Ronald Reagan

1980 Election President Carter was losing popularity due to: –Struggling economy –Iran Hostage Crisis Reagan was popular because: –He was a former actor, did well on TV appearances –Embraced many conservative issues embodied by the New Right (pro life, anti affirmative action, anti Equal Rights Amendment, conservative Christian)

Reagan won a large majority of the electoral vote, beating Jimmy Carter

Economic Policies Supply-side economics –also called “trickle down economics” or “Reaganomics” –Idea was to cut taxes to benefit business, money would “trickle down” to people –Ended up helping wealthy, hurting the poor Deregulation: Reagan decreased size of government by cutting regulatory programs and social programs

Economic Policies cont. Military Spending: funded missile defense program called SDI (strategic defense initiative) or “star wars” Increased debt: Spending on military/tax cuts nearly quadrupled debt under Reagan

Foreign Policy Took a hard stance toward communism –Soviet Union was in debt, couldn’t keep up with US defense spending –Gorbachev (Soviet Premier) begins reforms –“Glasnost” and “Perestroika” Iran Contra Scandal –Reagan administration sold weapons to Iran (the US enemy at the time) to raise money for guerilla forces in Nicaragua ____________________________________________ READ MORE ABOUT IT on page Explain if Reagan should have took the heat.

TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!!!

Which example best explains Jimmy Carter’s failures in office A.Iran Contra Affair B.Iran Hostage Crisis C.Wategate D.Fall of Berlin Wall What impact did Reagan’s trickle down economics have on business and American workers a.Business were regulated and profits increased b.Businesses were deregulated and their profits increased c.Workers saw their earnings increase d.Workers profits decreased as business profits increased

Supreme Court Sandra Day O’Connor: first female justice of Supreme Court

George H.W. Bush 1988 Election –Reagan’s former VP wins election –“Read my lips: no new taxes!”

Fall of Communism Berlin Wall: East Germans opened the Berlin wall, people stream through, tear it down (1989).

Fall of Communism cont Soviet Union loses its satellite nations, Gorbachev resigns (1991) President Bush, Yeltsin (Russian leader) declare an end to the cold war (1992)

Persian Gulf War 1990 Saddam Hussein orders Iraqi invasion of Kuwait US forces intervene, push Iraqi army out, back into Iraq: Operation Desert Storm (1991) US suffers fewer than 400 casualties, 100,000+ Iraqi deaths A large concern was control of oil reserves READ MORE ABOUT IT on page Did America need to intervene in the conflict?