Gareth Davies describes the shift in liberalism using three major social, economic, and political factors. In his book, From Opportunity to Enlightenment, Davies talks about the racial unrest in urban centers, Vietnam War, and loss of a liberal harmony amongst Democrats. The increase of black militancy caused social conflict. The financial crisis that resulted from the Vietnam War was an economic crisis. The Democrats criticized President Johnson and decided to split from his ideologies. The late 1970s marked the shift in how guaranteed income in welfare was viewed by the liberals. The conventional view on welfare was that of individualism.
