Ronald Reagan
President Ronald Reagan is the$ cornerstone$ of the$ modern conservative$ movement. It is virtually impossible$ for any republican politician worth their salt to say they aren't inspired by the$ 40th president. However Reagan was not the$ perfect president. Although he$ did lower taxes and had the$ third highest approval rating for any president within the$ last 50 years, he$ also crashed the$ economy with his tax cuts and not to mention the$ attempt on his life$ that could have$ ended more$ than just his presidency. In this paper I will discuss Ronald Reagan and who he$ was before$ he$ became$ leader of the$ free$ world, his run for president, the$ attempt on his life, and the$ good and bad parts of his presidency.
Reagan before$ his presidency
Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, to John Edward "Jack" Reagan and Nelle$ Wilson Reagan. During Reagan's early childhood, his family was constantly moving, finally settling in Dixon, Illinois, in 1920, where$ Jack Reagan opened a shoe$ store. In 1928, Ronald Reagan graduated from Dixon High School, where$ he$ was an athlete, student body president, and performed in school plays. Reagan's college$ years were$ spent at Eureka College$ in Illinois where$ he$ majored in economics and sociology on an athletic scholarship. There, he$ also played football, ran track, captained the$ swim team, served as student council president, and acted in school productions. (biography.com)In 1937, Reagan signed a seven-year contract with the$ Warner Brothers movie$ studio. Over the$ next 30 years, he$ appeared in more$ than 50 films. One$ of his best-known roles was that of George$ Gipp in the$ 1940 biographical movie, Knute$ Rockne-All American. In that sa...
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...eagan sold those$ arms and money. Much of the$ money that was received from the$ trade$ went to fund the$ Nicaragua Contra rebels who were$ in a war with the$ Sandinista government of Nicaragua. When the$ scandal hit the$ news in the$ United States it became$ the$ biggest story in the$ country, Reagan tried to downplay what happened, but never fully recovered.
Conclusion
Although President Reagan was not the$ perfect president the$ good he$ did outweighed the$ bad in my opinion. He$ did triple$ the$ national debt, however it was a price$ he$ had to pay to pull the$ American people$ out of a terrible$ recession. He$ did fund Nicaraguan rebels, but that wasn't his intention, all Reagan wanted to do was free$ the$ American hostages. I believe$ that the$ risks and sacrifices Reagan was willing to take$ for the$ American people$ are$ what make$ him such a great president.
Pach, Chester. "The Reagan Doctrine: Principle, Pragmatism, and Policy." Presidential Studies Quarterly 36, no. 1 (03, 2006): 75-88. http://search.proquest.com/docview/215684612?accountid=8289.
Works Cited "American President Ronald Wilson Reagan: Impact and Legacy." Miller Center. University of Virginia, n.d. -. Web. The Web.
The election of 1980 brought the re-nominated Democratic candidate, Jimmy Carter, against the newly nominated Republican candidate, Ronald Reagan. While Carter ran a rather “gloom and doom” campaign, Reagan came into the election upbeat and with high hopes of rebuilding the military. Americans, weary of the liberal government, elected Ronald Reagan. Reagan came into the Presidency wanting to restore United States leadership in world affairs w...
Ronald Reagan grew up with an alcoholic father, Jack Reagan (“Life Before the”). After his death, Ronald’s mother, Nelle, nurtured and encouraged him and his brother, Neil (“Life Before the”). Nelle taught her sons that alcoholism is a disease and she did not want her boys to blame their father for the bad habit (“Life Before the”). Growing up with an alcoholic father made Ronald take a different path and become the well rounded man that he was. In his high school years, Reagan excelled on both the football and basketball teams. Reagan even acted in plays, and he was also a writer for the school newspaper (“Life Before the”). Reagan was also an excellent swimmer, he worked as a lifeguard and according to newspaper reports, he rescued 77 people from drowning (“Life Before the”). He had lots of integrity and he had the commitment to do what is right regardless of the impact. Reagan was even the student body president which shows his early leadership qualities.
His extreme effectiveness feeds from decision-making ability that turned the country away from the negative and instable foreign policy of Carter and back to support winning the Cold War and promoting the strength of the US. In the 1970s, because Carter allowed Communism to gain military and territorial advantages, and failed to impose American hegemon and his own power as President. Reagan took office in 1981, “he was determined to rebuild that power, regain for the United States the capability to wage war successfully against the Soviets, to act with impunity against Soviet Third World clients, and to regain its status as the world’s dominant military force.” Reagan handled the Iran hostage Crisis within the hour of assuming the Presidency. Simultaneously, doing what was necessary to free Americans, and to use his power as President to go outside the constitution and congress and secure funding for the Contras to overthrown the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and restore the nation to a pro-American government. Unlike Carter Reagan wanted to make it clear he only cared about protecting American security, and that human rights could be an after
In 1976 Jimmy Carter, a small peanut farmer from Georgia was elected the President of the United Sates. Carter had limited experience in the National Political Arena. He used his inexperience to his advantage and promised to restore honesty and morality to the government. After the corruption that the United States had seen within the previous administrations of Nixon and Ford, Carter was welcomed with open arms. During his presidency Carter was faced with a plethora of domestic and foreign issues. At home, economic problems dominated causing massive unemployment and inflation. Oil shortages also presented a challenge. Domestically, Carter’s policies were a failure, with no success in alleviating the economy or the oil crisis. In the Middle East as series of conflicts between Egypt and Israel resulted in peace talks and with the Presidents’ mediation they were successful. However, Carter was not completely successful abroad. In Iran Carter was ineffective in procuring a quick solution and as a result lost public support. While Carter was successful in dealing with the Israeli-Arab conflict, he was disastrous in his domestic economic policy and his other foreign diplomatic endeavors; ultimately his successes paled in comparison to his failures.
Richard Neustadt identifies three specific traits a person must possess in order to succeed as president of the United States of America. He stated that “the presidency is not a place for amateurs” and candidates must meet specific traits if they are to succeed at commanding one of the world’s largest and strongest nations. The three criteria he believed that a man must possess in order to succeed as president include the power to persuade, a professional reputation, and a public prestige. Herbert Hoover, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan are three presidents who were elected to power at three very different eras of American history. The following research paper will examine how each of these three men succeeded and failed at meeting Neustadt’s criteria of presidential greatness. In addition, this research paper will compare and contrast the successes and failures of the three men and finally, the paper will conclude by offering a personal consideration of what I believe makes a truly great president.
Ronald Reagan was a true hero to many people. He showed strength when the country, and the world needed a strong person. When there were challenges he rose to the occasion, and conquered them. He was an honest man with a big heart that had a love for country, and all of the people in it. Overall most people have nothing but respect for his legacy, even most of his critics give him respect for some of his accomplishments. This is why Ronald Reagan was a hero to many, and his legacy still lives on today.
Introduction Reagan, Ronald Wilson (1911- ),the 40th president of the United States (1981-1989), enforced the policies that reversed a general direction of movement toward greater government involvement in economic and social regulation. Reagan as the younger of two sons, was born in Tampico, Illinois and spent most of his childhood in Dixon, Illinois. After studying at Eureka College,a small Disciples of Christ college near Peoria, Illinois, he majored in economics, and became the president of the student body, a member of the football team, and captain of the swimming team. He had special drawings toward acting, but after the graduation in 1932 the only job available related to show business was as a local radio sportscaster. In 1936 he became a sportscaster for station WHO in Des Moines, Iowa. A year latter, Reagan went to Hollywood and began an acting career that spanned more than 25 years. He played in more than 50 films, including "Knute Rockne"-All American (1940), "King's Row" (1942), and "Bedtime for Bonzo" (1951). Early political career Reagan's first political activities were associated with his responsibilities as a union leader. As union president, Reagan tried to remove suspected Communists from the movie industry. When the U.S. House Committee. Began an investigation in 1947 on the influence of Communists in the film industry, Reagan took a strong anti-Communist stand testifying before the committee. Reagan emerged on the national political scene in 1964 when he made fervent television speech supports for the Republican presidential candidate, United States Senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona. Although the election was lost, Reagan's speech brought in money and admiration from Republicans around the country. After the speech a group of Republicans in California persuaded Reagan to run for governor of California in 1966. Reagan appealed to traditional Republican voters. He defeated Edmund G. (Pat) Brown, Sr., Democrat, by almost a million votes. The election of 1980 Reagan spent years making political friends at party fund-raising dinners around the country. In the election of 1980 for the president, the candidates were Carter and Reagan. The contrast between the television personalities of two candidates was very important to people. Carter’s nervous manner had never been popular to people, while Reagan’s charm and happy face was a call for return to patriotism, which appealed to the public. Many voters believed that Reagan was forceful leader who could get their lives in shape and who could restore prosperity at home.
President Ronald Reagan was the fourteenth president United States of America in 1981. President Reagan had very interesting careers that propelled him into the top office in government. He was a sports announcer, movie actor, captain in the Army, and a politician. During his Army days, he followed the politics in the movie industry and was later elected president in 1947 of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) (Mclure, 2015). Then he pursued and became the California governor. However, his true accomplishments, from 1981 through 1989, Ronald Reagan led a great American comeback. He not only achieved what his critics
There was general prosperity in America following the Second World War, however in the 1970s inflation rose, productivity decreased, and corporate debt increased. Individual incomes slipped as oil prices raised. Popular dissent surrounding the economic crisis helped Reagan win the 1980 election under promises to lower taxes, deregulate, and bring America out of stagnation. Many New Right supporters put their faith in him to change the system. To start his tenure, Reagan passed significant tax cuts for the rich to encourage investment. Next he passed the Economy Recovery Tax Act that cut tax rates by 25% with special provisions that favored business. Reagan’s economic measures were based on his belief in supply-side economics, which argued that tax cuts for the wealthy and for business stimulates investment, with the benefits eventually tricking down to the popular masses. His supply-side economic policies were generally consistent with the establishment’s support of free market, ...
... no longer under a major threat. Back at home, Reagan served his country well by cutting taxes which drove new and existing businesses to thrive. Even the presidents to follow, such as Barack Obama, have acknowledged that the things Reagan did were truly remarkable. Obama stated that Reagan had put the country on a different path which altogether improved it. All of his work and actions proved him an honorable person because he protected and improved the people and places around him. As a result Reagan is truly a man of rightful honor.
Ronald Reagan was born February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. His father was John Edward “Jack” Reagan, and his mother was Nelle Wilson Reagan. He was born into a happy, well-disciplined family, and had a very happy childhood. Before Reagan held office, Reagan was a radio announcer, and became the voice of Major League Baseball in 1932. Reagan also had a 7-year contract with Warner Brothers, and made about fifty movies. Reagan then put all the fun and games aside, and joined the Army Reserve and was called to active duty shortly after Pearl Harbor. “ He was in the Army from 1942-45 rising to the level of Captain. However, he never took part in combat and stated stateside. He narrated training films and was in the Army Air Force First Motion Picture Unit.” (Martin Kelly, n...
President Reagan, at the time in the beginnings of his second term, had successfully maintained overall a high approval rating with the American people. He had won their trust and respect by being quite relatable to the average citizen (Cannon). He had planned that evening to give his State of the Union address, but instead postponed it. The tragedy that had unfolded just hours earlier demanded his complete attention (Eidenmuller 29).
Whether people agree with him or not, he was able to captivate people with his inspiring speeches and his likable personality. Confidence in what someone says and what someone thinks is what makes that someone an icon, for better or for worse. Reagan had confidence in his policies and his ideas. Many people have confidence in their own ambitions and goals. However, this can go awry when someone’s goals can lead to them not making the best decisions. Ronald Reagan’s second term was severely damaged when the Iran-Contra affair happened. What happened was the US was selling weapons to Iran, which was illegal at the time. The money made from the selling of weapons was directed into funding anti-communist insurgencies throughout Central America. This was made even worse when Reagan tried denying that it ever took place. He eventually gave in and told the truth, but the damage had already been done. (Biography.com Editors, 2017) Reagan, nonetheless, was able to redeem himself with overseeing the fall of the Soviet Union. Even though it did not officially end until after Reagan left office, Reagan was the one to really push for better relations with Russia and encouraging the leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, to become more open. Famously, he was able to convince Gorbachev to let the people of Germany tear down the Berlin wall, which was one of the last nails in the coffin of the USSR. (Biography.com Editor’s, 2017) The