Reagan, Republicans, and Recent American Politics
- Republicans v. Democrats in Principle
As we have seen already, there are three basic types of Republicans:
a)economic conservatives who support laissez-faire policies
b)cultural conservatives who support policies that promote religion and traditional family and gender structures
c)military conservatives who support the use of the American military to protect American interests and promote American ideals
There are also three basic types of Democrats:
a)economic liberals who support government action to help the poor and others in need
b)cultural liberals who support government action to promote the interests of different social groups such as women, African-Americans, homosexuals, etc.
c)military liberals who support the use of diplomacy and negotiation in international affairs
Based upon these principles, who do you think would support the following proposals:
Proposal / Democrat or Republican?1. The government should increase its military spending.
2. The government should restrict access to abortions.
3. The government should pass affirmative action laws to help minorities obtain jobs.
4. The government should create a national health care system.
5. The government should provide welfare benefits to the poor.
6. The government should keep taxes relatively high.
7. The government should restrict access to gay marriage.
8. The government should pass laws to protect the environment.
9. The government should limit access to guns.
10. The government should severely restrict immigration.
- Republicans and Democrats in Practice – What political leaders say is not necessarily what they do. There are at least 4 reasons why this is true.
a)Sometimes events occur (such as economic depressions or wars) that require action regardless of one’s political party.
b)Sometimes political leaders will change their view to make a deal with another leader, who in return will offer his/her support on another issue.
c)Sometimes political leaders receive money from interest groups that pressure them to change their views.
d)Sometimes political leaders ignore their own viewpoint when they are unpopular – for example, a Democrat from Texas (a Republican state) who believes in gun control might vote against a gun control bill so that he/she can be reelected.
- Was Reagan Really a Republican?
We now know that for a variety of reasons Republicans sometimes support Democratic policies. Did Reagan do this? Next to each of Reagan’s actions below, write R if it seems Republican and D if it seems Democratic.
Action / R or D?1. In his 1980 presidential campaign, Reagan promised to end “tax and spend” policies and attacked the New Deal.
2. Reagan insisted that the United States needed to improve its military forces. The US military budget grew from $171 billion in 1981 to over $300 billion in 1985.
3. Reagan proposed a 30% overall reduction in federal income taxes. The highest rate fell from 95% to 35%.
4. Reagan hoped to save money by cutting a variety of programs, such as school lunches and student loans.
5. Reagan reduced enforcement of environmental regulations.
6. Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as the “evil empire”.
7. Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a system of space-based lasers and other high-tech defenses against nuclear weapons.
8. Because of increased military spending, US budget deficits soared to $200 billion in the mid-1980s.
9. Reagan appointed the first female Supreme Court justice – Sandra Day O’Connor.
10. Reagan appointed Supreme Court justices who supported government restrictions on abortions.
IV. Was Nixon Really a Republican?
Action / R or D?1. During his presidential campaign, Nixon criticized Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty, and argued that it allowed “welfare moms” to live off the federal government.
2. Nixon argued that “our schools are for education – not integration.”
3. Nixon proposed “Vietnamization” to end the conflict in Vietnam – he would give money, guns, and training to the South Vietnamese and reduce the number of American troops.
4. Nixon also increased bombing raids in North Vietnam, and ordered secret raids into Cambodia.
5. Nixon made a deal with the Soviet Union to reduce the production of nuclear weapons – this was called SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks).
6. Nixon established the Environmental Protection Association (EPA).
7. Nixon increased social security benefits for seniors.
8. Nixon associated abortions with irresponsibility and promiscuity.
9. In some industries, Nixon supported specific targets (“quotas”) for minority hiring.
10. In 1969, Nixon proposed a Family Assistance Plan to provide a guaranteed annual income to all poor families.
11. Nixon vetoed the first and only significant attempt to create a national child care system.
- Was Clinton Really a Democrat?
Action / R or D?
1. During his presidential campaign, Clinton promised to reform health care.
2. Clinton pushed for an end to the ban on gays and lesbians in the military, eventually settling for a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
3. Clinton passed a welfare reform law that limited the amount of time a person could receive welfare benefits to 5 consecutive years.
4. Clinton balanced the federal government budget.
5. Clinton helped to pass new gun control laws.
6. In 1991, Clinton sent 20,000 troops into Haiti to restore Aristide to power.
7. Under Clinton, the United States sent troops to both Somalia and Bosnia as part of international peacekeeping missions.
8. Clinton appointed members of the Supreme Court whom he believed would protect abortion rights.