The successes and failures of Reagan's presidency

Résumé du document

First, the economy is a partial success and a partial failure. The country was facing economic difficulties, with the rise of the cost of living, the rise of unemployment, and a budget deficit. Reagan's program, accepted by Congress on march 1981, was to cut government spending in social domestic programs, to reduce of 30% of income taxes over 3 years, and to prevent inflation by a monetary policy. In August 1981, Congress approved a massive tax cut, following Reagan's idea of supplied-side of economics. We can see some successes in this policy: the economy rebounded in 1983, with a rise of 4,3% of the GNP, and a lower unemployment (8%). The period from 1983 to 1990 saw the fall of unemployment, economic growth, new jobs, and a stable inflation. But at the same time, Reagan's policy was a social failure. Following his ideas of deregulation, free market, and reduction of the power of the federal government, Reagan applied «deregulation at all costs» : he crushed the strike of the air traffic controllers and fired every controllers ; he also strongly weakened the power of trade unions.

Moreover, Reagan cut programs that directly benefited poor people (food stamps, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, school lunches, housing assistance, Medicaid). The critics also say that at the end of Reagan's administration, the average family was paying more taxes than in 1980, and that the deficit tripled during his presidency. During the eighties, the number of poor people grew (13,5% of the population). Also, due to the high interest rates for construction and the tax law changes, there was less and less low-cost rental housing, and more and more people were homeless ; and Reagan's budget measures reduced funds available for shelters for homeless people. So we can see the social consequences of the economic policy as a failure for Reagan Revolution

Extraits

[...] Also, due to the high interest rates for construction and the tax law changes, there was less and less low-cost rental housing, and more and more people were homeless ; and Reagan's budget measures reduced funds available for shelters for homeless people. So we can see the social consequences of the economic policy as a failure for Reagan Revolution. II) Ambiguous results of Reagan's foreign policy Then, Reagan's foreign policy showed ambiguous results. He was clearly a Cold War politician. He raised the military budget at the highest rate for a peacetime, supporting the development of all kinds of weapons. [...]

[...] In El Salvador, Reagan gave the government military and economic aid to fight a a coalition of leftist guerrillas; in Nicaragua, Reagan committed the US to the Sandinistas' overthrow (in 1982 the CIA trained and financed the contras, the anti-Sandinista guerrilla army) ; in Granada, Reagan sent the marines to install a pro-American regime. The Iran- Contra scandal that was revealed in 1986 was a failure for Reagan's administration: the US weapons sold to Iran were overcharged and the profit was used to fund the contras in Nicaragua, violating the Boland amendment. The Tower Commission appointed by Reagan found no evidence of the president's culpability. But at the same time, Reagan Revolution was a success as he is praised for accelerating the end of the Cold War. [...]

[...] But despite all the efforts, the Supreme Court kept defending the right to abortion, which is a failure for the Reagan Revolution but a success for feminism. Then, gay rights were an important issue during this period, with a growing visibility of the gay community, in San Francisco for example, and thought the development of the gay literature. The AIDS contamination rose and so the demand for gay rights. Gay leaders organized to educate the public and urged the government to find a cure. [...]

[...] This revolution had successes and failures. The economy: a partial success and a partial failure First, the economy is a partial success and a partial failure. The country was facing economic difficulties, with the rise of the cost of living, the rise of unemployment, and a budget deficit. Reagan's program, accepted by Congress on march 1981, was to cut government spending in social domestic programs, to reduce of 30% of income taxes over 3 years, and to prevent inflation by a monetary policy. [...]

[...] The number of millionaires doubled during the eighties. In his Farewell address in 1989, Reagan described his presidency as «the work that brought America back», saying made a difference». If it is sure that his presidency represented a major change for the American people, it is not always in a good way, as Reagan's policies had very ambiguous results and a lot of social failures. The real revolution he implemented was the political revolution: both political parties shifted to the right. [...]