Throughout the years of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, 1981 to 1989, he envisioned America as the proverbial city on a hill. His presidency saw the restoration of faith in the nation and allowed America to heal after its long fought battle against communism. The president’s massive military expansion prepared America for unforeseeable conflicts such as the Gulf War and his tax reforms stimulated America’s economy. His leadership and negotiation skills helped to bring about the long-awaited collapse of the communist Soviet Union and sustained a peacetime period of notable economic strength. Ronald Reagan was the breath of fresh air that Washington needed, and he attained what many called the unattainable, and made Americans feel safe again.
The American that Ronald Reagan inherited in 1980 was not a hopeful one. However, his unwavering belief that American could still be great again made it so. Straight out of Hollywood, Reagan had a unique understanding of how the media amplified one’s personality, and he manipulated it to his advantage (Alonzo L.
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“The economic strain of the effort to keep up with the United States military brought the Soviets to the bargaining table and led to a de-escalation of their international military adventures” (Thomas Sowell, 2001). Reagan is the only president that may lay claim to the end of the Cold War that plagued America. However, a black mark on his record is the Iran-contra affair which involved the secret provision of funds from selling arms to Iran for Nicaraguan contra rebels (See Woodward and T. Draper, 2012). Despite the scandal of the Iran-contra affair, Reagan is praised for his foreign policies in which he spent a majority of his presidency playing the role of international peace-maker, leading to both a safer and more prosperous home and international front (George Nash,
During a time of terrifying darkness, a time of rising hostility, there stood two giants, menacingly staring down the other. One giant in the eastern hemisphere, named the USSR, and the other giant in the western hemisphere, the United States of America. As the two stared each other down, reaching closer and closer to war, a man stood up; determined to make the world a better place. This man spoke out against the USSR and the vices within the United States. This man was Ronald Reagan, the leader of the United States. With the fervor and duty of a leader, he climbed on top of the American giant, armed with diligence and the will of his people. On top, he began his speech against the Soviet Union, driving passion
Thesis Statement: Ronald Reagan’s presidency was one of the most successful in United States history because he revitalized the failing economy, used his remarkable communication skills to reestablish America’s lost morale, and even played a vital role in ending the Cold War.
Throughout his farewell address, President Reagan showcased some wonderful improvements to our nation of freedom. He referred to two triumphs in his speech, economic recovery and morale. He had an underlining theme in this section of his speech. It was a theme of common sense, and we had seen these two great triumphs because of our common sense! In regards to the economy he said, "when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it. So we cut the people 's tax rates, and the people produced more than ever before." Then he used a simile of a plant being cut back and growing back healthy to describe the economy. In regards to morale, he mentioned that peace could only become reality when we were seen as strong and powerful. The result of these two triumphs was not only a changed nation, but a changed world. Unfortunately, the increase in the pride of America from within and globally was fairly short lived as described by blogger Jennifer Mercieca, "Reagan succeeded in improving
The United States during the mid to late 70’s was in a constant state of alert; millions of citizens waiting for the piercing sounds of the air raid sirens to slice through the night air. America was in need of a leader, someone who could unify a divided country and save it from crushing economic failure. One man saw his need and stood up to the task, his name is President Ronald Reagan. Reagan rose to power as President during one of the most critical periods in not only American history, but also, World history: The arms standoff of the cold war. His actions as a unifier in the homeland and as a diplomat in foreign halls changed the way Americans and citizens of the world lived their lives.
Americans view the president as the highest member of society and Reagan was no exception. He was a poster child of class and the American values of the time. “The president and Mrs. Reagan pose [sic] in the Red Room of the White House before attending a series of nine inaugural balls in a dinner jacket (Cohen 83).” His elite parties and classy suits exemplified the values in the core American values of the time. The presidency gave him a pass from many of the terrors that kept Americans now up at night. Although, this did not excuse him from having personal enemies who would favor his demise. Only sixty-nine days after Reagan took office a would-be assassin shot him, but quickly recovered and returned to duty (Freidel). His near-death experience gave him new strength and a new will to uphold and protect the values of America.
Ronald Reagan is to this date the oldest serving president, and the effects of his presidency have affected not only the United States of America but most of the world as well. The consensus among historians is that Ronald Reagan left a lasting legacy that was a great one in numerous ways. His Reaganomics improved America’s economy greatly, and secured its future economic prosperity. He also fought communism head on and was able to end it in most parts of the world, but more importantly in Soviet Russia. However, in doing so he got wrapped up in the Iran-Contra Affair, which will forever be tied to his name in a negative regard. Within America, Reagan was able to improve society such as his success in curbing the use of illegal drugs.
In the early 1980s, the American people elected Ronald Reagan as President of the United States of America. Many people claim that Reagan was one of the greatest presidents of all time, while others believe that the country would have been much better off had Reagan never been elected. Regardless of their political preferences, it is undeniable that Ronald Reagan changed the world in the 1980s and his work as president will be forever remembered in the countless books of history. Ronald Reagan ran as a Republican and was the absolute epitome of a conservative. He worked to bring forth the ideal of conservatism in America and successfully captured and isolated that belief in the presidency. As president, Reagan worked to bring the ideal of American exceptionalism back to the country, to set the economy on the right track, and to end the Communist threat that had been present since the end of World War II. For all practical purposes, Ronald Reagan was a president who accomplished more than he set forth to do and did so famously; some would say infamously. Nevertheless, Reagan accomplished more in his eight year presidency than most presidents of the 20th Century. He is widely hailed as the man who ended the Cold War and will forever be remembered as the man who led to the conservative resurgence in America. He was a man of profound ability and charisma and America is better off for having Reagan as the Commander-in-Chief during the latter portion of the 20th
Ronald Regan brought nothing but hope into America when it was needed the most. He led the great comeback. He made something impossible look so easy. He made everyone who doubting him rethink their statement. Reagan inspired America. On that day he kicked off his campaign, and throughout his presidency, he challenged us to lift our sights. He assured us that every American is created with the rights to life and liberty. Our dream is coming alive in our minds and hearts in unique and wonderful ways. When Reagan said, “We are Americans!” it was his voice that proved to the people that this land was ours and nobody could take away our dream for this great land. That is why he was so determined to knock down barriers that prevented individuals from reaching their dreams, and America from achieving greatness.
Serving as the 40th president, Ronald Reagan made a lasting impact on the United States of America. Reagan ran for president in 1968 and 1976 and did not win the elections, it was not until 1980 when he ran again for the third time and became the president. He entered his presidency with some background as he was the governor of California for 8 years. When he went in to presidency the economy was weak, inflation was high, and there were foreign difficulties. The Cold War and a recession was also happening during this time period. Reagan had a plan that is now known as the “Reagan Revolution.” During his presidency Reagan’s goal was to cut taxes to increase employment and the economy, increase defense spending, and bring a quick end to the Cold War.
Ronald Reagan was more than a president. He was a phenomenon. Since he left office in 1989, many authors have tried to effectively identify who this man really was. He was an icon to some, and an enigma to others. He stood up to the worst economic, domestic, and international threats of the time and yet, took naps in the middle of cabinet meetings. At the height of his popularity in 1986, he had, as Time magazine put it, “found America's sweet spot. “ Reagan had ideals of what he felt America should be like, and made it his number one goal to share his unrelenting optimism with every person in the country. He pledged to bring Americans a “little good news.” and created a strong bond
The phenomenon dubbed the “Reagan Revolution,” can have its roots traced back decades, as early as the 1950s. It is important to start in this era, as it sets the stage for the 60s, which ultimately leads into the 70s and 80s, as history tends to portray a cause and effect relationship. Each of these generations contribute to this revolution of conservatism becoming the most popular view in the nation because of their cultural and social elements, with the 60s being the most important period. However, there is also an effect that stems from the previous Presidents, and their governing abilities, or lack thereof, that held office before Reagan. Ultimately, it is a blend of these two components at the same time in their respective decades,
President Ronald Reagan, the man who is accredited with ended the forty six year cold war was elected on Nov. 4, 1980. Reagan won his election with fifty percent of the popular vote over former President Jimmy Carter who had forty one percent. While Reagan as a president is praised for such successes as strengthening the national defense, stimulating growth in the U.S. economically, and as mentioned before he is considered the President who ended the Cold War. President Reagan had achieved many things by the end of his administration, but just as he had many successes his presidency was plagued with shortcomings and a handful of what could be considered flat out failures. The purpose of this writing is to establish and identify the ‘cons’ or failures of the Reagan administration, and provide a brief description of each different aspect of the administration.
In conclusion, President Reagan was operative in convincing his audience that he was the right choice for who should lead the U.S. I firmly believe that Ronald Reagan was the last good President we had in office. He not only kept to his word, but also was able to inspire the American people and remind them what hope was and what it looked and felt like. Shown through this piece, it is evident that he was an eloquent communicator and an overall persuasive orator. By using pathos, rhetorical questioning,
Presidents of the United States are expected to lead the country and find solutions to its problems, but the chances of being allowed to do marginal political steps are negligible and success is rarely accomplished. Ronald Reagan was the president successful in bringing fundamental change in American politics. He was likeable man, great communicator, who offered himself as the leader at a time when economy was a shambles and restored the nation 's confidence in the White House. His new approach was focused on the reorientation of the U.S. budgetary system, fiscal and tax policies as a break with the economic priorities of previous administrations. Even though he was not very experienced in foreign affairs and many of the ideas originated from movies the president had seen, Reagan with his confrontational rhetoric significantly contributed to the changes in the world politics . The whole era of his presidency (1981 – 1989) is called the `Reagan Revolution`.
He has been called the most significant President of the 20th century. Ronald Reagan’s devotion to the American people and his unwavering commitment to managing both domestic and foreign affairs with sincerity, composure and efficiency provided a beacon of hope in an era that was marked by economic turmoil on the homefront and an impending threat of nuclear war. An analysis of Reagan’s life history, from a psychological standpoint, seeks to reveal the significant factors and influential events that may shed light on how he acquired the distinctive characteristics and how the interplay of how these factors subsequently shaped the extraordinary person he became.