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In Search of the American Dream: USA 1917-96 > What impact did the Reagan presidency have? > Flashcards

What impact did the Reagan presidency have? Flashcards

1
Q

When did Reagan become president?

A

1981 (following 1980 election)

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2
Q

How old was Reagan when he was first elected?

A

69

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3
Q

What question from Reagan tipped the balance in the final TV debate?

A

“Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

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4
Q

How much of the 1980 popular vote did Reagan get?

A

50.7%

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5
Q

How much of the 1980 popular vote did Carter get?

A

41.0%

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6
Q

Who won control of the Senate at the 1980 election?

A

Republicans, for first time since 1955

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7
Q

What was the Electoral College outcome of the 1980 presidential election?

A

Reagan 489, Carter 44

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8
Q

When was Reagan shot and badly wounded?

A

March 1981

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9
Q

Who was the third candidate at the 1980 presidential election?

A

John Anderson, for the National Unity Party

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10
Q

What were Reagan’s three key campaign promises?

A
  • cut taxes
  • cut domestic spending
  • increase military spending
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11
Q

What was the basic premise of Reaganomics

A

supply-side economics, so reducing taxes so as to increase incentives to work, save and invest

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12
Q

Under what Act were Reagan’s first tax cuts?

A

Economic Recovery Tax Act (1981)

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13
Q

What budget cuts were recommended in 1981?

A

$35.2 billion

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14
Q

What was the key premise of Reagonomics?

A

supply-side economics, reducing government interference and taxes, so increasing incentives to work, save and invest

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15
Q

What changes did Reagan initially make to welfare?

A

Changed to provide only for those who could not work due to disability or childcare; little actual reduction in welfare spending

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16
Q
A
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17
Q

Why did national debt massively increase under Reagan?

A

increase in defence spending

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18
Q

What happened to government deficit in 1982?

A

Nearly doubled to $111 billion

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19
Q

What happened to total national debt in 1982?

A

went above $1 trillion

20
Q

What did the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Bill (1982) do?

A
  • reversed some of the 1981 tax concessions to business
  • increased taxes on cigarettes and airline tickets
21
Q

What effect did Reagan’s economic changes have?

A

severe recession with high unemployment but by 1983, inflation below 2% and unemployment began to fall (partly due to increased defence spending)

22
Q

What did the 1986 Tax Reform Act do?

A
  • simplified tax, reducing number of tax brackets
  • reduced tax rates - highest went from 50% to 28%
  • exempted millions of low-income families from paying tax
23
Q

How many new jobs were created 1983-89?

A

18 million

24
Q

What happened to the balance of payments during the Reagan years?

A

USA become a debtor nation for first time since 1914

25
Q

By 1986, what was the National Debt?

A

$2 trillion

26
Q

Did Reagan reduce or increase regulation?

A

reduced regulation

27
Q

Name two government agencies affected by deregulation of Reagan’s administration.

A
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission
  • Environmental Protection Agency
28
Q

Why did Reagan remove federal regulations on price of domestic oil and natural gas?

A
  • to reduce consumption
  • to stimulate search for alternative energy sources
29
Q

Give two examples of Reagan’s stance on “green” issues.

A
  • encouraged use of land for industrial purposes
  • little regulation of nuclear industry
30
Q

What did Reagan do when 12,000 air-traffic controllers went on strike in 1981?

A

He fired them, sent in the military, revoked federal certification of their union and ordered Department of Transport to train up 12,000 new controllers.

31
Q

Which parts of social welfare did Reagan reduce?

A
  • food stamps
  • school meals
  • childcare
32
Q

Which parts of social welfare did Reagan increase?

A
  • social security
  • Medicare
  • farming subsidies
33
Q

What was Reagan’s stance on civil rights?

A
  • supported Justice Department in removing affirmative action programmes for jobs and education
  • opposed bussing of students to schools in other neighbourhoods
34
Q

What was Reagan’s stance on abortion?

A

He opposed it and encouraged anti-abortion organisations.

35
Q

What was Reagan’s stance on gun control?

A

He opposed legislation limiting purchase and use of guns (despite having been nearly assassinated himself)

36
Q

What was Reagan’s stance on women’s rights?

A
  • He opposed the Equal Rights Amendment (that prohibited sex discrimination) as he thought women already protected by 14th Amendment.
  • He opposed the cause of equal pay for jobs of comparable worth.
  • But he named the first female justice to the Supreme Court.
37
Q

Who did Reagan beat in the 1984 election?

A

Walter Mondale

38
Q

What % of the popular vote did Reagan get in 1984 election?

A

58.9%

39
Q

What was the Iran-Contra affair?

A
  1. In 1985, Reagan secretly authorised sale of arms to Iran to secure release of American hostages in the Middle East.
  2. Some of the money instead purchases military supplies for the Contras, a right-wing group trying to seize control of Nicaragua, in defiance of a ban.
  3. Reagan denied knowledge of it.
40
Q

What was Reagan’s populatory rating in 1989?

A

70% (higher than any president since Roosevelt)

41
Q

What lucky circumstances helped Reagan to seem a successful president?

A
  • fall in world oil prices (reduced inflation)
  • USSR in difficulties (so appeared to “back down”)
  • managed to escape Irangate and other scandals involving officials he appointed
42
Q

What foreign policy achievements did Reagan have?

A
  • stood up to USSR in his first term
  • established friendly relationship with Gorbachev
  • helped USA win the Cold War
43
Q

What was Reagan’s political legacy?

A
  • restored USA’s faith in presidency
  • USA shifted politically to the right
44
Q

What was Reagan’s economic legacy?

A

USA moved from deep recession to economic prosperity and stayed there: low unemployment, booming stock market, budget surplus

45
Q

What was Reagan’s social legacy?

A
  • Wider gulf between rich and poor
  • Increase in crime, violence and drug addiction in poorest areas
  • wider diversity, eg increase in Hispanic population and Asians

In Search of the American Dream: USA 1917-96 (5 decks)

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