Reagan Presidency Election of 1980 Ronald Reagan Republican

Reagan Presidency

Election of 1980 • Ronald Reagan Republican vs. Jimmy Carter • Reagan is a former actor and governor of California • Reagan was known as the Great Communicator • Reagan defeats Carter in a landslide

Reagan’s Conservative Goals 1. Shrinking the federal government and lowering spending 2. Promoting traditional morality and values 3. Stimulating business by reducing government regulations and lowering taxes 4. Strengthening the national defense

1980 Election Results “I’m talking in human terms and he is hiding behind a dictionary. If he wants a definition, I’ll give him one. A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours. A recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his. ” Ronald Reagan, 1980 Campaign

Ronald Reagan was born in 1911 in Illinois. He graduated from Eureka College and then work as a sports announcer in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1937, Reagan moved to Hollywood and became a movie actor, making 54 films. As president of the Screen Actors Guild, he worked actively to remove alleged Communist influences from the movie industry. In 1966 Reagan was elected governor of California, serving two terms. He had the ability to express his ideas in simple and clear language that the average voter could understand, earning him the name the Great Communicator. When he proposed a 10 percent cut in government spending on social programs, he stated, “We can lecture our children about extravagance until we run out of voice and breath, or we can cut their extravagance by simply reducing their allowance. ” Even after the attempted assassination against him in March of 1981, Reagan used his sense of humor to endear others to him. In the operating room, Reagan said to the team of surgeons, “I hope you fellas are Republicans. ”

New Right • Signaled a swing to a New Conservatism in US • Supported free markets • Opposed govt. intervention in people’s lives • Switch from public to private action

What’s the difference? Which one are YOU? Conservatives • Distrust fed. gov’t • Favor free enterprise with little gov’t regulation • Lower taxes encourage investment. • Believe gov’t programs take away the incentive to work and invest. Liberals • Gov’t should regulate the economy. • Fed gov’t should help disadvantaged thru social programs paid for thru taxes. • Strong supporters of free speech and privacy.

Realignment New Deal Coalition Reagan Coalition Democratic South African-Americans Union members Urban North Immigrant/newer ethnic groups • Farmers • • • Midwest small towns Wealthiest Americans Hawks on foreign policy Blue Collar in North and Midwest (union and nonunion) • White Southerners • Evangelicals • Yuppies

Moral Majority • Led by Jerry Falwell • Return to traditional American values • Evangelical Christians • Christian Civilization threaten by divorce, abortion, drugs, pornography, feminist and gay rights • Affirmative Action is reverse discrimination

Release of the Hostages • Release of American hostages in Iran – On inauguration day, Iranians waited until Carter was officially out of office

Assassination Attempt • March 31, 1981 • Reagan and his press secretary James Brady were shot outside a Wash D. C. hotel • John Hinckley was assassin

1 st for Women • Reagan nominates Sandra Day O’Connor -1 st female Supreme Court Justice • Geraldine Ferraro 1 st female Vice Presidential nominee • Sally Ride- 1 st female astronaut

Cutting Government Regulations • Continued Carter’s programs to deregulate key industries • Energy, Transportation and Banking Industries • Challenged Air Traffic Controllers in 1981 Fired those who refused to go back to work after a strike

Supply-side economics a. k. a. Reaganomics • Also called Trickle Down Economics • Cut taxes to put more money into the hands of businesses • Cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans • Lower taxes = more investment in the “supply side” of the economy • Would: – promote and create new jobs – encourage capital investment, and – lead to stimulated industrial growth

Reaganomics Specifics Economic Recovery Act of 1981 (the largest tax cuts were for the wealthy - the top income tax bracket went from 70% to 28 %) Would create more jobs Keep interest rates low, encourage investment and new businesses Actually increased military spending- caused a high deficit Less regulation of businesses

Increased Military Spending on Cold War

Domestic Policy • “Reaganomics” Q 7 – How effective was Reaganomics? Does it make sense to you? Why or why not? Results o 1982 – Worst Recession since the GD § Unemployment UP, Federal Spending UP, Deficit UP o 1983 – Economy recovers § Consumer spending UP, Stock Market UP, GDP increases 10% o Economy booms throughout the 1980 s § Critics – § Most of benefits of Reaganomics went to rich/large corporations § Huge Deficits – increased military spending

Reaganomics: “Trickle-Down” • • • DOD spending up 45% $3 trillion debt, 1981 -9 Rising # of Fortune 500 companies Expansion of “working poor” Decline in real wages Household debt Deregulation and Savings & Loan Crisis $500 b Ketchup is a vegetable Tax cuts boosted elite incomes Privatization and deregulation

The New Welfare Class • De-industrialization • 1 million manuf. Jobs lost in 1982 • Growth of non-union service sector, minimum wage jobs • Unions lost millions of members • Federal subsidies to corporations

New Federalism-Reagan style • Limiting government – Eliminated public service jobs, – reduced unemployment compensation, – lowered welfare benefits, – raised fees for Medicare patients • Federal domestic spending still grew for a couple of years

Cold War Escalates • Reagan had been a hard liner against the Communist • Refers to USSR as the Evil Empire • Star Wars or SDI Strategic Defense Initiative- shield over the U. S. using satellites • Satellites would shoot down nuclear missiles • Soviet system starts to decline because spending too much on nuclear stockpiles

Confronting the Soviets • Reagan Doctrine- stop the spread of communism around the world • Grenada (1982)- invaded island to overthrow Marxist govt. - Brief invasion very popular with US public • Lebanon- suicide bomber drove truck into marine barracks killing 214 U. S. marines • Libya- believed to be a haven for terrorists, Reagan orders air strikes against Qaddafi leader of Libya Mr. Gorbachev , tear down the wall

Easing of Tensions • New Soviet leader. Mikhail Gorbachev • Glasnost- openness more freedom of expression • Perestroika- changes in the Soviet economy, private ownership and profit

Iran-Contra Affair • Illegal arms sells to Iran to fund anti-communist (Contras) in Nicaragua • Done secretly • Iranians would help get the release of hostages in Lebanon • Huge embarrassment when deal becomes public • Reagan claims he has no knowledge of the sells • Reagan called the Teflon President • Oliver North, assistant to National Security advisor took the fall

US opposed Sandinistas in Nicaragua Destabilized both regions Contras fought war against Sandinistas Secret weapon sales to Iran $ from weapon sales send to Contras

AIDS Epidemic • Rates increased throughout 1980 s • Disease destroys the bodies immune system • Contracted through bodily fluids • Early victims were homosexuals and intravenous drug users • More heterosexuals in 1980 s

AIDS Epidemic • Many misconceptions about the disease • Reagan slow to recognize the magnitude of the crisis • Some believed the disease was god’s punishment • Eventually Reagan supported federal spending on research and prevention

Just Say No • Drug abuse big problem in 1980 s • Reagan cracked down on users and suppliers of Crack cocaine • Just Say No – First Lady Nancy Reagan led antidrug campaign

Graying of America • Gray Panthers- baby boomers • Concerned with Health Care issues and Social Security

Immigration • 1964 law – 8 million legally • 1986 IRCA (Reagan Administration) – Legalization – Nominal fines – Southeast Asia & Latin America • Reasons – Economics • Obstacles – Culture wars, racism – INS/Border Patrol, Operation Hold the Line, Gatekeeper – Propositions against bi-lingual education and public schooling, health care for undocumented immigrants

Education Reforms • “ A Nation at Risk”- 1983 report stating that American education was becoming mediocre compared to the world • educational reform debate - school vouchers debate parents should have a choice where to send their kids to school - Educational testing programs make teachers and kids accountable for learning

1981 Space Shuttle Columbia is launched 1986 Challenger shuttle Explodes Christina Mc. Auliffe 1 st Teacher in space died

YUPPIES 1) Young Urban Professionals 2) Late 20 s and early 30 s 3) White Collar Professional Jobs 4) Live in Urban Setting 5) Expansive Toys

George Bush Sr. • Wins the Election of 1988, was Reagan’s VP • Campaign promise- “Read My Lips No New Taxes”- it eventually hurt Bush • Policies suffer because of poor economy • Bush will have to raise taxes • Gridlock in government

Supreme Court Rulings • Texas v Johnson- flag burning protected as symbolic speech • Webster v Reproductive Health Servicespermits states to put conditions on abortion • Planned Parenthood v Casey- permits states to restrict abortions as long as restrictions don’t place undue burden on woman

Americans with Disabilities Act • Prohibited discrimination against Americans with physical and mental handicaps

L. A. Riots - 1992 California jury acquitted four white police officers - For beating black motorists Rodney King - Event was filmed by a camcorder - A bloody riot resulted - 45 people died, 2000 injured, billions in damage to city

Panama - 1989 American troops sent to Panama to overthrow Manuel Noriega - Indicted in U. S. for drug trafficking - Convicted and sentenced to 40 years

China - 1980 s China loosens business restrictions - 1989 Tiananmen Square. Chinese govt. kills hundreds of student protestors - U. S. does not respond to keep good relations with China

South Africa • 1990 saw end to apartheid • White supremacy and legal separation • Nelson Mandela released from prison after 27 years • US placed country under sanctions to end apartheid • Mandela elected President in 1994

End of Communism • 1989 the Berlin Wall is torn down • 1990 Germany re-unites • 1991 saw the break-up of the Soviet Union into 14 independent states • Gorbachev resigns • Boris Yeltsin 1 st Russian President

1989 Berlin Wall falls

Persian Gulf War • 1990 Saddam Hussein of Iraq invades Kuwait • U. S. fears oil is in jeopardy • Operation Desert Shield- Jan 1991 US led Un Coalition to liberate Kuwait • Operation Desert Storm Feb 1991 to drive Hussein bank into Iraq • Control of the media, “smart bombs”, and Colin Powell’s “overwhelming force” doctrine • Norman Schwarzkopf

Operation Desert Storm