revitalised presidency reagan topic 4 Flashcards
(14 cards)
Where were the success areas in revitalising presidency under Reagan?
Reagan was charismatic, and had media and popular support. Many had thought he bought in a new era, willing to trust both the president and the government again. There was little doubt that Reagan had revitalised the presidency. Reagan was also massively successful in terms of foreign affairs.
in revitalising presidence Where were the failure areas un- der Reagan?
-Not a lot of longevity to how much he revitalised presidency
- Successors like Bush and Clinton were not able to replicate his success despite following similar policies. e.g bush had to raise taxes, had said he would never do that, Clinton supported part of his regime but did increase spending on programmes like medicare etc
Reagan was also unsuccessful with Congress and passing his own legislation.
How did Reagan change people’s overall view of the President as a place of hope?
Before Reagan many Americans lost trust with their government, feeling helpless due to media scandles like watergate, economic scandals like stagflation etc.
However after Reagan trust was restored and the image of the Presidency restored
Did Reagan’s successors maintain the presidential image?
Successors like Bush and Clinton were not able to replicate his success despite following similar policies. e.g bush had to raise taxes, had said he would never do that, Clinton supported part of his regime but did increase spending on programmes like medicare etc
How did Rea- gan’s legisla-
tive involvement change?
He would not be as involved in legislation with little Congressional support
lots of his bills would be blocked or he would be advised to not pass them
R = willing to listen to advice and be pragmatic e.g. didn’t introduce a bill on daily prayer in schools bc he was advised it wouldn’t pass Congress
Did Reagan’s successors maintain the same relationship with the public and Congress?
Bush:
- poor communicator, less able to charm public and Congress
- less support in Congress (Senate: 45 Reps vs Reagan’s 54 in first term, House: 175 Reps vs Reagan’s 189)
- promised to continue Reagan’s policies but had to cave to Congress’ demands and raise taxes
Clinton:
- struggled to get legislation passed after his first big healthcare legislation package failed
THEREFORE = increased presidential involvement in legislation did not last long
What was Reagan’s public image like?
- former actor, charismatic
- spoke of the American Dream, family values and confidence in the future
- quick recovery from assassination attempt in 1981 made him look tough and determined
- public view = may not have done everything right but he was sincere and capable
What was the Iran-Contra affair?
- late 1986s
discovered that White House officials had sold arms to Iran to free several US hostages, and then used that money to support Contra rebels
-happened without congress support
- shocking because went against policies of neutrality laid down by Congress in relation to Iran-Iraq war and the Contra rebels.
How did the Iran Contra affair impact Reagan’s public image?
Like Watergate, Reagan lied to Congress saying it hadn’t happened and then that he hadn’t known about it -> his involvement damaged the presidency and Reagan’s public image
- BUT not as bad as Watergate because Reagan was more popular and people said he did it to save hostages, not himself.
Did Reagan revitalise American politics?
- he did affect the political environment (‘New Right’ thinking) BUT did not bring a long period of Republican control
- instead, Congress shifted back and forth (Dems gained both Houses in 1988, Reps gained both in 1996), creating more political competition
What was the impact of ‘New Right’ thinking?
-united lots of Dems and Reps under a conservative coalition banner n a reaction against the rise of ‘welfare dependent’ poor
Did Reagan force the Democratic Party to revitalise themselves?
1984 defeat forced them to regroup, established the Democratic Leadership Council + the old liberal order of JFK and LBJ was replaced by ‘New Democrat’ ideology headed by Clinton
New Democrat’ thinking shifted Dems more towards conservatism (low taxes, low federal intervention + redefined welfare as support)
What was public interest and involvement in politics like during the Reagan presidency?
- Viewership for TV debates (seen to most affect public voting) was at around 60 million in the 70s -> Reagan-Carter debates broke through this with 80.6 million viewers -> not sustained, 1988 debates - 65.1 million, 1996 debates = 36.3 million (lowest in history)
How did Chris tianity change
The Christian right became more outspoken and involved in political issues under Reagan. Over issues such as abortion, teenage pregnancy and what should be taught in schools. However, despite his outspoken views, Reagan was advised against any legislation which favoured the religious right.
