Ch 40 The Reagan Revolution and Cold War: 1980-1992 The Challenger crew, 1986
Explain the social, economic, and foreign policy goals of New Right conservatives from the 1960s to the 1980s and assess the degree to which the Reagan administration succeeded in implementing these goals in the 1980s.
Republicans (pre-fdr) Big govt Lots of interference in economy Think Hamilton, TR Democrats (pre-fdr) Small government No interference in govt Think TJ, Cleveland Later Later.
Election of 1980 Democrat Jimmy Carter Couldn t control inflation, mismanaged nation s affairs ABC movement (Anybody But Carter) Said Reagan was a Cold Warrior will push US into nuclear war! Most liberal wing wants Sen. Edward Kennedy 1969 Chappaquiddick incident auto accident, young woman drowned when Kennedy s car went off bridge
Election of 1980 Republican Ronald Reagan (Gov of Cali) Slogan It s morning in America Platform reduced govt spending and taxes, less fed. govt intervention, traditional American values Very anti-soviet will build up military Supported by the New Right Very conservative response to counterculture and protests of 1960s Votes: 489 to 49 (43.9 to 35.5 mil) -Republicans swept Senate 1 st time in 25yrs
President Ronald Reagan 1981-1989 Republican
Presidential Rankings: C-Span Survey, 2009 1. Abraham Lincoln 15. Bill Clinton 29. Zachary Taylor 2. Franklin Roosevelt 16. William McKinley 30. Benjamin Harrison 3. George Washington 17. John Adams 31. Martin Van Buren 4. Theodore Roosevelt 18. George H.W. Bush 32. Chester Arthur 5. Harry Truman 19. John Quincy Adams 33. Rutherford Hayes 6. John Kennedy 20. James Madison 34. Herbert Hoover 7. Thomas Jefferson 21. Grover Cleveland 35. John Tyler 8. Dwight Eisenhower 22. Gerald Ford 36. George W. Bush 9. Woodrow Wilson 23. Ulysses Grant 37. Millard Fillmore 10. Ronald Reagan 11. Lyndon Johnson 12. James Polk 13. Andrew Jackson 14. James Monroe 24. William Taft 25. Jimmy Carter 26. Calvin Coolidge 27. Richard Nixon 28. James Garfield 38. Warren Harding 39. William Harrison 40. Franklin Pierce 41. Andrew Johnson 42. James Buchanan
Background From IL, impoverished Irish family Sports announcer Iowa radio station B-star actor President of Screen Actors Guild helped purge communists in McCarthy era Gov of Cali launched by wealthy businessmen Great personality and charm optimistic!
Beliefs Championed common man against big govt Hated: federal intervention, favoritism for minorities, elitism of bureaucrats Wanted to win over working class said that Dems have become big govt party Followed Neoconservatives (political) Free market capitalism w/o govt restraints Anti-Soviet foreign policy Against liberal welfare programs and affirmative action Reassert traditional values
1 st Term Domestic Policy
The Reagan Revolution Inaugural Day Iranians released hostages Economic goals: lean federal govt, dismantle welfare state, fiscal fitness The problem: years of New Dealish tax and spend programs Fed. Spending had increased from 18% to 23% Shifted from defense to entitlement programs (Social Security & Medicare) 1978 California staged a tax revolt called Proposition 13 Slashed property taxes and forced cuts in govt services Spread to other states
The Reagan Revolution Reagan proposed a federal budget that cut $35 bil social programs Boll weevils - Southern Conservative Democrats that Reagan wooed to get it through March 6, 1981 Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. Recovered 12 days later! Handled it with humor and grace
Assassination attempt in March, 1981 nearly killed Reagan White House Press Secretary James Brady was shot in the head and debilitated for years Reagan handled the crisis gracefully but his aides began to notice a decline in mental acuity -- Reagan delegated much authority to his underlings
Reaganomics (supply-side economics) Decrease federal budget, decrease taxes (esp. on wealthy) This will stimulate new investment, increase productivity, increase economic growth, less federal debt Economic Recovery Tax Act 25% tax cut over 3 years Trickle down theory wealthier tax payers would increase investment and stimulate economic growth Cut domestic programs
Results: Deepest recession since 1930s Unemployment at 11%, bank failures Auto industry hurt by Japanese imports Dems say budget cuts hurting poor and handicapped; tax cuts favor rich $200 bil in debt, became world s heaviest borrower 1983 economic recovery but income gaps increased Emergence of yuppies young urban professionals (rolex, BMW) 1.5 mil, materialistic
Air Traffic Controllers strike August, 1981, air traffic controllers began an illegal strike Reagan fired 11,400 strikers after they refused his order to return to work -- Military controllers were called in and airports trained replacements Air traffic controllers union was destroyed
1 st Term Foreign Policy
Reagan Renews the Cold War Evil Empire speech the Soviet Union is an evil empire with goals of world conquest Wanted to expand US military capabilities to threaten Soviets with new arms race Hope SU can t afford it, will bargain more big gamble Some against nuclear build-up Three Mile Island accident Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) Star Wars high tech missile defense system orbiting battle stations in space that could fire lasers to vaporize international missiles on lift off Would defend US cities against nuclear war
An artist's concept of a ground / space-based hybrid laser weapon, 1984
Reagan Renews the Cold War Solidarity a movement of working people organized into a union in Poland Communist govt clamped down with Soviet help martial law US imposed economic sanctions KAL 007 - Soviets shot down a Korean passenger liner with an American on it it violated Soviet air space US broke off all arms-control negotiations 1984 Soviets and Soviet bloc athletes boycott LA Olympic Games
Troubles Abroad 1982 Israel invades Lebanon Palestinians had guerilla bases there Palestinians subdued but Lebanon plunged into armed chaos US sends troops Suicide bomber crashed into US marine barracks in Beirut killed 200 Withdrew troops, humiliating but Reagan had no political damage
Troubles Abroad Nicaragua dictator deposed in revolution (1979) by Sandinistas Anti-America talk ignored by Carter Reagan accused Sandinistas of allowing Cuban and Soviet influence into all of Central America Sandinistas sending weapons to revolutionaries in El Salvador after a 1979 coup Reagan sent advisers to prop up a pro-us govt in El Salvador Sent secret aid to contras rebel group who were against the Sandinistas Grenada invasion military coup had killed Prime Minister and brought communists to power US overran island with heavy firepower invasion force (death squads) and ousted insurgents
Election of 1984 Dems Walter Mondale (VP under Carter) Running Mate Geraldine Ferraro (Congresswoman, NY) 1 st woman on a major party presidential ticket!
Rep Ronald Reagan Reagan and Bush accept their nomination in Dallas Texas on August 23, 1984
Votes: 525-13, winning 49 of 50 states -boll weevils helped!