Ronald Wilson Reagan was a President who ushered in a new era. His leadership and the symbiotic relationship he formed with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during their four summit talks helped to bring the Cold War to a calm conclusion. Reagan's supporters said that he had "won" the Cold War as the Soviet Union vanished into the shadows of history. Reagan and Gorbachev, on the other hand, pronounced the entire world a winner. Reagan had cause to think, though, that the West had triumphed in the intellectual battle: democracy had won the lengthy "battle of principles" with collectivism, as he called it. Reagan's ardent friend, the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, claimed that Reagan had "Changed attitudes and views about what is achievable, which is the most arduous of all political efforts. He went out to expand freedom around the world from the strong fortress of his convictions at a time when freedom was on the decline—and he succeeded." This is accurate to some extent: during Reagan's presidency, the number of democratic countries, as well as the spread of free-market ideology, grew. However, as Russia's recent dictatorial course indicates, the sustainability of these gains is in question.

Scholars provide a range of reasons for why the Cold War ended the way it did, as well as the Soviet Union's eventual downfall. Some historians point to Reagan's military buildup and the pressures he put on the country through his pet project, the Strategic Defense Initiative. Others point to rising unrest in Eastern European countries, especially Poland, as well as Soviet overreach in Afghanistan. Some others refer to the Soviet economy's breakdown after 75 years of Communist leadership. Though historians disagree on how much weight these various issues should be given, it is apparent that Reagan and his policies played a role in the outcome.

Reagan left a mixed economic legacy. On the one hand, the Federal Reserve's tightening of interest rates and tax cuts resulted in the longest stretch of peacetime economic expansion ever. On the other hand, this expansion coincided with new highs in the national debt, federal budget deficit, and trade imbalance. Those who defend Reagan's economic record note that a large portion of the deficit was driven by increased defense spending, which fell once the Soviet Union fell apart and set the stage for balancing the budget during the Clinton years. Despite this, the supply-side tax cuts didn't result in the revenue boost that Reagan had expected. Reagan's major

economic achievement, according to economist Robert Samuelson, was his unwavering support for the Federal Reserve, under Reagan's appointee Alan Greenspan, who pursued monetary policies that maintained inflation low. Reagan also achieved one of his main objectives: lowering the marginal income tax rate, which was 70% when he began office and was reduced to 28% when he departed.

Reagan left a lasting political legacy as well. After his reelection in 1984 in a 49-state landslide, it became evident that Democrats would not be able to win the White House under a classic liberal flag. This helped Bill Clinton, a centrist, win the Democratic presidential nomination and win the presidency in 1992. Reagan's influence was much larger within his own party. After he won the presidency in 1980, he led Republicans to power in the Senate. Despite the fact that Democrats held the House throughout Reagan's presidency, Republicans took power for the first time in 40 years in 1994, thanks to Newt Gingrich's "Contract With America," a collection of Reagan's leftover promises. Even now, with the Democrats in power, there are more declared Reagan Republicans in Congress than there were during Reagan's presidency. Almost all of the contenders for the Republican nomination in 2008 declared that they would follow in Reagan's steps.

It's unclear whether Reagan's achievements came as a result of his worldview or in spite of it—or both. Reagan was a good communicator of conservative principles, but he was also a very pragmatic politician who wanted to succeed. The welfare reform that marked Reagan's second term as governor of California, the reform that saved Social Security for a generation in his first time as President, as well as the tax reform that marked his second president's term were all bipartisan compromises that defied "liberal" or "conservative" labels. Reagan ran for the government as an outsider determined to restore traditional values, in the spirit of American populists. He was, in reality, a brilliant politician who broadened his party's appeal at home while pursuing his vision of a nuclear-free world overseas. He is shrouded in a long shadow.

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08.02 The 1980s - Sydney Sutton

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Ronald Wilson Reagan was a President who ushered in a new era. His leadership and

the symbiotic relationship he formed with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during

their four summit talks helped to bring the Cold War to a calm conclusion. Reagan's

supporters said that he had "won" the Cold War as the Soviet Union vanished into the

shadows of history. Reagan and Gorbachev, on the other hand, pronounced the entire

world a winner. Reagan had cause to think, though, that the West had triumphed in the

intellectual battle: democracy had won the lengthy "battle of principles" with

collectivism, as he called it. Reagan's ardent friend, the British Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher, claimed that Reagan had "Changed attitudes and views about what

is achievable, which is the most arduous of all political efforts. He went out to expand

freedom around the world from the strong fortress of his convictions at a time when

freedom was on the decline—and he succeeded." This is accurate to some extent:

during Reagan's presidency, the number of democratic countries, as well as the spread

of free-market ideology, grew. However, as Russia's recent dictatorial course indicates,

the sustainability of these gains is in question.

Scholars provide a range of reasons for why the Cold War ended the way it did, as well

as the Soviet Union's eventual downfall. Some historians point to Reagan's military

buildup and the pressures he put on the country through his pet project, the Strategic

Defense Initiative. Others point to rising unrest in Eastern European countries,

especially Poland, as well as Soviet overreach in Afghanistan. Some others refer to the

Soviet economy's breakdown after 75 years of Communist leadership. Though

historians disagree on how much weight these various issues should be given, it is

apparent that Reagan and his policies played a role in the outcome.

Reagan left a mixed economic legacy. On the one hand, the Federal Reserve's

tightening of interest rates and tax cuts resulted in the longest stretch of peacetime

economic expansion ever. On the other hand, this expansion coincided with new highs

in the national debt, federal budget deficit, and trade imbalance. Those who defend

Reagan's economic record note that a large portion of the deficit was driven by

increased defense spending, which fell once the Soviet Union fell apart and set the

stage for balancing the budget during the Clinton years. Despite this, the supply-side

tax cuts didn't result in the revenue boost that Reagan had expected. Reagan's major

08.02 The 1980s - Sydney Sutton

Constitutional History/US to 1865 (HST 321)

Arizona State University

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08.02 The 1980s - Sydney Sutton

Course: Constitutional History/US to 1865 (HST 321)

University: Arizona State University

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