Reagan's Presidency AP US History Mrs. Marshall. 1980 Election Ronald Reagan and George Bush...
Transcript of Reagan's Presidency AP US History Mrs. Marshall. 1980 Election Ronald Reagan and George Bush...
Reagan's PresidencyReagan's Presidency
AP US HistoryAP US History
Mrs. MarshallMrs. Marshall
1980 Election1980 Election
Ronald Reagan and George Bush Ronald Reagan and George Bush
defeated Jimmy Carter in a landslide defeated Jimmy Carter in a landslide
victory. victory.
489 to 49 in electoral votes489 to 49 in electoral votes
Republicans gained control of the Senate Republicans gained control of the Senate and increased their number of and increased their number of representatives in the House.representatives in the House.
January 20, 1981January 20, 1981
Jimmy Carter released Iranian assets andJimmy Carter released Iranian assets and
the hostages were freed shortly afterthe hostages were freed shortly after
Reagan took the oath of officeReagan took the oath of office
March 30, 1981March 30, 1981
Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest byRonald Reagan was shot in the chest by
John W. HinckleyJohn W. Hinckley
Reagonomics/Supply-Side Reagonomics/Supply-Side EconomicsEconomics
The belief that the economy would be The belief that the economy would be stimulated and would recover quickest if stimulated and would recover quickest if the supply of goods increased. Because the supply of goods increased. Because Reagan backed policies and supported Reagan backed policies and supported corporate tax cuts designed to benefit corporate tax cuts designed to benefit producers, “Reaganomics” was a term producers, “Reaganomics” was a term used by his critics who thought his used by his critics who thought his economic plan was a mistakeeconomic plan was a mistake
Economic Recovery Tax ActEconomic Recovery Tax Act
This law provided budget and tax cuts that This law provided budget and tax cuts that structurally changed government policy.A structurally changed government policy.A 25% cut over 3 years25% cut over 3 years
Reagan abandoned the long sought after Reagan abandoned the long sought after Republican goal of a balanced budgetRepublican goal of a balanced budget
Government SpendingGovernment Spending
Congress passed the Budget Congress passed the Budget Reconciliation Act in 1981 cuttting $39 Reconciliation Act in 1981 cuttting $39 billion from domestic programsbillion from domestic programs
Reagan increased defense spending by Reagan increased defense spending by $12 billion.$12 billion.
December 1982 economy was December 1982 economy was experiencing a recession.experiencing a recession.
The FED began to lower interest rates The FED began to lower interest rates which along with lower inflation and more which along with lower inflation and more spendable income due to lower taxes spendable income due to lower taxes resulted in more business activity. resulted in more business activity. Unemployment rate fell to less than 8%.Unemployment rate fell to less than 8%.
Increasing RevenueIncreasing Revenue
Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility ActTax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act
Social Security benefits became taxable Social Security benefits became taxable incomeincome
Deficit Reduction ActDeficit Reduction Act
The deficit continued to increase.The deficit continued to increase.
Air Traffic ControllersAir Traffic Controllers
August of 1981August of 1981
Reagan fired over 11,000 air-traffic Reagan fired over 11,000 air-traffic controllers for staging what he called an controllers for staging what he called an illegal strikeillegal strike
This was a major blow to the power of This was a major blow to the power of labor unionslabor unions
DefenseDefense
Involved the re-building of the navy, Involved the re-building of the navy, modernizing the nuclear Air Force and modernizing the nuclear Air Force and implementing the Strategic Defense implementing the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars)Initiative (Star Wars)
Led to big increase in the defense budget Led to big increase in the defense budget in 1985 (rose from $197 billion to $279 in 1985 (rose from $197 billion to $279 billion)billion)
Election of 1984Election of 1984
Reagan and Bush reelectedReagan and Bush reelected
Opposition- Walter Mondale and Geraldine Opposition- Walter Mondale and Geraldine FerraroFerraro
515-13 electoral votes 515-13 electoral votes
Affirmative ActionAffirmative Action
Controversial government program started Controversial government program started by Nixonby Nixon
Held to be constitutional by Supreme Held to be constitutional by Supreme CourtCourt
Benefited minoritiesBenefited minorities
Reagan and the US Supreme CourtReagan and the US Supreme Court
Sandra Day O’Connor-1Sandra Day O’Connor-1stst female female appointed to the courtappointed to the court
Associate Justice William Rehnquist was Associate Justice William Rehnquist was appointed Chief Justiceappointed Chief Justice
Antonin ScaliaAntonin Scalia
Anthony KennedyAnthony Kennedy
USSRUSSR
Mikhail Gorbachev-leader of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev-leader of the USSR who initiated the radical policies of who initiated the radical policies of openness and restructuring.openness and restructuring.Gorbachev and Reagan meet in 4 Gorbachev and Reagan meet in 4 summitssummitsThese changes and economic collapse of These changes and economic collapse of Communist nations in Europe paved the Communist nations in Europe paved the way for the fall of communism in the SU way for the fall of communism in the SU ans its satellite nations.ans its satellite nations.
Berlin Wall came downBerlin Wall came down
Cold War was essentially overCold War was essentially over
A few years after the wall came down the A few years after the wall came down the USSR dissolvedUSSR dissolved
Many credited Reagan with ending the Many credited Reagan with ending the Cold WarCold War
PLOPLO
Palestine Liberation OrganizationPalestine Liberation Organization
They used southern Lebanon to launch They used southern Lebanon to launch attacks on Israelattacks on Israel
Lebanese government could not stop Lebanese government could not stop operationsoperations
June 1982, Israeli forces marched across June 1982, Israeli forces marched across the border into Lebanon and pushed the the border into Lebanon and pushed the PLO back to the capital city of BeirutPLO back to the capital city of Beirut
Caused tension between Israel and the Caused tension between Israel and the USUS
At request if Israel, a multinational At request if Israel, a multinational peacekeeping force arrived in Beirut to peacekeeping force arrived in Beirut to supervise the evacuation of the PLOsupervise the evacuation of the PLO
Violence broke out following the Violence broke out following the assassination of the Lebanese presidentassassination of the Lebanese president
Israeli forces withdrew, Lebanon on the Israeli forces withdrew, Lebanon on the verge of a civil warverge of a civil war
Oct. 1983, 241 people died when a suicide Oct. 1983, 241 people died when a suicide bomber drove car into barracks of US bomber drove car into barracks of US Marines who were part of a peace keeping Marines who were part of a peace keeping missionmission
1984 the multinational peacekeeping force 1984 the multinational peacekeeping force left Beirutleft Beirut
Iran-Contra AffairIran-Contra Affair
Scandal during the Reagan presidency in Scandal during the Reagan presidency in which the US arranged to secretly sell which the US arranged to secretly sell arms to Iran and use the profits to fund arms to Iran and use the profits to fund and support the Contras in Nicaraguaand support the Contras in Nicaragua
Nicaragua was ruled by a pro-Soviet Nicaragua was ruled by a pro-Soviet government know and the Sandinistasgovernment know and the Sandinistas
To counter the Sandinista we supported To counter the Sandinista we supported the rebels-the Contrasthe rebels-the Contras
Congress found out-cut off fundingCongress found out-cut off funding
Some in Reagan’s administration found Some in Reagan’s administration found other means to help the Contrasother means to help the Contras
In exchange for helping secure the release In exchange for helping secure the release of hostages held in Lebanon, the US of hostages held in Lebanon, the US secretly sold arms to Iransecretly sold arms to Iran
Did little to help win release of hostages-Did little to help win release of hostages-big scandalbig scandal
Oliver North-a Marine colonel who had Oliver North-a Marine colonel who had been the key figure in making the been the key figure in making the arrangements took most of blamearrangements took most of blame
Reagan claimed he had no knowledge of Reagan claimed he had no knowledge of the arrangement-no evidence was the arrangement-no evidence was produced to suggest that he did produced to suggest that he did