Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

1981-1989​

Resurgence of Conservatism

​The 1980’s witnessed a resurgence of conservatism – a philosophy campaigned by Barry Goldwater. Responsibilities of the government had been increasing since the New Deal, but Presidents Reagan and Bush decided to cut down the size of the federal government. At the same time, they favored strong military establishments.

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Open Ended

Who campaigned for conservatism?

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What did Reagan & Bush decide to cut down?

The Reagan Presidency 1981-1989

​A popular Hollywood actor, Ronald Reagan, became president of the actors’ union before entering politics. He grew more conservative when he came to the conclusion that the federal government had become too powerful and intrusive. He picked Texas Congressman, George H.W. Bush as his running mate. The Iranian Hostage Crisis allowed Reagan to sweep the election.

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Open Ended

What was Ronald Reagan before becoming president?

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How did he feel about the government?

Multiple Choice

What crisis was President Carter involved in?

• Iran-contra Affair

• Iranian Hostage Crisis

• Watergate Scandal

Roots of the New Conservatism

​After the problems faced by recent presidents, conservative beliefs suddenly enjoyed an unexpected resurgence in the United States in the 1980’s. Common ideas included: combating unions, reducing taxes, cutting government spending, and reducing the amount of government regulations. In the 1980 Presidential election, Ronald Reagan received the support of a number of leading American conservative groups.

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Who enjoyed an unexpected resurgence in the United States in the 1980's?

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What are common ideas of conservatism?

Multiple Choice

Who did Ronald Reagan receive support from?

• American Liberal Groups

• American Conservative Groups

• American Rebel Groups

Major Conservative Groups

• ​National Rifle Association: The NRA had begun to promote rifle shooting and marksmanship skills. After the assassination of President Kennedy, his brother Robert, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Congress enacted the Gun Control Act of 1968.

• The Moral Majority: Helped get Reagan elected, mainly composed of Fundamentalist Christians. Favored a strict interpretation of the bible, and anti-Communism.

• Heritage Foundation: Sought to promote conservative policies based on free enterprise and limited government.

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Open Ended

Why did Congress enact the Gun Control Act in 1968?

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What did the Moral Majority Favor?

Multiple Choice

What did the Heritage Foundation promote?

• free enterprise & limited government

• tax cuts and gun control

• free public education

Reagaonomics

​When Reagan took office, the main problem facing the nation was still stagflation. Reagan tried to solve the problem with “supply side economics.” Previous government economists had focused on the lack of consumer demand. To increase employment, they had increased government spending to give more money to consumers. Reagan’s economic advisors concentrated on supply. By reducing taxes and deregulating businesses, they reasoned it would drive down prices and stop inflation. Some called this new strategy, “Reagonomics.” By 1983, the economy began to come out of recession. Reagan’s tax cuts, deregulation, and military spending encouraged greater business activity.

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What was the main problem facing the nation when Reagan took office?

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What did some call this new strategy to drive down prices and stop inflation?

Sandra Day O'Connor

​In 1981, President Reagan nominated Sandra Day O’Connor as the first woman Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Born in El Paso, Texas she studied in California before moving to Arizona. During her early years on the U.S. Supreme Court she was a conservative who preferred “Judicial Restraint.” She emerged in the late 1900’s as a swing vote between conservative and liberal groups on the court.

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Multiple Choice

What is important about Sandra Day O'Connor?

• She was the first female in Congress

• She was the first female president

• she was the first female Supreme Court Justice

Open Ended

What did she prefer as a conservative?

Peace Through Strength

​In 1983, Reagan sent U.S. Marines to the small Caribbean island of Grenada after Communists had taken control in order to protect Americans on the island and to prevent Cuba from attempting to export Communism elsewhere. This intervention showed Reagan’s willingness to use force against Communism. In 1985, Reagan announced the Reagan Doctrine which stated the US would not “roll back” against Communism.

Reagan believed in a policy of Peace through Strength – “let he who desires peace prepare for war.” Under this policy, Reagan felt the best way to prevent war was to make America’s enemies think that the US had the means and will to stop aggression. He increased military spending and proposed research into a defense system, the Strategic Defense Initiative (also known as Star Wars), using lasers to shoot down missiles in order to stop a nuclear attack.

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Multiple Choice

Where did Reagan send U.S. Marines in 1983?

• Iran

• Grenada

• Saudi Arabia

Open Ended

What was the purpose of the Reagan Doctrine?

Open Ended

Under Peace Through Strength, what did Reagan feel the best way to prevent war was?

Threat of Terrorism​

​Terrorism refers to the use of bombing, assassination, kidnapping, or other acts of terror to ensure that a political group’s voice is heard, and even that the government will yield to their demands. In 1982, an Israeli force invaded Lebanon, setting off a civil war between Christians and Palestinian refugees. Lebanon requested a multinational force of U.S. Marines and French paratroopers to restore order. In 1983, a suicide bomber attacked the American and French barracks in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. As a result, 241 US Marines and 58 French paratroopers were killed. Shortly thereafter, Reagan withdrew American forces from Lebanon. Reagan announced that he would not negotiate with terrorists and even bombed two cities in Libya when he thought its leader supported terrorist activities.

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What are some examples of terrorism?

Multiple Choice

In 1982, where did an Israeli force invade?

• Lebanon

• Africa

• U.S.

Multiple Choice

How many casualties resulted from the suicide bomber that attacked the American & French barracks?

• 241 marines

• 444 marines

• 58 marines

​When the affair was revealed, it shocked the nation since the Reagan administration had denounced Iran as a supporter of global terrorism. An investigation cleared the President of any wrong-doing, although he had failed to monitor the acts of some of his top officials. Several officials were convicted of lying to Congress and sent to prison. This affair tarnished America’s credibility in the world. After the Watergate Scandal, it led many citizens to seriously question their trust in the government officials. Nevertheless, Ronald Reagan continued to enjoy strong support among many members of the American public.

​The Iran-Contra Affair arose out of a secret foreign policy operation by officials in the Reagan White House. In 1986, officials in the Reagan administration acted against the policy of refusing to negotiate with terrorists by secretly selling arms to Iran as part of a deal in exchange for the release of American hostages in Lebanon. Profits from the sales of the arms to Iran were then diverted to support the anti-Communist “Contra” rebels fighting in the Communist government of Nicaragua. This was done even though Congress had specifically prohibited any U.S. aid to the Contras.

The Iran-Contra Affair

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What were the profits from the sale of arms to Iran used for?

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How did America's credibility suffer ?