1. Reagan

2. Economic problems and the Election
o Inflation 6%- rose every year
o %
o Fed. raised interest rates
o Unemployment 6%
o %
o Deficit
o $68 Billion – Highest ever
o $73 Billion (page 79)

3. Other Factors that Make Reagan Popular
Iran Hostage Crisis
Soviet Aggression in Afghanistan
Sandinistas in Nicaragua
Economy
Carter himself was not as charismatic as Reagan

4. Election 1980 Reagan’s Message:
Reagan is popular
Reagan’s Message:
Problem with America was leadership solved by:
Optimism
Cut Taxes
Shrink Government
=Small Federal Government
Cut spending
Encourage private investment
Keep Military strong
Aid those countries fighting communism
Ronald Reagan George Bush Republican 43,903, % %
James Carter Walter Mondale Democratic 35,480, % %

5. Domestic-Influence of Nixon
Reagan was the most important political figure of the age.
Nixon’s Southern political strategy- wanted to get Southern vote-
Reagan used Nixon’s strategy on
School desegregation
Judicial appointments
Reagan used Nixon’s men
Rumsfeld and Cheney

6. Domestic-Economics Reaganomics-still widely practiced
Military spending=Keep Military strong
Supply-side economics=Trickle down effect,
Sometimes known as “Voodoo Economics”
Introduced several tax cuts for wealthy Americans
Lower taxes
Deregulation- cut government oversight
The economy had been in decline since 1973
With Stagflation

9. Domestic-Economics Cont.
Problem with America was leadership solved by:
Optimism
Cut Taxes
Shrink Government
=Small Federal Government
Cut spending
Encourage private investment
Aid those abroad fighting communism

10. Domestic-Social and Political
Suburbs
Civil Rights and Feminists movements broke down barriers
Need for large amounts of money
Upheaval of JFK, LBJ, and Nixon caused alienation
Phyllis Shaffley- Against ERA… Equal Rights Amendment

11. Phyllis Shlaffly “Stop ERA” Equal Rights Amendment Anti-New Deal
Anti-communism
Anti-civil rights
Arguments against the ERA:
Destroys traditional family values
Women’s legal protection from combat
Single sex bathrooms
Exemption from draft
She reached out to religious conservatives
Oppose membership in United Nations

12. Betty Friedan Pro Women’s Liberation
Feminist
A leading figure in the women's movement in the United States, her 1963 book 
The Feminine Mystique 
National Organization for Women (NOW), which aimed to bring women "into the mainstream of American society now [in] fully equal partnership with men".
Pro ERA.

14. Gloria Steinem
Gloria Marie Steinem (born March 25, 1934) is an American feminist,journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s. A prominent writer and key counterculture erapolitical figure, Steinem has founded many organizations and projects and has been the recipient of many awards and honors.

16. Domestic-Social and Political Cont.
“Halting and ineffective” fight on AIDS
Reagan's communications director Pat Buchanan argued that AIDS is "nature's revenge on gay men."
Air Traffic Controllers strike
Fired more than 11,000 of them when they ignored his order to return to work

17. Assassination Attempt
March 30, 1981, shot by John Hinckley Jr. while leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel

18. Domestic New Federalism (championed by Nixon)
“Political philosophy of devolution, or the transfer of certain powers from the United States federal government back to the states.”

19. Foreign-Iran Contra Affair
Iran Contra Affair Video
Nicarauga Revolution- Samoza, Sandinistas, Contras Reagan and CIA—to overthrow the Sandinista gov.
Boland Ammendment- prohibited American Aid and $ and action with the Contras.
Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, the subject of an arms embargo
Some U.S. officials also hoped that the arms sales would secure the release of several hostages and allow U.S. intelligence agencies to fund the Nicaraguan Contras

21. Foreign-Star Wars SDI “Starwars” (Strategic Defense Initiative)
March 23, 1983
Ground-based and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles
Focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic offense doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

22. With terrorist who took American hostages
Iran has influence
With terrorist who took American hostages
Hostages in Lebanon
Iran
North negotiates 1. Arms sales in exchange for help with getting American Hostages released.
Contras
Colonel North
Profits from Arms Sales go to the Contras = illegal act by President
Nicaragua
Sandinistas
Reagan orders North to find a way to help Contras
Reagan
Admin
Said no to Contra Support
Congress

23. Foreign
U.S. military led an international invasion of Grenada to topple a new Communist government there
Aid those abroad fighting communism
Foreign Policy- divisions caused by Vietnam

25. Foreign In foreign policy, Reagan was a full-fledged Cold War Hawk
Supported repressive regimes and right wing insurgents in territories that opposed communism

26. “The age of Reagan is over”
2008, His conclusion
Obama won nomination with Clinton’s support, Biden VP (who had foreign policy credentials)
McCain – chose Palin VP who had conservative credentials