Question

Discuss the impact of Ronald Reagan on American politics.

Answer 1

Ronald Wilson Reagan was a Leader of Change. His leadership and his symbiotic relationship with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during his four summit meetings set the stage for a peaceful Cold War resolution. When the Soviet Union fell into the mists of history, Reagan's supporters believed he had "won" the Cold War. More prudently Reagan and Gorbachev declared that the entire planet was a winner. Nevertheless, Reagan had reason to believe that the West had emerged triumphant in the political struggle: as he put it, liberalism had prevailed over collectivism in its long "war of values."

The economic legacy of Reagan's is mixed. At the one side, the Federal Reserve's tax cut and a lowering of interest rates led to a historic period of economic growth in peacetime. On the other hand, this development was followed by rapid growth in the national debt, deficit in the federal budget and deficit in trade. Economic record of Reagan's supporters points out that a significant chunk of the deficit was triggered by increased military spending, which decreased after the fall of the Soviet and provided the basis for balanced budgets during the Clinton years.

Reagan had left a monumental electoral legacy as well. After he was re-elected in a 49-state landslide in 1984, it was apparent that under a mainstream liberal flag, Democrats would be unable to return to the White House. That paved the way for the centrist capture of the Democratic nomination and the presidency in 1992 by Bill Clinton. Reagan's power within his own party was also greater. He put Republicans into Senate power when he secured the 1980 presidency