Ronald Reagan Republican1981-1989

• Former Actor• Former Pres. Of

Screen Actors Guild• Former Gov. CA.• Defeats Carter ’80• Defeats Mondale ’84• Very Positive• “The Great

Communicator”

The Actor

“Morning Again In America”

• Reagan entered office during a time of struggle in America – He inspired Confidence

• NEW FEDERALISM – “Big Government is the enemy”

• Attacked inflation, government spending, and government regulation as the main economic problems

• Gave back a lot of Federal power to the States

Domestic Policies• Promised to Cut

Taxes and control money supply to stimulate the economy

• Supply Side Economics/

• Reaganomics

• 20’s policy Trickle Down Theory

Reagan and The Cold War

• Restarts the Cold War- Calls the USSR “Evil Empire” that it is trying to take over the world.

• Increases military spending, many more Nukes.

• Asks Congress for $$$ to build a missile defense system-

• Strategic Defense Initiative-“Star Wars”

Reagan and The Cold War

• Tries to prevent the spread of communism in Latin America by giving money to anti communist groups.

• The Contras were one such group in Nicaragua.

• Congress cut $$$ to the Contras, some of Reagan’s people take $$$ from weapons sales to Iran and give it to the Contras- Iran Contra Affair.

Iran Contra Affair

Colonel Oliver North

USSR and Gorbachev

• Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of USSR in 1986 and began a new policy of openness-Glasnost

• Tried to make relations better w/U.S.+ save USSR

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Fall of The Berlin Wall 1989

1991 USSR Ceases to ExistThe Cold War is over!

Former Soviet Union

Reagan is Given credit for winning the Cold War.

1911-2004

Russia-Boris Yeltsin becomes president 1991.