American attitudes either stayed the same or shifted to the left. And if we look at demographics, this trend will continue. The right depends disproportionately on the support of older white men. Most young people who have become politically active in the last decade or two tend to be more liberal. This new generation, along with a greater share of minorities as a percentage of population will start to play a big role in the near future.
Look at some of the efforts of the Bush Jr administration - embracing "compassionate conservatism " and an attempt to appeal to Hispanics. Conservatives didn't like those policies but Karl Rove realized that without them the GOP would soon become a minority party. I don't like him but I do give him a lot of credit as a savvy politician with a good feel of the pulse of the nation.
Why has there been a shift of American political thought to the right in recent decades?
I'm pretty certain that in this increasingly multi-cultural society, one that requires a policy of inclusion, tolerance, and racial sensitivity, that the political ideology is not shifting towards that of Mississippi or West Virginia.
I really think this Thread belongs over in Politics...so I will move it there
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Shift to the right? Hardly
