1. The Triumph of Conservatism
The Reagan Revolution
The Triumph of Conservatism
James Watt Secretary of Interior – banned Beach Boys

2. The Carter Presidency Embattled
Economy – sluggish economy, double-digit inflation
Iran Hostage Crisis
Poor judge of the public mood
Crisis of Confidence
“a hunger in this land for a spiritual revival, a return to a belief in moral absolutes” RR
“greatest country in the world. We have the talent, we have the drive, we have the imagination. Now all we need is the leadership” RR

3. Jimmy Carter V. Rabbit

4. “Revolution of Ideas”
In contrast to President Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan sought to unleash the capitalist spirit, restore national pride and international respect.
“America Stand Tall Again”
Increase military spending
Dismantle the “bloated” federal bureaucracy
Reduce taxes
Undo the welfare state
“old time morality” – anti-abortion, school prayer
Ronald Reagan - Speech at Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast in Dallas

5. The Making of a President
Born in 1911 in Illinois, graduated from Eureka College
Was a radio announcer and sportscaster before heading to Hollywood in 1937
B-Movie actor
Political Beginnings:
Was initially a New Deal Democrat
Become a Republican after WWII
President Screen Actors Guild – Red Hunter
1964 – Barry Goldwater speech “A Time for Choosing”
Governor of California

6. The Move to Reagan
By the eve of the 1980 election, Reagan had become the beneficiary of three developments that made his conservative vision of America more than just a flirtation with nostalgia.
1. Demographic shift in America
-pop. was aging and shifting to the Sunbelt
2. Evangelical Awakening
-Jerry Falwell’s “Moral Majority”
-return to traditional or family values
3. Feminist Backlash
-Phyllis Schlafly – “Women who Want to be Women”, “Females Opposed to Equality”
-Feminists were “anti family, anti children, and pro abortion”

7. Reaganomics
Reagan suggested that Stagflation was the result of government intrusions in the marketplace and from excessive taxes.
Therefore, the solution was to…
…slash taxes, deregulate industries, laissez-faire approach, and “supply side economics”

8. Election of 1980 Ronald Reagan -Republican -Gov. of California
-Known for his speeches
-Conservative
Jimmy Carter
- Democrat
- Liberal
- Iran hostages
Debate video

9. Reagan- 91% of electoral votes, 51% popular votes
Carter- 9% of electoral votes, 41% poplar votes
John Anderson- no electoral votes, 7% popular votes
Only 53% of registered voters participated

10. First Term Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 Oil Price Control
Reduced income tax by 25%
Encouraged business and entrepreneurs
Oil Price Control
Increases Defense Spending
Disliked nuclear weaponry (START)
Strategic Defense Initiative
First modern aircraft carrier

11. Budget Cuts
$35 million in budget cuts – education, social programs, welfare, housing
War on Welfare – Reagan wanted to remove the “safety net” of the federal government and preserve welfare for only those who truly needed it.
Poverty Rates rose – 11.7% to 15.3% in 1983
$110 billion
$203 billion

12. The Teflon President
James Watt – Secretary of the Interior – Castigated environmentalists for hindering the commercial use of timber and mineral resources
200 Reagan appointees were accused of unethical or illegal activities
In 1981, Reagan fired over 11,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers who went on strike
Opposed feminism, abortion, affirmative action
cut funds for civil rights enforcement,
EEOC and initially opposed renewing the
Voting Rights Act of 1965
How was Reagan able to remain shielded from blame?

13. America is Back Reagan’s Second Term
Challenger: Former Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro
Democratic Missteps:
-Ferraro’s husband
-Mondale “Mr. Reagan will raise taxes,
and so will I”
Support for Reagan
-AFL-CIO
-NAACP
-National Organization of Women

14. An Economy Driven By Debt
-During Reagan's presidency the national debt rose due to decreased revenue from taxes and increased government spending. The majority of the spending was composed of Medicare/Medicaid., Social Security, and Cold War defense spending.
-Between 1981 – 1987, the federal debt soared to $1.4 trillion
-The average American’s personal debt soared due to “stagflation” a combination of low employment, economic growth, and wages coinciding with a rise in prices for everyday goods.
-During the 1960s people saved 10% of their income, in the 1980s less than 4%
-Due to deregulation of many industries, corporations became more corrupt and made riskier decisions. Wall Street during Reagan's leadership was prosperous in spite of a major economic crash in 1987 when the Dow dropped over 500 points in one day.

15. Wall Street Crashes
This day is known as: Black Monday-Dow Jones plummets 508 points or 23%. Double the 13% plunge the market took in 1929!
-Lost confidence in Reaganomics
-Reagan agreed to work with Congress on deficit reduction by slightly raising taxes
-recession
-Showed that supply side economics enabled business to
make risky decisions instead of reducing costs for
consumers, money did not disperse to lower income people

16. New Culture Emerges called: Yuppies (Young Urban Professionals)
-A new class of young people who were college educated and worked primarily in urban finance related careers.
Profited off Regan’s stock market friendly economic policies
Yuppie’s cared more about material wealth than moral obligations
Most Yuppie’s where white and grew up in suburban areas but worked in cities.
Yuppies saw importance in status symbols such as cars, watches, clothing
Many Yuppies wanted to
conform with their other Yuppie
friends and associated owning
expensive thing’s as part of their
identity
-A sharp departure from Hippie
ideas of community and non-
conformity, mainly focused on
accumulating wealth and preserving
their social status

17. Yuppie Culture Explored...

18. Reagan’s Legacy PROS: CONS: -Ended the Cold War - National debt soared
-Increased wealth for those Created widespread corporate
involved in the stock market corruption through deregulation
-Was a beloved personality Wider income disparity between
-Had hope and optimism in the rich and the poor
America’s future “Reaganomics” mostly benefitted
- For conservatives he represented the wealthy and large corporations
a return to family values The Iran Contra Affair: illegally
backing pro-West rebels in Nicaragua off weapons profits from
Iran.
Video from .55 to to 6.34