Ronald Reagan

Answer questions on handout.

#1• Major congressional and executive actions that implemented Reagan’s philosophy:

New Federalism• A. 1986 Tax Reform – closed loopholes which had allowed some people to avoid

paying their fair share of taxes.• B. Deregulation of the energy, transportation and banking industries (which were

begun by Carter). The more spent on complying with government rules, the less they could spend on new factories and equipment.

• C. Eliminated public service jobs that were part of an employement training program.• D. Unemployment compensation was reduced.• E. Welfare benefits lowered and smaller allocations given for food stamps.• F. Fees were raised for Medicare patients.

• Cut domestic programs• Increased military spending• Increased federal deficit.

#2 Reaganomics• Reaganomics – spur business growth through a

theory of supply-side economics. By cutting taxes more money was put into the hands of business and investors – those who supplied the goods for consumers to buy.

• Tax cuts were put in place– 1981 5%– 1982 10%– 1983 10%Arranged for automatic spending cuts to balance the budget.

#3 Reagan and the Air Traffic Controller’s Strikewww.history.com/speeches/reagan-fires-striking-air-traffic-controllers//reagan-demands –fall-of-berlin-wall

• PATCO – Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association.

• www.stfrancis.edu/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/btopics/works/atcstrike.htm

• Read article on the strike.

#4 ConservatismConservative resistance to previous gains• Civil Rights-Voting Rights Act of 1965

was almost prevented from being extended

• Affirmative Action programs curtailed.• Women’s Issues – ERA defeated

(1982)• Funding for abortions through the

federal government was criticized.• Sexual Orientation- Polarization

occurred over the issue of gay rights.• AIDS discovered in 1981 but victims

were mostly drug users and homosexual men.

Conservative Judges Make Conservative Decisions

• Sandra Day O’Connor (b.1930) First woman Supreme Court justice selected by President Reagan in 1981.

• Antonin Scalia (b.1936) Conservative chosen in 1986.

• Anthony Kennedy (b.1936) Moderate Conservative approved in 1988.

#5 Poverty In America’s urban areasThe Failure Spiral Scenario(Selected Elements)

Neighborhoods- Economic segregation: Ghettoes for the poor. Gated zoning for the middle classes.

SchoolsFlawed values & methods -children poorly educated.-Dropout rates high.

Culture: Underclass values widespread..Education ignored.Work de-emphasized.Two-parent families not valued.Drugs and crime accepted.

JobsSubstandard income-Low hourly wages-Frequent unemployment-Young men too poor to be breadwinners.

Families Child-unfriendly trends-Unwed mom is the norm-Two-parent families rare.

GangsPower in the ‘hood.Cash from drugs.Culture of vilence.Men choose crime, not family.

Johnson, Steve Howard, “A Success Scenario for the American City”, Integrity at Scale Blog, June 27, 2011www.integrityatscaleblog.com/integrity-at-scale-blog/13-a-success-scenario-for-american-city/atom.xml>Chapter 13.

• Entitlements rose – programs like Medicare and Medicaid grew faster than policymakers expected.

• The number of elderly had increased.

• The number of urban poor had increased.

• Huge budget deficits made the economy start to suffer as investors pulled back and the stock market declined.

#6 Immigrant Reform and Control Act of 1986

• The Immigration Act of 1965 had opened the doors to a new wave of immigration.

• Some of these were undocumented immigrants who entered the country illegally. Most of these were from Latin America.

• Opposition to these illegals grew through the “English only movement.”

• 1. Members advocated laws to make English the official language.

• 2. They wanted to limit the use of other languages by government agencies.

• 3. The opposed bilingual education in schools.

• 1986 Reagan signed the Immigrant Reform and Control Act of 1986

• A) it called for increased immigration controls on the US-Mexico border

• B) it provided stiff penalties for employers wo hire undocumented workers

• C) it offered amnesty for 2.8 million immigrants who had entered the country illegally.

#7 SDI Satellite Defense Initiative

• SDI was popularly known as “Star Wars”

• Proposed the creation of a massive satellite shield in space to intercept and destroy incoming Soviet missiles.

• SDI was replaced by GPALS• In 1991 SDIO dropped the Phase I

architecture and replaced it with GPALS, which is focused on a global protection against accidental or unauthorized Soviet attacks and third-world threats.

• In his 1991 State of the Union Address, President Bush announced a new direction for the Strategic Defense Initiative. The new system known as the Global Protection Against Limited Strikes or GPALS would provide a defense against purposeful strikes by various Third World powers developing ballistic missiles, or accidental or unauthorized launches from the USSR.

#8 The Reagan Doctrine – the US provides aid to rebels fighting Soviet backed governments.

Nicaragua El Salvador Honduras and Costa Rica

Grenada

Leftist rebels known as Sandinistas had overthrown the dictator in 1979.

The Sandinista government then acquired Soviet arms and forged close ties with communist Cuba.

The US armed and trained 100,000 Nicaraguan rebels known as the Contras to attack the neighboring countries.

A growing insurgency showed evidence of Soviet and Cuban efforts to spread Communism.

The US provided economic and military aid which battled its own leftist rebellion.

Most aid went to the military which compiled a brutal human rights record. The civil war lasted 12 years. (70,000 Salvadorans died before 1992)

The Contras used these countries to attack into Nicaragua.

In 1983, a military coup brought a Communist leader to power in Grenada. He then invited Cuban workers to the island and signed military agreements with several communist countries.

Alarmed, Reagan sent an invasion force of US Marines to Grenada to oust the regime, expel the Cubans and install a new government.

The people of Grenada supported this action but many countries around the world condemned it as unlawful interference.

#9 Iran-Contra Scandal• Key events of the Iran Contra

Affair• 1984-1985 Several Americans

are kidnapped in Lebanon.• 1985-1986 In exchange for

help in securing the release of the hostages, the Reagan administration sells missiles to Iran.

• The Reagan administration officials send millions of dollars from the Iran arms deal to contras in Nicaragua.

• Broken Promise – Despite Reagan’s vows to “never deal with terrorists”, his officials sold weapons to Iranian-backed terrorists.

• Illegal funding – Ignoring a Congressional ban, Reagan officials sent money from arms sales to the Contras in Nicaragua.

• Lying to Congress – Administration officials tried to cover up illegal activities during Congressional investigations.

• Abuse of executive power – these actions violated the Constitutional separation of powers and system of checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches of government.

#10 Reagan and Gorbachev

• “If you seek peace if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate!”

• “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

• This was a ringing challenge – the wall was 12 feet tall and 100 miles long. About 10,000 East German’s had tried to escape over the years.

• Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies change US-Soviet Policies

• Gorbachev announced a program of economic reforms called perestroika or restructuring.

• Then he announced a policy of glasnost or openness to call for an honest discussion of the nation’s political and social problems.

• Gorbachev and Reagan met in Geneva, Switzerland in 1985- the first of 4 summits.