The Reagan Era

1981-1988“Freedom is never more than once generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for,

protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” -Ronald Reagan

Documents• First Inaugural Address (1981)

• Speech to the House of Commons (1982)

• Address to the National Association of Evangelicals (1983)

• Speech at the Brandenburg Gate (1987)

Who Was Ronald Reagan?

• 40th President of the United States

• The Great Communicator

• One of the most popular presidents of the 20th century

Reagan’s Focus1. Less government is

best.

2. Soviet competition-“The Cold War”, build up American defenses, conquer communism

Less Government is Best "We the people" tell the government what to do, it doesn't

tell us. "We the people" are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which "We the people" tell the government what it is allowed to do. "We the people" are free.

-Ronald Reagan

First Inaugural Address (1981)

“So, as we begin, let us take inventory. We are a nation that has a government – not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. Our government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.”

“It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the Federal establishment and to demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the Federal Government and those reserved to the States or to the people. All of us need to be reminded that the Federal Government did not create the States; the States created the Federal Government.”

“Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it is not my intention to do away with government. It is, rather, to make it work – work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.”

What is the Cold War?

• State of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition that existed after WWII between mainly the Soviet Union and the United States.

• Conflict expressed through military coalitions, strategic deployments, proxy wars, espionage, propaganda, conventional & nuclear arms race, appeals to neutral nations, rivalry at sports events , & technological competition such as the “Space Race”

Soviet Competition

• Economic Race

• Arms Race

• Space Race

Speech to the House of Commons (1982)“In an ironic sense Karl Marx was right. We are witnessing today a great revolutionary crisis,

a crisis where the demands of the economic order are conflicting directly with those of the political order. But the crisis is happening not in the free, non-Marxist West, but in the home of Marxism-Leninism, the Soviet Union. It is the Soviet Union that runs against the tide of history by denying human freedom and human dignity to its citizens. It is also deep in economic difficulty. The rate of growth in the national product has been steadily declining since the fifties and is less than half of what it was then. The dimensions of this failure are astounding: a country which employees one-fifth of its population in agriculture is unable to feed its own people….The decay of the Soviet experiment should come as no surprise to us. Wherever the comparisons have been made between free and closed societies… it is the democratic countries that are prosperous and responsive to the needs of their people.”

The Arms RaceMilitary buildup & development of new technology

Maintain formidable status to be considered a deterrent

Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

“Our military strength is a prerequisite to peace, but let it be clear we maintain this strength in the hope that it will never be used, for the ultimate determinant in the struggle that’s now going on in the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas, a trial of spiritual resolve, the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish, the ideals to which we are dedicated…” – R. Reagan

Address to the National Association of Evangelicals (1983)

“The truth is that a freeze now would be a very dangerous fraud, for that is merely the illusion of peace. The reality is that we must find peace through strength.”

“So, I urge you to speak out against those who would place the United States in a position of military and moral inferiority….So, in your discussions of the nuclear freeze proposals, I urge you to beware the temptation of pride – the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.”

“Star Wars”• Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

• Protect from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles

• Focused on defense rather than offense

• Widely criticized as unrealistic

• Never fully developed. Certain aspects of SDI research and technology paved the way for some anti-ballistic missile systems of today.

Conquering Communism“After these four decades, then, there stands before the entire world one great inescapable conclusion: Freedom

replaces the ancient hatreds among the nations with comity, peace, and well-being.

“Now the Soviets themselves may at last, in their own way, be coming to understand the importance of freedom. We hear much from Moscow about a new policy of reform and openness. Some political prisoners have been released. Some foreign new broadcasters are no longer being jammed. Some economic enterprises have been permitted to operate with greater autonomy.”

“Are these the beginning of profound changes in the Soviet state? Or are they token gestures, intended to strengthen the Soviet system without changing it? We welcome real change and real openness. For we believe freedom and security go together - that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause for freedom and peace.”

“General Secretary 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. Herr Gorbachev, machen Sie Dieses Tor auf! (Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate!) Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

The Wall Comes Down

Conclusions• Reagan was a great president with high

approval from the public.

• Conservative views on less government & peace through strength evident not only in communication but policy as well.

• Promoter of democracy throughout the world & helped reduce communism.

“Freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations of the human spirit.”

- Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan1911-2004

40th President of the United States