The Reagan Administration

Style:  Good natured, “man’s man”  Actor: can play a role  Great communicator  Assassination attempt: heroic

Ideas:  Government should be smaller  Taxes should be lower for everyone  Traditional Christian principles should be upheld

Budget Cuts  Could not cut Medicare or Social Security The elderly were a key support group.  Budget cuts mainly affected business regulation, programs for the poor Ex: school lunch programs Ex: nursing homes Ex: the environment

Tax Cuts  Cut taxes across the board 25%  Believed in “supply side”, or “trickle down” economics. Cut taxes on the wealthy They spend their money to create jobs The poor get jobs, work is rewarded

Problem:  Did not cut spending enough.  Result: Huge debt!  Reagan increased our debt more than all the presidents before him combined.

Temporary v. structural debt

Date: October

National Debt clock

Spending Hike: Defense  Strategic Defense Initiative: “Star Wars”  Plan to develop space-based systems to shoot nuclear weapons out of the sky before they reach us.  Reagan’s idea, not rooted in science.

Wacky Ideas Work  Star Wars scared the Soviets.  They believed we could do it.  They couldn’t compete.  Led them to negotiate, seek reforms that led to the downfall of communism in the USSR and surrounding countries!

A Conservative Supreme Court  Appoints three justices: Antonin Scalia Anthony Kennedy Sandra O’Connor – 1 st female

Foreign Policy: “Peace Through Strength”  Soviet Union (“evil empire”): Leader: Mikhail Gorbachev Reforms: glastnost (“openess”), perestroika (economic reforms) INF Treaty:  We both limit nukes  Onsite inspections

Monroe Doctrine Dusted Off...

Iran-Contra Affair  Reagan wants stop communism in Nicaragua.  Communists = Sandanistas  Anticommunists = Contras  Congress cuts off funding to Contras through the Boland amendment.  The Reagan administration secretly sells weapons to our enemies, Iran, to raise money to fund the Contras.  “Teflon” president, Bush pardons all.

1984 Re-election  Republicans:Reagan and H.W. Bush v.  Democrats: Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro

George H.W. Bush ( )  The Fall of Communism Continued: Berlin Wall (1989) – E. and W. Germany reunited The SSRs (Soviet Social Republics) break away  Ex: Georgia, Turkmenistan, etc. Russia est. with Yeltsin as President

Communism Stays in China  Attempted revolt: 1989 Tiananmen Square –  Led by youth  Put down by force

Trouble in Panama  President of Panama, Manuel Noriega, is overseeing drug sales to U.S.  Reagan / Bush declared a “War on Drugs”  Invade Panama, arrest Noriega  Tried in FL and is in federal prison

Trouble in Iraq  Saddam Hussein invades nearby Kuwait  We defend Kuwait.

Operation Desert Storm: Limited Victory  UN Coalition forces are led by U.S.  We defeat Iraq in less than five days with less than 400 casualties.  Problem? Saddam Hussein defeated but still in power.

The Saga Continues...  In the treaty ending the war, he promises to allow weapons inspectors in to make sure he does not develop weapons of mass destruction.  Failure to do so results in the 2 nd War in Iraq when Bush’s son is president.

Bush’s Domestic Policies  Inherited Problems: Debt! Promised not to raise taxes, then compromised with Congress to do so. Iran Contra pardon looked slimy. Deregulation of banks under Reagan led to a bank bailout that cost billions. A recession from further weakened re - election chances.  “It’s the economy, stupid”. – Clinton campaign mantra.

Evaluation of Bush (the Elder)?  Underappreciated. Commitment to diplomacy now looks wise. Decision not to overthrow Hussein looks wise.  Was burdened with Reagan problems and a bad economy.