Reagan era

Reagan era
Reagan era
1980 –see below
	Ronald Reagan (right) and George H. W. Bush, 1982
Location	United States
Including	History of the United States (1980–1991); Post-Cold War Era
President(s)	Ronald Reagan; George H. W. Bush; Bill Clinton; George W. Bush; (see below)
Key events	Reaganomics; Iran-Contra Scandal; Invasion of Grenada; Reagan Doctrine; Escalation and end of the Cold War; Invasion of Panama; Gulf War
New Deal Era; -; 1964-1980	Post-Cold War Era

TheReagan eraor theAge of Reaganis a periodization of recentAmerican historyused by historians and political observers to emphasize that theconservative"Reagan Revolution"led by PresidentRonald Reaganindomesticandforeign policyhad a lasting impact. It overlaps with what political scientists call theSixth Party System.Definitions of the Reagan era universally include the 1980s and the early 1990s, while more extensive definitions may also include the late 1970s, all of the 1990s, and even the 2000s. In his 2008 book,The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974–2008,historian and journalistSean Wilentzargues that Reagan dominated this stretch of American history in the same way thatFranklin D. Rooseveltand hisNew Deallegacy dominated the four preceding decades.

The Reagan era included ideas and personalities beyond Reagan himself. He is usually characterized as the leader of a broadly-based conservative movement whose ideas dominated national policy-making in areas such as taxes, welfare, defense, the federal judiciary, and theCold War.Other major conservative figures and organizations of the Reagan era includeJerry Falwell,Phyllis Schlafly,Newt Gingrich,andThe Heritage Foundation.TheRehnquist Court,inaugurated during Reagan's presidency, handed down several conservative decisions. The Reagan era coincides with the presidency of Reagan, and, in more extensive definitions, the presidencies ofGerald Ford,Jimmy Carter,George H. W. Bush,Bill Clinton,George W. Bush,Barack Obama,Donald Trump,andJoe Biden.Liberalsgenerally lament the Reagan era, whileconservativesgenerally praise it and call for its continuation in the 21st century. Liberals were significantly influenced as well, leading to theThird Way.

Upon taking office, the Reagan administration implemented an economic policy based on the theory ofsupply-side economics.Taxes were reduced through the passage of theEconomic Recovery Tax Act of 1981,while the administration also cut domestic spending and increased military spending. Increasing deficits motivated the passage of tax increases during the George H. W. Bush and Clinton administrations, but taxes were cut again with the passage of theEconomic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001.During Clinton's presidency, Republicans won passage of thePersonal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act,a bill which placed several new limits on those receivingfederal assistance.

Campaigning for theDemocraticnomination in 2008, Barack Obama interpreted how Reagan changed the nation's trajectory:

I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn't much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think that people... he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity, we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.^[1]

Dates

Most historians begin the era in 1980, whenReagan was elected president,and usually probe back into the 1970s for the origins of the Reagan era. For example, Kalman (2010) explores multiple crises of the 1970s that eroded confidence in liberal solutions: the rise of theChristian rightand the reaction against thegay rights movement,feminism,and theEqual Rights Amendment,grassrootsreactions against busing ordered by federal judges, the American defeat in theVietnam War,the collapse ofdétenteand fears ofSoviet power,the challenge of imported cars and textiles, thedeindustrializationof theRust Belt,soaring inflation,stagflation,and the energy crisis, as well as the humiliation the nation suffered during theIran hostage crisisand the sense of malaise as the nation wondered if its glory days had passed. Kalman shows step by step the process by which one political alternative after another collapsed, leaving Reagan standing.^[2]

Ronald Reagan with a cowboy hat at Rancho Del Cielo

The term "Reagan era" is often used to refer to the United States only during Reagan's presidency, but it has also taken on an extended meaning that incorporates other periods. TheGeorge H. W. Bush presidency(1989–1993), theClinton presidency(1993–2001), and theGeorge W. Bush presidency(2001–2009) are often treated as extensions of the Reagan era.^[3]Wilentz additionally includes theFord presidency(1974–1977) and theCarter presidency(1977–1981).^[4]

The endpoint of the Reagan era is often seen as the election of DemocratBarack Obamain2008.^[5]The sweeping policies pursued by the Obama administration constituted a clear break with Reagan era social issues, as Americans became more supportive of social issues like gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana. The2016 election victoryof PresidentDonald Trumphas stirred debate over whether his rise signifies the continuation of the Reagan era or represents a paradigm shift for American politics. Political scientistStephen Skowronekargues that Trump's election shows that the Reagan era continues. Skowronek compares Obama to former presidents likeWoodrow WilsonandRichard Nixon,who governed at a time when their own party was generally in the minority at the federal level.^[6]Julia Azari,by contrast, argues that Trump's election signifies the end of the Reagan era and the beginning of a new cycle in politics, including Trump's support forprotectionismand opposition to support for Ukraine in theRussian Invasion of Ukraine.^[7]^[8]

Rise

Wilentz traces the start of the Reagan era to theWatergate scandal,which ended thepresidencyofRichard Nixonand created an opening for a new Republican leader.^[9]Along with the Watergate scandal, theassassination of John F. Kennedy,theVietnam War,and poor economic conditions created widespread public alienation from political leaders in the mid-1970s. A mass movement of population from the cities to the suburbs led to the creation of a new group of voters less attached toNew Dealeconomic policies andmachine politics.^[10]Reagan and other conservatives successfully presented conservative ideas as an alternative to a public that had grown disillusioned withNew Dealliberalism.^[11]Reagan's charisma and speaking skills helped him frame conservatism as an optimistic, forward-looking vision for the country.^[12]Reagan challenged Nixon's successor, incumbent PresidentGerald Ford,in the1976 Republican presidential primaries.Ford narrowly clinched the nomination at the1976 Republican National Convention,but he lost the White House to the Democratic nominee,Jimmy Carter.^[13]

During his presidency, Carter alienated many of those who had voted for him in 1976, including many in his own party. In the1980 Democratic primaries,Carter defeated a strong challenge from the left in the form of SenatorTed Kennedy,who had clashed with Carter over the establishment of anational health insurancesystem.^[14]Carter, and the Democratic Party as a whole, also alienated other voters, while the conservative movement gathered strength. A continually poor economy bred frustration over taxes, and voters became increasingly receptive to those advocating for a smaller government. A backlash also developed againstaffirmative actionprograms, as some whites claimed that the programs constitutedreverse discrimination.The president had won a majority ofevangelical Protestantvoters in 1976, but the increasingly-politicizedChristian rightcame to strongly oppose his presidency. Many of these religious voters were swayed by the public campaigns of leaders such asJerry Falwellof theMoral MajorityandPhyllis Schlafly,who opposed ratification of theEqual Rights Amendment.Another important conservative organization,The Heritage Foundation,emerged as an important conservativethink tankthat developed and advocated conservative policies.^[15]

With the backing of many in the conservative movement, Reagan defeated establishment favoriteGeorge H. W. Bush,moderate CongressmanJohn B. Anderson,and others in the1980 Republican primaries.To ensure party unity, Reagan named Bush as his running mate at the1980 Republican National Convention,even though Bush had characterized Reagan'ssupply-side economicsas "voodoo economics". Reagan mobilized hisbaseby campaigning on his conservative positions, while the Carter campaign sought to portray Reagan as a dangerous extremist. An improving economy helped Carter overtake Reagan in the October polling, but Reagan won a decisive victory in an October 28 debate. On election day, Reagan narrowly won a majority in the popular vote but took theelectoral voteby a wide margin, carrying 44 states. In the concurrentcongressional elections,Republicans won several seats in the House of Representatives and took control of the Senate for the first time since the 1950s.^[16]

Reagan's presidency

Ronald Reagan,the 40th president (1981–1989)

George H. W. Bush,the 41st president (1989–1993)

Upon taking office, Reagan argued that the United States faced a dire crisis, and that the best way to address this crisis was through conservative reforms.^[17]His major policy priorities were increasing military spending, cutting taxes, reducing non-military federal spending, and restricting federal regulations. Reagan believed that reducing the role of the government would lead to increased economic growth, which in turn would lead to higher revenues that would help pay down the national debt. Working with CongressmanJack Kemp,the Reagan administration introduced a major tax cut bill that won the support of enough Republicans and conservative Democrats to pass both houses of Congress. In August 1981, Reagan signed theEconomic Recovery Tax Act of 1981,which enacted a 27% across-the-board federal income tax cut over three years, as well as a separate bill that reduced federal spending, especially in anti-poverty programs.^[18]

Arecessionin the early part of Reagan's term, combined with tax cuts and increased military spending, led to an increasing deficit. Democrats won several seats in the House of Representatives in the1982 mid-term elections.^[19]Reagan's approval ratings fell to 35%, and many Democrats believed that their party could defeat Reagan in the1984 presidential electionand roll back some of the Reagan administration policies.^[20]A strong economic recovery that began in 1983 boosted Reagan's approval ratings, and the administration argued that the tax cuts had been the primary factor in turning the economy around. In the 1984 presidential election, Reagan won his party's re-nomination without facing a serious challenge, while former Vice PresidentWalter Mondalewon the Democratic nomination. On election day, Reagan won 59% of the popular vote and carried 49 states, leading to speculation of apermanent realignmentin U.S. politics towards the Republican Party.^[21]

Despite his re-election, Reagan faced significantly more difficulties in enacting conservative policies in his second term. His domestic agenda was hindered by growing deficits and the fallout of theIran–Contra affair.However, the administration did win a significant foreign policy success when Reagan and Soviet leaderMikhail Gorbachevreached theIntermediate-Range Nuclear Forces TreatyINF Treaty in 1987.^[22]Reagan also appointed numerous conservative judges, including Associate JusticesAntonin ScaliaandSandra Day O'ConnorandWilliam Rehnquist,who Reagan elevated to the position ofChief Justice.TheRehnquist Courtwould hand down several conservative decisions in ensuing years.^[23]Vice President Bush defeated SenatorBob Doleand televangelistPat Robertsonto win the1988 Republican primaries.^[24]Aided by Reagan's renewed popularity, Bush defeatedMichael Dukakisin the1988 presidential election.^[25]

Reagan's successors

Bill Clinton,the 42nd president (1993–2001)

George W. Bush,the 43rd president (2001–2009)

Barack Obama,the 44th president (2009–2017)

Donald Trump,the 45th and 47th president (2017–2021; 2025–present)

Joe Biden,the 46th president (2021–2025)

Bush's presidency focused largely on foreign affairs, and he faced a series of major foreign policy issues as theEastern Bloccollapsed. Many of Bush's top foreign policy appointments, including National Security AdviserBrent Scowcroft,wererealistswho were influenced byHenry Kissinger.While theBerlin Wallfell and other Soviet-aligned countries experienced turmoil, Bush pursued friendly relations with Gorbachev, which played a part in the Soviet Union's assent to thereunificationofGermany.^[26]

Bush launched a successful invasion ofPanamain 1989 and led a multinational coalition againstIraqin the 1991Gulf War.After the quick U.S. victory in the Gulf War, Bush's approval ratings soared.^[27]However, the Bush administration found less success in domestic policy, where deficits continued to be a major issue. Though Bush hadpromised not to raise taxesat the 1988 Republican National Convention, his hand was forced in part by theGramm–Rudman–Hollings Balanced Budget Act,a 1985 law that purportedly required a balanced budget by 1993. After a long battle with the Democratic Congress, Bush agreed to sign theOmnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990,which contained a mix of tax increases and spending cuts. Conservative Republicans, who had never fully accepted Bush despite his move towards the right during the 1980s, were outraged by the deal.^[28]

Adding to the administration's challenges, the country entered arecessionin 1990, with the national unemployment rate rising to 7.8%.^[29]Even thefall of the Soviet Unionin December 1991 did not greatly help Bush, as many conservatives credited Reagan's policies for the collapse of the U.S. long-time rival.^[30]Bush won his party's re-nomination after defeating a challenge from right-wing commentator and former Reagan officialPat Buchananin the1992 Republican presidential primaries.In thegeneral election,Bush faced Democratic GovernorBill Clintonand an independent candidate,Ross Perot.Perot ran apopulistcampaign that focused on opposing theNorth American Free Trade Agreementand Bush's failure to balance the budget.^[31]Clinton, a founding member of the centristDemocratic Leadership Council(DLC), focused on the poor economic conditions. In the three-way race, Clinton won a majority of the electoral vote and took 43% of the popular vote, while Bush 37.4% of the popular vote and Perot took 18.9%.^[32]

Clinton's victory made him the first Democratic president since Jimmy Carter left office in 1981, and he began his term with a Democratic Congress. Though Clinton won early legislative victories such as passage of theFamily and Medical Leave Act of 1993and theOmnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993,his administration was damaged by a series of minor scandals and the failure of hishealth care reform proposal.^[33]In the1994 mid-term elections,Republicans took control of both houses of Congress. In response, Clinton hired political consultantDick Morris,who advocated a strategy ofTriangulationbetween the Republican and Democratic members of Congress.^[34]In a major budget stand-off that involved twogovernment shutdowns,Clinton won congressional approval of his own budget proposal, which avoided the deep cutsMedicareand other programs that had been sought by Speaker of the HouseNewt Gingrichand other congressional Republicans.^[35]In 1996, Clinton signed thePersonal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act,a Republican-authored bill which placed several new limits on those receivingfederal assistance.^[36]Clinton had called for a reform of the welfare system during his 1992 campaign, wanting to add changes such as work requirements for recipients.^{[citation needed]}

In the1996 presidential election,Clinton defeated Republican nominee Bob Dole by a wide margin in both the popular vote and the electoral vote. As Republicans retained control of Congress, he was unable to advance much of his domestic agenda.^[37]Economic growth was especially strong during Clinton's second term, and the unemployment dropped to 4% in 2000. In 1998, the government experienced its first budget surplus since the 1960s.^[38]Much of Clinton's second term was dominated byimpeachment proceedings against Clinton,which stemmed from his affair with White House internMonica Lewinsky.^[39]Though the House voted to impeach Clinton, he was acquitted by the Senate, as all Senate Democrats and several Senate Republicans voted not guilty on both impeachment charges.^[40]Due to the strong economy, most Washington pundits viewed Clinton's vice president,Al Gore,as the early favorite in the2000 presidential election.^[41]However, in an extremely close and contested election that ended in acontroversial Supreme Court decision,GovernorGeorge W. Bushof Texas, the son of former President Bush, defeated Gore.^[42]

Bush's administration included many prominent figures from previous Republican administrations, includingDonald Rumsfeld,Dick Cheney,andColin Powell.^[43]Upon taking office, Bush signed a major tax cut, theEconomic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001.^[43]After theSeptember 11 attacks,the Bush administration launched theAfghanistan Warand theWar on Terror,a global conflict againstal-Qaedaand other groups.^[44]In 2003, the administration launched theIraq War,which deposed Iraqi leaderSaddam Hussein.Despite the growing unpopularity of theIraq War,Bush defeated DemocratJohn Kerryin the2004 presidential election.^[45]In the two years after Bush's re-election, theJack Abramoff scandals,the administration's handling ofHurricane Katrina,Bush's failed attempt to reform Social Security, and the Iraq War's continued unpopularity all weakened Bush's public standing.^[46]Aided by Bush's unpopularity and theMark Foley scandal,Democrats won control of Congress in the2006 elections.^[47]A collapse in housing prices led to the2007–2008 financial crisis,which marked the start of a prolonged economic downturn known as theGreat Recession.^{[citation needed]}In the2008 presidential election,held in the midst of the financial crisis, DemocratBarack Obamadefeated RepublicanJohn McCain.Obama defeated Republican nomineeMitt Romneyandwon re-election in 2012.In the2016 presidential election,Republican nomineeDonald Trumpdefeated Democratic nomineeHillary Clinton,despitelosing the popular vote.In the2020 presidential election,held in the midst of theCOVID-19 pandemic,Democratic nominee and former Vice PresidentJoe Bidendefeated Trump. In the2024 presidential election,Trump defeated Democratic nominee and Biden's vice presidentKamala Harris.Trump became the second president to win a second non-consecutive term afterGrover Clevelandin the1892 presidential election.

Popular culture

Statue of President Reagan inBudapest,Hungary.

Tom Clancywrote three best-selling novels that illuminate the Reagan era:The Hunt for Red October(1984),Red Storm Rising(1986), andThe Cardinal of the Kremlin(1988), which reflect Reagan-era Cold War values. The Soviet Union as anevil empireand the superiority of American values and technology are all themes both of Clancy's thrillers and Reagan's rhetoric. Policy elites used these novels (and the filming of one of them) to promote their ideas of national security to the American public.^[48]

Kendrick Lamarhas a song titled "Ronald Reagan Era" off of his 2011 albumSection.80,andKiller Mikehas a song titled "Reagan"off his 2012 albumR.A.P. Music.^{[citation needed]}Reagan appears as a character in the comic booksThe Dark Knight Returns(1986) andLegends(1986–87).^{[citation needed]}

International

Many scholars take an international perspective, linking the Reagan era with theThatcher erain Britain. As one scholar explained:

Throughout many of the capitalist democracies in Western Europe and in North America, the recession that began with thesharp rise in petroleum prices in 1973–1974signaled an epochal shift in the patchwork of growth- based economic and social policies....The demise of Keynesianism which followed meant far more than the obsolescence of an economic doctrine that had been used to justify a broad range of economic policies. It represented a significant retreat from a vision of society—the Keynesian welfare state—that had motivated state strategies to harmonise interests through social policy, to politically regulate the market economy and thereby reduce class and diverse social conflicts, and to promulgate for the state a tutelary role in securing business and trade union acquiescence (and less commonly approval) for a limited set of important economic policies.^[49]

Historiography

Historian Doug Rossinow reported in 2007, "As of this writing, among academic historians, the Reagan revisionists—who view the 1980s as an era of mixed blessings at worst, and of great forward strides in some renditions—hold the field".^[50]Other scholars agree on the importance of the Reagan era.^[51]^[52]^[53]^[54]^[55]

According to John Kenneth White, the Reagan era ended in the early 21st century, as typified by the election and reelection ofBarack Obamain 2008 and 2012. White argues that the Reagan coalition was shrinking in size and in self-confidence. The weak Republican response to the2007–2008 financial crisiswas a major blow. White argues that major cultural and demographic changes helped end the Reagan era. Besides the rapid growth in college-educated voters, White emphasizes revolutions in terms of race, family,gay rights,and religion. The very rapid growth of immigration from Asia and Latin America changed the American population structure, and had a special impact on California. The once sacrosanct ideal of thenuclear familygave way to new tolerance regardingpremarital sex,easydivorce,single parenting,andcohabitation.The religious conservatives tried to hold the line on abortion and gay rights. The conservativefundamentalistreligious denominations had been rapidly expanding before and during the Reagan years, and were a key base of his support. Their growth suddenly stopped and decline began, producing a rapid growth ofsecularization.The combination of these factors, White argues, produced, "the death of the Reagan coalition."^[56]

References

^Quoted in"In Their Own Words: Obama on Reagan,"New York Times
^Laura Kalman,Right Star Rising: A New Politics, 1974–1980(Norton, 2010).
^Jack Godwin,Clintonomics: How Bill Clinton Reengineered the Reagan Revolution(2009)
^Wilentz, pp. 1–2
^John Kenneth White,Barack Obama's America: How New Conceptions of Race, Family, and Religion Ended the Reagan Era(2009); Marjorie Williams and Timothy Noah,Reputation: portraits in power(2008) Page xiv
^Kreitner, Richard (22 November 2016)."What Time Is It? Here's What the 2016 Election Tells Us About Obama, Trump, and What Comes Next".The Nation.Retrieved9 January2018.
^Azari, Julia(1 December 2016)."Trump's presidency signals the end of the Reagan era".Vox.Retrieved9 January2018.
^"Trump says he can end war in 24 hours; Zelenskyy says Biden could in 5 minutes: Ukraine live updates".USA TODAY.Retrieved2023-07-09.
^Wilentz, pp. 4–5
^Wilentz, pp. 23–24
^Wilentz, pp. 4–7
^Wilentz, pp. 137–138
^Wilentz, pp. 64–72
^Wilentz, pp. 84, 116–121
^Wilentz, pp. 83–93
^Wilentz, pp. 120–125
^Wilentz, pp. 127–129
^Wilentz, pp. 139–144
^Wilentz, pp. 146–147
^Wilentz, pp. 168–169
^Wilentz, pp. 170–175
^Wilentz, pp. 176–177
^Wilentz, pp. 187–189
^Wilentz, pp. 264–266
^Wilentz, pp. 269–273
^Wilentz, pp. 290–296.
^Wilentz, pp. 293–294, 297–303
^Wilentz, pp. 288–289, 307–310.
^Wilentz, p. 310.
^Wilentz, pp. 313–314.
^Wilentz, pp. 316–317.
^Wilentz, pp. 318–322
^Wilentz, pp. 326–336, 341–346
^Wilentz, pp. 350–351
^Wilentz, pp. 357–364
^Wilentz, pp. 364–367
^Wilentz, pp. 370–371
^Wilentz, pp. 371–372
^Wilentz, pp. 382–398
^Wilentz, pp. 398–400
^Wilentz, pp. 413–414
^Wilentz, pp. 418–429
^^a ^bWilentz, pp. 437–438
^Wilentz, pp. 440–442
^Wilentz, pp. 443–444
^Wilentz, pp. 446–447
^Wilentz, pp. 449–450
^Walter L. Hixson, "'Red Storm Rising': Tom Clancy novels and the cult of national security",Diplomatic History,Fall 1993, Vol. 17 Issue 4, pp 599–613
^J. Krieger, "Social policy in the age of Reagan and Thatcher,"Socialist Register1987
^Doug Rossinow, "Talking Points Memo," in American Quarterly 59.4 (2007) p. 1279.
^Troy, Gil. The Reagan Revolution: A Very Short Introduction (2009)
^Hayward, Steven F. The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution: 1980–1989 (2009)
^Charles L. Ponce de Leon, "The New Historiography of the 1980s",Reviews in American History,Volume 36, Number 2, June 2008, pp. 303–314
^Whitney Strub, "Further into the Right: The Ever-Expanding Historiography of the U.S. New Right,"Journal of Social History,Volume 42, Number 1, Fall 2008, pp. 183–194
^Kim Phillips-Fein, "Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and Making of History,"Enterprise & Society,Volume 8, Number 4, December 2007, pp. 986–988.
^John Kenneth White,Barack Obama's America: how new conceptions of race, family, and religion ended the Reagan era(University of Michigan Press 2009), pp 185, 213-236.

Works cited

Wilentz, Sean (2008).The Age of Reagan.HarperCollins.ISBN 978-0-06-074480-9.