During the volatile, protest-pocked Campaign of 1968, the Republican ticket of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew called upon the support of the law-abiding “silent majority” in the United States to contribute a sober sensibility to the countercultural politics of the late 1960s. Nixon and Agnew argued that a “silent majority” of Americans supported policies directed at restoring law and order and the continuation of military commitment to South Vietnam. They also made effective use of the “silent majority” to attack the media for alleged liberal bias.
Given the turmoil and social unrest of the 1960s, the “silent majority” theme was well received by Republican partisans, disaffected conservative Democrats, and moderate independents. Critics argued that the Nixon campaign used the slogan to polarize the nation instead of seeking a consensus on how to solve the serious problems facing the nation.
Levine, Robert A. “The Silent Majority: Neither Simple nor Simple-Minded.” Public Opinion Quarterly 35 (Winter 1971–1972): 571–577.