Ronald Reagan End of the Cold War The

Ronald Reagan End of the Cold War

The New Right and the Reagan Revolution

Why did Reagan describe the conflict between the US and Soviet Union as a struggle between good and evil? 2. Why does Reagan want the Berlin Wall to come down? 3. How does Reagan challenge Gorbachev to prove that his reforms are not “token” gestures 4. Why did Reagan order an air raid on Libya? 1. Section Questions

�Ronald Reagan ◦ 40 th President elected November 1980 ◦ Served 2 terms in office ◦ A conservative elected by a conservative swing in the country �“Reagan Democrats” Focused on relations with the Soviet Union Credited for ending the Cold War Ronald Reagan

Carter’s Crisis of Confidence � � � � President Carter struggled with inflation, high unemployment, and soaring energy costs. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran stopped oil shipments to the US. He delivered a televised address that became known as the "Malaise Speech. " Carter asks Americans to return to the attitudes and values that made America strong and to share the responsibility of energy conservation. Congress rejected most of the energy proposals in the speech. Carter's approval rating plummeted. The president was criticized for "blaming" the American people and offering few solutions.

Iran Hostage Crisis Discredits Carter After US-backed Shah of Iran was deposed in January 1979, the most westernized country in the Middle East transitioned to an Islamic fundamentalist regime led by Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini. � When President Carter allowed the Shah into the United States for cancer treatment, a student group stormed the US embassy in Iran and took 53 staff members hostage. � Public support for Carter quickly waned as the months dragged on with no progress. �

Iran Hostage Crisis Discredits Carter � � � Wreckage of Operation Eagle Claw After months of abortive efforts to forge a diplomatic solution, the President ordered a secret military rescue operation in April 1980. The operation ended in disaster before getting close to the embassy when two helicopters malfunctioned another collided with a cargo plane, killing eight service members. Iranians displayed the burned corpses before television cameras. The Iran Hostage Crisis became symbolic of the decline of US prestige in the world and the President was criticized for incompetence. After 444 days of captivity, the hostages were released immediately after Reagan's inauguration in January 1981.

Intellectual Foundations of Modern Conservatism: Goldwater Senator Barry Goldwater is widely regarded as the Father of Modern American Conservatism. � Goldwater's libertarian orientation often put him at odds with the social and moral agenda of the Reagan Administration and the Christian Right by the 1980's. �

“The Speech” Reagan's televised 1964 "A Time for Choosing" speech on behalf of the Goldwater campaign propelled the actor from corporate spokesman to conservative champion. � It became known simply as "The Speech. " � Reagan outlined the goals of the modern conservative movement: smaller government, lower taxes, personal autonomy, and more aggressive policy toward Communist states. � He implies that liberal policies represent a dangerous shift toward socialism, even drawing parallels between Lyndon Johnson and Karl Marx. �

Reagan Landslide � The election ended in a landslide victory of Ronald Reagan and the first Republican majority in the Senate since 1952. � Dismal voter turnout suggested disaffection and apathy toward the political process as the 1970's came to an end and the "Reagan Revolution" began.

A Dramatic Start to the Reagan Presidency In 1981, Reagan enjoyed high public approval and success in implementing his campaign promises. � Immediately following his inauguration, Iranian terrorists released the American hostages after 444 days of captivity. � Congress enacted legislation to reduce tax rates by 25% over three years, cut social spending, and advance the goal of a balanced budget by 1984. �

A Dramatic Start to the Reagan Presidency � On March 30, 1981, Reagan survived an assassination attempt by John Hinkley Jr, who shot the president in an effort to impress actress Jodie Foster. Reagan was more badly injured than the administration reported, but he remained optimistic and his approval rating reached 73%.

A Dramatic Start to the Reagan Presidency � In 1981, Reagan appointed the first female Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Although she identified herself as a moderate Republican, foes of abortion and the ERA condemned her appointment to the bench.

Reaganomics The acendancy of conservatism in the 1980's can be partially attributed to the economic "stagflation" of the Carter years. � Reagan espoused supply-side economic theory. � Supply-siders favored simultaneous tax cuts and reductions in spending to encourage investors and entrepreneurs. � Conservative author George Gilder wrote, "a successful economy depends on the proliferation of the rich. " �

Reaganomics Reagan delivered an address to Congress shortly after being wounded in an assassination attempt. � In the spirit of the Reagan Revolution, he calls upon lawmakers to try a radical new approach to economic policy. � Congress members received him with applause and quickly passed the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (with cut taxes by $747 billion over five years) and the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1981 (which in one piece of legislation, cut over 200 social and cultural spending by $136 billion over two years). � The tax cut was the largest in history. �

Recession and Rebound � In 1982, the worst recession since the Great Depression occurred.

Defense Spending Increases One facet of Reagan's ideological outlook was the need to bolter America's defense capability. � Despite vowing to dramatically reduce taxes and government spending, the Reagan Administration increased military spending by over 50% between 1981 and 1988. � Reagan emphasized the increasing military capability of the USSR. He acknowledged the expense of the military buildup, but insisted it was vital to national security. �

Star Wars In 1983, President Reagan proposed his Strategic Defense Initiative as an additional check on Soviet nuclear capability. � Reagan envisioned spacebased missile defense technology capable of striking down nuclear weapons before they reached the United States. � "Wouldn't it be better to save lives than to avenge them? " � The press derisively dubbed the plan "Star Wars", and many believed it was infeasible due to the enormous expense and technical innovation that it would require to become operational. �