Ronald Reagan Republican1981-1989
• Former Actor• Former Pres. Of
Screen Actors Guild• Former Gov. CA.• Defeats Carter ’80• Defeats Mondale ’84• Very Positive• “The Great
Communicator”
“Morning Again In America”
• Reagan entered office during a time of struggle in America – He inspired Confidence
• NEW FEDERALISM – “Big Government is the enemy”
• Attacked inflation, government spending, and government regulation as the main economic problems
• Gave back a lot of Federal power to the States
Domestic Policies• Promised to Cut
Taxes and control money supply to stimulate the economy
• Supply Side Economics/
• Reaganomics
• 20’s policy Trickle Down Theory
Reagan and The Cold War
• Restarts the Cold War- Calls the USSR “Evil Empire” that it is trying to take over the world.
• Increases military spending, many more Nukes.
• Asks Congress for $$$ to build a missile defense system-
• Strategic Defense Initiative-“Star Wars”
Reagan and The Cold War
• Tries to prevent the spread of communism in Latin America by giving money to anti communist groups.
• The Contras were one such group in Nicaragua.
• Congress cut $$$ to the Contras, some of Reagan’s people take $$$ from weapons sales to Iran and give it to the Contras- Iran Contra Affair.
USSR and Gorbachev
• Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of USSR in 1986 and began a new policy of openness-Glasnost
• Tried to make relations better w/U.S.+ save USSR
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