Ronald Reagan 1980 -1988

1. Ronald Reagan1980 -1988 Morning in America

2. Actor, Cowboy, Communicator…

3. Mr. President

4. Greeting the U.S. embassy hostages upon their return

5. Neoconservatism steals the show • Challenged the main ideas of liberalism: • That a fair & equal society is possible • Such a society needs gov’t involvement and regulation • Gov’t runs risk of over-involved bureaucracy and inefficiency • Reagan pledged to, “Get the gov’t off people’s backs”

6. Reagan Era Pop Culture

7. “This time, do we get to win?”

8. Reaganomics: supply side economics – “Trickle Down Economics” • Tax cuts • Reductions in public spending: education, environment, health, housing, food stamps, the arts… ($136 billion cut) • Put money in the hands of entrepreneurs and investors who would start businesses and create new jobs • Opened protected areas to private developers • PRO- business

9. Growing inequality • By 1989, richest 1% owned 37% of nations private wealth • Top 1% (834,000 households) owned more than the bottom 90% (84 million households) • Average hourly wages declined • Most new jobs created in the 1980s were low paying service jobs (50% paid less than the $11,611 poverty level) • Significant shift two wage earners needed in a family

10. Recession - 1982 • The worst since the 1930s • Unemployment reached 11% • American steel plants operated at 1/3 capacity

11. Recovery • Energy glut – lots of oil, price cheap • Defense spending pumped billions into the economy • Unemployment drops to 8% from 11% • Inflation falls from 12% under Carter to 3%

12. Military Buildup • Def Secretary Caspar Weinberger is Reagan’s right-hand man • Renewed B-1 bomber program (Carter had halted it) • Began production of MX Peacekeeper Missile • Approved Pershing Missiles in W. Germany (controversial in Europe)

13. Restore America’s defenses • Pentagon budget expanded from $169 billion in 1981 to $239 billion in 1986 • Defense contracts enriched California, NY, Texas, Virginia • Shift in priorities from human resources to military

14. Environmental Setbacks • Pro-business policy cut many environmental regulations made in the 70’s • Amount of public land used for drilling, mining and logging increased • Relaxed policies on expensive, pollution-controlling equipment for companies

15. Hardline anti-communist: The Evil Empire speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do0x-Egc6oA

16. Reagan’s Foreign Policy • The Reagan Doctrine 1985: the US must support “the forces of freedom in Communist totalitarian states.” • Soviets reacted w/ defensiveness – refused Olympics in LA in 1984

17. Nicaragua in the Reagan Years • Civil War continues • Sandinistas vs. CIA-backed Contras • Boland Amendments 1982-84 attempt to cut off funding to Contras • Some say unconstitutionally limits executive power • IRAN-CONTRA North was charged with several felonies and convicted of three, but the convictions were later vacated, and the underlying charges dismissed due to the limited immunity agreement granted for his pre-trial public Congressional testimony about the affair. - wiki

18. Mikhail Gorbachev, Communist Reformer • Glasnost Speech March 10, 1985 (not yet leader): Free dissemination of info in order to overhaul soviet system • Perestroika: reconstructing Soviet system to make it more democratic (not necessarily capitalistic!)

19. 4 separate meetings with Gorbachev between 1985-88 • Gorbachev represented a new generation of communist leaders • Reform – glasnost & perestroika • Gorbachev proposed 50% reduction in all strategic nuclear weapons

20. Meetings with the communists

21. Negotiations • Gorbachev said SDI violated 1972 ABM Treaty (US maintains this is not so) • SDI would allow the US to have a first strike advantage • Both sides agreed on a limitation of intermediate range nuclear forces (INF Treaty) 4%1987 • Mutual onsite inspection • First time superpowers agree to destroy existing weapons • Mostly a psychological breakthrough

22. Reagan refused to give up SDI: Strategic Defense Initiative – Laser shieldto date $60 billion spent in development

23. Appetite for Freedom Grows • Demostrations in Soviet cities demanding more reforms • Politicians divided on Gorbachev’s policies • Boris Yeltsin (Moscow CP leader) thinks Gorbachev is dragging his feet – wants more

24. Gorbachev & Eastern Europe • Gorb. Abandons the Brezhnev Doctrine in March 1988 • Pulls out of Afghanistan • Results in more activity in E. Europe

25. Bring that wall down! • 1989 Hungary draws new constitution (no Soviet control) • 1989 Czech demonstrations & activity bring Vaclav Havel in as freely elected leader • Ban on Solidarity movement in Poland lifted – free elections in June 1989 • E. German demonstrations bring orders to fire on people by Hoenecker – his ministers cancel the order; cabinet resigns shortly after; Nov 9, a cheering crowd watches the Berlin Wall come down

29. Not all Europeans Change Easily • Bulgaria moved slower, free elections in 1990 • Romania saw bloodshed before hardline communist Ceausescu, opposed to Gorbachev, was captured & executed by military tribunal (Xmas day 1989)

30. Decline of the Soviet Union • Gorbachev caught between extreme reformers like Yeltsin and old-line communists • Soviet people suffered economically • Miners strikes led to the central gov’t relinquishing control • Yeltsin has plan to bring about a free-market economy – this would effectively dissolve the USSR • Rumors of coup sweep through Moscow

31. Yeltsin to the Rescue • Yeltsin prevents coup from happening • Calls on KGB, police, army to switch sides • Yeltsin’s move is self-serving and wins support of the people over Gorbachev • As pres of Russian SSR, Yeltsin had disbanded the Russian commjnist central committee

33. USSR NO MORE • Gorbachev tries to maintain power by granting independence to Latvia, Lithuania, & Estonia • Soon one republic after another declared their independence • Dec. 25, 1991, Gorbachev transfers control of nukes to Yeltsin & resigns