Name______Date______Per__
Today’s Objectives
• Explain how discontent with government led to a rise in Americans’ conservative political views.
• Explain Ronald Reagan’s rise to the White House.
• Describe the Reagan economic recovery plan.
• Analyze Reagan’s foreign policy, especially toward the Soviet Union.
Essential Question
· How did President Reagan’s policies change America?
The Big Idea
In the 1980s, ______with government and changes in society resulted in the rise of a new conservative coalition. The presidency of Ronald Reagan brought a new ______attitude to government.
Vocabulary
1. deficit, noun
• A ______of money resulting from spending more than what is being earned or collected
- The United States currently has a deficit of over $14 trillion dollars.
2. trickle down economics, noun
• Idea that tax cuts to the ______will benefit all levels of society by stimulating the economy
- Trickle down economics is a theory that is still popular among Republicans today.
3. Teflon, noun/adjective
• n. A non-sticking coating often applied to cookware
• adj. Characterized by being ______by ______
- Reagan is referred to as the Teflon president because scandals never seemed to tarnish his image.
Liberalism vs. Conservatism
• ______
– Govt. should regulate the economy
– Govt. should play an active role in helping disadvantaged Americans
– Support free speech and privacy
– Support high taxes on the wealthy
• ______
– Federal govt. power should be limited
– Govt. should not regulate the economy
– Against high taxes on the wealthy
– Many view religion as extremely important
The Religious Right
• Roots of a religious revival began in the 1960s and 1970s
• ______Americans were uncomfortable with:
– Supreme Court decisions (______, prayer in schools, protecting rights of the accused)
– ______movement
– Student ______
The Moral Majority
• In the 1980s televangelists like Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell popularized evangelical Christianity.
• Falwell founded a movement called the “______”
• Registered voters who supported ______candidates and issues
Ronald Reagan
• Grew up in Illinois
• For 25 years, Reagan worked as a film ______and made over 50 movies.
• 1966 – Elected governor of ______
• Warm, engaging, ______
1980 Election
• ______(Democrat) vs. Reagan (Republican)
• Many Americans were unhappy with Carter’s handling of the economy and believed he made America look ______to other countries
• Reagan easily ______Carter
Reagan’s Domestic Policies
• Believed Americans needed to ______in themselves again in order to fix the problems facing the country.
• Believed ______was the problem
Reaganomics
• When Reagan took office, ______was still a major issue.
• Reagan proposed an plan that became known as “______” or “trickle-down economics”
• If taxes on the wealthy or corporations were cut, that money could be used to create ______and expand businesses.
• Money would eventually ______down to ______Americans
Cutting Programs
• Cutting taxes would mean the govt. would receive less ______
• This would increase the budget ______
• To counteract the deficit increase, Reagan proposed cutting or reducing ______programs like ______, student loans, unemployment compensation, food stamps
Assassination Attempt
• March 1981 – John Hinckley ______Reagan as he left a D.C. hotel
• Reagan survived and in the hospital told his wife, “Honey, I forgot to ______”
• His upbeat attitude helped to increase his ______
Supreme Court
• Reagan appointed the first ______to the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor
• Made the Court more ______when he appointed William Rehnquist as Chief Justice
1984 Reelection
• Reagan ran against Walter Mondale (Democrat)
• Mondale’s running mate was ______, the first woman to run for vice president
• Reagan defeated Mondale in a ______victory
Building Up the Military
• Reagan reversed the policy of ______and instead embraced a more aggressive approach to the Cold War
• Called the Soviet Union “an ______empire”
• Launched the most mass military peacetime ______in history
• The more than $1.5 ______spent on the military increased the deficit.
The Reagan Doctrine
• Reagan Doctrine – U.S. should support ______groups fighting to overthrow Communist govts.
Afghanistan
• 1950s – Soviets set up a Communist regime in Afghanistan
• 1970s – A Muslim revolt threatened to overthrow Communists
• Soviets responded by ______in 1979 to strengthen Communist govt.
• The U.S. responded by sending millions in military aid to the ______
Nicaragua
• In Nicaragua, Reagan secretly began arming the “______” to overthrow the Sandinistas
• When Congress found out, they ______further aid
• Despite Congress’s ban on further aid, Reagan officials continued to support the Contras.
• Officials secretly sold ______to Iran in exchange for American ______in the Middle East
• ______from the sales were sent to the Contras
• ______– News of the illegal sales broke
• Marine Colonel ______and other officials testified before Congress and admitted involvement
• Although Reagan ______of the sale of weapons to Iran, a govt. investigation concluded that he ______know about the diversion of the funds to the Contras.
• However, Reagan likely ______about it
Star Wars
• 1983 – Reagan createsd Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a ______-based program to protect U.S. from missiles
• More commonly referred to as “______”
• Never put into place because too ______and too complicated
Relations Improve
• By 1987, Reagan and Gorbachev signed a treaty agreeing to destroy nuclear weapons
• Marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War.
The Reagan Revolution
• Reagan left office in 1988 and left behind a stronger America
• ______was booming (although mostly just the ______benefitted from it)
• American ______was strong
• ______relations were improving
• BUT…He was involved in many ______
• Reagan sometimes referred to as the “______president” because they never seemed to affect his reputation or ______
Summary (Use at least 2 of the vocabulary terms and CIRCLE THEM in your summary): ______