Reagan1981-1989

Domestic-Influence of Nixon

• Reagan was the most important political figure of the age. He made it successful not solely responsible but a big leader.

• Political turning point 1968• Nixon’s Southern political strategy• Reagan used Nixon’s strategy on

o School desegregationo Judicial appointmentso Reagan used Nixon’s men

Rumsfeld and Cheney

Domestic-Economics• Reaganomics-still widely practiced

• Military spending=Keep Military strong

• Supply-side economics=Trickle down effect,o Sometimes known as “Voodoo Economics”o Introduced several tax cuts for wealthy Americanso Lower taxeso Deregulation

• The economy had been in decline since 1973

• With Stagflation

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

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

Domestic-Social and Political Cont.

• “Halting and ineffective” fight on AIDSo Reagan's communications director Pat Buchanan

argued that AIDS is "nature's revenge on gay men."

• Air Traffic Controllers strikeo Fired more than 11,000 of them when they ignored

his order to return to work

• Assassination attempto March 30, 1981, shot by John Hinckley Jr. while

leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel

Domestic

• New Federalism (championed by Nixon)o “Political philosophy of devolution, or the transfer of

certain powers from the United States federal government back to the states.”

Foreign-Iran

• Iran Contra Affairo Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the

sale of arms to Iran, the subject of an arms embargoo 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

Foreign-Star Wars

• SDI “Starwars” (Strategic Defense Initiative)o March 23, 1983o Ground-based and space-based systems to protect

the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles

o Focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic offense doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

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

Foreign

• In foreign policy, Reagan was a full-fledged Cold War Hawk

• Supported repressive regimes and right wing insurgents in territories that opposed communism

“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