1. The New Right The Presidency of Ronald Reagan

2. Before the Presidency Campaigning for the Democratic nomination in 2008, Barack Obama interpreted how Reagan changed the nation's trajectory: “I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn't much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating.”

3. Ronald Reagan on Leadership 1.To grasp and hold a vision, that is the very essence of successful leadership - not only on the movie set where I learned it, but everywhere.” 2.Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith. 3.They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong.

4. Ronald Reagan on Leadership 4.To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last -- but eat you he will. 5.When I've heard all I need to make a decision, I don't take a vote. I make a decision.”

5. Ronald Reagan on the American Spirit & Potential 1.Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere 2.There are no such things as limits to growth, because there are no limits to the human capacity for intelligence, imagination, and wonder. 3.There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.

6. Ronald Reagan on the American Spirit & Potential 4.There are no such things as limits to growth, because there are no limits to the human capacity for intelligence, imagination, and wonder. 5.There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect. 6.The United States is unique because we are an empire of ideals. 7.There's no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit. 8.Putting people first has always been America's secret weapon. It's the way we've kept the spirit of our revolutions alive -- a spirit that drives us to dream and dare, and take great risks for a greater good.

7. Before the Presidency  Born in Illinois, 1911  1 st job was a lifeguard was a lifeguard at Rock River in Lowell Park, where in 1926, he saved 77 lives (which he notched on a wooden log)  Active in Eureka College majoring in Economics & Sociology while being a member of football & track teams, the basketball cheerleading squad, captain of the swimming team, yearbook editor, & student body president  Went to CA to launch an acting career during the Great Depression  Successful actor

8. Before the Presidency  First became involved with politics through position with the Screen Actors Guild, and established a conservative position on communism.  Toured the country as television host, and became a spokesperson for conservatism  Elected Governor of California in 1966 by a margin of a million votes and re- elected in 1970.

9. Before the Presidency  Elected Governor of California in 1966 by a margin of a million votes and re- elected in 1970.  During his first term Reagan temporarily stopped government hiring to slow the growth of the state workforce, but he also approved tax increases to balance the state budget.  As governor, Reagan worked with the Democratic majority in the state legislature to enact a major reform of the welfare system in 1971. The reform reduced the number of people receiving state aid while increasing the benefits for those who remained eligible.

10. Moving from FDR to Goldwater A Political Transformation Reagan emerged on the national political scene in 1964 when he made an impassioned television speech supporting the Republican presidential candidate, U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona.

11. Moving from FDR to Goldwater A Political Transformation “Either we accept the responsibility for our own destiny, or we abandon the American Revolution and confess that an intellectual belief in a far- distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them for ourselves. You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We can preserve for our children this last best hope of man on earth or we can sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness.” (1964)

12. The Great Communicator  President Reagan's unflagging optimism and his ability to celebrate the achievements and aspirations of the American people persisted throughout his two terms in office.  He was a figure of reassurance and stability for many Americans. Despite his propensity for misstatements, Reagan was known as the "Great Communicator," primarily for his mastery of television.  For many, he recalled the prosperity and relative social tranquility of the 1950s - an era dominated by another genial public personality who evoked widespread affection, President Dwight Eisenhower.  Reagan believed that government intruded too deeply into American life.

13. The Great Communicator  He wanted to cut programs he contended the country did not need by eliminating "waste, fraud and abuse."  Throughout his tenure, Reagan also pursued a program of deregulation more thoroughgoing than that begun by Jimmy Carter. Reagan sought to eliminate regulations affecting the consumer, the workplace and the environment that he argued were inefficient, expensive and impeded economic growth.

14. The 1980 Presidential Election Throughout the campaign, Reagan questioned Carter’s competence, while Carter tried to cast him as a dangerous extremist. Reagan closed the single televised debate in October 1980 with, “Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago?”

15. What He Said…  The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government & I’m here to help.  Some of you may remember that in my early days, I was sort of a bleeding heart liberal. Then I became a man and put away childish ways.  I know it’s hard when you’re up to your armpits in alligators to remember you came here to drain the swamp.  Politics is supposed to be the 2 nd oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the 1 st.  Republicans believe every day is the 4 th of July, but the Democrats believe every day is April 15.

17. Demographic Shifts  Between 1970 and 1990, the population of the South and the Pacific states boomed, while the Northwest remained virtually the same  These changes contributed to the 1984 Reagan landslide as the South and West, enjoying the lions share of Reagan-era military spending, voted solidly Republican.

18. American Malaise Thanks Carter!  OPEC and Oil Embargo  Stagflation  De-Industrialization  “Soft” America  Iranian Hostage Crisis (Nov. 1979) 1. Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew Shah of Iran 2. 50 Hostages for over a year (444 days!) 3. Failed rescue effort  USSR invaded Afghanistan (Dec. 1979)

19. How did Reagan win? 1.Conservative backlash against counter culture, lawlessness, affirmative action. 2.In economic and social matters alike, he denounced the activist government and failed social engineering of the 1960s. 3.He skillfully mobilized political resentments in a manner reminiscent of his early political hero, Franklin D. Roosevelt. 4.Both Roosevelt and Reagan championed the common man against vast impersonal menaces that overshadowed the individual.

20. How did Reagan win? 4.But where the Democratic Roosevelt had branded big business the foe of the forgotten man, the Republican Reagan depicted big government the arch-villain. 5.He preached a populist political philosophy that condemned federal intervention in local affairs, favoritism for minorities, and the elitism of arrogant bureaucrats. 6.He aimed especially to win over from the Democratic column working-class and lower-middle-class white voters by implying that the Democratic Party had become the exclusive tool of its minority constituents.

21. Backlash Reaction to the Counter Culture Movement and the Great Society  1978: Regents of U.C. v. Bakke: “Quotas” in college admissions were unconstitutional  1976: Hyde Amendment: Limited Medicaid funds for Abortion  Moral Majority, 1978  Southern Democrats become Republicans  Many working class Anglos or “White Ethnics” in industrialized urban areas, and new suburbanites blamed immigrants and the poor for their condition, as well as economic decline of “Americans”

22. A New Conservative Emerges Old vs. New What’s the Difference? Old (19 th Century) New  Opposed to free market capitalism because it broke down traditional social roles.  Acceptance of social welfare for the poor.  See justice as equal opportunity, not equal outcome;  Advocate market incentives to achieve socially desirable goals, rather than the government  Prefer state and local government action over federal, which is potentially tyrannous.

23. A New Conservative Emerges Old vs. New What’s the Difference? Old (19 th Century) New  No fear of an active large government becoming tyrannous because the elite would be the governors.  Traditional monarchies [Germany under Bismarck]  Limited role for federal government, but powerful in its sphere - national security and domestic order.  Should support free market mechanism.

24. Contemporary Conservatism Developed after WWII in response to these perceived threats:  Soviet communism  The rise of government welfare in U.S.  Political protests, including civil rights movement  Urban riots in 1967 & 68

25. Leading the Way Prominent Conservative Leaders  Barry Goldwater, AZ  Jerry Falwell  Phyllis Schlafly

26. New Conservative Views: Government Welfare  Created high expectations about being entitled to government aid  Created a giant bureaucratic state  Created a culture of permissiveness; society blamed & not individual failure Can the U.S. achieve equality?

27. …but only in this sense:  Equality means equal opportunity  Can be achieved through the free market  Affirmative action programs unfair Yes

28. The Moral Majority becomes a political force! Morality

29. The New Right in the United States Breaks with contemporary conservatism on these issues:  Can be critical of free market & global economy  Less concerned with individual rights than moral values  Not concerned with large, active government, if it promotes moral values

30.  For many Americans, the economic, social and political trends of the previous two decades - ranging from crime and racial polarization in many urban centers, to the economic downturn and inflation of the Carter years - engendered a mood of disillusionment.  It also strengthened a renewed suspicion of government and its ability to deal effectively with the country's deep-rooted social and political problems.  Conservatives, long out of power at the national level, were well positioned to exploit this new mood.  It was a time when many Americans were receptive to their message of limited government, strong national defense and the protection of traditional values against what were seen as the encroachments of a permissive and often chaotic modern society. The New Right in the United States

31.  It was a time when many Americans were receptive to their message of limited government, strong national defense and the protection of traditional values against what were seen as the encroachments of a permissive and often chaotic modern society.  This conservative upsurge had many sources. A large group of fundamentalist Christians, who regard the Bible as the direct and inerrant word of God, were particularly concerned about an increase in crime and sexual immorality.. The New Right in the United States

33. Emphasis on traditional moral values  Strongly oppose abortion, homosexuality, and sex education in the schools.  Strongly support state-sponsored prayer in public schools.  Critical of women’s rights movement, which is blamed for myriad social problems. Religious groups on the right were not politically mobilized until 1976, Reagan’s first run for the White House.  With his win in 1980, they have increasingly exercised power within the GOP.  The New Right comprised an unstable but potent alliance of wealthy Americans, corporate leaders, evangelicals, Catholic ethnics, and white blue-collar workers.

34. The New Right in the United States Emphasis on traditional moral values  Like other conservatives, or the "Old Right," the New Right favored strict limits on government intervention in the economy. But the New Right was willing to use state power to encourage its view of family values, restrict homosexual behavior and censor pornography.  In general, the New Right also favored tough measures against crime, strong national defense, a constitutional amendment to permit prayer in public schools, opposition to abortion and defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment for women.

35.  One of the most politically effective groups in the early 1980s, called the Moral Majority, was led by a Baptist minister, Jerry Falwell. Another, led by Pat Robertson, built an organization called the Christian Coalition which by the 1990s was a potent force in the Republican Party.  Like many such groups, they wanted to return religion to a central place in American life. Television evangelists like Falwell and Robertson developed huge followings. The New Right in the United States

36. Jerry Falwell, 1974 “I listen to feminists and all these radical gals... These women just need a man in the house. That's all they need. Most of the feminists need a man to tell them what time of day it is and to lead them home. And they blew it and they're mad at all men. Feminists hate men. They're sexist. They hate men; that's their problem.”

37. Jerry Falwell, 1974  1973, Falwell began a series of meetings with fellow pastors and conservative politicians on what he considered their responsibility to support “pro-traditional family” policies. That led to the founding of the Moral Majority, which claimed to have mobilized nearly 9 million voters and helped put Ronald Reagan in the White House in 1980.

38. Jerry Falwell, 1974  In his 1980 book, “Listen, America!” Falwell said religious voters “cannot be silent about the sins that are destroying this nation,” which he identified as pornography, abortion, “amoral liberals,” drugs, welfare and the abandonment of biblical morality.  “If Americans will face the truth, our nation can be turned around and can be saved from the evils and the destruction that have fallen upon every other nation that has turned its back on God,” he wrote. “There is no excuse for what is happening in our country. We must, from the highest office in the land right down to the shoeshine boy in the airport, have a return to biblical basics.”

39.  Tension in the Republican party between new conservatives ( economic ) and New Right conservatives ( social ). At issue:  Role of government in private lives.  Globalized economy & free trade. The New Right vs. New Conservatives What’s the Difference?

40. Economic Policy Reflections on the Reagan Presidency

41. Ronald Reagan on Economics 1.“The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.” 2.“Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidizes it.” 3.“We don't have a trillion dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion dollar debt because we spend too much.” 4.“The taxpayer that's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.” 5.“It's time we reduced the federal budget and left the family budget alone.”

42.  Reagan shared the same economic philosophy as Britain’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.  For over 20 years, he had been campaigning against the Keynesian orthodoxy and for Hayek and Friedman's ideas of free markets and freedom.  “Reagan knew Hayek personally; he knew Milton Friedman personally. And Reagan was, in a sense, their popularizer. So he was the person who would take these people who were very profound but not very easy to communicate. I don't think you'd ever get Hayek on the Today show, but you could get Reagan explaining the core of Hayek with better examples and in more understandable language.” Newt Gingrich (Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives, 1995-1999) Hoorah for Hayek!

43. Hayek vs. Keynes

45. Reaganomics Two Goals:  Reduce taxes to stimulate economic growth  Cut the federal budget Based on supply-side economics:  A theory that says that breaks for businesses will increase supply of goods & services, aiding the economy  A good economy would trickle down to everyone else Reduce government Spending Control $ supply to reduce inflation Reduce govt. Regulation of Economy Reduce Marginal Tax Rates

48.  Reduced Federal Regulation  Tax Cuts 1. Designed to boost economy by giving money back to business to invest and spend in new plants and new technology 2. Business taxes liberalized, 3. Individual Retirement Account tax breaks 4. The resulting boom would increase tax revenues even at lower rates. 5. Cut taxes across the board by 25%  A balanced budget for 3 years Economic Policy

49.  Unemployment dropped from double-digit levels in 1982 to 7% by 1987  Inflation declined from 13.5% in 1980 to 5% by 1982.  From 1983 to 1990, the nation enjoyed one of the longest stretches of uninterrupted economic growth in its history. Success!

50. Recession & Rebound A recession occurs when GDP declines for two or more consecutive quarters. During a recession, production levels go down, the stock market is unhealthy, unemployment rises, and consumer spending declines. By the middle of 1983, the economy made its recovery.

51. Reaganomics Results: Economy Grew … But So Did The Deficit $10,530,386,093,589.13 US Pop: 304,998,272 Share of Debt/Person: $34,526.04 Daily Increase: $3.84 billion

53.  Reaganomics achieved mixed results from 1981 to 1989.  In addition to a growing federal budget deficit [soaring past $3 trillion] and international trade deficit, more banks and savings institutions failed than in the Great Depression  “Black Monday” On October 19, 1987 the Stock Market crashed 508 points Success?

54.  The nation experienced a recession in 1982 that was induced by the tight money supply policy of the Federal Reserve.  To fund the debt, the Federal Reserve was forced to keep interest rates high to attract foreign capital.  The budget deficits of the Reagan spending and tax-cutting approach resulted in a new tax many Americans had to pay through high interest rates, the profits from which flowed to relatively small groups of lenders at home and abroad.  The results of deregulation have been ambiguous at best: if it stimulated vigorous economic growth, it also encouraged certain economic practices that seriously weakened important sectors of the U.S. financial system. Success?

56. The Assassination Attempt Reflections on the Reagan Presidency

57. Assassination Attempt Video Clip

58. “I hope you're all Republicans.” …speaking to surgeons as he entered the operating room following a 1981 assassination attempt “Honey, I forgot to duck.” …to his wife, Nancy, after surviving the assassination attempt

59. Assassination Attempt  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%.

60. Foreign Policy Reflections on the Reagan Presidency

61. World Events  Korean passenger airliner bound for Seoul apparently strays into Soviet airspace and is shot down by a Soviet SU-15 fighter after it had tracked the airliner for two hours; all 269 aboard are killed, including 61 Americans  USSR and Soviet block countries boycotted 1984 Olympic Games  WHO (World Health Organization) announced that small pox had been eradicated [1980]  Pope John Paul II wounded by gunman[1981]  IBM releases something called a Personal Computer.  MTV (US) launches  Britain defeats Argentina in Falklands War [islands off the coast of Argentina]  Major nuclear accident at Soviet Union's Chernobyl power station alarms world

62. World Events Fears of Nuclear War  Television movie about a nuclear attack The Day After 1983 – viewed by over 100 million people.  In the film War Games the US is and the USSR are brought to the brink of a nuclear exchange by a teenager’s accidental computer efforts.

63. World Events Fears of Nuclear War  In October 1981 half a million people took to the streets in several cities in Italy, more than 250,000 people protested in Bonn, 250,000 demonstrated in London, and 100,000 marched in Brussels.  The largest anti-nuclear protest was held on June 12, 1982, when one million people demonstrated in New York City against nuclear weapons.

64. The Middle East / Central Asia / Central America Persian Gulf  Iran-Iraq War 1981-1989 [2 million dead]  Iraqi missiles kill 37 in attack on U.S. frigate Stark in Persian Gulf  U.S. Navy ship shoots down Iranian airliner in Persian Gulf, mistaking it for jet fighter; 290 killed Afghanistan  Charlie Wilson’s War – US provides Stinger missiles for Afghan Rebels [great weapons for shooting down Soviet helicopters]  1988 Soviets leave Afghanistan Central America  Grenada 1983  Anti communist efforts in El Salvador and Nicaragua World Events

65. 1983: In Lebanon, a suicide attack on US Embassy kills 63 1983: In Lebanon, a Marine barracks is attacked, killing 241 US Marines 1985: Two Shi'ite Muslim gunmen capture TWA airliner with 133 aboard, 104 of them Americans 1985: Terrorists seize Egyptian Boeing 737 airliner after takeoff from Athens 1985: P.L.O. terrorists hijack Achille Lauro, Italian cruise ship, with 80 passengers, plus crew Terrorism Dominates the Headlines

66. 1985: Libyan government sponsors a bombing at a Berlin night club frequented by American military personnel. [US launches airstrike in retaliation] 1987: William Buckley, U.S. hostage in Lebanon, reported slain 1988: Pan-Am 747 explodes from terrorist bomb and crashes in Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 aboard and 11 on ground 1988: Terrorists kill nine tourists on Aegean cruise Terrorism Dominates the Headlines

68. The Reagan Doctrine  Opposition to the global influence of the Soviet Union  “So, in your discussions of the nuclear freeze proposals, I urge you to beware the temptation of pride–the temptation of blithely..uh..declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.”…Evil Empire Speech, March 8, 1983 One Perspective

69.  Under the Reagan Doctrine, the U.S. provided overt and covert aid to right-wing guerillas & resistance movements in an effort to “rollback” Soviet-backed left-wing governments in Africa, Asia, & Latin America.

70. The Cold War in Film The USSR provided an easy villain for American films. An the hero [US] of course defeats the villain [USSR]

71. The Cold War Won on Film

72. The New Arms Race

73. A New Leader Takes Over in the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, becomes Soviet Premier [1985]

74. Gorbachev Factor  Mikhail Gorbachev installed as chairman of Soviet Communist Party 1985  Established new policies of: Glasnost- openness and Perestroika-restructuring  Policies led to détente, or lessening of tensions  A series of summits led to friendship and cooperation between Gorbachev and Reagan.

75. US Defense Spending In Relation To The Soviet Defense Spending

76.  Reagan abhorred the idea of ever using the nuclear weapons his administration was building.  Attacked by his detractors as a warmonger, Reagan repeatedly voiced his hope to one day rid the world of nuclear weapons. He refused to accept treaties that eliminated one type of weapon, only to allow for the deployment of a new and improved version.  On this matter he angered both conservatives and members of the anti-nukes community. For while he professed to deplore the existence of nuclear weapons, and may have believed they foretold a biblical Armageddon, he simultaneously deployed medium-range missiles in Europe. Summit Politics and the Cold War Thaw

77.  Summit 1: Geneva, 1985 – Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met to discuss arms reduction, human rights, and diplomatic relations. 1 st meeting between leaders of the nations after 6 years. No major agreements were reached or treaties signed, but the two leaders began to build a working relationship.  Summit 2: Reykjavik, 1986 - The talks collapsed at the last minute, but the progress that had been achieved eventually resulted in the 1987 Intermediate- Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. Summit Politics and the Cold War Thaw

78.  Summit 3: Washington, 1987 - Signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.  Summit 4: Moscow, 1988 - The May 1988 summit meeting was a victory of style over substance. Both Reagan and Gorbachev kept up positive fronts in their public statements, but in fact, the meeting had been a great disappointment for both sides. No further progress on arms limitation was made, and Reagan's efforts to push the human rights issue met a frosty response from Gorbachev. The summit indicated that despite the progress made in improving U.S.-Soviet relations in the past years, serious differences still existed.  Summit 5: New York, 1988 – Interrupted due to an earthquake in Armenia Summit Politics and the Cold War Thaw

79. “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!” “In the Communist world, we see failure, technological backwardness, declining standards … Even today, the Soviet Union cannot feed itself. The inescapable conclusion is that freedom is the victor. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

80. Fall Of The Berlin Wall [1989]

81. “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)  Mikhail Gorbachev was eager to salvage the Soviet economy by ending the arms race, but was fearful of U.S. development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).  SDI was Reagan's pet project.  As he envisioned it, SDI would allow the construction of a "peace shield" that would protect the U.S. from incoming nuclear missiles.

83. “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)  Though derided by some in the U.S. as a "star wars" fantasy, SDI was taken seriously by the Soviets.  Reagan held tough in insisting that its development continue.

84. Controversy Iran-Contra Affair  Congress refused to back aid to contra rebels fighting a Marxist government in Nicaragua  Iran and Lebanon hint that arms trade could result in the release of American hostages being held in the Middle East

85. The Contras  In 1979, the Sandinistas, a Marxist leaning group with aid from communist Cuba, overthrew Nicaragua dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle  When Reagan took office, he cut off aid to Nicaragua, saying the Sandinistas were supported by the USSR.  In 1981, Reagan approved $21 million for the CIA to equip & train the Contras, a Sandinista opposition group.  Congress cut off funds to the Contras & banned all direct or indirect U.S. military support for them.

86. Iran-Contra Scandal  Reagan makes “arms for hostage” deals with Iran  He uses profit from arms sales to aid contra rebels in Nicaragua  News leaks out, and cover-up proceeds, including missing tapes, lots of lying, and trials in which Reagan seems very flustered (perhaps an early sign of his Alzheimer's?)  Reagan somehow remained one of the most popular presidents, nicknamed the “Teflon Man”

87. Iran-Contra Affair Contras Swiss bank accounts; controlled by North Iran Israel US Private US $ Foreign Gov’t $ $$$ Hostages weapons Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North carried out the plan of secretly diverting money from Iran arms sales to the Contras in Nicaragua. Reagan admitted authorizing the Iran arms sales but denied knowledge of the diversion of funds to the Contras.

88. Domestic Policy Reflections on the Reagan Presidency

89. Reagan’s Domestic Policy

90. Domestic Policy  Reagan appointed a near majority of Supreme Court justices during his term, mostly conservative-minded  This resulted in a Supreme Court that expressed a conservative view on issues such issues as abortion and affirmative action  Reagan nominated the first female justice Sandra Day O’Connor who was sworn in Sept. 25, 1981  Reagan on abortion; “Make no mistake, abortion-on-demand is not a right guaranteed by the Constitution. No serious scholar, including one disposed to agree with the Court's result, has argued that the framers of the Constitution intended to create such a right.”

91.  At first Reagan opposed the Martin Luther King holiday, and signed it only after an overwhelming veto-proof majority (338 to 90 in the House of Representatives and 78 to 22 in the Senate) voted in favor of it. Domestic Policy

92.  In August 1981, 13,000 air-traffic controllers went on strike. Although these workers were members of their own employment union to protect their rights, they were also highly skilled workers in high demand on the payroll of the US Government.  Because these workers were so badly needed, President Reagan ordered the air-traffic controllers to end the strike and return to work.  When they refused, Reagan fired all of them, hired scabs to replace them, and "busted" their union. For a time, the airline industry faced severe economic hardships. Domestic Policy: Air Traffic Controllers

93.  Reagan declared more militant policies in the “War on Drugs”. He promised a “planned, concerted campaign” against all drugs, eventually leading to decreases in adolescent drug use in America.  Increased Military Spending  Unstated was a goal to reduce the government's commitment to affirmative action for minorities and vigorous enforcement of the civil rights laws. Domestic Policy

95. 1984 Election, 49 states for Reagan A personal victory, not a party victory

96. Viewpoints Reflections on the Reagan Presidency

97. Viewpoints Daniel Bell, ed., The Radical Right (1963). A view of modern conservatism as an extremist and paranoid fringe movement: “Anti-elitism oriented toward groups that cannot be regarded as oppressed minorities or victims of bigotry, or anti-Communism directed against the agents or dupes of an evil foreign power, can serve as palatable outlets for those who require a scapegoat.…Intolerant movements, while often powerful, have never been able seriously to endanger the normal processes of American democracy.…But if such movements can not come to power, they can damage the democratic process for short periods of time, and they can and have injured innocent people.”

99. Viewpoints Kevin Phillips, Post-Conservative America (1982). A view of modern conservatism as more deeply rooted in American history: “I submit that the New Right combines three powerful trend patterns that recur in American history and politics. First, to some measure it is an extension of the Wallace movement, and as such represents a current expression of the ongoing populism of the white lower middle classes, principally in the South and West.…Second, the New Right is closely allied with the sometimes potent right-to-life or antiabortion movement, the current version, perhaps, of the great one- issue moral crusades of the American past.…And this one-issue element, in turn, folds into the third phenomenon—the possible fourth occurrence of the religious revivals or ‘Great Awakenings’ that have swept across the land since the middle of the eighteenth century. If so, the religious wing of the New Right may be the political wing of a major national awakening.”