Knowing the Presidents: Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan, 1911–2004

Fortieth President, 1981–1989

Campaign

In 1980, the country was facing economic hardship, oil shortages, and a long hostage situation in Iran, where more than fifty Americans were held captive by Iranian students who criticized the U.S’s influence over their national politics. These challenges combined to weaken President Jimmy Carter’s reelection campaign. Once elected, President Ronald Reagan made it clear that his objectives were to cut taxes, fight communism, reinforce national defense, and slow the growth of government. Reagan defeated Carter in the 1980 election, winning 50.7 percent of the popular vote and 489 electoral votes to Carter’s 41 percent and 49 electoral votes.

Ronald Reagan took office when the nation was suffering a crisis of confidence. The United States faced key domestic and foreign policy challenges during the Carter Administration—most notably, the Iranian Revolution, the holding of U.S. hostages in Tehran, and the ongoing energy crisis. The failed attempt to rescue the hostages in the tragic Desert One mission seemed only to confirm an America mired in a post-Vietnam, post-Watergate malaise. While Reagan helped change the national mood, he also faced structural economic problems and strained relations with the U.S.S.R. that occupied most of his two terms in office. Reagan sought to reduce the size of government, a goal that encompassed reducing the authority of unionized federal workers. He also oversaw a massive military buildup, including the never-implemented “Star Wars” missile defense system.

A former actor and governor of California, Ronald Reagan was a formidable politician, whose rise marked the revitalization of the conservative wing of the Republican party. As president, he challenged many of the politically liberal programs that had dominated the federal government since the New Deal, and throughout his presidency, he strove to reduce the size of government. He unapologetically cut social welfare programs and encouraged a conservative social ethic regarding the role of religion in public life and reproductive rights. However, his conservative stance led him to largely ignore the AIDS crisis. In foreign policy, Reagan guided the United States through the end of the Cold War as the Soviet Union imploded, and he established a new working relationship with the post-Soviet Russian leadership.

Ronald Reagan’s transitions from actor to conservative activist to governor to president illustrate how popular culture and a mastery of mass media can propel political careers. He embodied the rebound of conservatism, running on a platform of military superiority combined with cuts to the overall federal government, and standing firm against the Soviet Union and communist insurgencies. Reagan delivered powerful speeches, as in his remarks after the space shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986. His reputation as the “Great Communicator” made him much admired, but these qualities also allowed him to escape the negative consequences of the failures that occurred on his watch, such as the Beirut bombing, the Iran-Contra Scandal, and his administration’s lack of action in the face of the growing AIDS crisis.