Transcript The Reagan Revolution

The Reagan Revolution
A Broad New Coalition
•
Reagan’s race for presidency came
at a time of change for America
(boisterous freedoms on 60’s and
expensive social programs of 70’s)
• This widespread support swept
Reagan into office with a mandatean order from the voters-to make
changes in the way the nation was
run.
A new Conservatism
• Conservatives believed that the govt. had
spent too much of the tax payers money,
created bloated, inefficient bureaucracies,
and kept the economy from flourishing on
its own.
• They believed the govt. should withdraw
itself from most areas of American life, and
businesses in particular should be freed
from govt. restraint so they could get more
profit. This was called Neo-conservatism
The Religious Right
Along with Neo-conservatism, Evangelical
Christianity gained much popularity during the 70’s.
The movement grew rapidly with television ministers
preaching to home audiences nationwide.
By the 70’s, as many as 70 million Americans viewed
themselves as born again.
Religious Right cont.
• Many evangelicals saw their religious zeal reflected
in political conservatism.
• Opposed drugs, pornography, and abortion.
Believed in free enterprise and a foreign policy
backed up by strong military.
• Most effective group was the Moral Majority,
founded in 1979, by evangelist Jerry Falwell.
• The group registered between 2 and 3 million new
voters were registered. This group boasted until it
was disbanded in 1989.
Shifting Political Allegiance
• Reagan captured 44 of the 50 states,
giving him 489 electoral votes.
• The republicans also captured the senate.
• Had supporters throughout Great lakes
and in Northeast , which was a democratic
stronghold.
• Supporters were mostly blue collar, and
ethnic voters.
• Also had every southern state except for
Carters home-state Georgia.
Reagan + Economics =
Reaganomics
• Most Presidents followed ideas of British economist
John Maynard Keynes, who believed stimulating
economy was govt. spending which often required
higher taxes.
• Reagan replaced this idea with what is called
supply-side economics.
• According to theory, key to economic vitality was
to reduce taxes, especially on big businesses and
wealthy individuals which would lead to more
saving and investment, which would lead to
expansion and more jobs.
Reaganomics Cont.
• Lowering taxes meant cut in Welfare, food stamp
recipients were taken off the list. Cut of public food
for children, Medicare benefits were slashed, and
unemployed compensation was cut.
Recession and Recovery
• By 1982, 11 million people were out of work.
• This was because the nation’s productivity was at
an all-time low since 1940
• Many farmers and business people were in a bind,
since they took loans out with high interest during
70’s, and with income low, they were unable to
make payments.
• In a week of August In 1982, 572 businesses failed,
making it the highest weekly total since the great
depression.
• In the end of 1982 though, the tides turn.
Recession and Recovery
• Interest rates dropped by about half, which meant
companies could afford to invest again.
• With inflation going down, people could afford to
keep more of their tax cuts to buy houses, cars,
and other consumer goods.
The Drive to deregulate
• Reagan signaled he would deregulate, which meant
he gave companies more leeway to operate freely.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
slowed demands for air bags and tighter fuel
efficiency standards.
• The Federal Communications Commission took a
hands off attitude toward cable television, allowing
unrestricted growth in that area.
• The airline industry gained a lot out of this because
congress began to free the fares and routes of the
airways. These price cuts turned into price wars
and the effect was that some small communities
lost service all together.
The Environmental
Rearguard
• Reagan sided with businesses
• Let corporations use public lands for oil drilling,
mining, and logging.
• EPA eased safety checks required on new
chemicals and pesticides.
• 1985, 2/3 of Americans rejected Reagan's approach
to environment.
The Reagan Legacy
• As the economy recovered from the 1982, the
presidency’s popularity soared.
• The inflation rate dropped just as the 25 percent
cut in income taxes was putting more money into
the hands of the consumers.
• By the end of 1988, unemployment had dropped to
5.5 percent. Lowest in 14 years.
Shortcomings of the
Revolution
• Reagan’s pro family philosophy appealed to women
voters in the 1980 election.
• Reagan’s lack of concern alienated many women.
• Many peopled feared Reaganomics because its
inability to produce a balanced budget.
• During 1980 election, Reagan attacked Carter
administration for spending $73.8 billion more than
it took in a year. By 1985, the deficit shot up to
$212 billion.
• By the following year, the Reagan administration
had run up a greater total deficit than all the
administrations in American history combined.
A New Orientation on
the Supreme Court
• Reagan opposed two major Supreme
court decisions, the prayer in public
schools is unconstitutional and
women have a constitutional right to
abortion.
• 1981, He named Sandra Day
O’Connor the first women justice in
the courts history.
ACTIVITY
• Draw out, or write how you
think Reagan and his policies
affected America for better or
for worse.
Collapse of communism
Chapter 25 Sect.2
A challenge for the
soviets
• Ronald Reagan was a young film
maker.
• Played the part of a wild west
her in movies such as Santa fe
trail(1940) and law and
order(1953).
• 1982 Reagan told an audience
that the soviet was the ‘’focus
of evil in modern world.’’
The arms build up
• The united states and the soviet
union had maintained a nuclear
balance called mutual
deterrence.
• As long as accurate missiles
capable of complete destruction
targeted both countries neither
nation would ever start nuclear
war
CONT.
• Reagan wanted to develop new
weapons and enlarge the fleet
• Urged congress to vote funds for an
untried system of orbiting satellites
that could fire laser beams to shoot
down any soviet missiles launch
toward u.s
• Stratic defense initiative (SDI)
• 1993 confirmed Reagan worst fears
sov. Installed new representative
gov. and jailed members of popular
democratic revolution.
• Soviet president Mikhail
gorbachev and president Ronald
Reagan
war
A Thaw in the cold
• The intermediate –range nuclear
forces (INF) went into effect in
June 1988.
• Reduce the number of nuclear
missiles in each superpowers
arsenal.
• bush halted nuclear testing for
1 year by ordered destruction of
all soviet short range nuclear
up
The soviet break
• Glasnost- Russian word for a
policy of openness
• Perestroika- Russian word for
restructuring
• Eastern Europe changes
• A new Germany
• The attempted gorbachev coup
• Collapse of soviet union
Central America
• El Salvador controlled by
military officers and small group
of land owners.
• Nicaragua made up of Marxist
revolutionaries who called
themselves Sandinistas.
• Iran-contra scandal. United
states officials privately
arranged arm forces sales to
The Caribbean
• 1957 dr. François Duvalier was
elected president
• Established himself as a
dictator
• 1971 Duvalier appointed his son
as his successor. Jean-Claude
Duvalier
The Bush Presidency
Chapter 25 section 3
Elections in 1988
• Bush and Dukakis relied on
heavily expert consultants.
• Bush carried 40 states, with him
having 426 electoral votes and
112 to Dukakis.
• U.S. had to reevaluate diplomatic
and military goals.
Cont. Election in 1988
• Pentagon ordered personal cuts
and other cuts it would save
103 billion over 5 years.
The Persian Gulf War
• August 1990 Iraqi forces had
invaded Kuwait and taken over
their capital.
• Saddam Hussein threaten half
of the world’s oil supply.
• January 17,1991 the U.S.
military forces air strikes
against Iraqi military targets in
Baghdad.
Cont. Persian gulf war
• Feb 24,1991 the allied tanks
and personal advanced against
Iraqi troops in Kuwait.
• Hussein wanted Israel into the
war.
International Politics
• Apartheid- a policy racial
segregation in South Africa.
• Nelson Mandela was the leader
of African National Congress.
• F.W. De Klerk got elected
president of South Africa in
1989.
Cont. international
politics
• China’s leaders ordered troops
to crush a democracy
movement in Beijing on June
1989.
• 1977 the U.S. imposed an arms
embargo for companies.
• 1986 the U.S. congress imposed
economic sanctions.
Battle for Markets
• Trade-deficit- a gap in value
between a country's imports
and exports.
• Canada and the U.S. joined
Mexico to sign the North
American Free Trade
Agreement in Aug 1992.
• The U.S. leading the most in
exporting goods to other
Recession Adjustment
• In 1991 the economic growth
had halted and unemployment
was rising.
• Global economy- A system of
worldwide trade.
• Bush proposed a cut in capital
gains tax.
• Bush agreed to a tax increase
with those who are low and
Wealth and Poverty
• Working poor- members of the
United States workforce with
earnings too low for them to
rise above poverty.
• Women and children were the
poorest.
• Poor single parent families
increased.
• In the1990s 40 percent of jobs
Activity
• Draw what the word Apartheid
means.