Ronald Reagan

1
Ronald Reagan

• The Rise of the Modern Conservative Movement

2
Ronald Reagan

• Born in Illinois, 1911
• Active in college.
• Lifeguard, Radio Announcer
• Went to California to launch an acting career
  during the Great Depression
• Successful actor
• Eventual president of the Screen Actors Guild
  (Union for Actors)
• Became increasingly conservative in face of
  radical socialists and communists in the movie
  industry
• Switched from Democratic to Republican Party in
  the late 50s/early 60s

3
Modern Conservative Evolution1930s-1960s

• New Deal opponents
• Eisenhower and Modern Republicanism
• 1964 - Barry Goldwater (AZ) conservative Senator.
• Opposed government activism
• Opposed social security
• Opposed Federal Civil Rights laws (not
  necessarily local or state)
• Demanded military buildup to defend against
  Soviet attack
• Opposed Great Society - extension of New Deal.
• Overextension of what needs government could or
  should meet

4
Conservative Evolution and Organizations

• Young Americans for Freedom
• William F. Buckley
• Barry Goldwater
• Disenchanted Southern Democrats
• Some fringe organizations
• John Birch Society (though most - including
  Reagan, et al - distanced themselves from this
  group)

5
Richard Nixon the Welfare State

• Trimmed social welfare programs of the Great
  Society
• Did not cut them altogether
• Established OSHA (Office of Safety and Health
  Administration)
• Established EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
• NEW FEDERALISM - Re-distributed federal monies to
  states
• Covertly gutted high federal programs of their
  liberal intent by redirecting funding

6
Social Issues and Conservatism

• Rapid cultural change of the 1960s
• Opposition to Warren Court decisions
• criminal rights
• Church-state issues like school prayer
• Privacy rights/issues
• Rock music
• Openly sexual, drug-oriented, rebellious
• Widespread Use of illegal drugs

7
Social Issues and Conservatism

• Radical and increasingly violent student protests
• Reagan strongly opposed FSM (Free Speech Movement
  - radical) on UC-Berkeley campus
• Dismissed UC president
• Opposed sexual revolution
• Said Birth control pill encouraged promiscuous
  behavior

8
Social Issues and Conservatism

• 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision
• Legalized abortion by striking down state laws
  prohibiting abortions
• Launched modern pro-life movement (aka
  anti-abortion)
• Opposed emerging gay rights movement
• Opposed radical feminism
• Blamed these for decline of traditional nuclear
  family
• Rising divorce rate
• No-fault divorce laws (ironically passed during
  Reagans term in California)

9
Social Issues and Conservatism

• Civil Rights
• Federal government laws end of state mandated
  segregation
• Opposed forced and unreasonable integration
  (forced busing)
• Opposed Affirmative Action quotas - said it was
  reverse discrimination
• Democratic Blue Collar Workers - called Reagan
  Democrats

10
The 1980 Election
11
The New Conservative CoalitionThe NEW RIGHT

• The NEW RIGHT - a political coalition of
• Conservative evangelical Christians
• Moral Majority founded by Rev. Jerry Falwell -
  Baptist minister (founder - Liberty University -
  Lynchburg, VA)
• To restore Christian Values in America
• Southern Democrats
• Reduction of Social Programs
• Called for reduction in size and scope of
  government
• Reagan Democrats
• Favored return of US military prominence
• Patriotic focus

12
The 1980 Revolution

• Nixon Victories in 1968 and 1972 early indicators
  of change
• Carters series of Unfortunate Events
• Carters perceived mishandling of major
  challenges
• Reagans ability to communicate - The Great
  Communicator
• Few simple well-articulated idea

13
Right Turn
14

• Map 30.4 Presidential Election of 1980 (p. 903)

15
Ronald Reagan
16
The Reagan Revolution and the First Inaugural
Address

• In the days ahead I will propose removing the
  roadblocks that have slowed our economy and
  reduced productivity. Steps will be taken aimed
  at restoring the balance between various levels
  of government. Progress may be slow, measured in
  inches and feet, not miles, but we will progress.
  It is time to reawaken this industrial giant, to
  get government back within its means, and to
  lighten our punitive tax burden. And these will
  be our first priorities, and on these principles
  there will be no compromise. - Ronald Reagan 1981

17
Supply-Side Economics a.k.aReaganomics

• Cut taxes to put more money into the hands of
  businesses
• Cut taxes on the wealthiest Americans
• Lower taxes more investment in the supply
  side of the economy
• Would
• promote and create new jobs
• encourage capital investment, and
• lead to stimulated industrial growth

18
Cutting Government Regulation - deregulation

• Continued Carters programs to deregulate key
  industries
• Energy, Transportation and Banking Industries
• Challenged Air Traffic Controllers in 1981 -
  Fired those who refused to go back to work after
  a strike.

19
Slowed Federal Growth - New Federalism
(Reagan-style)

• Limiting government
• Eliminated public service jobs,
• reduced unemployment compensation,
• lowered welfare benefits,
• raised fees for Medicare patients
• Federal domestic spending still grew for a couple
  of years

20
Reagan and Military Buildup

• Sharp increase in military spending buildup
• New weapons and new technology
• Neoconservatives (Neo-cons Dick Cheney, Don
  Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Condoleeza Rice,
  Richard Armistead, Colin Powell, etc.)
• Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) better known
  as Star Wars

21
Reagan and the Cold War

• Called Soviet Union the evil empire
• Reagan - Cold Warrior
• Lebanon
• Libya
• Grenada
• El Salvador
• Nicaragua (Contra rebels supported by US)

22
Reagan Economic Recession, and Recovery

• 1981-1982 Recession
• Inflation slowed, consumer spending increased
• Stock market grew
• Federal deficit grew even as domestic spending
  decreased
• National debt 909 billion in 1980 --- 3.2
  trillion in 1990

23
Election of 1984
24
Patriotic Renewal

• Its Morning in America, Again
• 59 of popular vote
• Second largest electoral victory in history
• 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles
• Communist-bloc countries boycotted
• 1986 - 100th anniversary of Statue of Liberty
• 1987 - 200th anniversary of the Constitution

25
Other issues 1984-1988

• AIDS Awareness
• Womens Movement stalled (ERA failed in 1982)
• Supreme Court conservatives
• Sandra Day OConnor
• Anthony Kennedy
• Antonin Scalia
• Chief Justice William Rehnquist

26
More issues 1984-1988

• Farm Crisis - foreclosures
• Manufacturing shift - from metal and textiles
  (overseas outsourcing due to labor costs)
• Service sectors continued to grow
• Wealthiest Americans flourished in the 1980s
• Jan 28, 1986 - Space Shuttle Challenger exploded
  shortly after take off

27
Scandal

• S L Crisis
• Savings and Loan institutions deregulated and
  some corrupt individuals used this to make huge
  personal fortunes
• S Ls collapsed in late 1980s
• 2.6 billion in savings lost

• Iran Contra Scandal
• Selling arms (to Iran) for the release of
  hostages to support Nicaraguan Contras
• Covered up
• Reagan admitted covering up
• No long term impact
• Teflon president.