Reagan

Question 1

what was the economic situation like in the 1970s (road to Reagan)

Answer 1

The Vietnam war was expensive 
yo-yo taxes 
inflation 
stagflation 
unemployment 
debt 
oil crisis'

Question 2

define stagflation

Answer 2

when people aren’t buying anything but the cost of businesses to run is high

Question 3

what political issues were on the road to Reagan

Answer 3

government scandals
lack of confidence from the public in the political establishments
poor relations between the congress and the presidents
Iranian hostage scandal
Vietnam Syndrome

Question 4

what social issues plagued the road to Reagan

Answer 4

poverty
low confidence in both the presidency and the economy
idleness
violent police reactions to protests had happened well before 1968 but violence spread and grew
racial injustice by the police following MLK ‘s death
Kent State
1968-1980 many white middle class became disillusioned with liberalism and felt there was too much to help the poor not enough for them
1965 voting rights act led to many white democrats in southern states voting Republican

Question 5

why did confidence in the Executive dwindle during the 1970s

Answer 5

• Nixon’s Watergate scandal
• Ford pardoned Nixon
• The draft of the Vietnam War
• Operation Eagle
• Economy, War, Scandal

Question 6

what happened in the Watergate Scandal

Answer 6

the White House and President Nixon were guilty of burglary and surveillance of political opponents. Tapes of discussions in the white house showed Nixon in a terrible light he swore he was suspicious of everyone and made it clear he perfectly happy to lie to the American people

Question 7

briefly summarise what Reagan stood for

Answer 7

• old fashioned Republican views on welfare, government involvement, law and order and giving business its head
• against ‘Big Government’
• changed tone from that of the New Deal which was about helping those at the bottom of the heap