...Essay #5 – Reagan Administration POL 313 August 12, 2015 Former Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan becomes the 40th president of the United States at the ripe old of 69 in a time when both, the popularity and the faith among the American people in the office of the president was greatly impaired. Reagan’s predecessor, Jimmy Carter`s tenure concluded with many unsolved domestic and international issues that in turn presented a great opportunity for Ronald Reagan to establish himself as a transformative president who shall restore the power to the presidency. In fact it would not be incorrect to state that, Reagan capitalized on America`s desperate desire to change the status quo during his presidency. 1970s was a chaotic decade for the United States of America; stagflation, unemployment, stubborn bureaucracy, ineffective congress, and most importantly, soviet expansion and loss of Vietnam war had demoralized the public. Nixon` Watergate scandal and the overall weakening of America`s image on the international platform only added more to America`s misfortune. By the beginning of the 1980s the government was almost entirely non functional before the eyes of the public; some go as far as to say that, Carter administration was a perfect example of how America could function without a president (Milkins, 2013). It is evident that in the beginning of 1980s America mainly needed three things; reclaim its title as a powerful nation in the world, a sense of...
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...service or government agency. STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT •» BE THE REAGAN WAY: USING LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR STRATEGIC SUCCESS BY LIEUTENANT COLONEL WILLIAM E. COBURN United States Air Force Reserve DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for Public Release. Distribution is Unlimited. USAWC CLASS OF 2000 U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE, CARLISLE BARRACKS, PA 17013-5050 " ■ "■"" "" 20000320 086 USAWC STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT THE REAGAN WAY: USING LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR STRATEGIC SUCCESS by Lieutenant Colonel William E. Coburn U. S. Air Force Reserve Dr. Robert Murphy Project Advisor The views expressed in this academic research paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or any of its agencies. U.S. Army War College CARLISLE BARRACKS, PENNSYLVANIA 17013 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. ABSTRACT AUTHOR: TITLE: FORMAT: DATE: William E. Coburn The Reagan Way: Using Leadership Skills for Strategic Success Strategy Research Project 10 April 2000 PAGES: 22 CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified In spite of many critics who belittled his style and his presidency, Ronald Reagan is increasingly viewed as a heroic President who fulfilled his vision of restoring peace and prosperity at home and freedom abroad. The thesis of this paper is that Reagan used certain key leadership skills to succeed as President that may be...
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...Ronald Reagan Rob Holmes HIS/145 November 14, 2013 Professor Pass Ronald Reagan Ronald W. Reagan was born February 6, 1911, and died June 5, 2004; Severed two terms as the 40th President of the United States of America from 1981 to 1989, succeeding President Jimmy Carter. Know as conservative Republican, hard-line anticommunist and skilled orator that earned him the nickname “the Great Communicator” (Ronald W. Reagan, 2013). Remembered for his foreign policies and is credited with the demise of the Soviet Union and ending the cold war and the Iran-Contra affair. Reagan is often credited with the release the remaining 51 American hostages that had been held captive in Iran for 444 days. During the Jimmy Carter administration on November 4, 1979 Islamic revolutionaries stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran and captured 66 American hostages. The hostage crisis the most significant issue facing Americans in the final year of Carters final year as president and played a crucial roll in Carter not winning re-election (Iran hostage crisis. 2013). A political war was taking place in Iran with the left and right wing revolutionaries and their new leader, the Ayatollah Khomeini. The hostages were caught in the middle of the struggle. Iran issued the demand that as a condition of the hostage’s release, the shah who had entered the United States to seek medical treatment be extradited back to Iran. Iran also insisted that the United States stopped interfering in Iranian affairs...
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...Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States. Ronald Reagan lost the republican nomination to Gerald Ford in 1976. Reagan won the 1980 nomination and chose George H. W. Bush. Reagan and Bush ran against Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale. He was so great people began to ask if there was enough room for another face on Mount Rushmore. In 1985, the Iran-Contra Affair supplied weapons to a sworn enemy. The transactions that took place in the Iran-Contra Scandal were contrary to the legislation of the Democratic-dominated Congress and contrary to official Reagan administration policy. In 1985 Iran and Iraq were at war, Iran made a secret request to buy weapons from the United States. The scandal was almost the undoing of the Teflon President. Despite the damage to Reagan’s image, the president got off very easily. President Reagan came to the White House promising a major shift to conservative economic policies. His program included a supply-side revolution, a scaling down of wasteful government activity, lower taxes and less interference with the market economy. As a result, it was expected, the US economy would become more efficient, with faster growth and minimal inflation. Tax reductions would pay for themselves so that the budget would soon return to balance. Financial expansion did help bring down unemployment, but the administration soon learned that tax cuts led to trade and budget deficits. Though early dreams remain unfulfilled, the Reagan period...
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...His/135 Reagan Policies Paper President Reagan would become elected to the White house in January 1981 after serving two terms a governor of California. He would be largely supported by what is known as the New Right, a group of right wing “Rockefeller” conservatives (Brinkley, 2012). The new right would be known as a group of powerful conservative Christians that would grow or “rise” between the 1970’s and 1980’s (Brinkley, 2012). Ronald Reagan, known better at the time as a well known film actor and political activist would help the revival of the “right” along with Barry Goldwater. Reagan would grow up as a liberal, but after marriage and argument with communists in the Screen Actors guild, he would move right and become strongly conservative (Brinkley, 2012). Beginning in 1964, Reagan would begin to win over the leadership of the Conservative Wing of the Republican Party after delivering a speech on behalf of Goldwater (Brinkley, 2012). With this success he would win himself two terms as the Governor of California. A good boost for the right would also be the presidency of Gerald Ford. Ford would touch on the “raw” nerves of the conservative’s and be known to destroy a fragile equilibrium that allowed for the less conservative republicans and the further right to co-exist (Brinkley, 2012). The New Right is infamous for mostly be made up of rich and powerful men. A list of approxamentaly 12,000 conservatives made up of “think tanks” consulting firms and lobbyists...
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...Ronald Reagan: Underrated, Overrated or Both Erica Boozer HIS/145 April 10, 2014 Tee Swan Ronald Reagan: Underrated, Overrated or Both Was President Reagan overrated or underrated? This is such a controversial question. Some believe he was overrated while others believe the latter. Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th president of the United States. Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois on February 6, 1911. In 1920, after living in a series of towns as a child, Reagan family settled in Dixon, Illinois. Here his father opened a shoe store (biography, 2014). Reagan graduated high school in 1928 and continued his adult education at Eureka College in Illinois. Here, he was an athlete and scholar. He played football, ran track, and was captain of the swim team. He also acted in school plays and was president of the student council (biography, 2014). Reagan graduated in 1932 and in the latter part of the thirties he signed a seven year contract with Warner Brothers studio. He starred in over 50 movies during his time as a Hollywood actor (biography, 2014). Political Career Reagan started his political ventures in 1964. He gave a televised speech for Barry Goldwater who was a Republican presidential candidate at the time. Two years later he became the governor of California and was re-elected for a second term in 1970 (biography, 2014). After two failed bids for the Republican presidential nomination, Reagan finally made it in 1980 when he beat Democratic incumbent and current...
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...Doctrine of Reagan Mrs. J. Y. Baker Prof. Thomas Payne Jr. – POL 300 February 4, 2012 Doctrine of Reagan With the threat of The Cold War, U.S. Presidents beginning with Truman had to create doctrines to find remedies for the problem of communism and its expansion. The doctrine of Ronald W. Reagan was especially noteworthy because it initiated a revolutionized foreign policy after World War II. The Cold War brought trepidation of nuclear bombing that sent panic through the U.S. government. This is why previously the U.S. chose not to challenge the Soviet Union head-on. Officials felt American’s weren’t ready to send their loved ones to fight another war on foreign soil after Vietnam listed so many casualties. However with the risk of communism spreading further and possibly encompassing the globe, the U.S. just couldn’t take a backseat and keep quiet. In 1983, Reagan dubbed the Soviet Union an “evil empire” using a speech written by Dolan for the opposite purpose. As Diggins put it “Reagan dubbed the Soviet Union ‘the focus of evil’ of the entire world” (2007, pg. 29). Following the footsteps of his predecessor, President Carter, Reagan developed a way to fight the war on communism and make the people happy by preventing our military from suffering anymore casualties. President Carter got the ball rolling when the Soviet Union tried to invade Afghanistan in 1979. That’s when the U.S. supplied secret military aid to mujahideen fighters to assist in driving out the...
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...Name Course University Tutor Date Ronald Reagan Mention Ronald Reagan and the next person will say how great he was. Ratings approval ranks him higher than any other former presidents of the United State of America. He has been described as one of the greatest leaders of our times. He displayed many valuable traits that by and large helped him to become the great leader he was. Did his character influence his leadership style? This is the core point as far as this former president of United States was concerned. His character shaped whom he became giving his all and championing his course to make America a better place to live for all the citizens. His election as the president restored the hopes of the Americans who had been disillusioned by the leadership whom majority felt had lost touch with the people. Wallison, P (2004) points out that his unique traits had great influence as far as his success as a president was concerned (23) One of his major accomplishments was restoring the people’s hope with the government. This achievement can be overlooked by many but it was such an important step since it regained the people hope and renewed their commitment for their country. This is the first step for any nation that is interested in forging ahead after years of scandals, wars and many other misgivings that they would like to forget. When Reagan was leaving office after his completion of the two terms he thanked all the American people and mostly those...
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...The Reagan Doctrine Ronald Reagan is best known for his speech at the Brandenburg Gate near the Berlin Wall where he stated “Mister Gorbachev, Tear down this wall!” That was his challenge to the Soviet leader. Like presidents before him present Reagan had established a doctrine to eradicate the Soviet influence on the world. Ronald Reagan was not the first to propose a doctrine to fight the Soviet nation. In fact, he was just following in the footsteps of his predecessors. The Reagan doctrine was similar to of Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon and Carter in that they all wanted containment of the Soviet Union, but were as they used a more defensive method Reagan deployed a more Offensive style to dealing communist-controlled countries. Reagan laid out his interpretation of his doctrine at his State of the Union Address on February 6, 1985. "We must not break faith with those who are risking their lives on every continent from Afghanistan to Nicaragua to defy Soviet-supported aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth . . . Support for freedom fighters is self-defense." He went on to explain how he thought that Truman’s version of containment, originally designed to halt Stalin in Europe was now obsolete. President Reagan’s doctrine facilitated the use of US involvement in places like Angola where the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) fought against the Soviet and Cuban backed Angolan government. US involvement was also present in Afghanistan...
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...captivating them with the thorough presentation and speaking to the audience about his beliefs in the Lord. Reagan also strived to make it a point, that America was constructed on Christian values and that those beliefs are what has truly given us the freedom, physically, mentally, and emotionally. He correspondingly pushes into examples to show all the ways and all the different things he has attempted to stop the problems where people have gotten away from God. Which, I believe is evident in our society today. It feels like every single chance we are given to turn our backs on the Lord, it seem’s the opportunities are gleefully taken. From attempts, to keep sayings like Merry Christmas out of the media, perverting holidays such as Easter to honor a rabbit, to even attempting to take the pledge of allegiance out of schools. I can honestly say I appreciate how brave and boldly Reagan stands up for what he believes in and knows what is right. Standing up for what we believe in is something we all have the ability or right to do, but often times most of us won’t adamantly strive to take the opportunity for a variety of reasons. Whether, because we are afraid to ruffle someone’s feathers, or unsure of how others will receive what you stand for. I believe this speech was many things, positive, heart-felt, but most importantly captivating; I deem that because President Reagan was confident in his religious beliefs enough to be in the public and he made sure it was known to all. Without...
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...At 2:27 pm Eastern Time,[6]:82 as Reagan walked out of the hotel's T Street NW exit toward his waiting limousine, Hinckley waited within the crowd of admirers. While the Secret Service extensively screened those attending the president's speech, in a "colossal mistake" the agency allowed an unscreened group to stand within 15 feet of him, behind a rope line.[6]:80–81,225 Unexpectedly, Reagan passed right in front of Hinckley. Knowing he would never get a better chance,[6]:81 Hinckley fired a Röhm RG-14 .22 cal.[18] blue steel revolver six times in 1.7 seconds,[6]:82[15] missing the president with all six shots.[19][17] The first bullet hit White House Press Secretary James Brady in the head. The second hit District of Columbia police officer Thomas Delahanty in the back of his neck as he turned to protect Reagan.[6]:82[20][21][22][23] Hinckley now had a clear shot at the president,[6]:81 but the third overshot him and hit the window of a building across the street. As Special Agent In Charge Jerry Parr quickly pushed Reagan into the limousine, the fourth hit Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy in the abdomen[20][21] as he spread his body over Reagan to make himself a target.[6]:81[10] The fifth hit the bullet-resistant glass of the window on the open side door of the limousine. The sixth and final bullet ricocheted off the armored side of the limousine and hit the president in his left underarm, grazing a rib and lodging in his lung, stopping nearly an inch from his heart.[24][10][13]...
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...On Friday October 16, 1981, President Ronald Reagan wrote in his personal diary, “Central America is really the world’s next hotspot. Nicaragua is an armed camp supplied by Cuba and threatening a communist takeover of all of Central America.” (The Reagan Diaries, 2007) For the next eight years as Commander-in-Chief, this mindset would shape his perspective on the small Third World country about the size of North Carolina. The Administration’s policies, actions, and attitudes toward Nicaragua and other perceived hostile nations became known as “Reagan Doctrine.” The defeat of the Nicaraguan Revolution became the “cornerstone of the Reagan Central American policy and the test case of Reagan Doctrine.” (U.S. Intervention in the Nicaraguan Elections and American Foreign Policy in the Post-Cold War Era, 1992) Reagan Doctrine was not a label coined by President Reagan or his administration. It was a term used later by his critics to define his foreign policy strategy for countries around the world. The Reagan Doctrine was a strategy to aid anti-communist, or more specifically, anti-Soviet insurgencies in the Third World during Reagan’s two terms as president from 1981-1989. The primary goal was to overthrow Marxist regimes and/or prevent Marxist regimes from becoming established. Reagan wasted no time getting started in the implementation of his foreign policy. The Administration’s first comprehensive “U.S. National Security Strategy,” which was a document approved by the President...
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...The Reagan Doctrine The Reagan Doctrine popularized during the two-term presidency of Ronald Wilson Reagan was one which he hinted to in his 1985 State of the Union Address. He affirmed to the American public and the world that “We must not break faith with those who are risking their lives--on every continent from Afghanistan to Nicaragua--to defy Soviet aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth. Support for freedom fighters is self-defense.” (Reagan, 1985, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents 21, no. 6). This theme was expanded upon afterwards by then Secretary of State George Shultz, and picked up by journalists, most notably Charles Krauthammer who was first to give the Reagan Doctrine its name in his column in the April 1, 1985 issue of Time magazine. The Reagan Doctrine contended that the United States had a duty to oppose the spread of communist dictatorships and to support the freedom fighters that were part of insurgencies defying Soviet aggression. Its policies were rooted in the 1950s anti-communist doctrines long supported by Americans; however it differed in that “containment” was no longer its only goal. Under the Reagan doctrinal policy it was now permissible to support freedom fighters seeking to throw off governments in counties suffering under communist domination. The rhetorical outpouring of the Reagan Doctrine was much more universal than its actual enactment of policy. This was attributed largely to the impact on U.S. interests...
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...The Reagan Doctrine: Assisting the Overthrow of Pro-Soviet Regimes. Jonathan Burton November 2nd 2011 Strayer University POL300 Professor Popova-Nowak In April of 1978 the pro-Soviet People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) overthrew a corrupted Afghan Republic and would begin a domino effect that would culminate on September 11th 2001 in the New York skyline. Jimmy Carter had put into effect a doctrine of stating out loud that the Persian Gulf was vital to United States foreign political interest but showed no open displays of force. Behind the scenes the CIA had be involved with the movement to oust the PDPA. This forced the Russian government to send in 5,000 troops. Their aim was to place a Soviet chosen leader into power and after twelve hours of intense fighting, Barbrak Karmal was put in a plane and flown back to Moscow. This would begin a decade long occupation by the Russians and the United States got what it wanted; A Soviet Vietnam. The United States went to great lengths to supply this war against Communism and the hatred of the Soviets. China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and others poured in money, weapons, and military advisors to aid the Mujahideen, the new name of the resistance fighters the CIA was backing. This covert operation was run out of the CIA until March of 1985. February 6th of 1985, President Ronald Reagan laid out his doctrine in the State of the Union Address. “WE must not break faith with those who are risking their lives on every continent...
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...While Ronald Reagan is consistently put into light as the modern standard for conservatism, guiding America into the light it had not seen since the likes of JFK, LBJ, and Eisenhower, the American public and media has made his legacy out to be much more than he accomplished during his Presidency. Yes, Ronnie the Actor was able to polarize the Republican party, realign their leadership, promote Christian morale like never seen before, and give the name "Republican" an aura of honor. This debate should be restricted to Reagan's direct accomplishments as a President, none of which should relate to his contributions to the Republican party or to his revolutionizing Conservatism. These traits make him a very favorable President to some, however they do not make him one of the greatest Presidents of all time. The Con should present a case supporting Ronald Reagan's status as one of the greatest Presidents of all-time, and the Pro should defend its stance that not only is Ronald Reagan 1)"overrated", but that he is also 2)Not one of the best Presidents of all time. This issue may be taken as relative, to prove Reagan's superiority to other Presidents, or as subjective, by evaluating Reagan's accomplishments in domestic and foreign policy in relation to his failures. The American public voted Reagan the 4th Best President in US History, behind Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington, and this should be used as the standard of this debate. I know that this opening argument is very vague...
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