Category: Ronald Reagan

What was Reaganomics? Describe the difference in the state of the U.S. economy from when Reagan took office in January of 1981 until he left in January of 1989. Was this change a positive change? Explain

Reaganomics was a conservative approach to economic policy which occurred with Reagan being elected president. It no longer relied on the Keynesian theory of tax cuts to boost consumer demand. Instead, it used a supply-side strategy that cut both government spending and taxes, which allowed the private sector to invest in the economy and shape it to their needs, generating economic growth and jobs. Reaganomics focused on cutting critical social spending and eliminating the welfare state, with a safety net being created for those truly in need. In turn, military spending was increased dramatically. Reagan effectively acted upon popular support of the public, primarily excited about significant tax cuts (Moss and Thomas 2012, 232-234).

When Reagan took office in 1981, the economy was experiencing years of stagnation with high inflation as well as high unemployment. The interest rate was at its peak in 1981. Reaganomics was ineffective at first, leading to the highest unemployment rates since 1941 and a significant government budget deficit. Interest rates caused homes and cars to become too expensive for many Americans. Inflation showed a downward tendency as the only positive indicator.

However, by the second term, Reagan slightly shifted monetary policy which led to economic recovery. Inflation dropped below 4% and unemployment stabilized around 6% (Moss and Thomas 2012, 238). Tax revenues also began to increase exponentially which despite a budget deficit was able to mitigate any economic crises. Reaganomics is believed to have brought on one of the most prosperous periods of the US economy as all positive indicators grew by several times and many new jobs were created.

What is a Go-Go economy? Was the U.S. economy in the 1980s a Go-Go economy? Explain

Go-Go economics is a term which describes rapid and active development characterized by economic growth. It is a period of significant investments, revenue, and expansion of business and financial operations. Economists consider these periods to occur approximately every half a century as there seems to be endless growth during a Go-Go economy. However, such active growth can be dangerous as it is usually followed by a steep recession and near-zero growth with radical shifts in political and economic orders and policies (The mysterious death of the go-go economy n.d.).

The 1980s would not be considered a Go-Go economy as there was significant instability in the earlier years of the decade with the adoption of Reaganomics. As growth increased towards the end of the decade there were a number of troubling economic trends such as Wall Street mismanagement and misrepresented financial deals as well as large purchases of US property from foreign investors and transfer of US production overseas leading to global interdependence.

The deregulation of the savings and loan industries led to a number of high-risk operations. Furthermore, some regions such as the Midwest experienced deteriorating economic conditions (Moss and Thomas 2012, 241-242). Overall, the Go-Go period of rapid growth did not begin until the latter years of the decade and the term can be applied to the 1990s rather than the 1980s.

Who were the Culture Warriors? Assess their impact on the U.S. during the 1980s

Culture Warriors was a movement, primarily conservative, which was propagating far-right ideologies. For example, that America was experiencing moral decline and that liberal causes were at fault for dividing the country with marginalizing cultural changes (Moss and Thomas 2012, 268). Culture warriors were primarily active in the 1990s but had their roots in the 1980s as conservative ideologues such as Reagan took office and gained popular followings.

The 1980s technological breakthroughs allowed people to experience popular culture through new forms of media. Television became more readily available along with a video cassette recorder (VCR). The main broadcasters saw competition from private cable channels which could cater to particular ideologies. Computers began to see at-home use. Culture warriors clashed in all aspects of popular media and vital cultural discussion topics such as sexual freedoms and drug use.

The Right often saw popular media as detrimental to American values, particularly in advertising sexual promiscuity and abortion. As Americans began to become exposed to these important issues through media, it had real-life consequences. Republicans which took office under Reagan significantly stifled pro-choice and abortion supporting legislation and groups. Furthermore, with the emergence of the AIDS epidemic, the homosexual community was stigmatized while the Reagan administration did little to address it. These aspects had profound social impacts on the U.S. for the next decade (Culture Wars of the 1980s n.d.).

What was the Iran Contra scandal? What effect did it have on politics and society in the U.S.? Explain

The Iran-Contra Affair was an international political scandal which occurred in 1986. Information emerged that the Reagan administration was conducting secret negotiations with Iran concerning the release of American hostages in Lebanon in exchange for arms sales to Iran.

The deal was further scandalous because the Attorney General discovered that the funds from weapon sales to Iran were redirected to Contra rebels in Nicaragua which was strictly prohibited by Congress passed legislation. Therefore, this violated two laws: the sale of weapons to Iran which was under embargo, and the financing of rebels in Nicaragua. Reagan vehemently denied any involvement in the matter, directing blame to Oliver North of the National Security Council who was the primary subject dealing with the matter (Moss and Thomas 2012, 257).

The scandal was in large more impactful than Watergate, severely damaging U.S. foreign policy. Many American allies such as Saudi Arabia felt betrayed by the weapon shipments to forces destabilizing the Middle East. Meanwhile, domestically, there was a public condemnation of secret operations which violated the will of Congress, public opinion, and ultimately broke the law. The scandal caused a Constitutional crisis of sort as Reagans administration violated an important principle of checks and balances by circumventing a Congressional ban. After Reagan was out of office, many of the involved officials were put on trial and sentenced for numerous felonies including conspiracy, fraud, and perjury, although President Bush eventually pardoned all participants.

Describe the impact of the Rehnquist court. How did their rulings affect American society? Explain

Over the course of his presidency, Reagan appointed over 400 federal judges, including Sandra Day OConnor, Antonin Scalia, and a new chief justice William Rehnquist. These judges had a profound involvement in driving Reagans policy, swinging many decisions in a conservative direction. It led to the removal of some rights from those accused of crimes as well as putting limits on affirmative action (Moss and Thomas 2012, 244).

Rehnquist court sought to restrain a rapid liberalization which was ongoing during the preceding Warren Court, but it was not blindly conservative. Rehnquist court attempted to take into consideration the public sentiment in the U.S. and was notable for its collaboration amongst Democrats and Republicans after Bill Clinton appointed two moderate judges. Most of the judges were notable legal scholars and independent from political pressures.

Their rulings had significant impacts on American politics and society. As previously mentioned, the court declared affirmative action or preferential treatment based on race as unconstitutional. Death penalties became more popular and inmates could no longer appeal multiple times postponing the execution. Religion was allowed to have a more vital role in politics, taxes, and education as long as a state religion was not established. Finally, its biggest impact was the promotion of federalism which gave states more rights at the expense of the federal government. The Rehnquist court often ruled against the federal government and put significant restraints on power (Healy 2016).

References

Culture Wars of the 1980s. n.d. Lumen Learning. Web.

Healy, Thomas. 2016.  A Supreme Legacy. The Nation. Web.

Moss, George D., and Evan A. Thomas. 2012. Moving on: The American People Since 1945 (5th ed.). London: Pearson.

The Mysterious Death of The Go-Go Economy. n.d. Pearson. Web.

Introduction: Reagan’s Unexpected Presidential Journey

How did Ronald Reagan win people’s hearts? What steps in Reagan’s life led him to be the respected, well-loved President that he was? What were his plans and foreign policies while in office? President Reagan was an optimistic, kind man whom many people loved. Because he wanted to do what was best for Americans, he made every decision with Americans in mind. It was unexpected for Reagan to become President since he was previously an actor, however, Ronald Reagan pleasantly surprised Americans as he propelled America forward in several ways, especially with a successful foreign policy.

Reagan’s Early Career: From Broadcasting to Hollywood

Although Ronald Reagan was at first quite content with his job as a decently well-known sports broadcaster, he wanted to be a big star one day (Ronald Reagan: His Life and Legacy). Having good looks and confidence, Reagan was soon noticed by an agent who set up an audition for him with a film production company, Warner Brothers. Reagan, a talented actor, soon impressed the Warner Brothers and signed a seven-year contract (“Ronald Reagan- Acting Career”). Once Reagan’s agent told Reagan about the offer, he wanted to take it immediately (Marisco 21). At this point, Reagan was extremely nervous but also very humble about his sudden change into acting (Reagan 434).

Being nervous, Reagan did well in the smaller production movies he was cast in, and eventually achieved great success. Because of his lack of fame, Reagan was cast in B movies which were lower production films (Ronald Reagan: 100 Years 49). “Despite the fact that Reagan did not immediately skyrocket to the top of show business he earned a reputation on movie sets as being likable, cooperative, and professional. He used his sharp memory to recite dialogue exactly as it was written and just as directors wanted it to read.” (Marisco 21). Because of his great character and ability, Reagan was given a big part in a movie. After achieving great success, Warner Brothers began putting him in much higher production movies. His role in this movie would be his most well-known role yet. Ronald Reagan had finally made it into the A category of movies which produced higher-quality films with famous actors (Marisco 22,25).

Reagan’s popularity and talents were shown to be helpful during World War II. Even though Reagan was unable to join the military because of his poor eyesight, the Warner Brothers wanted him to star in World War II films to keep the United States in high spirits (Sutherland 58-59). The films that he starred in did quite well during that scary time in United States history (“Ronald Reagan-Acting Career”).

Transition to Politics: Reagan’s Growing Interest and Influence

After World War II, although his height of stardom was over, Reagan began to take other opportunities that were rather important to his political and presidential journey (“Ronald Reagan- Acting Career”). One of the first major opportunities he took was to host and star in a television show called “General Electric Theater.” Beginning to tour with the show, he made many speeches a day which helped him become familiar with how to effectively communicate with people. His interest in politics was beginning to grow more and more as he toured. Not only was he interested in how politics actually worked, but also in how much it could change people’s life. Reagan surprised people while on these tours because instead of talking about old Hollywood days, he would instead talk about America and politics (Marisco 35). He made speeches in an effective, storytelling manner that made people begin to respect and like him (“Ronald Reagan: His Life and Legacy”). Reagan showed that he was outstanding at leading people and getting work done (Ronald Reagan: 100 Years 59).

Governorship and the Road to the Presidency

As Reagan grew more politically popular in politics, people wanted to see him in a leadership position. Reagan had grown up used to public speaking because of his acting career, therefore, it helped greatly in all his political campaigning (Johnson 16). As a result of his popularity, his standards, and his leadership, Reagan won the election for governor of California in 1966. People were relieved to have an inexperienced politician because he was not a politician with government tricks and dishonest ways. While being governor of California, people loved him for his attention to the common person (Marisco 43-45).

Americans, feeling they were unable to trust their Presidents after Nixon, saw that Reagan was a great candidate for President because of his lack of experience as a politician (Sutherland 122). Reagan had considered the presidency before, but he was hesitant because of his inexperience. He put up a good campaign but ultimately lost the presidential elections. A year after losing, Reagan felt more determined and prepared to run for President, and he and his team announced they were preparing for the 1980 elections (Sutherland 125). With George H. W. Bush by his side as his vice president, Ronald Reagan won the 1980 election (Marisco 60).

Reagan’s Presidency: Economic Policies and Challenges

When Reagan became President, the United States was economically destroyed, but Reagan had a plan (Ronald Reagan: 100 Years 135). “He had a simple but specific idea of which he had spoken often during the campaign: cut taxes, get control of federal spending, and get the government out of the way so that the entrepreneurial spirit of the American people would be unleashed.” (Ronald Reagan: 100 Years 136). Reagan was insistent on reducing taxes because of his personal experience when he was an actor (“Ronald Reagan: His Life and Legacy”). He showed how determined he was to make economic changes even when recovering from an assassination attempt. While in recovery, Reagan was still extremely focused on cutting taxes and arranged a meeting with government leaders (Ronald Reagan: 100 Years 138). The tax cuts Reagan pushed for resulted in the Economic Recovery Tax Act, signed only a year after Reagan was put into office. Reagan’s tax cuts were the biggest cuts yet in America’s history (“Ronald Reagan: His Life and Legacy”). Because Reagan pushed greatly to improve America’s economy, “Reaganomics” was how experts jokingly referred to Reagan’s economic plan (Marisco 63). Reagan’s economic plan was a very popular topic to discuss during his presidency (Marisco 65). After a year, his economic plan started causing some problems. Although Reagan tried to majorly cut taxes, increase jobs, and decrease inflation, not everything worked out as well as he wanted. Because of this economics seemed to get worse. To make matters worse, he and congress had problems figuring out where they could afford to make budget cuts (Marisco 65). Two years into his presidency, economics in America was not in a good place. Because of Reagan’s plan, a large part of the nation was unemployed. After a year of hard work, Reagan was able to come back from his failed plan by creating more jobs and decreasing inflation (Marisco 64-65). It was when Americans stopped jokingly calling his plan “Reaganomics” that Reagan knew his economic plan was finally working (Ronald Reagan: 100 Years 139). Reagan majorly decreased inflation during his presidency by taking it from about fourteen percent to about four percent (Marisco 62-64). In addition, he also helped to create many jobs. By the time Reagan left office, there were twenty million jobs created all over America (Ronald Reagan: 100 Years 138-139). Reagan showed during his presidency how important economics was to him.

Although economics was a major priority to Reagan, he made other matters equally important. To make America safer, he wanted the military to have adequate funding and supplies. He also wanted the Constitution of America upheld, making Americans a priority (Ronald Reagan: 100 Years 151,163). Personally, knowing that education should be a priority since it could greatly help one out of poverty, Reagan made sure that education would be improved. Soon he made the improvement of education a priority and had great success (Ronald Reagan: 100 Years 62). Although Reagan had addressed outlawing abortion and allowing prayer in schools, he was not able to achieve them (“Ronald Reagan: His Life and Legacy”). Reagan had some successes and failures in areas he had hoped to improve.

“Regardless of how well his policies were actually working, Reagan always appeared to be optimistic and firmly in command. From the beginning of his presidency, he was the confident, decisive leader that his predecessor Carted was not, and many Americans loved him for that alone.” (Johnson 37). Reagan’s style of leadership was a decisive and effective one (Johnson 37). He had a way of speaking that would draw people’s attention. One of those reasons was that Reagan had a special talent for humor and storytelling. He was able to make any serious matter lighthearted or find the positive in any situation. As a humble leader, Reagan knew that he would be able to make great changes in America.

Ronald Reagan’s impact on America was great during and after his term in office. The character, leadership, and optimism that he had was the reason many people loved and respected him. Both in and out of office, he is still one of the most respected Presidents (“Ronald Reagan: His Life and Legacy”).

Foreign Policy and the End of the Cold War

One of the many reasons Reagan was greatly respected was because he believed in a peaceful foreign policy and a strong domestic defense. He kept these things in mind when he introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative (Ronald Reagan:100 Years 173). “That same month Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The idea behind the SDI was to use both ground and satellite devices to seek out and destroy enemy missiles before they reach U.S. targets.” (Marisco 67). The relationship between America and the Soviet Union got worse after World War II. Because of this, Reagan thought his plan was the safest option to protect America (Johnson 39). With this plan, he hoped to have a bigger and better defense system than the Soviet Union’s (Johnson 47). The public was completely taken aback by Reagan’s plan since it was something many people had never heard of before. Once again, critics came up with a nickname for Reagan’s plan; this time they nicknamed it “Star Wars” because of the possible launching of nuclear weapons (Marisco 68). Reagan was still firm about his plan, thinking it was a safe decision (Johnson 69). Regardless of how Reagan felt about his plan, his advisors thought his plan not be a real, serious plan; instead, they thought it would be a scare tactic for a peace treaty (Sutherland 185).

Even though Reagan was firm on his plan, there were many doubts about the “Star Wars” program as several problems arose. As workers began developing the plan, it had several technical issues, and they believed it could not work effectively because of mechanics (Johnson 48). Reagan wanting nuclear power, had to buy the necessary, expensive weapons (Johnson 43). The funding had to increase by about 189 billion dollars to buy many nuclear weapons (Johnson 43). Specialists were concerned that Reagan could possibly start a nuclear war (Sutherland 186). It was also rumored that Russia and the Soviet Union were prepared for a nuclear war, and America was far behind; some specialists at this time believed that it was a dangerous plan and that the Soviets would make more missiles to outnumber America’s missiles (Johnson 43,47).

Pressure from the government and Americans made Reagan realize it would be better to make peace with the Soviet Union. As much as Reagan openly opposed Communism, he did not let that get in the way of protecting Americans and creating peace with the Soviet Union. He announced this during a televised press conference, that he was open to peace talks since he realized a nuclear war could never be won (Johnson 44). The buying of expensive, nuclear weapons was economically difficult for the Soviets which made Reagan hope they would soon want to make negotiations (Johnson 43).

Gorbachev, the main leader of the Soviet Union, and Reagan soon met to sign a peace treaty to end the tension of the Cold War. The treaty they agreed upon was the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). Although both Gorbachev and Reagan wanted to make the world a better place, both were rigid in certain areas because they wanted to protect their countries (Ronald Reagan: 100 Years 175). They disagreed on many things, but both decided to put their differences aside and agreed on what to do. The treaty was signed with one of the terms including that both countries greatly reduce the number of nuclear weapons they had within three years. The signing of this treaty showed the ending of the Cold War between the United States and Russia (Johnson 69-71,86). Reagan showed how much he valued a safe America that would have a strong foreign policy.

Another one of the most popular of Reagan’s strong foreign policies was that of his bold stand at the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was a wall that separated East and West Germany, intensely trying to keep Communism away from any freedom. Harrison describes the Berlin Wall this way:

In fact, it was two walls separated by up to 160 yards, and between them was a ‘death strip’ with dogs, guard towers, flood lights, tripwires, anti-vehicle obstacles, and armed guards with shoot-to-kill orders. This 96-mile border encircled democratic, capitalist West Berlin, separating it from communist East Berlin and the surrounding East German countryside. Another barrier, with more than 1 million mines, was erected along the 850-mile border between East and West Germany. All of this was to keep east Germans in, not to keep others out (Harrison).

Because of this outrageously high security, many people died simply trying to escape Communist Berlin (Harrison). Reagan, who despised Communism, wanted to take a stand. At the Berlin Wall, Reagan made a speech directed toward Gorbachev. In this speech, Reagan challenged Gorbachev to have the Berlin Wall brought down (“Ronald Reagan: 100 Years” 176). Although Reagan did not have a part in actually taking down the Berlin Wall, he showed great courage and determination that made him stand out (Harrison).

Ronald Reagan, although once just an actor, showed Americans that he was an intelligent, optimistic, and caring President who had many plans including an effective foreign policy. Ronald Reagan had a positive impact on many people’s lives in many ways. He greatly helped America in having a better economy, stability, and power. He was not only a well-respected President but also a well-respected person for his care for others and his hard work in government.

How much do you know about President Ronald Reagan? Did you know he was an actor for many years before he became President? Did you know President Reagan was the only President, up until current President Donald Trump, to have had a divorce and remarried? Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States of America and he served two terms, from 1981 until 1989. Prior to serving as President, he served as the Governor of California for two terms. The next few paragraphs will cover some interesting facts about his life.

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois. He was the son of Edward “Jack” Reagan and Nelle Wilson Reagan. He had an older brother named Neil Reagan. His father was a shoe salesman and a heavy drinker. His drinking caused many problems, one of which was he was not able to keep the same job for long periods of time causing the family to move often when Ronald and his brother were young. The family finally settled down in Dixon, Illinois in 1920. In Dixon, Reagan’s father, Jack, opened a shoe store. Starting his own business was hard on the family’s budget, but Nelle, Reagan’s mother, always made known to them about how well off they were.

Ronald Reagan and his brother, Neil, attended Dixon High School where he played football and swam on the swim team. He loved swimming most of all. During the summers, when he was off from school, he would lifeguard on the Rock River in Dixon, Illinois. After he graduated from Dixon High School in 1928, he attended Eureka College. He enrolled at Eureka with an athletic scholarship and majored in economics and sociology.

Reagan’s Interests in college included studying, football, track, Student Council President, Captain of the swim team, and acting in school productions. Acting in school productions sparked his interest to continue in an acting career, which he did for many years. While attending Eureka College, he led a successful rally to stop the increase of student tuition. This is when he got his first taste of politics. Reagan and his father loved to watch Franklin Roosevelt speak. After he graduated from Eureka College in 1932 he got a temporary announcing job from WOC, which was a news station in Davenport, Iowa.

While attending a party in 1937, he met a man who got him a screen test at Warner Brothers. Reagan did an amazing job during his screen test and got a seven year contract from Warner Brothers. Over the next 30 years he played in over 50 films. Some of the films he is best known for are: “Knute Rockne”, “All American”, and “Kings Row”. In Knute Rockne, he played the Notre Dame football star George Gipp.

Reagan was married to his first wife, Jane Wyman, in 1940. They had a daughter Maureen and adopted a son Michael. Maureen was born in 1941 and passed away in 2001. Son, Michael, was adopted in 1945 and is still alive today. Reagan and Jane were divorced in 1948. Ronald Reagan was remarried in 1952 to actress Nancy Davis. They had two children, a son and a daughter. Their daughter, Patricia, was born in 1952 and is still alive today. Son, Ronald was born in 1958 and is also still alive today.

In 1964 Reagan gave a speech for the Republican Presidential Candidate, Barry Goldwater, which was well received. Most of America had not heard of him until that speech. Two years later, in 1968, Reagan ran in his first race for political office. Reagan beat Democratic incumbent Edmund “Pat” Brown Sr. in the race for Governor of California, winning by almost a million votes. In 1970, Reagan was up for re-election for Governor of California, which he won.

After making two unsuccessful bids for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1968 and 1976, Reagan won the bid in 1980. Later that year, Reagan won the Presidency beating President Jimmy Carter. George H.W. Bush was named as Reagan’s running mate and they were running against President Jimmy Carter and Vice President Walter Mondale. Reagan won 489 electoral votes, which left 49 for President Jimmy Carter. Reagan had almost 51 percent of the popular vote in his first election, and was the oldest person to be elected President, at the time. He was 69 years old when he was elected President.

While Reagan was known and called by many names, one of them was “The Great Communicator” due to the fact that he was always giving the perfect speech at just the right time. Some of his most notable speeches are the “Evil Empire” speech, the “Star Wars” speech, his 1985 State Of the Union Address, and his “Tear Down This Wall” speech.

On March 30, 1981, two months after his inauguration, John Hinckley Jr. carried out an assassination attempt on President Reagan. He was almost successful in taking the President’s life. Fortunately for President Reagan, Hinckley had bad aim. The assassination attempt was made near a hotel in Washington D.C. One of the bullets went through the President’s lung, narrowly missing his heart. Reagan famously said to Nancy “I should have ducked.” President Reagan worked from the hospital, during his short recovery, and returned to the White House on April 11, 1981.

One of President Reagan’s well known sayings is, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem.” Some of President Reagan’s domestic policies were centered around lowering tax rates, and increases in military spending. He believed the government needed to stay out of the daily life and pocketbook of the American people. His popularity with the American people could be attributed to these views. President Reagan enacted his economics plan which was called Reaganomics. Reaganomics was, and still is, a supper controversial economics plan. Some say that this was an amazing plan to help the economy recover from large amounts of inflation and the sluggish growth of the economy, which lead to the rise of the cost of goods, the increase of unemployment, and higher tax rates. Reagan built his economics plan around the Trickle Down Theory. The Trickle Down Theory stated that if you cut taxes on big corporations they would have more money to spend on hiring more employees, and that would help the unemployment rates. Corporations could also give their employees a raise (or larger raise), which would increase spending on more goods in other markets ultimately helping the economy grow. Some critics say that by cutting taxes it will hurt programs like Social Security and others that help the oppressed. But, that was only one of the four parts of Reaganomics; he also wanted to cut regulations on business, lower the budget that was spent on domestic social programs, and use private companies to do the works of the government services. The deregulation of business would help them to be able to expand and help the economy with the increase of jobs. After President Reagan enacted Reaganomics the economy started to recover from the troubles that it was in.

Reagan took office in 1981, during the middle of the cold war. He is credited with causing the end of the cold war due to the policies against Communism. Reagan implemented a doctrine to try and stomp out the spread of Communism, as well as, end the cold war with the Soviet Union. This was called the Reagan Doctrine. It allowed the government to help fund, train, and arm Guerrilla Communist Resistance Fighters. This was done in Asia, Africa,and Latain America with this they would help to tear down the Communist Party from the inside and weaken them to the point that the Soivut Union would fall in 1991.

President Reagan dealt with a lot of foreign affairs while serving his two terms in office. In his first years as President, he started building up the U.S. military with both troops and weapons. He wanted to develop a way to protect the U.S. from Soviet nuclear missiles from space. In 1982, he sent 800 Marines to Lebanon to help keep the peace in the Middle East. In October of 1983, there was a suicide bombing on the barracks of the Marines who were sent to keep the peace, killing 241 of the American Marines.

In 1985, during his second term, President Reagan formed a relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union. President Reagan held four Summit meetings with Mikhail Gorbachev during his second term in office, between the years of 1985 and 1989. On June 12, 1987, Reagan gave the famous speech “Tear Down This Wall” in West Berlin, challenging Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. Almost two and a half years later the Berlin Wall came down reuniting East Germany and West Germany. Also in 1987, he signed an agreement with Gorbachev to get rid of all intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

President Reagan’s second term ended in 1989. Reagan and his wife, Nancy, moved back to Los Angeles, CA. In 1991, President Reagan opened the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. In 1994, in an open letter to the American People, he told them of his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Back in 1983, President Reagan named the month of November, Alzheimer’s awareness month. On June 5, 2004, at the age of 93, almost ten years after announcing his diagnosis, he passed away. He died in his home, in Los Angeles, California, with Nancy and his family by his side. After the State funeral in Washington D.C., President Ronald Wilson Reagan was laid to rest at his Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

In 2019 the wild fires that broke out in southern California near Los Angeles, came very close to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The Presidential Library is located in the hills around the Simi Valley. The Easy Fire, which started on October 30, 2019 in the Simi Valley, came close to causing around 500,000 dollars worth of damage to the library’s internet systems as well as damaging surrounding gardens and green spaces and their lighting systems. Banners that were hung on the lights were also damaged. Thankfully, none of the Reagan family heirlooms or books were lost in the fire.

Works Cited

1. “Ronald Reagan.” The White House. The United States Government. Accessed December 9,
2. 2019. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/ronald-reagan/.
3. History.com Editors. “Ronald Reagan.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, November 9, 2009. https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/ronald-reagan.
4. “Ronald Reagan.” Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, October 10, 2019. https://www.biography.com/people/ronald-reagan-9453198.
5. History.com Editors. “Here’s Why Reaganomics Is so Controversial.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, April 17, 2018. https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/heres-why-reaganomics-is-so-controversial-video.
6. Pruitt, Sarah. “The Myth That Reagan Ended the Cold War With a Single Speech.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, May 1, 2018. https://www.history.com/news/ronald-reagan-tear-down-this-wall-speech-berlin-gorbachev.
7. “Ronald Reagan: Foreign Policy.” Khan Academy. Khan Academy. Accessed December 10, 2019. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/modern-us/1980s-america/a/ronald-reagan-as-president-part-2-foreign-policy.
8. Longley, Robert. “The Reagan Doctrine: To Wipe Out Communism.” ThoughtCo. ThoughtCo, May 8, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-reagan-doctrine-and-communism-4571021.
9. Rafferty, John P. “‘Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!’: Reagan’s Berlin Speech.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Accessed December 10, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/story/mr-gorbachev-tear-down-this-wall-reagans-berlin-speech.
10. Sanchez, Ray, and Stella Chan. “Wildfire Caused $500,000 in Damage at Reagan Presidential Library.” CNN. Cable News Network, November 19, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/us/california-easy-fire-reagan-library-damage/index.html.

Introduction to Reagan’s Presidency

Ronald Reagan was an above-average president. He strongly believed that communism was detrimental to America and the world, and he worked hard to bring it down. Reagan was well-liked by most Americans, who viewed him as an approachable, down-to-earth, good-natured president.

Economic Reforms and Achievements

President Reagan had many goals involving domestic and foreign affairs during his presidency. When President Reagan came to office, America’s economy was a mess. Thousands of people were out of jobs, businesses were closing down by the day, inflation was out of control and interest rates were high. Reagan helped America by lowering income taxes which he achieved by passing the Economic Recovery Tax Acts. Essentially, these Acts lowered income taxes, providing people with more money and allowing them to spend more to help increase the economy. Another one of his primary goals was to eliminate the communist belief system, including defeating the Soviet Union in the Cold War.

Controversies and Scandals

Reagan made it his goal to prevent communism from spreading. To accomplish this goal, Reagan implemented the Reagan Doctrine in 1985, which focused on helping anti-communist rebel groups globally, in the hope that they could bring their communist governments down.

Although Reagan appointed many exceptional people for his cabinet and administration, not all of his appointees made the best decisions for America. 1983 Reagan assigned Robert Carl McFarlane as his National Security Advisor. McFarlane’s job was to help Reagan with national problems and foreign policy affairs. In 1985, when Iran and Iraq were at war, Iran secretly contacted America, who wanted to buy weapons from us. Instead of dealing with things legally, McFarlane wanted to sell ammunition to Iran, which was illegal at the time, in hope that it might help improve our relationships not only in Iran but in many Middle Eastern countries as well. Also, American officials in the Reagan administration sought to use the proceeds from weapons sales to Iran to provide funding for the contras in Nicaragua. Over 15,000 missiles were sold to Iran. Then, in November 1986, a Lebanese newspaper discovered America and Iran’s trading system and published it to the public. Word was out: Reagan was giving weapons to terrorists and it all started with Robert Carl McFarlane’s consent to doing this.

The general view was that Robert Carl McFarlane had failed his job as a National Security Advisor. Now that this information was known to the public, Reagan addressed the nation. At first, he claimed to know nothing about this situation, but then he returned his statement. This reflected poorly on him and Reagan’s approval rate went down since people had a hard time believing him. This ordeal was considered Reagan’s most significant failure. His entire life, Reagan was very open about his feelings toward terrorists, and his campaign guaranteed that he would never support terrorists. Due to McFarlane, Reagan was actually aiding the terrorist-supporting regime in Iran, making Reagan appear as if he no longer kept his word. Additionally, Oliver North, America’s Marine Corps lieutenant colonel at the time, was taking the money that America received from giving Iran weapons and giving it to the Contras in Nicaragua to help fight them against their government! Both these men were appointed by Reagan to help America and make it more secure. Nothing makes a nation feel more insecure than having its government participate in secret deals with other countries and aiding terrorists of any kind. Both men simply failed at their job. Both weakened the nation’s sense of security with Reagan and replaced it with doubtfulness, insecurity, and fear.

Challenges with Congress and Domestic Policies

When Reagan came into office, the House of Representatives was Democratic, and the Senate was a Republican. The Liberal House made it harder for Reagan to accomplish things such as pass tax cuts, increase military spending, and lower government funding, Six years into his presidency, the Republicans lost the Senate to the Democrats. Reagan had a hard time getting things done with congress and many times had to try to convince Democrats from the House through letters.

Reagan faced many domestic challenges. One approach he used to overcome them was not procrastinating. One example of how Reagan was successful by not delaying, was with the economy. As soon as Reagan got into office, he immediately prepared legislation for Congress to enact to help America’s economy. He acted very smartly and very quickly. He devoted much time considering different solutions to help America’s economy and then settled upon one approach that he believed would work and attempted to put it into action right away. Reagan was successful in persuading Congress to implement tax cut acts as early as 1982 (with the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act). Reagan’s economic strategies are often referred to as “Reaganomics” and they were considered his greatest accomplishment. His tax cuts and his lowering of government domestic program funds helped the economy grow in a way no one thought was possible. Millions of jobs and businesses were created, which provided many opportunities to people who desperately needed them. Moreover, America’s flourishing economy helped the country stand strong during the cold war, while the Soviet Union collapsed due to its weak economy.

Reagan resolved foreign affairs by not being afraid to take initiative. He reached out to different countries in ways many presidents would have been afraid to do. When Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union, in 1985, Reagan had all the reason to have a less than cordial relationship with him. Instead, Reagan saw this as a new opportunity to repair ties with the Soviet Union. He reached out, took initiative, and even invited Gorbachev to the U.S.

Reagan was patient, a good listener, yet stubborn. His patience is seen during the cold war. Although his first meeting with Gorbachev didn’t produce anything significant, he still invited Gorbachev to meet again on friendly terms. Reagan’s patience worked to his advantage because eventually he and Gorbachev signed “The Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles,” which limited weapons for America and the Soviet Union.

In addition to being patient, Reagan was stubborn, especially regarding communism. He was unwilling to compromise with the Soviet Union and couldn’t imagine it staying communist forever. This strong-willed part of his personality is one of the factors responsible for ending the cold war. Reagan couldn’t bear to have the communist Soviet Union spreading its doctrine under his rule; he did everything he could to stop it.

Legacy and Impact: The Lasting Influence of Reagan’s Presidency

Reagan was a president who listened to others. He didn’t expect to get exactly what he wanted. Not only was he prepared to negotiate, but he also wanted to do so. The Soviet Union leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, wrote in A President Who Listened (after Reagan’s passing): “ True, Reagan was a man of the right. But, while adhering to his convictions, with which one could agree or disagree, he was not dogmatic; he was looking for negotiations and cooperation.” This quote shows that Reagan did not make decisions against communism by himself. Reagan met and discussed with Mikhail Gorbachev, who was technically the leader of the “enemy” (the Soviet Union). He aimed to make decisions that would benefit the world as a whole. He met with the Soviet leader, heard what he had to say, and together, they worked to try and create solutions to make the world safer.

Like all other presidents, Reagan had his fans and his critics. Ben T. Elliott, Director of White House Speech Writing during Reagan’s time, wrote: “[Reagan] transformed a sputtering U.S. economy into a rocket of growth that led to a generation of prosperity.” On the other hand, Ben Gran, former Public Affairs Specialist and Executive writer for Governor Tom Vilsack (D-IA), in a May 6, 2016 article for Paste Magazine titled ‘Ronald Reagan Is Way Overrated, and We Need to Come to Our Sense: A Magnum Opus,’ wrote: “Ronald Reagan wasn’t brilliant; he was just really, really lucky – he was wrong about lots of things, but he still managed to bumble his way through without starting World War III. He wasn’t a visionary; he was a one-trick pony who kept peddling the same tired Cold War ideas that had bogged America down for decades. He wasn’t brave; he was willfully oblivious.” Both these quotes show that Reagan had people who loved him and people like Gov. Vilsack who didn’t. He did have a slight edge though, since his approval rate among the American people was 53% during his time, a little more than half. Regardless of whether people liked him or not, he was immensely respected by most people for providing America with the strong comeback they desperately needed, which was no easy feat.

Numerous presidents altered and adopted many of Reagan’s policies, ideas, and economic strategies. One example of a president who did this was one of Reagan’s successors, President George W. Bush. Bush’s tax cuts were very similar to Reagan’s in the way that the goal was to lower taxes to create economic growth.

An everyday person was greatly impacted by Reagan and his decisions. Thanks to him, Communist Soviet Union is no longer the threat it once was. Without Reagan’s tactics and strategies, America could still be having a cold war with Russia for all we know. People living in the present have Reagan to thank for making America feel safer.

With a collapsing economy, a population with low morale, and communism spreading all over the world, Ronald Reagan came into his presidency and took these problems in stride. He managed to make progress on each of these hot-button concerns when no one thought solutions were possible. Ronald Reagan, an above-average president, worked hard and succeeded in helping to make America great again.

Ronald Reagan Ends the Cold War

“Here’s my strategy on the Cold War: we win, they lose.”1- Ronald Reagan. While simple in its idea, Reagan did what he promised. While Reagan may not have “won” the Cold War per se, he did navigate his way through the prospect of a possible nuclear war. Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War through his unwavering confrontation with the Soviet Union by first challenging and condemning the Soviet Union through his rhetoric, demanding the destruction of the Berlin Wall, and finally negotiating a peace agreement with the Soviet Union to end the war.

Reagan’s first tactic was to continually condemn and challenge the Soviet Union. During his first term, Reagan wanted to implant the idea that the Soviet Union was a force to be reckoned with, calling it the ‘Evil Empire’, which angered many Soviets2. This name-calling revealed to the Soviet Union that Reagan was not going to back down. Shortly after, Reagan started to make decisions to further weaken the Soviet Union’s power. One of his first actions was cutting off trade with the Soviet Union. Security Adviser William Clark declared in late 1982: ‘For as long as the Soviet Union continues to … divert its resources into a massive military buildup, the United States–at a minimum–will not contribute to that process by providing the technology, hardware, or credits to make these Soviet tasks easier.’3 If the Soviet Union wanted to maintain its status as a superpower, the US would do what it can to prevent that. In 1982, Caspar Weinberg, a member of the Reagan Administration stated that ‘Selling them our valuable technology upon which we have historically based much of our security is short-sightedness raised to the level of a crime.’4, an early sign that the US was trying to slow down the Soviet Union’s build-up of its military. The US realized that they could not stop these efforts alone, so Reagan set up meetings with European countries to try and get more help in neutralizing the Soviet Union’s military5. Reagan officials held meetings to discuss the Soviet Union’s behavior and how to keep them in check. ‘I think that it would help bring about such a meeting if the Soviet Union revealed that it is willing to moderate its imperialism; its aggression [against] Afghanistan would be an example,’ Reagan said when asked about the meetings. ‘We could talk a lot better if there was some indication that they truly wanted to be a member of the peace-loving nations of the world, the free world… *’6. The Soviet Union showed no signs of stopping its aggression toward other countries and Reagan was aware of this. At a COCOM (Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls) meeting to discuss how to deal with exports to the SU, Reagan convinced other European countries to moderate the exportation of certain software, manufacturing, machine tools, and robotics to the SU. Jentleson, a member of the Reagan Administration observed that the ‘Europeans were willing to strengthen the strategic embargo: they were not willing to adopt a strategy of all-out cold economic warfare directed toward causing an implosion of the Soviet Union.’7 While Europe was cautious to fully commit to the idea of conflict with the Soviet Union, Reagan did not believe any negotiations or agreements could be reached with the Soviet Union and wanted to prepare for the worst. When the idea of arms control was proposed, Reagan’s administration completely dismissed the idea of it, with Secretary Haig saying ‘Arms control is no longer the centerpiece of U.S.-Soviet relations,’ Haig asserted in the summer of 1981. ‘The centerpiece must be what contributes to the security of the American people, to international peace and stability. ‘8. Reagan did not believe that the Soviet Union would suddenly limit its military, so he decided that the US should not either for its own safety. Reagan took the actions of the SU very seriously, and to show that he wasn’t going to back down, instead of arms control he expanded the spending and funding of the military, over a trillion dollars on the military alone9. Reagan also built a defense system against a possible Soviet missile attack, effectively countering the strength of the SU, and even deployed his own missiles in Europe, further testing the SU10. Reagan planted the idea that the US was not scared of the Soviet Union or even war between the countries by matching the moves made by the Soviet Union. In all, Reagan used his strong, aggressive diplomacy skills to wear down the SU. He used the embargo as a way to make the SU negotiate, to let them know that the US was not negotiating until real concessions were met. Reagan knew that if he kept putting pressure on the SU by luring them to spend more money than their economy would eventually collapse under the weight of all the spending11.

One of the most famous legacies of both the Cold War and Reagan’s presidency was the speech made at the Berlin Wall. The wall was originally built in 1961 as a result of the separation of powers in Berlin after WW2. Prior to the wall, many people in the USSR section left for the French, US, or English sectors, so they built the Berlin Wall to force people to stay. From the very moment of its construction, it became a sign of division in Europe and a sign of oppression of the Soviet people12. When asked about the wall, Reagan responded that it was a “symbol of power untamed” and a “dreadful gray gash”13. The wall was both a physical and symbolic barrier; it separated the democrats and communists throughout Europe by dividing Berlin and Germany. In addition to separating countries, it also separated families and isolated people living in Berlin. Since many could not get past the wall some tried climbing over it and died as a result14. Reagan made it his mission to take down the wall and on June 12, 1987, standing on a podium right by the wall, Reagan uttered the famous words, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”15. This sent locals into a frenzy of happiness 16, they were no longer separated, bound in like prisoners from the rest of Europe. They were no longer separated from their families, they were finally free. The fall of the Berlin wall was a major turning point: It affected diplomatic and government powers by showing that capitalism is a more stable form of the economy than communism, which led to the fall of other communist countries17. The fall was a sign of the new relationship between the US and the Soviet Union; just a few years prior there would have been no chance Reagan would have even been allowed to visit the Berlin Wall, nonetheless causing its destruction. The fall revealed that the Soviet reign and oppression were coming to an end and that the Cold War would finally be over.

Prior to Reagan’s Berlin Wall speech, in 1985, the leadership of the Soviet Union changed, and along with it so did the course of the rest of the war. That year Mikhail Gorbachev was elected. He had a new vision for SU, he wanted to focus less on the military and more on fixing the broken economy 18. Gorbachev had a different plan for the war than past leaders, he was much more focused on ending the war peacefully so he could restore the economy brought to shambles as a result of all the spending on nuclear weapons and the military in order to keep up with Reagan’s accelerated military build of US forces. He realized that in order to keep the Soviet economy from utterly collapsing, an end to nuclear testing and military spending must be in order. In order for this to happen, he needed to ease relations with their arch-enemy, the US. He ordered a halt to all nuclear testing, declared that he will remove Soviet forces from Afghanistan, and announced a reduction in the number of Soviet missiles in Europe all to ease tensions between the two countries19. Gorbachev’s new outlook was outright revolutionary, and Reagan realized this. When asked about Gorbachev after a meeting between the two, Reagan stated that ‘There was something likable about Gorbachev. There was warmth in his face and style. We shook hands like friends.’20 Reagan was not hostile towards the new Soviet leader like he was before with Konstantin Chernenko, he realized Gorbachev was someone who would be willing to negotiate a peaceful end to the Cold War. As a response to Gorbachev’s action to change the Soviet Union, Reagan himself underwent a change. Reagan changed his views on the Soviet Union and the war, backing away from the aggressive, threatening attitude towards the Soviet Union and adopting a more welcoming tone in order to convince Gorbachev that the US will support his new course for the Soviet Union21. Reagan knew that in order for the war to end, he too had to change his outlook on the war and the nation that he called the “Evil Empire” just years prior. Reagan, having quickly dismissed the idea of arms control years before, gave in to the idea. He declared that ‘Our approach, will be designed to take into account concerns the Soviet Union has voiced.’22 and ‘Nuclear arsenals are far too high, ’23. The Reagan administration was, for the first time, taking action and going out of its way to pursue arms control and beginning actual negotiations of peace. While at the beginning of the war, Reagan was quick to match the SU in terms of military strength, regarding the collapse of the SU economy and a new leader in Gorbachev, Reagan changed his mindset towards one of armistice and peace that led to the Cold War to a peaceful end.

Through initially condemning the Soviet Union, Reagan conveyed that he was not scared of the Soviet Union and that he would not back down. By challenging SU to take down the Berlin Wall, Reagan inspired hope that Soviet oppression was ending. Finally, by changing his mindset towards the Soviet Union, Reagan played a major role in navigating the course that in the end led to a peaceful ending to the Cold War.

Bibliography

1. “Cold War Quotes (82 Quotes).” Goodreads. Accessed December 11, 2019. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/cold-war.
2. DOBSON, ALAN P. ‘The Reagan Administration, Economic Warfare, and Starting to Close Down the Cold War.’ Diplomatic History 29, no. 3 (2005): 531-56. www.jstor.org/stable/24915133.
3. Fischer, Beth A. ‘Toeing the Hardline? The Reagan Administration and the Ending of the Cold War.’ Political Science Quarterly 112, no. 3 (Fall 1997): 477-496. Accessed November 6, 2019. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2657567.
4. Leffler, Melvyn P. ‘Ronald Reagan, and the Cold War: What Mattered Most.’ TNSR. Accessed October 23, 2019. https://tnsr.org/2018/05/ronald-reagan-and-the-cold-war-what-mattered-most/.
5. Pruitt, Sarah. ‘The Myth That Reagan Ended the Cold War with a Single Speech.’ History.com. Last modified October 19, 2018. Accessed October 23, 2019. https://www.history.com/news/ronald-reagan-tear-down-this-wall-speech-berlin-gorbachev.
6. Ratnesar, Romesh. Tear down This Wall: A City, a President, and the Speech That Ended the Cold War. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009.
7. R., Sean, and Dominic S. ‘The Significance of the Wall.’ Go to the Cover Page Of, St Patrick’s College Strathfield, 2012, berlinwall.pressbooks.com/ chapter/the-significance-of-the-wall/.
8. Talbott, Strobe. ‘Reagan and Gorbachev: Shutting the Cold War Down.’ Brookings. Last modified August 4, 2004. Accessed October 27, 2019. http://Talbott, Strobe. ‘Reagan and Gorbachev: Shutting the Cold War Down.’ Brookings, Brookings, 7 Aug. 2016, www.brookings.edu/articles/reagan-and-gorbachev-shutting-the-cold-war-down/.

There are many great men in history such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, etcetera, but what makes them “great”? Could it be the grit to move forward, the ability of perseverance that keeps them going? Maybe, integrity of spirit and mind that defines themselves as a special person? Is passion the drive that continues to give man the will of action to make small things grand. All these qualities and more are involved in the construction of such men. One man improticular named Ronald Wilson Reagan forced himself to continue growing which helped intune him into a great man. His life started out very simple but he had an american dream which drove him to grow. Forging his own path forward which made him one of the most influential people in the world. This influential power helped to manufacture the world around us today. Whether bad or good the impact that Ronald Reagan had won’t be forgotten. Through his Life, that brought many joy and peace, his acting, which caused many to feel many different emotions (happy, sad, angry). Finally the most important his Presidency where he brought a nation together through his warm simple smile, comforting speeches, and gentle personality.

Tampico, Illinois, February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born to a small family. His father was John Reagan and his mother was Nellie Reagan. His father when he was younger named him little dutch boy. This was because he resembled a heavy set little dutch blonde boy. He was graduate of Dixon High school in 1928 and then attended Eureka college. During this time he earned a degree in economics and sociology graduating in 1932. Afterwards receiving his first job as a baseball announcer in Iowa.

A little bit later Reagan did a screen test for Warner Brothers. Afterwards they hired him with a seven year contract. Not long after he was put into his first movie called “Love is in the Air.” Where he played as a News reporter in the film. His two most famous movies were Knute Rockne all American where he said the famous line, “Win one for the Gipper,” which was used in his campaign slogan. The other movie was Kings Row. In Kings Row he played an amputee who had lost his legs. These movies began to make him more famous but sadly World War 2 struck which hurt his career. He tried to serve but couldn’t because of poor eyesight, so Instead made instruction videos. After the war he only took minor roles. His last movie was “The Killers.” in this film he was finally made a villain because throughout his career Reagan never played a bad guy and desired to try something new. Overall he acted in fifty plus movies. Although the movie career ended he ended up hosting “The General Electric Theater.” Up to this moment he had many democratic viewpoints which eventually switched while he was on the show. Traveling around the country speaking about wasteful government spending, influenced him into eventually switching political parties from democrat to republican. Because he felt that his opinions could prosper in that party.

During this time Reagan had been in a relationship with Jane Wyman. He married her in 1940 and they had a kid. Sadly the marriage didn’t work out and they divorced in 1948. Leaving Reagan uncomfortable with the thought of marrying again. Even when he met Nancy Davis, in Hellcats he wasn’t sure if wanted to be in a relationship after Wyman. Eventually deciding to give it a try caused them to be inseparable, two kindred spirits. They married in 1952 having two kids their daughter Patricia Ann and son Ronald. Happily married until the day of his death.

Before being president Reagan had a short political career. This included being elected governor of California twice. While Reagan was governor he was still a democrat and allowed abortion. This is what he regretted allowing the most in his entire career. Later on reagan supported Goldwater in the presidential election of 1964. Then he supported himself in the`1980 election against Jimmy Carter, who was a Peanut farmer. He and his Vice President HW Bush won.

He was the 40th president of the United States as well as the oldest president ever. He and Nancy redecorated the White House making it more comfortable and updated. Not long after being elected they was an assassination attempt on Reagan’s life. John Hinckley Jr. shot him narrowly missing his heart piercing one of his lungs. Afterwards he told Nancy with his warm hearted humor that “He forgot to duck.” John Hinckley Jr. was then arrested. Shortly after the incident he instantly started working with an embargo on the Soviet Union. Next he added Sandra Day, O’connor as the first women to the supreme court. Continuing his work he signed The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which was passed to increase the federal revenue. Later on he visited two hundred German, gravesite wreath ceremony. This honored the men even some who were nazis. Many were aggravated after this but he gave a speech which smoved things over. While he was President the country hadn’t had such a strong economy in years. He accomplished this through his economic scheme known as Reaganomics. This was a different idea of how to handle economics because it involved lowering taxes versus increasing them. He also signed the Gramm-Rudman Reduction bill which controlled federal spending. One thing he signed which caused much controversy was the law that prohibited abortion.

Sadly everybody makes mistakes and Ronald Reagan could as well. Despite all the great things he accomplished Reagan unfortunately created the Iran Contra affair. This was where the United States sold Illegal arms to Iran. They made a profit of ten million and thirty million dollars. An entire investigation occured throwing the White House into a little chaos. Ronald Reagan ended up taking full responsibility with a speech apologizing for all the actions he took. Eventually he gave his farewell address and his former vice president HW Bush became the 41st president.

Although Ronald Reagan is remembered for his firm hand in economics. The most famous part of his presidency was his handle of the Communism and the Cold War. The Cold war wasn’t fought with weapons but was more of a competition between two countries. The United States and the USSR. Each country trying to spread what they thought was the perfect political government. Ronald Reagan is remembered for being one of the reasons communism fell. In June 1982 he gave a speech on freedom from Marxist-Leninism. Reagan called them the “Evil Empire which scared many people. He challenged the leader Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin wall. Then Reagan and Gorbachev dismantled of nuclear weapons, because for years each country was scared that the other would bomb them. Just in case Reagan dreamt up the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) which was a satellite that would protect from nuclear attacks. He also met with Gorbachev several times which helped in turn to bringing the Soviets down.

After being President Ronald Reagan wrote his own autobiography, “An American Life.” He also started constructing his own memorabilia/library supervising it himself. Although he wasn’t president anymore Reagan still traveled speaking around the country. He had to arrive at a case discussing the Iran Contra affair but he was quoted on saying he couldn’t remembered. After feeling embarrassed he visited a doctor and discovered that he unfortunately had alzheimer’s. He gave his final speech saying that it was a “Sunset on his life.” Afterwards he disappeared from public life. He passed away several years later in 2004. Sceptics say that his economic policy may have seemed fine while in action actually caused America to become more in debt. Others say he wasn’t great because people are angered on how he handled women, drugs, and aids. Many like to say since Reagan was an actor he was just a puppet president. Which is somebody who is just a face rather than the one making the decisions. Despite this he will be remembered for fighting big Government, and always having a Charismatic and charming personality.

One thing that many take for granted was his fear of God. He was a religious man who prayed throughout his political career and believed America needed the Bible. Many times he was quoted saying “I am accused of being simplistic at times, but within that single Book are all the answers to all the problems that face us.” Another thing Reagan believed was wisdom was from God, saying “When we open ourselves to Him, we gain not only moral courage but intellectual strength.” Prayer was so influential in the Presidents life. During his campaign he brought up a couple of times that somebody who didn’t pray and had the “awesome responsibilities” of president would be “absurd.” Like President Eisenhower, Reagan prayed before each cabinet meeting. He also gave a speech in February 1983 where Reagan spoke about prayer saying “I know at times we feel that perhaps in our prayers we ask too much. Or possibly we feel something isn’t important enough to be bothering God with it, maybe we should let Him decide these things.” Using the power of prayer Reagan would call families who had lost loved ones that were marines. Asking if they “Should say a little prayer.” Prayer and God definitely had an influence on Reagan.

Ronald Wilson Reagan accomplished many different things in his life. Through all of it growing and maturing into the president that he became. His acting career in Kings row and Knute Rockne All American plus all his other films. Through his different family problems. Such as his divorce which forced him to grow and learn about how to have a healthy relationship. His kids and America taught him how to be a father. His experience as Governor of California helped shaped many aspects of his life. From his mistakes to the victories he reached. Just looking at his life he started small a nobody from Tampico Illinois to the most important man in the country. All it took was a little faith and the will to keep moving.

Was Ronald Reagan great? Did he have passion the fire the will to move forward and persevere to make things happen? Integrity and grit inside him to be a man who was grand. Did he throw himself at everything he accomplished? Reagan took life and attacked from the beginning till the end (alzheimer’s). In his life he had acted in over fifty movies and been president of the United States. He had grit to move himself to a place that wasn’t easy. Reagan did not instantly become President he had perseverance to work his way to reach his goal. The passion and fire of his country inside of him which powered his will to move forward. In addition he also had the power of prayer which helped fuel him. Kept him going through the thick and thin. Whether somebody believes God is real Reagan wouldn’t have been the president he was without Him.

Ronald Reagan will always be remembered as one of the greatest presidents of all time. His actions still affect us today and teach us how to grow. His life is an example of the American dream. Growth and opportunity might only come once so grab it by the horns and continue moving forward like Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan’s legacy only grows as people realize how influential he truly was. No matter the age anybody can change the world. Reagan showed this when he became the oldest man ever elected as president at the age of 69 until recently Trump took that record. Despite everything mentioned in this paper Reagan accomplished other things as president such as raising the tax on gas five cents more etc… There was no puppet only a person who was willing to put his country before himself. As the great president JFK said “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” Reagan lived by this putting his country before himself. Through his long life, extensive acting career, and finally his great presidency.

On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle “The Challenger” broke up 73 seconds after liftoff, and all seven crew members on board were killed. Almost immediately, Ronald Reagan had been given the task to give a speech that would put the nation at ease. On the same day at 5 p.m., he sat down in the Oval Office at the White House and gave his speech. His address was broadcast live on nationwide radio and television. Reagan’s audience consisted of people of all ages and different races, but some points in his speech were directly addressed to the families of the crew members. In this speech, Reagan acknowledges the heroism of the crew while mourning with their families. Although he was given little time to prepare the speech, it turned out to be very effective.

His hook indicated that he was just as surprised by this tragedy as anyone else in the audience. This made it easier for not only him to empathize with the audience, but it made it easier for the audience to empathize with him. Ronald Reagen had to have a sense of confidence, emotional steadiness, and steadfastness all at the same time. The most effective way he could do this was through his careful use of tone. His speech had a firmness to it that helped restore balance to the audience. Reagan used words like “daring, “brave”, and “faith”, which was somewhat comforting to the audience.

In his speech, Reagan used pathos when responding to the “heightened emotions of a country in a crisis”. When acknowledging that seven people lost their lives in this tragic accident, he discusses it candidly and calmly. Instead of dwelling on the misfortune, he redirects the emotional focus onto a celebration of the astronauts’ lives. He also uses a bit of ethos by “highlighting the admirable characters of each crew member and reflecting on their virtues”.

The length of the speech was very short, taking only four minutes to complete. But although it was short and sweet, it was very effective. The structure of the speech was made to be very straightforward. It had small paragraphs that consisted of small sentences almost the whole way through. “The elaborate language of the final line is made to stand out in contrast to the short sentences and candid vocabulary of the preceding text.” Reagan was able to deliver this speech effectively, clearly, and calmly with little preparation. His attentive and moving explanation further enhanced the speech’s accessibility and easily made this speech one of his most powerful speeches during his presidency.

President Reagan wrapped up his speech with a poem. His poetic final sentence gives an emotional goodbye to the lost astronauts. It secured the memory of their passing and the success and effectiveness of the speech itself. Throughout this speech, Reagan was not talking about dead people, he was talking about American heroes. He attempts to make sense of this pain by viewing their deaths from a historical view. This provided a bigger picture of human discovery and peril, which the crew members on “The Challenger” were an important part of. Overall, the speech proved to be very effective for the mourning families of the crew members and the entire nation.

Introduction

To say that masculinity was more prominent as a concept in the Reagan Era than it is now or earlier, would not be entirely true. All through the ages, there have been men (and women as well) whose perceptions of the male body have been influenced by the physical attributes of public figures. Masculinity and femininity are two basic concepts that are likely to create a debate in any kind of society. Whether the discussion takes place in a society that lives below the poverty line or whether it is taken up in a very high and affluent society, there is no doubt that there will be more than one view on the subject. To understand what these terms mean to different people, it would be essential to look at the political scene that has been referred to – the Reagan era.

Historical background

No study would be complete without a thorough background study. From 1980 to 1992, which is referred to as the Reagan Era, the views of this Republican were both praised as well as made fun of. There was a general tendency among his people to push things under the carpet for reasons best known to them. There was always an underlying thought that most Americans had during his tenure: practically everything was fine and there was nothing much to worry about. They were given the impression that everything was also under control and that nothing was very wrong with the politics or economy of the US. His introduction of “Reaganomics” seemed to put people at rest at least temporarily.

Masculinity – an issue?

It is very important to understand why masculinity is an issue that people have to debate so much. All through civilization, there has been a kind of pattern that has evolved. It would usually be the males in any society who would try to show their maleness and their manliness by taking part in all sorts of fights, competitions, and anything to prove that they were physically a lot more powerful than females. This was done, whether or not the person was rich or poor, black or white. It was necessary to show their superiority over others. Therefore, the males in all societies tried to make their mark either by killing other people or by taking over villages and sometimes even countries.

Also, masculinity came to be considered an important thing from the very beginning because, the men who wanted a particular woman as his wife or bride could do so, by proving their masculinity or in other words power as a man. He would try to impress her with acts of bravery and courage and try to overcome all sorts of problems and obstacles all for his sake.

This is probably one of the most debatable points that have been raised by people right through the ages. To understand how and why masculinity is so important, it would be good to go back to our descent from the apes. There are quite a few authors who have spoken about how as primates we tend to do the same thing as monkeys. We try to make a mark on other people by following socially accepted standards for looking good. In the case of monkeys, the alpha male in a troop likes to mark his territory and his authority within a troop; he also tries to do the same by courting the female of his species in other troops as well. To do this, he might have to prove his physical strength over other males like him.

There are many tribal communities in many parts of the world, that still have a few customs where a man is asked to make a show of physical strength before he takes a bride. He might have to fight another person, or he might have to do something to prove his physical strength. Today, this has changed. Only a symbolic show of strength is done today, as there are very few tribal communities today who follow all the customs that their ancestors used to.

Till very recently, most people thought that only women were concerned about looking good; it was the generally accepted idea that most women, irrespective of age wanted to ensure that they were physically attracted to the opposite sex and in some cases to the same sex as well! It is the same even now, though the circumstances are different. Nobody fights duels or wrestles with lions anymore, instead, there is a conscious effort made by a man to impress the woman who he would like to have as his companion.

Hard vs. soft

Being an actor, Reagan was looked upon as a kind of symbol of what masculinity should be. He seemed to project the idea of every man being very powerful and also a no-nonsense individual. Most of his movies portrayed him as a typical American hero, who was strong enough to put down any resistance. What added to this image were his political beliefs and economic policies. Since he was constantly trying to tell the men of the nation that they should stand up for their rights, most people felt the need to identify with Reagan’s idea of a full-blooded male. Susan Jeffords in her book, Hard Bodies, speaks about how the physical image of Reagan could have influenced people in such a way as to make his economic policies more acceptable “the correspondences between the public and popular images of ‘Ronald Reagan’ and the action-adventure Hollywood films that portrayed many of the same narratives of heroism, success, achievement, toughness, strength, and ‘good old Americanness’ that made the Reagan Revolution possible.”

Maybe, Reagan was also trying to be better than one of his predecessors, Nixon, who was generally known for his not-too-harsh reactions to the problems faced by most Americans, such as the Vietnam issue.

There has been a constant debate on what was right and what was wrong about America’s involvement in Vietnam. Many feel that people did not openly oppose what the government tried to do. Therefore the idea of softness in the attitude of people is mentioned. In her book, Susan Jeffords speaks about the hard body which symbolizes the hard and firm attitude of the America of the Reagan era thus: “that America had entered a period of fundamental decline, reversing its history. This prompted new worries about the people’s vigor and ambition, industriousness and will” (Jeffords, Susan. Hard Bodies: Hollywood Masculinity in the Reagan Era. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1994).

Impact of films

It would be relevant to mention here an important contribution from the field of cinema: Rambo, which was based on the life of a person who impressed people with his masculinity. Most of the films that are mentioned by Jeffords in her book talk only about the male heroes, their masculinity or their maleness, the fact that they are male and feel good about their bodies. She does not mention other movies that showed men in different roles like Tootsie where the man is dressed up like a woman or Amadeus which talks about the life of the famous composer Mozart or other movies like The Elephant Man. These movies did not show men as “hard bodies”; instead they showed images of men who were not the same as what people expected a man to be. Most people expect that men should be strong and muscular and be capable of coping with any kind of stress or problem. They also think that it is not good for a man to cry. If he does cry, then he is said to be a weakling who cannot take the problems of life. This is the reason why Jeffords says that people were more concerned or influenced by these images: “were largely and consistently concerned with portrayals of white male action heroes.”

Jeffords also analyses Rambo as a character in tune with Reagan’s thinking of a man and his physique, which represented the power that he could have over his enemies. She opined that through films like Rambo, Reagan was able to put across to people his foreign policies, especially about the Soviet Union. Apart from this, the movies like Rambo also helped to get people to cope with internal and domestic issues like terrorism. Jeffords says: “the Rambo films worked out the Reagan foreign policy through battles with the Soviet Union, these films work out the Reagan domestic policy through homefront battles with internal enemies of Reaganism: terrorism, lawlessness, disloyalty and the deterioration of the family”.

The gender issue

Despite the obvious references to ‘hard’ and ‘soft’, it is quite interesting to know why this has become such a hot topic for discussion. To understand this better, it would be necessary to think of the psychological makeup of those who have some fixed ideas about the gender issue. Many people all over the world associate the word ‘strong’ with man and the word ‘weak’ with a woman. The point that I am trying to make here is not whether this is the right attitude or not; the point is to find out why this attitude came up in the first place.

Many centuries ago, there was a time when the man went out to hunt and the woman stayed back to tend the young. The roles were more or less demarcated and hence a man needed to be physically strong; if he was not so, he would be killed by the beast that he went hunting and hence not be able to take care of his family.

Over the years, this feeling of physical strength in a man has become more and more emphasized in various fields. Whether it is the defense forces, or in any other job, physical strength is looked at as a good attribute. Today, things are far more different than what they were centuries ago. This despite the fact, that men like Reagan tried to promote themselves and his officers as physically fit people, capable of taking on the most fearful enemies. Jeffords, therefore, speaks about this in her book thus: “Reagan, like Robocop, touted himself as the defender of the average citizen who needed a break from too much government.”

It is interesting to note, that not everybody was impressed by this apparent show of strength. People felt it was like having all froth and no beer when they realized that Reagan’s policies both at home and abroad did not achieve what they promised to. The administration under Reagan was accused of a lot of fraud and scandal, something that came to light, rather late.

The Contra scandal and other such problems, made people sit up and think of all the promises that Reagan had made in the earlier past. He had tried to portray himself as a powerful person, in whom the whole idea of masculinity was personified. He also ensured that most of his lieutenants followed in his footsteps. He thought that by showing the American male to be someone capable of vanquishing all his enemies just with physical power, he would be able to convey to the world, that no country could mess with America. This is as an attitude seemed to be quite unreal for Jeffords. She does not seem to have much respect in actual terms for the masculinity demonstrated during the Reagan era – “[The] articulations of bodies constituted the imaginary of the Reagan agenda and the site of its materialization.” This statement makes it very clear that Jeffords is a person who analyses an issue before taking it at face value. She is keener on pointing out the problems that should have been faced by Reagan and his crew, which were instead glossed over.

Conclusion and further research

Whether it is Rambo or Hard Bodies, there is no doubt that the overall idea of masculinity or what a male should be, influences the thought and writing of many people in America. This is certainly not confined to the Reagan era and can be applied even now.

There are a few points that need to be researched and explained in greater detail, to get a better idea of the topic. They are listed as follows:

• The psychological factors that influence a person’s idea of maleness or masculinity.
• To use the study of some of the psychologists like Sigmund Freud. This will help us understand why being male is important and what are general ideas people have about masculinity.
• To find out if there are specific differences between the terms masculinity, maleness, and male-domination.
• To study the impact of other movies like Rambo or other books like Hard Bodies, so that it will be possible to get a broader view.

The presidency of Ronald Reagan transformed the way the United States engaged in foreign policy and how things should be run domestically. Certainly, it was a radical transformation in comparison to the policies of its two predecessors. Ronald Reagan and his close supporters were convinced that freedom and liberty were basic principles embedded in every human being. Every individual tries to achieve them but it is external factors that become barriers or help. Thus, the government must encourage every human being to pursue these fundamental objectives (Hook & Spanier, 2003). From this belief were developed some radical policies which were implemented during the 1980s.

The first policies to be developed were related to foreign policy and the role that the United States should have in promoting democracy and freedom around the globe. The Vietnam War and the activism of the 1960s had radically changed the way American foreign policy was formed and implemented. Until that moment, the United States had not directly supported or interfered in issues internal to other countries.

It was Ronald Reagan who openly made its foreign policy of the United States to engage the Soviet Union in every corner of the globe. For the Reagan doctrine, communism was one of the major obstacles to individual freedom and liberty. Thus, challenging and defying it was the primary duty of every liberal government. In his 1985 State of the Union address, the President proclaimed openly to the world that the United States will support any anti-communist revolution in any country around the globe.

“We must not break faith with those who are risking their lives on every continent from Afghanistan to Nicaragua to defy Soviet-supported aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth.” (Hook & Spanier, 2003)

Regarding domestic issues, the Reagan doctrine promoted small government and the deregulation of markets. For the Reagan doctrine, the free enterprise and free-market system will enhance individual freedoms and liberty. The role of government is not to interfere in the lives of the individuals but to guarantee them the necessary means by which to develop their liberties. Thus, the Reagan doctrine presided over the dismantling of any form of government welfare programs. It also began the process of dismantling all of the financial and economic regulations that were previously put in place since the time of the Great Depression.

The government did not take any responsibility in providing the individual with what he/she needed. Now, government concerns itself with the formation of the correct conditions that consumers and businesses can interact freely in the market.

It also saw the role of the government as a guarantor in providing all the necessary conditions for this market interaction. As a result, many functions and roles that the United States administration performed before were not needed anymore. This meant that government should reduce their bureaucracies to the minimum possible. They should cut their spending also to the minimum possible. Another important aspect of this doctrine is the cutting of taxes for individuals and businesses. Taxes were seen as a barrier to the promotion of freedom (Nuechterlein, 2000).

Since the government had to rely on small bureaucracies and its functions and expenditure were restricted, then it did not need to collect high taxes. The most of its functions were to be fulfilled by the free interaction of consumers and businesses in the market.

Reference List

Hook, S., & Spanier, J. (2003). American foreign policy Since World War II. Washington DC: CQ Press.

Nuechterlein, D. (2000). America Recommitted: A Superpower Assesses Its Role in a Turbulent World. Kentucky: The University of Kentucky Press.

Introduction

Ronald Reagan used a domestic policy during his tenure as president of the United States of America. This happened from 1981 to 1989. According to him, economic stability could be achieved through a reduction on the government’s supply side. This included a reduction in government spending such as funding of public enterprise. He emphasized the need for more private enterprises than public ones and encouraging financial institutions to give more support to the private investor. Private investment would not only ensure growth to the economy in general but would also reduce the amount of time and money spent on their regulation. This is because the government gets less involved in the private sector than in the public sector.

Main body

Another key element of Ronald’s domestic policy was the reduction in money supply as a way of reducing the inflation rate. He argued that the increase in the volume of money in circulation which led to inflation was a result of the increased money supply. Reducing the money supply would therefore solve the problem. A reduced inflation rate ensures stable economic growth and improved standards of living for the citizens.

During his tenure, Ronald saw the need for reducing the unemployment rate by encouraging entrepreneurial skills among the youths. Youths were offered training sections in which they were taught different ways of expanding their ideas for investment opportunities. Through this, they were able to set up businesses that not only benefited them but also their dependants. The increased investment ensures a reduced unemployment rate and an increase in the country’s gross domestic product.

Reagan cut the top tax rate for the rich people with the view that the effect will trickle down to the poor. The increase in the tax rate that had been initiated before he became president had hurt the condition of living for the poor people. This was because the rich were forced to pay high taxes which made them exploit the poor in society. He reduced spending on several domestic programs but failed to reduce federal spending or the government’s deficit which it was suffering from at the time. The government deficit has continued to grow over the years although George Bush tried to put measures that would help stabilize the country’s balance of trade. Reagan was convinced by his advisers to put off action on social and cultural issues such as abortion. However, he could not have managed to put off abortion because it had already been legalized into law.

He supported the deregulation of industries which had been instigated by the formal president James Earl Carter. He also cut federal misunderstandings in other sectors of the economy. During his first briefing in the white house, Reagan declared the start of the creation of a task force on the regulatory reform. This regulated reform was then chaired by George Bush who was the vice-president. Today, regulatory reform has remained one of the president’s highest policy priorities. This reform is based on four different principles, namely: reduction of burden on state and local government, market incentives harnessing, regulations of social costs and benefits, and reforming of regulatory procedures.

Conclusion

Reagan was one of the presidents of America who can be said to have positively influenced the government and economy. His domestic policy was aimed at providing a favorable environment for the citizens to live in and also for conducting their businesses. He brought about many changes which are still felt today.

Bibliography

1. Busch, Andrew. 2001. Ronald Reagan and the politics of freedom. New York: Rowman & Littlefield
2. Salamon, Lester, M. et al 1984. The Reagan presidency and the governing of America changing domestic priorities series. Washington D.C.: The Urban Institute