Ronald Reagan

Also Ronald Reagan

Reagan Public Approval Ratings

Before National Politics

Goldwater speech 1964

The Republican Nomination

Capturing the Nomination

• New Hampshire debate 1980:

• The Line

Reagan’s Clarity

• Strong Defense

• Cut taxes

• Cut Spending

• Balance the Budget

Effect of Reagan on US Political Culture

Left Right

Left-right defined as accepted level of government intervention in the economy:

right = less intervention

left = more intervention

US Pre-1981; New Deal and Great

Societyera

Reagan era

Realignment

New Deal Coalition• Democratic South• African-Americans• Union members• Urban North• Immigrant/newer ethnic

groups• Farmers

Reagan Coalition• Midwest small towns• Wealthiest Americans• Hawks on foreign policy• Blue Collar in North and

Midwest (union and non-union)

• White Southerners• Evangelicals• Yuppies

The “Troika”

Counsellor Chief of Staff Dep. Chief

Ed Meese James Baker Michael Deaver

Policy Process Image

Presidential Power and Persuasion

LBJ Model

Pres Congress People

Presidential Power and Persuasion

Reagan Model

Pres People Congress

Reagan Media Strategy

• Bully Pulpit

• Stage Events in Controlled Settings

• Feed the Media

• Consistency of Message

• Selling the President

• Popularity is Power

The Ultimate Example

• Berlin 1987

Iran-Contra

• Comparison to other scandals

• When Congress tries to restrain presidential actions– Ignore Congress– Reinterpret the law

The Iran Contra ScandalPrivate US $Foreign Gov’t $

$$$

Hostages

weapons

weapons

Swiss bank accounts;controlled by North

Contras

Israel

Iran

US

Congressional Restrictions on Arms Sales in 1980s

Arms Export Control Acts• No arms sales to nations determined to be

sponsors of terrorism (US State Dept determines which nations fit into this category; it included Iran)

• No arms sales of over $25 m in value without congressional approval (1974); A 1976 bill lowered this to $14 m for sophisticated weaponry and $50 m for other items– Both the House and Senate would have to reject

the arms sales