1. PRESIDENT REAGAN

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3. Former actor and California governor Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. He is generally considered a strong leader who helped bring the Cold War to an end. Reagan maintains an almost legendary status in the eyes of conservatives, having sparked a renaissance of conservative politics. Former actor and California governor Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. He is generally considered a strong leader who helped bring the Cold War to an end. Reagan maintains an almost legendary status in the eyes of conservatives, having sparked a renaissance of conservative politics. PRESIDENT REAGAN

4. What is the message of this political cartoon? The cartoon on the left points to Reagan’s larger- than-life status in the eyes of the nation, suggesting that his status in the eyes of conservatives is even greater. The cartoon on the right features Reagan holding up his own large cut-out, possibly to show that he needed to keep up his heroic status to be successful (e.g. in reelection, in winning the Cold War, in promoting Reaganomics). PRESIDENT REAGAN

5. Reagan’s decisive victory over Carter in 1980 PRESIDENT REAGAN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loBe0WXtts8 "Are you better off than you were four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment... than there was four years ago?"

6. Reagan’s decisive victory over Mondale in 1984… PRESIDENT REAGAN

7. The Iran-Contra Affair was a scandal involving high-ranking government officials. There was secret trading of weapons to Iran, even though the U.S. had an arms embargo in place for Iran (due to the Hostage Crisis from 1979-1980 and the general instability of the Iranian regime). The arms were supplied in hopes that it would result in the release of hostages in the Lebanese hostage crisis. PRESIDENT REAGAN

8. The sales were also supposed to secretly fund anti-communist counter- revolutionaries or contras in Nicaragua. Nothing was connected to Reagan, but fourteen officials were indicted, including the secretary of defense. When Vice President George H.W. Bush became president, he pardoned all of these officials. PRESIDENT REAGAN

9. What is the message of this political cartoon? The cartoon refers to all those connected to the Iron- Contra Affair PRESIDENT REAGAN https://www.youtu be.com/watch?v= R67CH-qhXJs

10. What is the message of this political cartoon? This criticizes Reagan’s foreign policy in Central America. In addition to the Iran-Contra Affair, Reagan also funded the anti-communist Salvadorian government, which used death squads to eliminate opposition. PRESIDENT REAGAN

11. What is the message of this political cartoon? Reagan promoted tax breaks for Americans, including the richest corporations. The theory is that if the rich have money to invest, it will create more jobs, and the middle and working classes will also benefit. This is known as supply- side economics, trickle-down economics, or simply as Reaganomics. Supply-side economics was (and still is) highly divisive. These cartoons are critical of that concept. PRESIDENT REAGAN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJkMOjqwxFI

12. What is the message of this political cartoon? The cartoon suggests that Reagan is best known for his Cold War leadership (helping to bring an end to the Berlin Wall). PRESIDENT REAGAN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtYdjbpBk6A

13. What is the message of this political cartoon? The cartoon pokes fun at Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). Nicknamed “Star Wars” after the recently released George Lucas films, SDI was to be a pioneering effort to use an arsenal of satellites to shoot lasers at missiles coming toward the United States. PRESIDENT REAGAN https://www. youtube.co m/watch?v= 4hGLBA65t Zg https://www. youtube.co m/watch?v= uLDK0G4W ktc

14. PRESIDENT REAGAN According to this cartoonist, the republican party (elephant) is supportive of anything having to do with Ronald Reagan or his policies, even decades after his presidency.

15. PRESIDENT REAGAN

16. What is the message of this political cartoon? In the end, Reagan’s impact is huge, and his legacy is mixed...

17. According to most ranking systems (liberal and conservative), Ronald Reagan usually ranks between 8 th and 25 th in terms of the best U.S. Presidents in history. He has an average rank of 16 th. For those who are conservative, he was one of America’s best leaders, pulling us out of recession and winning the Cold War. For liberals, he favored the rich with conservative policies and was connected to other scandals. PRESIDENT REAGAN https://www.youtube.com/w atch?feature=player_embed ded&v=40YNPwSf9P8

18. Reagan’s Legacy: Domestic Policy Brought the economy out of recession with tax breaks Tax breaks to the rich and to corporations; trickle-down economics, supply-side economics, Reaganomics) Space Shuttle Disaster (Challenger) Increased spending, raising the national debt Signed a bill offering amnesty for 3 million illegal immigrants PRESIDENT REAGAN

19. Illegal arms sales to Iran, money to Nicaraguan Contras (Iran-Contra Affair) Supplied weapons to Afghans to fight the Soviets (later became Taliban) Funded Salvadorian government, whose ‘death squads’ killed opposition Grenada Invasion (Caribbean) as another Cold War theater Bringing the Cold War to an end, demanding openness in the communist world, demanding the tearing down of Berlin Wall https://www.youtub e.com/watch?v=MV lU7F5Gwo8 PRESIDENT REAGAN Reagan’s Legacy: Foreign Policy

20. Reagan’s Legacy Domestic Policy Foreign Policy Illegal arms sales to Iran, money to Nicaraguan Contras (Iran-Contra Affair) Supplied weapons to Afghans to fight the Soviets (later became Taliban) Funded Salvadorian government, whose ‘death squads’ killed opposition Grenada Invasion (Caribbean) as another Cold War theater Bringing the Cold War to an end, demanding openness in the communist world, demanding the tearing down of Berlin Wall “Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.” “Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction.” According to most ranking systems (liberal and conservative), Ronald Reagan usually ranks between 8 th and 25 th in terms of the best U.S. Presidents in history. He has an average rank of 16 th. For those who are conservative, he was one of America’s best leaders, pulling us out of recession and winning the Cold War. For liberals, he favored the rich with conservative policies and was connected to other scandals. Brought the economy out of recession with tax breaks Tax breaks to the rich and to corporations; trickle-down economics, supply-side economics, Reaganomics) Space Shuttle Disaster (Challenger) Increased spending, raising the national debt Signed a bill offering amnesty for 3 million illegal immigrants PRESIDENT REAGAN