...Running head: THE OVERRATED RONALD REAGAN The Overrated Ronald Reagan University of Phoenix Carole Lormand September 28, 2013 The Overrated Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan, the nation’s 40th president is one of the most overrated men in history. Americans did not forget all the broken promises and dishonesty they dealt with while Reagan was in office. For many reasons he would be considered a good President but there are many more reasons that he would not. Reagan’s ratings were higher than the averages of his three immediate predecessors, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon (Frank Newport, 2004). When rating Reagan, many factors show that he is indeed overrated, not only as a president but an individual as well. During Reagan’s term in office Americans faced recession, debt, high unemployment, questionable foreign policy and wasteful spending among other things. As Reagan was sworn, one of the first incidents, which were the release of the 51 hostages from the American Embassy in Tehran, occurred. It seemed as if the Iranians feared the win of future President Ronald Reagan. However, there were a few incidents that occurred prior to the inauguration of Reagan that actually set the stage for the emanate release of the hostages (United States History). The Shah of Iran died right before the presidential rae was over. Shah’s return, one of the requests in negotiations with the Iranians, was neutralized. The negotiations were now closer to closure. Iraq then invaded...
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...Ronald Reagan an Overrated President Tami Arreguin HIS/145 July 15, 2013 Nancy Fraleigh Ronald Reagan an Overrated President Ronald Reagan, the nation's 40th president, only recently became one of the most revered men in history. Reagan's ratings were higher than the averages of his three immediate predecessors Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon (Newport, Jones, & Saad, 2004) . How and why would so many Americans too soon forget all of the dishonesty and broken promises that came out of the White House while Reagan was in office? It is clear that many factors came into play that goes to show that Ronald Reagan is highly overrated as not only the president, but also an individual. One of the first situations that occurred, as Reagan was sworn in, was the release of the 51 hostages from the American Embassy in Tehran. It seemed that the projected win of the future President Reagan triggered some fear in the Iranians. However, there were a few incidences that occurred, prior to the inauguration of Reagan, that actually set the stage for the emanate release of the hostages. (United States History, n.d.) In July, near the last leg of the presidential race, The Shah of Iran died. The return of the Shah, being one of the many requests in negotiations with the Iranian’s, was now neutralized. This brought the negotiations one step closer to closure (United States History, n.d.). Also, shortly after the death of the Shah, Iraq invaded Iran which created...
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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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...Reagan Analysis Paper Reagan Analysis Paper Introduction Ronald Wilson Reagan was the fortieth president of the United States. A two term president, he served from 1981-1989. President Reagan won a landslide victory over Jimmy Carter running on a political platform consisting of jump starting the economy and bringing inflation down. This was to be accomplished through lowering taxes and cutting government spending. Many people consider Reagan an outstanding president but this paper contends he was an overrated president. This is based on the management of three issues facing his presidency. These are: economic policies, ending the Cold War, and the Iran-Contra affair. Economic Policies Throughout Reagan’s campaign he assaulted the Carter administration’s free-spending (Moss & Thomas, 2013, pp-208-210). He made promises to cut spending, but ultimately spent more. The most common misconception is that Reagan saved our economy with his famous Reaganomics. This of course included the modern trickle-down theory or supply-side economics, which included major tax decreases, specifically on the wealthy. These tax decreases, coupled with high military spending, created a massive debt and led the country into one of the worst depressions since the Great Depression. When Reagan entered the presidency in 1981 the national debt was at $900 billion. By the time he left it had over tripled to $2.8 trillion. To top it off, many of the military projects the money was used...
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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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...Is Reagan Overrated or Underrated as President Yuleidy M. Rodriguez HIS/145 June 25, 2014 Richard Pinder Is Reagan overrated or underrated as President The purpose and intent of this paper is to touch on the 40th president of the United State, President Ronald Reagan. He was the 33rd governor of California. He was also a republican. He took over as the president on January 20th, 1980 until January 20th 1989. President Reagan was one of the oldest men ever to be elected president of the United States. In this paper, the author will provide the economic policies that this individual changed, as well as one of the many things he did, he was credited with the ending of the Cold War. In addition, there was also an assassination attempt against this president. The author will also provide brief information on President Reagan’s overrated or underrated views. President Ronald Reagan cut income taxes down from seventy percent to twenty-eight percent to control the recession that was going on around this time. The reduction had an impact on both the top income tax rate and also the corporate income tax rate. This eliminated many economic issues going on at this time. Many people were able to buy houses, for a much lower interest rate. These changes also help the unemployment rate as it changed tremendously. The unemployment rate changed form 10.8 percent to 5.3 percent under President Reagan ("The Washington Post", 2014). President Reagan removed the entire price control...
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...Reagan Analysis Paper Julie A Scott HIS/145 September 25th, 2014 Brain Brooks Reagan Analysis Paper This paper is supposed to be my opinion on if Reagan was either overrated or underrated as a president, not being from the United States and of course at the time not even living in this country, I did not live through any of the policies he put in place or took away, therefore I found it difficult to make a decision based purely off of what I could read watch or look at. My spin on this will be apparent at the end of my paper Regan tried hard to cut many departments within the government, the department of energy, and also the department of education. Legislators wouldn’t allow that to happen so he cut the budgets to them. I believe that’s why some of our education programs now are a mess. When his secretary of transportation Drew Lewis opposed an illegal strike by the Professional Air Traffic Controllers’ Organization (PATCO), Regan fired them all 11,500 air traffic controllers had to be replaced and trained. Regan had ordered Drew Lewis to do this, the action of Regan cost billions and took several years to recover from, thinking about it how Regan avoided an air disaster I don’t know. How a man who held a union card could be so opposed to them is a mystery. Ronald Regan was also again affirmative action and over time he cut budgets to the civil rights department and there was less African Americans hired into official positions, he didn’t seem to care about all the progress...
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...Reagan Analysis George W Ivery III HIS 145 June 16, 2014 Shaun Sullivan Reagan Analysis President Ronald Reagan the 40th President of the United States had certain qualities that made people think of him in several different lights. One of the ways people saw him is overrated and taking credit for what he did not do when he resided at the White House as president. On the other hand some said he is much underrated due to him not getting proper credit for some of the things he did and changed while he was in office. He had quite a few items that are in the history of this country, which include the Principles of the New Right, the Iran Contra Affair, and credit for ending the Cold War between the United States (U. S.) and the Soviet Union (USSR). These are just a few items that will be taken into consideration to see if he was or was not the person that is liked or disliked by the people of the U. S. The election of President Reagan in 1980 saw the emergence of what was considered the “conservative cause known as the “New Right” movement, partly in response to counter-cultural protests of the 1960’s-evangelical Christian groups, social issues” (The resurgence of conservatism 1980-2000, 2014). The Reagan Doctrine; “A strategy orchestrated and implemented by the United States under the Reagan Administration to oppose the global influence of the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War” (The resurgence of conservatism 1980-2000, 2014). It is also known as...
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...Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Regan In today’s extremely volatile political climate it has become important for us to view the past to see what great men have accomplished during hard times. President Abraham Lincoln and President Ronald Reagan are two men who I believe were two of the most influential people in the world. While these two men shared many similarities in their life, presidency, and influence, they were also different in many ways. They both achieved what many believed to be the impossible. Maybe by looking at the past and these two great men, we can learn about perseverance in hard times. President Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. He spent most of his early childhood years on a farm his parents owned. His father was one of the richest men in the area. In 1816, his father lost the family farm in a court decision and the family moved to Indiana. He spent all of his early years in a region of the United States in non-slave states. When he left home he went to New Orleans, Louisiana and saw slavery for himself first hand. He joined the militia in 1832 and served three months as a Captain during the Black Hawk War. President Ronald Regan was born February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. Unlike President Lincoln, President Reagan spent his early childhood in many cities away from the farms. His father was a salesman and moved the family numerous times. President Reagan attended Eureka College where he was involved...
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...Assignment 4: Reagan Revolution and President Obama Demetria Davenport HIS 105 Professor Lashunda Calvert December 13, 2012 1. Identify at least two (2) turning points in the period under discussion. 1. Ronald Reagan is President who was also an actor on the movie screen. The Iran-Contra Affair, the United States sold weapons to Iran for use in their war with Iraq. Reagan did this despite an embargo against Iran( imposed after the 1979 hostage crisis) and the fact that Iran was at an avowed enemy; the United States was t the same time offering support to Iran because top official in the Reagan administration hoped that selling arms to Iran would ease relation between the United States and Iran. More damning is that members of Reagan ‘s administration took profits from the sales of arms to Iran and sent the money to a right wing guerrilla group in Nicaragua called the Contras, who were battling the left wing government. It was never proved that Reagan was aware that Iran arms sale finds had been diverted to the contras, but the nationally televised testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North demonstrated that Reagan was probably not aware of the contra affair and that he had not, therefore, sufficiently controlled his administration. At, Reagan behest, Congress investigated the affair, chastised the president, and indicted several of his men. The aftermath included resignations, fines, and imprisonment for a handful of Reagan’s functionaries, and public embarrassment...
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...Most Americans are probably not aware that European’s are concerned with the U.S. Presidential elections. After all, Europeans will not have a vote coming this November. Numerous poles of different European citizens show an overwhelming support for the current president, Barrack Obama, over his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. "If Europeans could vote in November's election, 75% would vote for Obama while only 8% would vote for Romney" (World views). While many ideas and opinions are given for the overwhelming support of President Obama it is mostly due to cultural, historical, and foreign policy views of European. The US Democratic Party is much more secular and closer to European idea of thought and government. They believe the federal government has much more of a role to play in providing some basic services, similar to the ideas common in Europe (European Conservatives). The US Republican Party has more of an individualist approach, where federal government plays a smaller role of individuals. Romney has been portraying Obama as wanting to turn America into a European-style entitlement society. Stating he wants to ensure that America remains a free and prosperous land of opportunity (European Conservatives). This has done nothing but get Europeans to support Romney even less. Europeans have historically sided with the Democratic candidate in the US presidential race. This European perception of Republicans was made worse during the Bush administration, largely because...
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...Most Significant Events The decades of the 50’s, 60’s 70’s 80’s and 90’s had many significant events that shaped America into the nation that it is today. The events of these decades shaped the United States into the nation that it is today. This paper will discuss issues that are relevant to each period in history beginning in the 1950’s and ending in the 1990’s. Exploring each period with due appreciation of what happened and what it accomplished in relation to the United States. It is written to awaken your thoughts of our past history. 1950’s Rosa Parks On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks (the "mother of the Civil Rights Movement") refused to get up out of her seat on a public bus to make room for a white passenger. Parks was arrested, tried, and convicted for disorderly conduct and violating a local ordinance. After word of this incident reached the black community, 50 African- American leaders gathered and organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott to protest the segregation of blacks and whites on public buses. With the support of most of Montgomery's 50,000 blacks, the boycott lasted for 381 days until the local laws segregating African-Americans and whites on public buses was lifted. Ninety percent of African Americans in Montgomery took part in the boycotts, which reduced bus revenue by...
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...join with me. But no president, no Congress, no government, can undertake this mission alone. (Bill Clinton) 汉语意思是任何总统任何国会任何政府都不能单独完成这一使命。 3.This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. (Franklin D. Roosevelt) 我们的国家过去经得起考验今后还将经得起考验美国将复兴美国将繁荣。 4.Steadfast in our faith in the Almighty, we will advance toward a world where man's freedom is secure. To that end we will devote our strength, our resources, and our firmness of resolve. With God's help, the future of mankind will be assured in a world of justice, harmony, and peace. (Harry S. Truman) 在上帝的保佑下人类的未来无疑将是个公正、和谐与和平的世界。 5. We are creating a nation once again vibrant, robust and alive. But there are many mountains yet to climb.(Ronald Reagan) 这里里根运用三项式定语排比来描述人们创造的美国“朝气蓬勃、精力旺盛、充满活力”。文字简练生动给人留下深刻的印象。 We were in the midst of shock—but we acted. We acted quickly, boldly, decisively. (Franklin D. Roosevelt) 罗斯福回顾八年前美国所处的状态运用三个排比的状语阐述了美国人民的勇气和坚定。汉语意思是“我们虽然处在惊恐之中——但是我们采取了行动迅速、大胆、坚定地采取了行动。” 6.America is ready to encourage, eager to initiate, anxious to participate in any seemly program likely to lessen the probability of war, and promote that brotherhood of mankind which must be God's highest conception of human. (Warren G. Harding)“美国随时鼓励、热情推动、积极参加任何有助于减少战争爆发可能性的计划并促进上帝对人类关系的最高思想——四海之内皆兄弟。” 7. With this, we can build a great cathedral of the spirit—each of us raising it one stone at a time, as he reaches out to his neighbor, helping ,caring, doing. (Richard Milhous...
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...New Left • The Movement • Hippies • Beliefs: anti-war, rights for everyone, university reforms • Often young radicals • Was not the majority of Americans • Loosely organized Student for a Democratic Society • was one of the most active anti-war groups. • They were also against racial discrimination and strict college rules. • Rich mans war but a poor mans fight Free Speech Movement • Berkeley students disputed over rights of students • students challenged campus police and striked in large mass • nearly decade of campus turmoil • moved along to Columbia and other colleges Weathermen • 1969 • small groups of militants that cultivated popular imgae of student radicalism= cahos + disorder • responsible for arson, bombing= destroy campus buildings + lives • tried to drive out training programs + bar military recruiters from college campuses Antiwar rallies • in protest of Vietnam war, many individuals gathered to advocate against the political minds and US presence in Vietnam • 1960s (late '60s) • organized some of the largest political demonstrations in American history Anti-draft movement • Protests against the military draft. • 1960s and 70s • only voluntary participation. Many left the country Counterculture • culture with values and beliefs different then the mainstream • 1970s Woodstock • A music festival held in New York in 1969 • the beatles, jimmy hendrix Termination • Reducing size of bureaucracy by cutting programs/agencies - reduce budget ...
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...What makes a leader? What is the outline or process as to how a person gains the characteristics of a leader? Throughout the history of America in hard times we have called on a leader. Traditionally this leader has come in the form of the president; Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and now Barrack Obama. Is Obama, as an individual ready and capable of leading the country to another boom or will this new “American Jobs Act” plan implode beneath him? “You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?” Cliché as it may be, this statement holds much weight when thought about in regards to the “Jobs” speech, this statement or mindset must be followed. For an individual to be swept away with competent word command and a humble tone is concerning. What do individuals charge themselves when it comes to learning about political topics? We tend to have an over reliance on media, letting rhetorical style and safety blanket terms comfort us into feeling informed. The reality is not every person is honest, whether it’s the postman or the president we as humans possess a flaw, in that we are not perfect. I am not stating that the “Jobs” plan is deceitful, but that as citizens we must inform ourselves so that we do not misjudge information given to us. To achieve similar success to days past, we as a country need to start participating. Without the citizens there is no government, we operate as government for the people, by the people. Barrack Obama’s...
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