1. Paul M. Weyrich contends that conservatives should “drop out” of American culture and find nonpolitical ways to maintain traditional values. People for the American Way and Jim Whittle maintain that right-wing activists, including Weyrich himself, never had any plans to abandon the political sphere. What do you think Weyrich’s intention was when he declared that conservatives had lost the culture wars in 1999? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
2. Stanley Kurtz argues that the culture wars reflect ongoing divisions in public opinion over controversial cultural issues, and that wide shifts in values might occur within one individual at different times in his or her life. Conversely, Christian Smith and his colleagues argue that the majority of Americans are not interested in culture wars issues. Evaluate each of these authors’ viewpoints, then formulate your own argument describing the nature of...