Final answer:
The statement is true; liberalism post-1965 attempted to restore government by consent by aligning policies with the public's interests, in line with the principles of political liberalism including the sovereignty of the people and consent of the governed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that liberalism after 1965 attempted to restore government by consent is True. The socio-political climate of the era saw an increasing demand for government action in ensuring civil rights, economic equity, and the expansion of welfare programs, all of which required a restoration of public faith in government's role.
This period was marked by further development of liberal ideas that sought to align government policies with the consent and interests of the governed, as understood within the context of political liberalism, which holds the sovereignty of the people and the consent of the governed as its central tenets.
Liberalism's philosophical roots can be traced back to thinkers like John Locke, who emphasized natural rights and the idea that legitimate government is based on the consent of the governed. The commitment to these principles evolved through revolutionary thought and was embedded into modern liberal philosophies well before the 1960s.
However, the resurgence of liberal thought in this period, particularly in the United States, led to increased governmental engagement in social justice, reflecting a return to these foundational concepts of political liberalism.
Contrary to the resurgence of liberalism, the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 signaled a conservative reaction to the perceived excesses of the liberal establishment, with movements seeking to assert more traditional values and reduce government intervention in certain areas. Nevertheless, this did not negate the overall liberal trend towards expanding civil liberties and governmental responsiveness to societal demands for rights and equal opportunities, seen in the decades following 1965.