Presidency of Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan served as the 40th president of the United States from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989. He was a Republican from California who won the 1980 presidential election against the Democratic president Jimmy Carter. Reagan was re-elected in a landslide in the 1984 presidential election against Walter Mondale, and was succeeded by his vice president, George H. W. Bush, after Bush won the 1988 presidential election.

During his time in office, Reagan changed many parts of the U.S. government. He cut taxes and tried to spend less money on things that were not the military. His economic plan, called Reaganomics, was based on supply-side economics. Even so, the country's debt grew a lot. Reagan also changed the tax system in 1986 to make it simpler, and he passed laws to change how people could come to live in the United States. He appointed many federal judges, including four to the Supreme Court.

In world affairs, Reagan strongly opposed the Soviet Union. He built up the U.S. military and worked to reduce the power of the Soviet Union. His administration supported groups fighting against governments that were not friendly to the United States. One famous event was the invasion of Grenada in 1983. Reagan also worked with the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to agree on limiting weapons. Historians often think Reagan was one of America’s most important presidents because he helped end the Cold War and brought back confidence in the country, though some also point out problems like growing debt during his time in office.

Background

Conservative shift in politics

Further information: Conservatism in the United States and Reagan era

Before becoming president, Ronald Reagan led a big change in American politics toward more conservative ideas. People started to trust the government less after a big mistake called the Watergate scandal. A new group of voters called the religious right also started to support these conservative ideas.

Reagan and other conservatives offered new ideas to people who were unhappy with old ways of doing things. His good speaking skills helped many people see conservatism as a hopeful future for the country.

1980 election

Main articles: Ronald Reagan 1980 presidential campaign, 1980 United States presidential election, and Presidential transition of Ronald Reagan

Further information: 1980 United States elections, 1980 Republican Party presidential primaries, and 1980 Republican National Convention

Reagan, who was the Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, lost a race for the Republican nomination in 1976 but became a top candidate for the 1980 election. He competed against other Republicans but won many votes and chose George H. W. Bush as his running mate.

The race against Jimmy Carter focused on problems with the economy and events like the Iran hostage crisis. In a debate, Reagan asked people, “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” He won the election with most of the votes and helped Republicans take control of the Senate.

Administration

See also: Vice presidency of George H. W. Bush

President Reagan had a team of important people who helped him run the country. One of his first choices was James Baker, who managed the daily work of the White House. Other key helpers included Michael Deaver, who planned President Reagan’s public events, and Edwin Meese, who helped develop policies.

President Reagan also picked important leaders for different parts of the government. Alexander Haig was his first secretary of state, and Caspar Weinberger became the secretary of defense. Later, George P. Shultz took over as secretary of state and became a major influence on foreign policy. These leaders helped shape the policies during President Reagan’s time in office.

Judicial appointments

Supreme Court

Main article: Ronald Reagan Supreme Court candidates

Reagan appointed four justices to the Supreme Court during his time as president. In 1981, he chose Sandra Day O'Connor to be the first woman on the Supreme Court. She was approved by many, though some groups had concerns about her views. In 1986, Reagan made William Rehnquist the Chief Justice and chose Antonin Scalia to take Rehnquist's old seat.

Reagan had a harder time filling another seat when a justice retired in 1987. His first choice, Robert Bork, was not approved by the Senate. His next choice, Douglas H. Ginsburg, decided not to accept the job. Finally, Reagan chose Anthony Kennedy, who was confirmed in 1988.

Other courts

Further information: List of federal judges appointed by Ronald Reagan and Ronald Reagan judicial appointment controversies

Reagan appointed 368 judges to federal courts, more than any other president. Most of these judges were known for their conservative views. By the time Reagan left office in 1989, he had appointed almost half of all federal judges in the country.

Assassination attempt

Main article: Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan

On March 30, 1981, just 69 days after Ronald Reagan became president, he and several others were hurt by someone trying to harm him near the Washington Hilton Hotel. Reagan was taken to the hospital and needed surgery but recovered quickly. He was the first president to survive being hurt in such a serious way. After this event, many people began to like Reagan even more, which helped him achieve his goals as president.

Domestic affairs

Main article: Domestic policy of the Reagan administration

Reagan used his team in the White House to shape important national policies. His main assistant played a big role in overseeing how different parts of the government worked on Reagan’s plans.

"Reaganomics" and taxation

Main article: Reaganomics

Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981

Reagan put into place economic policies based on ideas that favored free markets and less government control. He believed that cutting taxes would help reduce inflation and grow the economy. His team was influenced by economists who thought that lower taxes would actually bring in more money for the government because people would spend and invest more.

Reagan made changing the tax law a top priority when he became president. With help from some members of Congress, he passed the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981. This law cut the top tax rate from 70% to 50%, lowered taxes on investments, and made it easier to pass on wealth when someone dies. Many people called this the “Reagan Revolution” because it was a big change in how the government handled taxes.

Later tax acts

Later, Reagan agreed to raise some taxes to help with growing government debt. He signed new laws that increased taxes on cigarettes and changed some business tax cuts. By 1983, taxes had gone down for most people, especially the wealthy. In 1986, Reagan helped pass a law that made the tax system simpler by reducing the number of tax levels and cutting many special breaks. The highest tax rate went down to 28%, but some taxes on investments went up.

Government spending

Reagan wanted to cut spending on government programs, especially those that helped poor people and communities. He tried to reduce funding for things like food help for families and school lunches. However, many of these programs actually got more money after 1982. Reagan also tried to shift responsibility for some programs to state governments, but this didn’t get much support in Congress.

Deficits

Reagan’s tax cuts and spending on defense led to big government deficits. The national debt grew quickly during his time in office. To try to control the debt, Congress passed laws that were supposed to force the government to cut spending if deficits didn’t go down, but these didn’t work well.

Economy

When Reagan became president, the country was going through tough economic times with high inflation and unemployment. The economy improved a bit early on, but then went into a downturn in 1981. Unemployment was very high in 1982, but things started to get better in 1983. Inflation came down, and the job market improved by 1988.

Labor

In 1981, a group of air traffic controllers went on strike asking for better pay and benefits. Reagan said they had to go back to work or lose their jobs. When they didn’t, he fired over 10,000 controllers. This made it harder for workers to go on strikes, and fewer strikes happened in the 1980s.

Deregulation

Reagan wanted to reduce government rules that controlled business activities. His team cut many regulations and made it easier for companies to operate without as much government oversight.

Savings and loan crisis

After changing laws to make it easier for banks and savings institutions, some of them took big risks and lost money. This led to a big problem where many of these institutions failed, and it cost a lot of money to fix.

Immigration

In 1986, Reagan signed a law that made it illegal to hire people who were in the country without permission. The law also allowed about three million people who had been living in the U.S. without permission to become legal residents.

Criminal and anti-drug policy

Soon after becoming president, Reagan started strong policies against drugs, promising a big campaign to reduce drug use. First Lady Nancy Reagan started a campaign called “Just Say No” to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs.

Congress passed laws that added more money to fight drugs and set stricter punishments for drug crimes. Critics said these policies unfairly affected certain groups and didn’t really stop drug use or crime.

Reagan also signed a law in 1986 that made it illegal to own certain types of guns, like machine guns.

Social policies and civil rights

Reagan tried to change some social policies, like allowing prayer in schools, but didn’t succeed in making big changes. He did support extending a law that helped protect voting rights and agreed to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday.

LGBTQ rights and AIDS

Main article: Ronald Reagan and AIDS

During Reagan’s time as president, there wasn’t much progress in laws to protect the rights of LGBTQ individuals. The issue of AIDS became more important in 1985 when a famous actor, Rock Hudson, was revealed to have the disease. Reagan’s administration focused on teaching people to avoid having sex rather than promoting other ways to stay healthy.

Environmental policy

Reagan believed in reducing government rules to help businesses grow, and this included environmental rules. He cut funding for environmental programs and appointed people who didn’t prioritize protecting the environment to lead these agencies.

Mass surveillance

Reagan’s team wanted more power to watch and collect information, saying it was needed for national security. In 1981, Reagan signed an order that gave intelligence agencies more freedom to collect and share information about people in the United States.

Foreign affairs

Main article: Foreign policy of the Reagan administration

Escalation of the Cold War

See also: Cold War (1979–1985)

Reagan increased tensions during the Cold War, moving away from a policy that had started in 1979 after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Reagan worried that the Soviet Union had a stronger military than the United States. He believed that spending more on the military would help the U.S. and hurt the Soviet economy. Reagan ordered a big increase in the size and power of the U.S. military, including new bombers, missiles, and ships. He also spoke strongly against the Soviet Union and its ideas. Even so, Reagan kept talking with the Soviet Union about controlling nuclear weapons, though these talks were different from earlier ones.

Strategic Defense Initiative

In March 1983, Reagan introduced a defense project called the Strategic Defense Initiative. This plan would use systems on the ground and in space to protect the U.S. from attacks by nuclear missiles. Reagan thought this could make nuclear war impossible. But many experts said it would be too expensive and hard to do. The Soviet Union was worried about this plan and stopped talking about controlling nuclear weapons for a while. This made relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union worse.

Reagan Doctrine

Main article: Reagan Doctrine

See also: Soviet–Afghan War

Reagan supported groups fighting against communist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In Poland, the U.S. helped a group called Solidarity. In Afghanistan, the U.S. trained and supplied forces called the Mujahideen to fight the Soviet Army. This help weakened the Soviet Union, but later led to problems with groups that formed after the war.

Central America and the Caribbean

See also: Latin America–United States relations

Reagan focused on Central America and the Caribbean, worrying about the influence of Cuba. He started programs to help countries that opposed communism and used secret actions to reduce Cuban influence. The U.S. also supported some governments in Latin America, even when there were concerns about how they treated their people.

Invasion of Grenada

In 1983, after a leader in Grenada was arrested and killed, Reagan sent U.S. soldiers to invade the island. After a short fight, the new government was removed. This action was popular in the U.S. but criticized by some other countries.

Iran–Contra affair

Main article: Iran–Contra affair

See also: Scandals of the Reagan administration

In Nicaragua, a group called the Sandinistas took over the government. Reagan wanted to support a group called the Contras, who opposed the Sandinistas. But laws passed by Congress stopped the U.S. from giving them help directly. Reagan’s administration found other ways to support them, including selling weapons to Iran and using the money to help the Contras. When this was discovered, it caused a big scandal. Investigations showed that some people in the administration had done things without Reagan’s knowledge, but the situation damaged his reputation.

End of the Cold War

See also: Cold War (1985–1991)

In the mid-1980s, new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev started changes in the Soviet Union. He wanted to talk more with the U.S. about controlling nuclear weapons. Reagan met with Gorbachev several times, and they made agreements to reduce nuclear weapons. These talks helped improve relations between the two countries.

Honoring German war dead at Bitburg, Germany

Main article: Bitburg controversy

Reagan visited a cemetery in Germany where some soldiers who fought for Nazi Germany were buried. This caused controversy because of the history of those soldiers. Reagan also visited a camp where many people had been wrongly treated during World War II.

Middle East

Lebanon

A civil war started in Lebanon in 1975, and several countries got involved. Reagan tried to help arrange peace, but attacks happened, including ones that hurt U.S. soldiers. The U.S. later pulled its peacekeepers out of Lebanon.

Libya bombing

Main article: 1986 United States bombing of Libya

Tensions between the U.S. and Libya led to the U.S. launching attacks on Libya in 1986 after a bombing in West Berlin that hurt American service members. The U.S. said Libya was responsible, and the attacks were meant to stop Libya from supporting harmful actions.

South Africa

During Reagan’s time as president, South Africa had a system that treated people unfairly based on their race. Reagan’s administration tried to work with the government there, but later faced pressure to support stronger actions against the unfair policies.

Free trade

Reagan worked to create agreements to make it easier to trade between countries. He signed agreements with Israel and Canada, which helped reduce barriers to trade between these nations.

Age and health

Ronald Reagan was the oldest person to serve as U.S. president at the time. During his time in office, people sometimes worried about his health.

Early in his presidency, Reagan started using a special hearing aid to help him hear better. He talked about it publicly in 1983, which helped many other people feel comfortable using hearing aids too.

In 1985, Reagan had surgery to remove a growth in his colon. He temporarily gave his powers to the vice president for a few hours, but everything went well and he returned to work the same day. Later that year and in the years ahead, he had more operations to remove skin growths, but nothing serious was found.

Some reporters thought they noticed changes in Reagan’s behavior later on, but his doctors said he did not show any problems during his time as president. After leaving office, Reagan faced health challenges, but during his presidency, he continued to lead the country.

Elections during the Reagan presidency

Main article: 1982 United States elections

Main articles: Ronald Reagan 1984 presidential campaign and 1984 United States presidential election

Further information: 1984 United States elections, 1984 Republican Party presidential primaries, and 1984 Republican National Convention

Main article: 1986 United States elections

Main article: 1988 United States elections

Further information: George H. W. Bush 1988 presidential campaign, Michael Dukakis 1988 presidential campaign, 1988 United States presidential election, and Presidential transition of George H. W. Bush

In the 1982 elections, Democrats kept most seats in the House, while Republicans held onto the Senate. This made it harder for President Reagan to pass his plans.

Reagan ran for re-election in 1984. His opponent was Walter Mondale, who picked Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate—the first woman to be on a major party’s ticket. Reagan won by a large margin, getting votes from almost every state.

In 1986, Democrats took control of the Senate again. Reagan worked hard to help Republican candidates, but they lost many seats.

By 1988, Reagan supported George H. W. Bush for the next president. Bush won the election against Michael Dukakis, continuing Reagan’s legacy. When Reagan left office, many people approved of how he handled the country.

Evaluation and legacy

Main articles: Opinion polling on the Reagan administration and United States presidential approval rating

Since Ronald Reagan left office in 1989, people have talked a lot about what he did. Some say he helped make the economy stronger, ended the Cold War peacefully, and made people feel proud to be American again. They think he fixed problems left by President Jimmy Carter, especially during a hard time when American workers were being held in Iran.

Others say his policies made money problems worse, increased the gap in wealth, and made life harder for people without homes. Some also felt his actions during the Iran–Contra affair hurt America’s reputation. Some people even said he didn’t always understand what was happening in meetings.

Even though people still argue about his time as president, many agree he was one of the most important leaders since Franklin Roosevelt. He changed American politics and helped bring the country together. Surveys show that many people think he was one of the best presidents.