i'd put the reagan years, newt, etc. as the start of regression this cycle. 9/11 was the excuse for heavy clamp downs on things other than just taxes/govt spending that started with regan. it sure feels like a pretty steady eroding of social progressiveness wins of the 60s-late 80s. TFG/MAGA let those folks feel empowered to say aloud what they'd been pushing for since reagan (and the civil war...).