Ronald Reagan “The Great Communicator” & “The Teflon President” - 40 th President ( ) X39dGQmBEww X39dGQmBEww

Ronald Reagan Biography –Born in Midwest –Radio/Actor –President of Screen Actors Guild –Divorced/Remarried –Governor of California (2 terms) –President (2 terms)

The Campaign: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” Conservative Agenda: Cut Taxes Cut the size of government Increase Defense Spending Pres. Reagan & Vice-Pres. Bush

The Election of 1980

Hostages in Iran Released on January 20, 1981 President Reagan gets the credit

Reagan vs. FDR: a Fundamental Change “The only bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people…” - Franklin D. Roosevelt “Government is the problem…” - Ronald Reagan

FDR – Demand Side Economics Favors working class over Big Business and the wealthy

FDR’s (Demand Side) Provide Government help to the working class (New Deal Programs) Working class spends their money at businesses who will prosper Businesses provide jobs for working class The Depression Ends!

Reagan Supports Big Business and the wealthy because they are the job creators Wants a return to Laissez-Faire

Reaganomics (Supply-Side) Gov. policies Help businesses and the wealthy (tax breaks, deregulation, etc.) Businesses in turn provide jobs to people People earn money, so they spend it Businesses do well and hire people/provide raises Recession Ends! (Money Trickles Down)

Reaganomics (Supply-side policy) Give Tax Breaks and Money to the Wealthy and Business Owners Money “trickles down” to the working class in the form of jobs and raises

FDR’s (Demand-side Policy) Money “trickles up” to the wealthy and businesses as it is spent Give money and aid to the working class

Domestic Challenges Economy Supreme Court Appointments –Sandra Day O’Connor - First Woman –Antonin Scalia –Anthony Kennedy “War on Drugs”/Crime

Attempted Assassination March 30, 1981 Assassin – John Hinkley Jr. “Brady Bill” passes in

Foreign Affairs ( ) Stop Communism Central America –El Salvador/Nicaragua Middle East –Lebanon; Peacekeeping force targeted during civil war Caribbean ousting of –Grenada ousting of Marxist government

U.S. Embassy in Beirut Bombed

The Election of 1984

Foreign Affairs (1985 – 1989) U.S./Soviet relations improve. Iran-Contra Affair –Selling of weapons to Iran to fund Contras in Nicaragua – ILLEGAL!

End of the Cold War Reagan in Berlin, ch?v=WjWDrTXMgF8&featu re=related

Reagan’s Death and Legacy Died June 5, 2004, after long battle with Alzheimer’s Legacy: –Safer world, more prosperous country, end to Cold War threat –Larger gap between rich and poor, national debt much larger