Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan, GCB, (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). Reagan was also a broadcaster, film actor, and head of the Screen Actors Guild before entering politics.

Presidency

Domestic record

Ronald Reagan portrayed himself as being economically conservative in favor of tax cuts, smaller government, and deregulation. He also took a strong "tough-on-crime" stance.

Related Topics:
Conservative - Tax cuts - Deregulation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The high point of the Reagan presidency's first 100 days was the end of the Iran hostage crisis after the American hostages were freed within minutes of his inauguration. Reagan's first official act upon entering office was to terminate oil price controls, a policy designed to boost America's domestic production and exploration of oil. http://cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-261.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While leaving the Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC on March 30, 1981, Reagan, his Press Secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, and MPDC officer Thomas Delanty were shot by John Hinckley, Jr.. Reagan turned what could have been a low point in his first 100 days into another high point by joking, "I hope you're all Republicans," to his surgeons (While they were not, he received the reply, "We're all Republicans today" from Dr. Joseph Giordano) and "Honey, I forgot to duck" to his wife. http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/05/reagan.obit/ Reagan also said that he forgave Hinckley and hoped he would ask for God's forgiveness as well.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the summer of 1981 Reagan fired a majority of federal air traffic controllers when they went on an illegal strike. Since this union was one of only two unions to support Reagan in the prior election, this action proved to be a political coup; the public viewed the strikers as greedy and self-serving, and saw Reagan as willing to stand on principle. Not only did this set limits for public employee unions, but also signaled that it was acceptable for businesses to play hardball with unions.

Related Topics:
Air traffic controller - Strike

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A large focus of Reagan's first term was reviving the economy his administration inherited, which was plagued by a new phenomenon known as stagflation (a stagnant economy combined with high inflation). His administration sought to fight double-digit inflation by supporting Federal Reserve Board chairman Paul Volcker's decision to tighten the money supply by dramatically hiking interest rates. While successfully lowering inflation, this policy caused a short term recession from 1981-1982, which temporarily lowered Reagan's public support.

Related Topics:
Stagflation - Federal Reserve Board - Paul Volcker - Interest rates - 1982

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reagan combined this tight-money policy with across-the-board tax cuts designed to boost business investment (see supply-side economics). While ridiculed by opponents as "voodoo," "trickle-down," and "Reaganomics," he managed to push his across-the-board tax cuts through the congress in 1981. At the same time, the administration successfully slowed the growth of welfare and social spending, eliciting protests from liberal Democrats.

Related Topics:
Supply-side economics - Reaganomics

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Following the recession of 1981-82, the economy staged a dramatic recovery beginning in 1983. The Reagan administration claimed the tax cuts helped revived the economy and create jobs, which led to the increase of federal income tax revenues during the 1980's from $517 billion to over $1 trillion per annum.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Due dramatic increases in the military budget that grew out of the administration's staunch anti-Communist stance, the federal deficit reached record highs. At that time, the U.S. House of Representatives had a Democratic Party majority that opposed lowering public spending. To cover the deficit, the administration borrowed heavily both domestically and abroad, and by the end of Reagan's second term the national debt had tripled. Despite this heavy debt, both the inflation and unemployment problems had been solved, with the latter at only 5.2% when Reagan left office. Opponents charged that while the economy had recovered, Reagan's policies had created an increase in the gap between the rich and the poor. The studies on this issue are inconclusive and contradictory.

Related Topics:
Deficit - National debt

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A renewal of the "war on drugs" was also declared during his presidency, spearheaded by Nancy Reagan's high-profile "Just Say No" series of messages.

Related Topics:
War on drugs - Just Say No

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

President Reagan was criticized by the gay rights movement and others for not responding quickly enough to the HIV-AIDS situation. The first official mention of the disease in the White House was on October 15, 1982 when Reagan's press secretary Larry Speakes, in response to a reporter's inquiry about "the gay plague," said "I don't have it, do you?" to general laughter. (It should be noted that AIDS was just beginning to be understood at this time. The term AIDS had been coined that year and was not yet widely used--hence the reporter calling it "the gay plague" instead. HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, would not be identified until 1983.) Reagan himself first publicly discussed the federal government's role in fighting the disease at a press conference in 1985. Reagan's policies in regards to AIDS and gay rights became a subject of controversy after his death. Liberals and libertarians pointed out that he had gone on record as supporting sodomy laws, opposing anti-discrimination laws including sexual preference, and the conservative United States Supreme Court Justices that he appointed would help produce the majority opinion in the 1986 case of Bowers v. Hardwick. Yet, after his death, family members and homosexual conservatives (known as Log Cabin Republicans) pointed out that he opposed the 1978 California anti-gay Briggs Initiative. In 1984 he had the first openly homosexual couple spend the night in the White House. He is said to have taught his children that homosexuality was a normal state of being for some people and considered actor Rock Hudson to be a longtime friend.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reagan made the abolition of communism and the implementation of supply-side economics the primary focuses of his presidency, but he also took a strong stand against abortion. He published the book Abortion and the Conscience of a Nation, which decried what Reagan saw as a disrespect for life, promoted by the practice of abortion. Many conservative activists refer to Reagan as the most pro-life president in history. (However, two of the three Supreme Court justices he selected, Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy, voted to uphold Roe v. Wade, to Reagan's disappointment).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although Reagan's second term was mostly noteworthy for matters related to foreign affairs, his administration supported significant pieces of legislation on domestic matters, including an overhaul of the Internal Revenue Code in 1986, as well as the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 which compensated victims of the Japanese American Internment during World War II. Reagan also signed legislation authorizing the death penalty for offenses involving murder in the context of large-scale drug trafficking; wholesale reinstatement of the federal death penalty would not occur until the presidency of Bill Clinton.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Foreign policy and interventions

Reagan forcefully confronted the Soviet Union, marking a sharp departure from the détente observed by his predecessors Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter. Under the assumption that the Soviet Union could not then outspend the US government in a renewed arms race, he strived to make the Cold War economically and rhetorically hot. The administration oversaw a massive military build-up that represented a policy called "peace through strength." The Reagan administration set a new policy toward the Soviet Union with the goal to win the Cold War through a three-pronged strategy outlined in NSDD-32 (National Security Decisions Directive). The directive outlined Reagan's plan to confront the Soviet Union on three fronts: economic - decrease Soviet access to high technology and diminish their resources, including depressing the value of Soviet commodities on the world market; military - increase American defense expenditures to strengthen the U.S. negotiating position and force the Soviets to devote more of their economic resources to defense; and clandestine - support anti-Soviet factions around the world from Afghanistan resistance fighters to Poland's Solidarity movement. He proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative, dubbed "Star Wars", a space-based missile shield, widely viewed outside the US as an offensive weapon. In October 1986, Reagan met with Gorbachev in Iceland where, Gorbachev ardently opposed this defensive/offensive shield. By 1991, the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher said, "Ronald Reagan won the Cold War without firing a shot."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some analysts argue that the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union was due more to the reawakening of internal separatist problems under glasnost, an inherent weakness in communist economic theory, and the depressed global price of crude oil, on which the Soviet economy during those years depended heavily. Furthermore, Reagan's much heralded military buildup that increased American military spending by 8% per annum in fact did not appear to have the planned effect of forcing the Soviets to mirror American growth: according to CIA estimates, Soviet military spending levelled off at a growth rate of 1.3% per annum in 1975 and remained at that level for a decade, although it more than tripled to approximately 4.3% in 1985 through 1987 (though spending on offensive strategic weapons continued to grow at 1.3% during that period), before returning to 1.3% in 1988.

Related Topics:
Collapse of the Soviet Union - Glasnost - Crude oil

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Among European leaders, his main ally and undoubtedly his closest friend was Thatcher, who as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom supported Reagan's policies of deterrence against the Soviets.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although the administration negotiated arms-reduction treaties such as the INF Treaty and START Treaty with the U.S.S.R., it also aimed to increase strategic defense. A controversial plan, named the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), was proposed to deploy a space-based defense system to make the U.S. invulnerable to nuclear weapon missile attack by means of a network of armed satellites orbiting the Earth. Critics dubbed the proposal "Star Wars" and argued that SDI was unrealistic, a violation of ABM treaties, and as a weapon that defends the US if it strikes first, would inflame the Arms Race. Supporters responded that even the threat of SDI forced the Soviets into unsustainable spending to keep up. In fact, the Soviets did not attempt to follow suit with their own program, but instead followed a program of arms reduction treaties. The technology required to implement SDI is still being researched in the U.S., and it is currently in testing with stations in Alaska and islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Related Topics:
INF Treaty - START Treaty - Strategic Defense Initiative - Space - Nuclear weapon - ABM - Arms Race - Alaska - Pacific Ocean

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Support for anti-communist groups including armed insurgencies against communist governments was also a part of administration policy, referred to by his supporters as the Reagan Doctrine. Following this policy, the administration funded groups they called "freedom fighters"—described as terrorists by their detractors—such as the mujahideen in Afghanistan, the Contras in Nicaragua, and Jonas Savimbi's rebel forces in Angola. The Reagan administration increased military funding for anti-communist dictatorships throughout Latin America, and has been widely accused of ordering the assassination of several Latin American presidents & prime ministers. The administration also helped fund central European anti-communist groups such as the Polish Solidarity movement and took a hard line against the Communist regime in Cambodia. Covert funding of the Contras in Nicaragua would lead to the Iran Contra Affair, while overt support led to a World Court ruling against the United States in Nicaragua v. United States.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The administration took a strong stance against the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist organization, which was taking American citizens hostage and attacking civilian targets after Israel invaded Lebanon in the 1982 Lebanon War. It similarly took a strong stance against Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. More disputed was Reagan's consideration of the Salvadoran FMLN and Honduran guerrilla fighters as terrorists, as the two countries' respective militaries were known to have used torture and indiscriminate tactics against those suspected of collaboration or sympathy with the guerrillas. Reagan also considered the anti-apartheid ANC armed wing known as Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) as a terrorist organization.

Related Topics:
Lebanese - Hezbollah - Terrorist - Israel - 1982 Lebanon War - Palestinian - West Bank - Gaza Strip - Salvadoran - FMLN - Honduran - Torture - Guerrilla - Apartheid - ANC - Umkhonto we Sizwe

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

U.S. involvement in Lebanon followed a limited term United Nations mandate for a multinational force. A force of 800 U.S. Marines was sent to Beirut to evacuate PLO forces. The September 16, 1982 massacre of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in Beirut (see Sabra and Shatila Massacre) prompted Reagan to form a new multinational force. Intense administration diplomatic efforts resulted in a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel. U.S. forces were withdrawn shortly after the October 23, 1983 bombing of a barracks in which 241 Marines were killed. Reagan called this day the saddest day of his life and of his presidency.

Related Topics:
Lebanon - United Nations - Marines - Beirut - PLO - September 16 - 1982 - Palestinian - Sabra and Shatila Massacre - Israel - October 23 - 1983

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A communist coup on the small island nation of Grenada in 1983 led the administration to develop an invasion plan to restore the former government. The resulting Operation Urgent Fury achieved this goal.

Related Topics:
Coup - Grenada - 1983 - Operation Urgent Fury

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Initially neutral, the administration increasingly became involved in the Iran-Iraq War. At various times, the administration supported both nations, but mainly sided with Iraq, believing that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was a better geopolitical ally than Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Henry Kissinger articulated the administration's policy when he stated "Too bad they both can't lose." The American fear was that an Iranian victory would embolden Islamic fundamentalists in other Arab states, perhaps leading to the overthrow of secular governments, and Western corporate holdings, in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Kuwait. After initial Iraqi military victories were reversed and an Iranian victory appeared possible in 1982, the American government initiated Operation Staunch to attempt to cut off the Iranian regime's access to weapons (notwithstanding their later shipment of weapons to Iran in the Iran-Contra Affair). The United States also provided intelligence information and financial assistance to the Iraqi military regime. The administration also allowed the shipment of some chemical, biological and "dual use" materials, which Iraq claimed were required for agriculture, medical research, and other civilian purposes, but which were diverted to use in Saddam's weapons of mass destruction programshttp://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A52241-2002Dec29¬Found=true, although most Iraqi weaponry was supplied by Germany, Britain, France and the USSR.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Concurrent with the support of Iraq, the administration also engaged in covert arms sales to Iran in order to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua. The resulting Iran-Contra Affair became a scandal. Reagan professed ignorance of the plot's existence and quickly called for an Independent Counsel to investigate. A significant number of officials in the Reagan administration were either convicted or forced to resign as a result of the investigation.

Related Topics:
Nicaragua - Iran-Contra Affair - Independent Counsel

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On April 11,1985, it was announced that then-U.S. President Reagan would visit the Kolmeshohe Cemetery near Bitburg, at the suggestion of Chancellor Helmut Kohl of West Germany, to pay respects to the soldiers interred there. The White House staff was under the impression that those interred included both American and German soldiers. The visit was intended to be symbolic of the goodwill between the two countries, but unbeknownst to Reagan and deputy chief of staff Michael Deaver, who visited the cemetery in advance of the event, 49 of the graves contained the remains of men who had served in the Waffen-SS. The cemetery also contained remains of about 2,000 other German soldiers who had died in both World Wars, but no Americans.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reagan also visited the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where he cited Anne Frank and ended his speech with the words, "Never again."

Related Topics:
Bergen-Belsen - Concentration camp - Anne Frank

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"The Great Communicator"

[[Image:ReaganBerlinWall.jpg|thumb|250px|Speaking in front of the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987 Ronald

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reagan challenged reformist Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, exclaiming: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"]]

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reagan was dubbed "The Great Communicator" for his ability to express ideas and emotions in an almost personal manner, even when making a formal address. He honed these skills as an actor, live television and radio host, and politician, and as president hired skilled speechwriters who could capture his folksy charm.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reagan's rhetorical style varied. He used strong, even ideological language to condemn the Soviet Union and communism, particularly during his first term.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

But he could also evoke lofty ideals and a vision of the United States as a defender of liberty. His October 27, 1964 speech entitled "A Time for Choosing" reintroduced a phrase, "rendezvous with destiny," first made famous by Franklin D. Roosevelt, to popular culture.http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/resource/speeches/1983/32183e.htm Other speeches recalled America as the "shining city on a hill", "big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair," whose citizens had the "right to dream heroic dreams." http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/second.asphttp://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/first.asp

Related Topics:
October 27 - 1964 - Franklin D. Roosevelt

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On January 28, 1986, after the Challenger accident, he postponed his State of the Union address and addressed the nation on the disaster. In a speech written by Peggy Noonan, he said, "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'" http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/challenger.asp (quotations in this speech are from the famous poem "High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee, Jr..)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was perhaps Reagan's humor, especially his one-liners, that disarmed his opponents and endeared him to audiences the most. Discussion of his advanced age led him to quip in his second debate against Walter Mondale during the 1984 campaign, "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience." On his career he joked, "Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."

Related Topics:
One-liners - Walter Mondale - 1984

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Both opponents and supporters noted his "sunny optimism", which was welcomed by many in comparison to his Presidential predecessor, the often smiling, but somewhat dour and serious, Carter.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Criticisms

A frequent objection by his critics, however, was that his personal charm also permitted him to say nearly anything and yet prevail, a quality that earned him the nickname "the Teflon President" (i.e., to whom nothing sticks). His denial of awareness of the Iran-Contra illegalities was belied by quotations in now-archived notes by his defense secretary, Casper Weinberger, that he (Reagan) could survive violating the law or Constitution, but not the negative public image that "big, strong Ronald Reagan passed up a chance to get the hostages free." In December 1985, Reagan signed a secret presidential "finding" describing the deal as "arms-for-hostages." Reagan-era papers which might provide further details were originally scheduled to be released starting in 2001, but President George W. Bush enacted a rule change to allow many of these to be withheld indefinitely.

Related Topics:
Teflon - Iran-Contra - Casper Weinberger - Constitution - 2001 - George W. Bush

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reagan's fiscal and tax policies were said by some to have increased social inequality and economic instability, his efforts to cut welfare and income taxes becoming common flashpoints between critics who charged that this primarily benefited the well off in America. The unprecedented growth of the national debt during his presidency also sparked charges of endangering the economic health of the nation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reagan's foreign policy also drew criticisms, many opponents making the charge that rather than genuinely upholding the cause of human rights throughout the globe, Reagan used it merely as a ideological tool against socialist and communist countries. Often cited are the administration's support of many widely condemned and bloody regimes, including apartheid-era South Africa, the Pinochet military junta in Chile, and the Suharto regime in Indonesia. One opponent was Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jose Ramos-Horta:

Related Topics:
Apartheid - Pinochet - Junta - Chile - Suharto - Indonesia - Jose Ramos-Horta

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"Reagan, like Carter, ignored the rights of black South Africans who languished under a system of institutionalized terrorism and racism; the widespread and systematic use of torture in Chile and Guatemala. They not only ignored, but actively supported the mass murder of Timorese women, men, and children, orchestrated by their friend and ally, General Suharto of Indonesia. Under Carter, there were crocodile tears for the oppressed; under Reagan, there hasn't even been a pretence of concern for those in Timor, Chile, Paraguay, South Africa." (Funu: The Unfinished Saga of East Timor, 87)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reagan's support of apartheid South Africa has been among the most heavily criticized aspects of his foreign policy, though it was considerably lessened during his second term. Among the most vocal critics is Nobel Peace Prize recipient Bishop Desmond Tutu who commented in 1984 that Reagan was "immoral, evil, and totally un-Christian...you are either for or against apartheid and not by rhetoric." He was unconvinced by the later reformist "constructive engagement" posture of Reagan. Following a 1986 speech in which Reagan called proposed sanctions against South Africa "a historic act of folly," Tutu's response was "nauseating...your president is the pits as far as blacks are concerned." . Although Reagan sought an end to apartheid and liberalization of South Africa, he opposed economic sanctions "on grounds that it would diminish influence on the South African government and create economic hardship for the very people in South Africa that the sanctions were ostensibly designed to help" (Donald T. Regan, "For the Record").

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Residents of Western European countries often saw Reagan very differently from many Americans. In the United Kingdom, Reagan – though he had the strong support of Margaret Thatcher – was routinely lampooned by much of the media as being dim-witted, if not senile. This was fueled by certain real-life incidents, including a November 9, 1985, speaking engagement in which he forgot the name of Diana, Princess of Wales and after some hesitation referred to her as 'Princess David', to widespread embarrassment. In the nations of Eastern Europe, however, Reagan enjoyed a good deal of popularity among residents (though not their governments) for his harsh criticism of communism, and has been praised extensively for his role in ending the Cold War.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Appointments

Cabinet

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Supreme Court appointments

Reagan nominated the following people to the Supreme Court of the United States:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sandra Day O'Connor – 1981
William Rehnquist – Chief Justice, 1986 (an associate justice since 1972)
Antonin Scalia – 1986
Robert Bork – 1987 (rejected by Senate)
Douglas Ginsburg – 1987 (withdrawn)
Anthony M. Kennedy – 1988

Major legislation approved

◄ Ronald Reagan: Presidential campaigns

Ronald Reagan: Religious beliefs ►

~ Table of Content ~

►	Introduction
►	Biography
►	Filmography
►	Latest News
►	Photo Gallery
►	Message Board
►	Early life and career
►	Early political career
►	Governorship
►	Presidential campaigns
►	Presidency
►	Religious beliefs
►	Legacy and retirement from public life
►	Further reading
►	Reagan documentaries
►	See also
►	External links
►	Goodies & Collectibles
►	Posters & Prints

~ What's Hot ~

~ Community ~

►	History Forum Come and discuss about History, Civilizations, Historical Events and Figures
►	History Web-Ring A community of sites, blogs and forums dedicated to History. Do not hesitate to submit your site.
►	Theiapolis People! Latest people news, biographies, filmographies, photo gallery, message board.

This site is part of an Internet Web-ring Community hosted at World of Newave
Previous - List: history - Home: history - Forum: history - Join - Next

Some of the information on this page come from a Wikipedia article
and are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Lexicon - Privacy Policy - Spiritus-Temporis.com ©2005.