Ronald Reagan

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Ronald Reagan

• Escalation of the Cold War

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Domestic Policy

• Reagan gets elected in 1980 when defeats Jimmy
  Carter
• Attacks inflationgt blames big government and
  government spending for inflation

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New Federalism

• Giving more control to the states for some
  welfare programs
• Farm Aid Paid farmers not to plant crops to cut
  the surplus
• Supply-side economics..aka Reagonomics..aka
  Trickle Down Theory
• Tax cuts for businesses and wealthy
• Increase the federal deficitfought military cuts

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New Federalism

• Star Wars
• National Security based on a strong defense
• Increased military spending
• Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
• Use of ground and space missiles to protect from
  an attack

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Foreign Policy

• Questioning Détente called the USSR the evil
  empire
• Polandgt US economic sanctions
• Brings back détente during his second term
• Worried about domino theory in Latin America
• Unstable economy right for Communist take-over
• Uses military to intervene (El Salvador,
  Nicaragua, Grenada)

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Terrorism

• Terrorism becomes a major issue thorughout the
  world as a way to promote a political cause

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Second Term

• Defeated Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro in
  a landslide victory (525-13)
• VP is George Bush

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Domestic Policy

• Promised to create a balanced budget by the
  1990s.
• Deep cuts in federal programs and tax cuts
• Huge deficit mounted due to Reagans spending on
  the military

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Foreign Policy

• Iran-Contra Affair
• Top Presidential aids sold arms to Iran in
  exchange for help in freeing American hostages in
  Lebannon
• Money is then given to the Contras (rebels
  supported by US) in Nicaragua
• Reagan denied knowledge at first(said would
  negotiate for hostages, then admitted something
  happened
• Colonel Oliver North is charged with a crime

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Foreign Policy

• Re-opening of Détente
• New Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
• Slow ending of Communist USSR
• Glasnost
• Perestrokia
• Several summits between Reagan and Gorbachev to
  reduce missiles

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Other info

• War on Drugs Just Say No campaign
• 1986gt Congress imposes strict sanctions on South
  Africa until it ended apartheid
• Nominates Sandra Day OConnor to Supreme Court
  1st women on the Court
• Assassination

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Assassination

• President Ronald Reagan Shot in Assassination
  Attempt