RONALD REAGAN 1980 -1988 President Ronald Reagan

RONALD REAGAN 1980 -1988

President Ronald Reagan n n Won over jimmy Carter by largest margin in American history 489 -49 Never won Academy Award Joined army in 1942 and oversaw training movies Nicknames: Dutch, the Gipper

Reagan Administration n n Conservative Anti abortion

Ronald Reagan n n n CA. Governor Reagan Anti-communist “Black and white” “New Day in America” Charismatic Channeled anger of mainstream white America at minorities, immigrants, feminists, taxes, affirmative action, big government

Reagan’s Conservative Vision n n n n Vietnam was a “Noble Cause” Renew the Cold War American Power Patriotism Traditionalism State’s Rights “Individualism” Feel Good

Reaganomics n n Reagan's economic policy was based on supplyside economics tax reductions would stimulate economic recovery substantial reductions in government assistance programs and services Reagan's theory was that the wealth created by increased business activity would "trickle down" to those in need

Reaganomics n n n Pay fewer taxes leading to more savings Banks could loan more Supplies of goods increases driving the prices down.

Reaganomics: “Trickle. Down” n n n n n DOD spending up 45% $3 trillion debt, 1981 -9 Rising # of Fortune 500 companies Expansion of “working poor” Decline in real wages Household debt Deregulation and Savings & Loan Crisis $500 b Tax cuts boosted elite incomes Privatization and deregulation

The New Class Warfare n n n De-industrialization 1 million manuf. Jobs lost in 1982 Growth of non-union service sector, minimum wage jobs Unions lost millions of members Federal subsidies to corporations

Under Reagan n n 118 million new jobs were created trade with foreign countries increased. the gap between the rich and the poor widened workers saw their jobs go to overseas workers Some attributed the 1987 stock market crash to Reaganomics.

n n Reagan characterized the Soviet Union as being committed to "the promotion of world revolution and a one-world Socialist or Communist state" that threatened free people everywhere He believed that communism needed to be fought all over the world and later demonstrated this commitment by intervening in Angola, Afghanistan, and Central America.

Iran-Contra Affair, 1980 s n n n n n 1979 election in Nicaragua Sandinistas U. S. opposed them Sold military land & weapons to Iran (Khomeini), in return for release of hostages Used weapons against Iraq Gave $ to “Contras” who fought Sandinistas Col. Oliver North Illegal sale of US property w/o Congressional approval Aid to Contras violated the Boland Amendments

n n n Iran-contra scandal and Watergate secret operations were being run out of the White House without public knowledge Both involved illegal diversions of funds, and both resulted in congressional hearings

Air Traffic Controllers strike n n n 1981 air traffic controller Strike Reagan gave them An ultimatum most Lost their jobs

1981 AIDS identified n 41, 027 persons are dead and 71, 176 persons diagnosed with AIDS in the US.

Sandra Day O’Connor n n First female Supreme Court Justice 1981 -2006

1984 election n n Reagan /Bush Mondale/ Ferraro (first woman)

1986 Challenger

SDI: Star Wars n n The intent of this program was to develop a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries Eventually abandoned

“Tear Down This Wall”

International Events n n n End of the Cold War Reagan: “Evil Empire” Mikhail Gorbachev Fall of the Berlin Wall Collapse of USSR Reagan took credit for the end of the Cold War

Gorbachev Glasnost: openess n Perestroika: restructuring n Chernobyl n Released political prisoners Nobel Peace 1990 Dissolved Communist Party n

Pripyat, once inhabited by 50, 000 residents , workers and scientists

1 15 minute shift per day

Legacies of the Reagan Era n n The ‘Reagan Revolution’ in the economy created many new millionaires and the economy climbed, recovering from recession in ’ 82 -83 and surviving Black Monday in ’ 87 The Reagan years were often called ‘The Undoing of the Great Society. ’ The poor and often blue collar workers were affected by a cut in social programs to pay for the tripling of the defense budget Rising Crime rate in the 1980 s that was curbed during the Clinton years of the 1990 s However, as America’s ‘father figure’ in the 1980 s – he restored national pride on many levels after the down decade of the 1970 s

George I: 1988 -1992 n n n Connecticut Family Director of CIA VP to Reagan Invasion of Panama Iranian Revolution and Iran-Iraq War Over 60% of global oil

Bush I to Bush II: The 1990 s n n n n n Post Cold War Unclear foreign policy Who is the enemy now? Focused on domestic issues Gulf War NAFTA(North American Free Trade Agreement) New Democrats Balanced Budget Immigration 2000 Election

Middle East n n n Persian Gulf War of 1991 Iraq invaded Kuwait Sent 200, 000 troops to Saudi Arabia (Desert Shield) warn Saddam Hussein Increased troops to 430, 000 and in February 1991 invaded Iraq to free Kuwait Control of the media, “smart

Continued n n n Americans with Disabilities Act Clean Air Act Corporate Mergers n n Indian Gaming and Regulatory Act, 1988 n n Computers, Autos, financial industry Indian Casinos 1991 Rodney King, police brutality, and “riots / rebellion” in Los

A “New Democrat”: 19922000 n n n n n Arkansas Gov. Working class, single parent household Charismatic Sexual issues… Opposed Vietnam War New Democrat Fiscally conservative Socially moderate Multilateralism

Main Issues and Events n Tried to allow gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military n n Tried to reform health care system to benefit the poor and uninsured. n n Failed. Cultural conservatives and military leaders opposed it. “Don’t ask, don’t tell. ” Failed. Pharmaceutical industry, doctors, republicans opposed it. Balance the Budget. n Succeeded. Returned taxes on the rich back to previous levels. Cut spending. Increased tax credit for low income families

Early 1990 s n Post-Cold War era n n n Economic growth n n n No communist “menace” Base closures Wealth discrepancies, “knowledge economy” Demise of Unions Deep political divisions Ongoing “Culture Wars” Global Warming and environmental pollution Consumer Debt

“Contract with America” n n 1994 Congressional Elections Newt Gingrich n n n n Speaker of the House Welfare “Reform” Balanced Budget More prisons & harder sentences Defense spending End abortion 39% voted

Continued… n n n n Bill and Monica Cover-up House: Articles of Impeachment Senate: No 1993: North American Free Trade Agreement 1994: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1995: Oklahoma City and Timothy Mc. Veigh

The 2000 Election n n Most bitterly contested election in 100 years Gore/Lieberman n Bush/Cheney n n Moderate populism Shadow of Clinton “Compassionate Conservative” Roughly ½ of eligible voters went to polls Voting irregularities Florida

The Aftermath…. n n n n n Close election in Florida Bush lead pop vote in FL, Gore wanted recount in 4 Democratic counties Ballot irregularities, inaccurate registration, incomplete lists, old voting machines, butterfly ballots, hanging chads Katherine Harris (R-Sec State & manager of Bush campaign in FL) refused recount, declared Bush winner Florida Supreme Court approved recount Bush appealed to U. S. Supreme Court 5 -4 Court supported Bush and ruled against it Gore won national popular vote Bush won electoral college vote (Mainly because all ballots were not counted in FL, he kept the 27 electoral votes)

Bush II n n n n Reversal of Clinton’s policies $1. 3 Trillion tax cut Economic recession Globalization Rolled back environmental protection 2000 census and multiple identities Immigration, borders and cheap labor

US & Globalization n The very same capitalist system promoted by the US, exported globally, brought changes to the US n n Immigration to US fueled by globalization and movement of capital, search for cheap labor Global capital left the US, wages declined, cheap goods imported, produced by lower wage workers n Attack on unions, benefits, entitlements n “Wal-Mart economy” Small population, massive resource use & pollution 2000 Mexico was second largest trading partner