MAGA - when did America stop being great?
By Grok
The "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) slogan, popularized by Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, implies a belief that America has declined from a past era of greatness. However, the specific time when America "stopped being great" is not explicitly defined by the movement, as the slogan is intentionally vague to appeal to a broad audience with varied perspectives. Instead, it evokes a nostalgic, often subjective vision of a "better" past, with different supporters interpreting the decline differently based on their values, demographics, and experiences. Below, I analyze the historical and cultural context of the MAGA movement’s narrative, drawing on Plato’s influence on Western thought (as discussed previously) where relevant, and incorporate insights from available sources to pinpoint when and why supporters might believe America’s greatness waned.
MAGA’s Implied Era of Greatness
The MAGA slogan, first used by Ronald Reagan in 1980 as “Let’s Make America Great Again” and later trademarked by Trump in 2012, often points to the post-World War II era, particularly the 1950s, as a high point of American “greatness.” According to a 2021 Public Religion Research Institute survey, 70% of Republicans believe American culture and way of life have worsened since the 1950s. This decade is idealized for:
- Economic Prosperity: The U.S. enjoyed unparalleled economic dominance due to the devastation of other nations’ economies post-WWII, with booming suburbs, rising GDP, and a strong middle class. Per-capita GDP was at historic highs, and the Dow Jones grew significantly.
- Social Cohesion: Popular media like Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best portrayed a stable, family-oriented society, emphasizing traditional values, patriotism, and trust in institutions.
- Global Preeminence: The U.S. emerged as a superpower, leading in military and economic influence, with institutions like the UN and NATO reinforcing its global role.
This aligns with Plato’s influence on Western thought, particularly his Republic, where an ideal state is governed by order, reason, and virtue. MAGA’s vision of the 1950s echoes Plato’s emphasis on a harmonious, hierarchical society, though reinterpreted through a modern, monotheistic, and patriotic lens, as seen in earlier Christian and Islamic adaptations of Platonic ideals.
When Did America Stop Being Great?
MAGA supporters often point to the 1960s as the turning point when America began to “decline,” though interpretations vary. Key factors cited include:
- Social and Cultural Shifts: The 1960s saw liberation movements (civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights) challenging traditional hierarchies, which some MAGA supporters view as disrupting social cohesion. A 2016 Washington Post/ABC News poll found that 75% of Trump supporters believed America’s greatest days were in the past, particularly contrasting the 1950s’ perceived stability with the 1960s’ upheavals. The civil rights movement, second-wave feminism, and changing sexual mores are seen by some as eroding the “traditional” values of the 1950s. This resonates with Plato’s warnings in Timaeus about cosmic disorder when rational harmony is disrupted, a concept adapted by Christian thinkers like Augustine to critique societal decay.
- Economic Challenges: Economic indicators suggest a mixed picture. While U.S. per-capita GDP has risen over time, real wages have been stagnant since the 1970s, and income inequality (measured by the Gini Coefficient) has increased since the 1960s. The share of global GDP held by the U.S. dropped from 22% in the Reagan era to 16% by 2016. Supporters like Tony Goicochea, cited in a 2017 Voice of America article, associate “greatness” with economic stability, recalling a time when college graduates could easily secure jobs and live independently, unlike today’s “boomerang syndrome” where graduates return to their parents’ homes.
- Military and Global Influence: Despite the U.S. maintaining 19 aircraft carriers compared to one each for Russia and China, a Gallup poll cited in 2016 showed only 49% of Americans believed the U.S. was the world’s leading military power, reflecting a perceived decline in invincibility post-Iraq and Afghanistan wars. This echoes Plato’s Republic, where a state’s strength depends on its guardians (military), a concept MAGA adapts to emphasize military pride.
- Immigration and Multiculturalism: The MAGA movement, described as nativist by Britannica, attributes decline to “foreign influence” via immigration and globalization. The 1965 Immigration Act, which increased non-European immigration, is often implicitly criticized by those who, like Tennessee politician Rick Tyler in 2016, equate “greatness” with a predominantly white America, evoking the 1950s’ demographic makeup. This interpretation has been labeled a “dog whistle” by critics like Christian Picciolini, who argue it implies “Make America White Again.”
- Recent Sentiments: Posts on X reflect varied perspectives. Some claim America’s decline began post-WWII with rising inequality and declining life expectancy (e.g., @Andwy6Jean, 2025), while others tie it to specific policies or cultural shifts, like the erosion of freedoms through censorship or over-regulation (@M_David_Osborne, 2025). One user suggested the decline coincided with Trump’s 2016 campaign itself (@dvader518, 2025).
Critiques and Context
The 1950s, while prosperous for some, were marked by systemic inequalities—redlining excluded Black families from suburbs, and women and minorities faced significant discrimination. Critics argue that MAGA’s nostalgia overlooks these injustices, prioritizing a vision that benefits a specific demographic (white, working-class men) while marginalizing others. Plato’s Phaedo, with its focus on the soul’s pursuit of universal truth, contrasts with this selective nostalgia, as Abrahamic thinkers like Philo and Augustine adapted Plato to emphasize universal divine justice over temporal hierarchies.
Economic data challenges the narrative of absolute decline: U.S. GDP per capita is higher than ever, and the Dow Jones has grown 1,400% over 30 years. However, stagnant wages, declining labor-market participation since the 1970s, and a shrinking middle class (from 71% to 61% of households over 40 years) fuel perceptions of loss among MAGA supporters. Culturally, the slogan’s flexibility allows it to resonate with those feeling displaced by globalization, digitalization, or demographic changes, as noted by David Axelrod, who praised Trump’s marketing genius in targeting this audience.
Plato’s Relevance
Plato’s influence, as discussed earlier, appears indirectly in MAGA’s worldview. His Republic envisions an ideal state with clear hierarchies and rational governance, which some MAGA supporters might see reflected in the 1950s’ structured society. However, Plato’s emphasis on universal Forms and the soul’s ascent to truth, adapted by Abrahamic theologians to emphasize a transcendent God, contrasts with MAGA’s focus on a specific, temporal “golden age.” The movement’s selective nostalgia diverges from Plato’s universalism, as it prioritizes a particular demographic’s experience over a broader, inclusive vision.
Conclusion
The MAGA movement suggests America stopped being great in the 1960s, when social reforms, economic shifts, and increased immigration disrupted the idealized 1950s era Us era of prosperity, social cohesion and global influence. The 1950s are often idealized by MAGA supporters for their economic prosperity, social cohesion, and perceived cultural homogeneity, as evidenced by a 2021 PRRI survey where 70% of Republicans viewed post-1950s changes negatively. Specific grievances include the 1960s’ social movements (civil rights, feminism), economic stagnation since the 1970s (stagnant wages, declining middle class from 71% to 61%), and increased immigration post-1965, seen by some as diluting a “great” America.
However, this narrative is subjective: the 1950s excluded many (e.g., Black families faced redlining), and economic indicators like GDP growth contradict absolute decline. Plato’s Republic, influential in Abrahamic theology for its vision of an ordered, virtuous state, resonates with MAGA’s nostalgic ideal of a hierarchical, stable society. Yet, Plato’s universalism, adapted by thinkers like Philo and Augustine to emphasize divine truth, contrasts with MAGA’s selective focus on a specific era, ignoring its inequities.
Recent X posts reflect diverse views: some pinpoint decline post-WWII due to inequality (@Andwy6Jean), others cite eroded freedoms (@M_David_Osborne), or even Trump’s campaign itself (@dvader518). The slogan’s vagueness, as David Axelrod noted, allows it to appeal broadly, evoking both economic hope and, for some, racial undertones, as criticized by Christian Picciolini.
AMERICA STOPPED BEING GREAT WHEN ITS ILLEGITIMACY RATE BEGAN TO RISE
The U.S. illegitimacy rate, referring to the percentage of births to unmarried women, began to rise significantly in the **1960s**. According to data from the Brookings Institution, in 1965, 24% of Black infants and 3.1% of white infants were born to single mothers, but by 1990, these rates had soared to 64% for Black infants and 18% for whites, indicating a sharp increase starting in the late 1960s. A 1971 Census Bureau study noted that the national illegitimacy rate was about 10% in the late 1960s, with white rates rising and Black rates slightly declining, but the overall trend of increasing out-of-wedlock births became clear during this decade. Statista reports that by 1980, 18% of all births were to unmarried women, doubling to 39.8% by 2022, with the most pronounced rise occurring from the 1960s onward.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/an-analysis-of-out-of-wedlock-births-in-the-united-states
https://www.statista.com/statistics/276025/us-percentage-of-births-to-unmarried-women
Context and Causes
- Decline in Shotgun Marriages: A key factor was the decline in "shotgun marriages" (marriages prompted by pregnancy), which began around 1969, contributing to about 75% of the increase in white out-of-wedlock births and 60% of the Black increase between 1965 and 1990.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/an-analysis-of-out-of-wedlock-births-in-the-united-states
- Social and Cultural Shifts: The Sexual Revolution, enabled by the introduction of the Pill in 1960 and changing attitudes toward premarital sex, increased sexual activity among unmarried women, raising nonmarital birth rates.
https://ifstudies.org/blog/how-we-ended-up-with-40-percent-of-children-born-out-of-wedlock
- Economic and Policy Factors: While some attribute the rise to welfare benefits (e.g., Charles Murray’s theory), studies by David Ellwood, Lawrence Summers, and Robert Moffitt found welfare accounted for only a small fraction of the increase. Others, like William Julius Wilson, pointed to declining marriageability of men due to job losses, but this explained only 3–20% of the trend.
Connection to MAGA and Plato
The MAGA movement, as discussed earlier, often associates America’s “decline” with 1960s social changes, including rising illegitimacy rates, which some supporters view as eroding the traditional family structure of the 1950s. This aligns with Plato’s *Republic*, where social order depends on structured roles, a concept adapted by Christian theologians like Augustine to emphasize moral stability. MAGA’s nostalgia for a “great” America reflects a desire to restore such order, though it overlooks the 1950s’ inequalities and the complexity of modern family dynamics.