TheReaganRevolution

CHQ:TowhatextentdidRonaldReaganmakeAmericagreatagain?
Whatwerethetrade-offs1ofReagansPolicies?

Introduction:
RonaldReaganconvincedAmericansthatconservativeideologywasamainstreambelief,something
thatBarryGoldwaterwasunabletodointhe1964presidentialelection.Inthissense,Reaganstwoterms
aspresident(1981-1989)weretheculminationofwhatactivistshadbeenfightingforsincethemid-1960s,
atrueconservativeintheWhiteHouse.GivenReaganspreviouscareerasanactorandspokespersonfor
GeneralElectric,ReagandidmuchtousehischarmandcharismatosellconservatismtotheAmerican
public.AfterservingtwotermsasgovernorofCalifornia(1966-1974),ReaganpressuredGeraldFord
unsuccessfullyfortheRepublicannominationin1976.DespitelosingthisattemptattheWhiteHouse,
ReaganearnedtheheartsandmindsofconservativeswithintheG.O.P.Mutingtheharshrhetoricof
BarryGoldwater(whowasnotoriousforslipssuchascallingSocialSecurityfreemoney,orsuggesting
nuclearwarfarewasalegitimatemilitaryoption),RonaldReaganbroughtamainstreamrespectabilityto
Americanconservatism.AlongsideReaganspresidentialelectionin1980,theG.O.P.alsorodehiscoattails
intoCongress,takinganumberofHouseseats,andrecapturingtheSenate(whichithadnotheldforthree
decades).Indoingso,ReaganhelpedbringconservativestotheforefrontoftheRepublicanParty,a
positionthathasheldtothisday.
Reaganwasalsoabletobringanumbrellaofconservativesandconservativecausesintoawinning
electoralcoalition.Inparticular,heappealedtoelementsoftheoldDemocraticcoalitioncreatedfollowing
theGreatDepression.Rustbeltmales(whiteswholivedinthedecliningNorthernindustrialstates),white
Southerners,andblue-collarworkersmovedinsuchlargenumberstotheRepublicanPartyinthe1980s
thattheywereoftencalledReaganDemocrats.Reaganwasparticularlyeffectiveinusingeconomicand
culturalissues-taxing,abortion,crime,busing,andguns-towinoverworkingclasswhitemales.These
werepredominantlyCatholic,sociallyconservative,lawandordervoterswithtraditionalmoralvalues,and
theyhadalreadybeenshakenfromtheDemocraticPartyduringthe1960s.Reagannudgedthemfurtherto
theright,andscholarshavenotedthatmanyofReaganssupportersweretheoffspringofparentswho
oncewerepartofFranklinD.Rooseveltsgrandcoalition.ReaganwashimselfaformerNewDeal
Democrat,andhisfamousstatement,IdidntleavetheDemocraticPartyitleftme,helpedbringmany
disgruntledDemocratsandothernewmemberstotheRepublicanParty.
Interestingly,RonaldReaganwasalsoamagnetforreligiousconservatives.Althoughhewas
divorcedandpartoftheso-calledliberalHollywoodestablishment(whichwasfrequentlycriticizedbythe
religiousrightforitsroleinunderminingtraditionalvalues),Reaganopenlycourtedthem,andheembraced
muchoftheiragenda,includingoppositiontoabortionandsupportforschoolprayer.Likewise,thegrowing
numberofeconomicconservativesandanti-taxactivistsfoundanenthusiasticsupporterinRonaldReagan.
Reaganpromisedtoscalebackgovernmentandreduceditspowerandinfluence.JustasFDRdidinthe
1930s,Reaganpromisedtochangethepeoplesrelationshiptotheirgovernment,althoughReaganpromised
toreducenotexpandthesizeandresponsibilityofthefederalgovernment.Similarly,RonaldReagan
didfortheRepublicansinthe1980swhatFDRdidinthe1930s,buildinganewpoliticalcoalition(muchof
itformedoutofthewreckageoftheoldDemocraticcoalition)thatheldtogetherforsuccessiveterms.Of
course,Reagansconservativecoalitionhaddifferentconstituencies,butsharedaloveforReaganmuchas
FDRscoalitionsharedaloveforhim.AndwithReagansre-electionin1984,hebecamethefirst
Republicanpresidenttowintwotermswithanexplicitlyconservativemessage,provingthattheconservative
changesunderwayweremuchmorepowerfulthanmanyexpected.

1
Trade-off: the giving up of one thing in exchange for another. So, for instance, a policy can have a positive effect
on one group but a negative effect on another group. Ex: Reagans increase in defense spending meant a
decrease in spending on social programs.
 RonaldReaganReportCard
CHQ:TowhatextentdidRonaldReaganmakeAmericagreatagain?
Whatwerethetrade-offsofReagansPolicies?

Directions:Usetheattachedhandout(RonaldReagansAgenda),theSlidesand/orthiswebsite
togradePresidentReaganinthecategoriesbelow.Provideanexplanationforthegrade.Atthe
endofthelesson,provideanoverallgradeandexplain.

Area Grade FocusedNotes ReasonforGrade

Economic
Policy

Social&
Domestic
Policy

Foreign
Policy

OverallGradeAverage:
TowhatextentdidRonaldReaganmakeAmericagreatagain?
Whatwerethetrade-offsofReagansPolicies?