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Born on 6 February 1911 and died on 5 June 2004 , is an actor and statesman American , 40 th President of the United States , from 1981 to 1989 .
Born in Tampico and raised in Dixon in Illinois , Reagan made ​​his studies at Eureka College, where he graduated with a degree in economics and sociology. He moved in Iowa to work as a radio host, then in 1937 in Los Angeles , where he began a career as an actor in film and on television. Knute Rockne, All American , Kings Row and Bedtime for Bonzo are among her most notable. President of the Screen Actors Guild and spokesman for General Electric , he entered politics.
Initially a member of the Democratic Party , he turned to the right in the late 1950s and rallied the Republican Party in 1962. After an enthusiastic speech for the presidential candidacy of Barry Goldwater in 1964, he was persuaded to run for the post of governor of California , where he was elected in 1966 and again in 1970. He tries in vain to get the Republican nomination for president in 1968 and 1976 . He was finally appointed in 1980 and won the presidential election against the incumbent President Jimmy Carter .
As the 40 th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989, Reagan put in place initiatives radical political and economic. His supply-side economics , dubbed Reaganomics , is centered on tax cuts to allow economic growth, control of the currency to reduce inflation, deregulation of the economy and reduced federal spending. During his first term, he escaped an assassination attempt, takes a hard line against trade unions and ordered the invasion of Grenada . He was reelected in a landslide majority in 1984 . His second term was primarily marked by foreign affairs as the end of the Cold War , the bombing of Libya in 1986 and the revelation of the Iran-Contra affair . Publicly describing the Soviet Union as an ” evil empire “, it supports the anti-Communist movements worldwide and renounce the policy of detente massively increasing military spending and restarting an arms race with the USSR. Reagan still negotiating with the General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev , to reduce nuclear arsenals through the INF Treaty .
In 1994, five years after the end of his presidency, he reveals that he is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease . He died ten years later, at age 93. It is considered a great American president and is credited with the revival of the ideological right American.

Photograph of Ronald Reagan (second row, first left) while in CE2 .

Ronald Reagan circa 1922.
Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in an apartment on the second floor of a shop in Tampico in Illinois February 6, 1911. He was the son of Jack and Nelle Reagan Wilson Reagan 1 . Reagan’s father was a businessman whose grandparents were of Irish Catholics in County Tipperary 2 while his mother had origins Scottish and English 3 . Ronald had an older brother, Neil (1908-1996), who had a career in advertising 4 . Reagan’s father nicknamed him “Dutch” because her hair to the bowl (“Dutchboy”) 5 and retained the nickname his youth 5 . The family lived briefly in Reagan’s several Illinois cities including Monmouth , Galesburg and Chicago until 1919 when she returned to Tampico and moved above a shop called HC Pitney Variety 1 . After its accession to the presidency, living in private quarters of the White House upstairs, he joked about the fact that he “was now back above the shop” 6 .
According to Paul Kengor, author of God and Ronald Reagan , Reagan was particularly convinced of the goodness of people, which stemmed from the optimistic faith of his mother, Nelle 7 , and beliefs of the Christian Church Disciples of Christ 7 in which he was baptized in 1922 8 . Following the fermetre Pitney Store in late 1920, the Reagan family moved to Dixon 9 and the “small universe” Midwest had a lasting influence on Reagan 10 . He studied at Dixon High School 11 where he became interested in comedy, sport and narration 12 . His first job was on the lifeguard Rock at Lowell Park near Dixon in 1927. Reagan realized 77 saves and scored a notch in a log for every life he had saved 12 . Reagan went to Eureka College, where he was integrated into the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and majored in economics and sociology. He developed a reputation as a hands-on while excelling in campus politics, sports and theater. He was a member of the football team, captain of the swim team and was elected president of the student body. In this role, notably Reagan led a revolt against the university president who wanted to reduce funding of the faculty 13 .
Career in entertainment

Reagan in Knute Rockne, All American in 1940.
Radio and cinema
After graduating from Eureka in 1932, Reagan went to Iowa where he was auditioned for many local radio stations 14 . The University of Iowa hired him to broadcast the home games of the football team of the Hawkeyes. He received $ 10 per game 14 . Shortly after a working presenter freed himself at radio station WOC in Davenport , and Reagan was hired, he now earned $ 100 a month 14 . Aided by his persuasive voice 14 he entered the station WHO in Des Moines as a presenter of baseball games of the Chicago Cubs 15 . His specialty was to make the match comments that were sent by telegram to the radio 14 .
While flying the Cubs in California, Reagan realized a film audition in 1937 which resulted in a seven-year contract with the studios Warner Brothers 16 . He spent the first years of his career in Hollywood to make films in the unity of ” Series B “when Reagan joked that the producers” did not want it to be good, they wanted him to be there Thursday 14 “. While at times in the shadow of others, the benefits of Reagan on the screen received many positive reviews 14 .

Reagan in Cowboy from Brooklyn in 1938.
His first major role was Love Is on the Air in 1937 and in 1939 he had already appeared in 19 films 17 including Dark Victory . Before the movie The Santa Fe Trail in 1940, he played the role of George “The Gipper” Gipp in the film Knute Rockne, All American hence its nickname “The Gipper” 18 . The preferred role of Reagan was that of a lost both legs in the movie Kings Row , 1942 19 , the title of his autobiography What happened to the rest of me? published in 1965 in fact refers to dialogue of the film. Many critics consider Crimes without punishment is his best performance 20 even if the film was condemned by Bosley Crowther of the New York Times 21 22 .
Reagan called Crimes without punishment the film that “made me a star” 23 . He did not, however to capitalize on its success as it was called in the army two months after the release of feature film and he never regained his celebrity status in the film industry 23 . After the war, after four years of absence due to World War II, Reagan appeared in films such as The Adventure two , John Loves Mary , The Last Voyage , Bedtime for Bonzo , The Queen of the meadow , The Brawler Tennessee , Hellcats of the Navy and The Killers (his final film) in a rematch of 1964 24 . Throughout his film career, her mother answered most of the mail of his admirers 25 .
Military service
Reagan had begun to take courses by correspondence officer in 1935 and he enlisted in the Army Reserve April 29, 1937 26 as a private in the 322 th Regiment Cavalry at Des Moines , Iowa 27 . He became lieutenant in the corps of reserve officers of the Cavalry 25 May 1937 28 .
Reagan was called to active service for the first time April 18, 1942. Because of his myopia, he could not be sent to the front 29 . His first posting was at Fort MacArthur in San Francisco , California where he was liaison officer at the port and the Office of Transport 30 . With the agreement of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), he was transferred from the Cavalry to USAAF May 15, 1942 and was assigned to public relations and then to the USAAF First Motion Picture Unit (officially ” 18 th USAAF Base Unit “) of Culver City , California 30 , this unit made ​​entirely of personal cinema was making propaganda films for the U.S. Army. January 14, 1943 he was promoted to first lieutenant and was sent on the filming of This Is the Army in Burbank , California 30 . He returned to the First Motion Picture Unit after this mission and was promoted captain July 22, 1943 27 .
In January 1944, Captain Reagan was temporarily seconded to New York to attend the opening of the sixth round of war bonds. He returned to the First Motion Picture Unit November 14, 1944 and remained there until the end of the war 27 . He was recommended for promotion to Major February 2, 1945 but the appointment was refused 17 July 31 . He returned to Fort MacArthur, and was retired from active duty December 9, 1945 31 . At the end of the war, his unit had completed more than 400 films for the USAAF 27 .
Chairman of the SAG and Television

Ronald Reagan as host of General Electric Theater .
Reagan was elected to the executive committee of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) for the first time in 1941 and served as substitute. Following World War II, he resumed his duties and became the 3 th Vice President in 1946 32 . The adoption of regulations on conflicts of interest led to the resignation of the president of SAG and six members of the steering committee; Reagan was nominated for election as president and was elected 32 . It will then be re-elected for another seven one-year terms from 1947 to 1952 and in 1959 32 . Reagan led SAG through eventful years that were marked by conflicts over the management of labor, the Taft-Hartley Act , hearings of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and blacklists 32 .
Amid the Red Scare of the late 1940s, Reagan provides the FBI the names of players he considered to be communist sympathizers within the film industry 33 . Reagan testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee on the issue 34 . A fervent anti-communism , he reaffirmed his commitment to democratic principles by stating, “As a citizen, I do not want to see our country, driven by fear or resentment, negotiate on our democratic principles because of the fear or this rancor 34 “.
Despite having been a critic of television, Reagan could not find movie roles in the late 1950s and he decided to join this medium 14 . He was hired to present the General Electric Theater , a series of weekly dramas that became very popular 14 . His contract required it to conduct plant visits General Electric sixteen weeks per year and he would give fourteen speeches a day 14 . He earned about $ 125 000 per year (about 1.07 million in 2010) for this role. His last professional acting job was to present and play from 1964 to 1965 in the series Ticket to Far West 24 . Reagan and Nancy Davis appeared together several times including a 1958 episode of GE Theater entitled A turkey for President 35 .
Marriages and children

In 1938, Reagan turned in the film Brother Rat with actress Jane Wyman (1917-2007). They were engaged at the Chicago Theatre 36 and married January 26, 1940 at the Wee Kirk o ‘the Heather church in Glendale , California 37 . They had two children, Maureen (1941-2001) and Christine (born in 1947 but only lived a day) and adopted a third, Michael (1945) 38 . Following arguments on the political ambitions of her husband, Wyman filed for divorce in 1948 39 and it was formalized in 1949 18 . It is the only U.S. president to be divorced 40 .

Ronald and Nancy Reagan aboard a ship in California in 1964.
Reagan met actress Nancy Davis (born 1921) 41 in 1949 after she contacted him in his capacity as president of the Screen Actors Guild to help solve problems concerning the appearance of his name on a list of Communists in Hollywood (she had been mistaken for another Nancy Davis). She described their first meeting by saying, “I do not know if it was exactly love at first sight but it was not far in 42 “. They were engaged at Chasen’s restaurant in Los Angeles and were married March 4, 1952 at the Little Brown Church in the San Fernando Valley 43 . The actor William Holden was a witness at the wedding. They had two children, Patti (born 21 octeobre 1952) and Ron (born May 20, 1958).
Observers have described the relationship between Ronald and Nancy as close, real and intimate 44 . During his presidency it was reported many signs of public affection between the two, a press secretary reported, “They never took each other for granted. They never stopped courting 42 45 “. He often called “Mommy” and she called him “Ronnie” 45 . He once wrote, “Although I cherish and love … everything would fade if I did not have you 46 “. When he was hospitalized following his attempted assassination in 1981, she slept with one of his shirts to be comforted by his scent 47 . In a letter written to the Americans in 1994, Reagan wrote “I was recently announced that I was one of those millions of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease … I only wish that there be a way to save this painful experience in Nancy 42 “and in 1998 when Reagan was struck by the disease, Nancy told Vanity Fair , “our relationship is very special. we were very much in love and we still are. When I say my life began with Ronnie, well, that’s true. I can not imagine life without him 42 . ”
Early political career

Reagan began his political career as a Democrat Liberal, he was an admirer of Franklin D. Roosevelt and a supporter of the policies of New Deal . In early 1950, driven by his relationship with actress Nancy Davis Republican 48 49 , he began to get closer to the right while remaining Democrat, he supported Republican candidates for the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956 and that of Richard Nixon in 1960 50 . The last active support of Reagan was a Democrat in 1950 when he helped Helen Gahagan Douglas in her Senate campaign against Richard Nixon 51 . After being hired to present the General Electric Theater 52 , Reagan quickly began to embrace the conservative visions of the company’s official partner 52 53 . His many speeches to GE, he mostly wrote himself, but were non-partisan message were conservative and pro-entrepreneurial, he was influenced by Lemuel Boulware, an executive of GE. Boulware, known for his tough stance against unions and innovative strategies to rally the workers, was a strong supporter of basic concepts of modern American conservatism: free market, anti-communism, cutting taxes and limiting government 54 . Finally, the assessments of Reagan’s speech became worse and the GE disbanded in 1962 55 . In August 1962, Reagan rallied the official Republican Party and declared “I have not left the Democratic Party. The party left me 56 “.
In the early 1960s, Reagan opposed the legislation on civil rights by stating “if a person wants to discriminate against Negroes or others when selling or leasing the home, it is his right 57 “. He cited his opposition to government intrusion in personal freedoms, he defended himself strongly to have racially motivated and he subsequently modified his position by passing laws on voting rights and greater equality on accession to the housing 58 . When the legislation was to become the Medicare was introduced in 1961, Reagan realized a record for the American Medical Association warned that such a law would end freedom in America. Reagan declared that if his listeners did not write letters to prevent it, “we will wake up in a socialist country. And if you do not and if I do not do it, someday you and I’ll our last year to tell our children what it was like America when men were free 59 60 61 . He also joined the National Rifle Association which he remained a member all his life 62 .
Reagan supported the presidential candidacy of conservative Barry Goldwater in 1964. In his speeches in his favor, he emphasized the importance of small government. He revealed his ideological motivation in a famous speech given 27 October 1964: “The Founding Fathers knew a government can not control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government undertakes to do so, it must use force and coercion to achieve its ends. We arrived when choosing 63 “. This speech, called “Time for Choosing”, allowed to raise one million dollars for the Goldwater campaign of 14 and is considered the event that launched Reagan’s political career 64 .
Governor of California, 1967-1975

Ronald and Nancy Reagan celebrate the victory as governor at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
California Republicans were impressed with Reagan’s political vision and charisma during his speech on “Time for Choosing” 65 and they elected him to the post of governor of California in 1966. In his campaign, Reagan emphasized two themes: “back to work the beggars of the welfare system” and referring to the first student protests against war and for the freedom of expression at the University of Berkeley , ” do a major cleaning, Berkeley 66 “. He was elected to face incumbent Pat Brown and he was sworn in Jan. 2, 1967. During his first term, he froze government hiring and approved tax increases to balance the budget 67 .
Shortly after the beginning of his term, Reagan tested the presidential waters in 1968 as part of his movement “Stop Nixon” with which he hoped to cut Nixon’s Southern support 68 and a compromise candidate be 69 if Nixon and Nelson Rockefeller is reached not to decide at the Republican convention. But Nixon was appointed the first round with an absolute majority; Reagan came in third place behind Rockefeller 68 .
Reagan was involved in the major protests of the period. May 15, 1969, during student protests at Berkeley, Reagan sent the police to disperse the students, in this incident which was later called “Bloody Thursday”, the student James Rector was killed and the carpenter Alan Blanchard lost his sight 70 71 . Reagan then ordered 2,200 men of the National Guard to occupy the city of Berkeley for two weeks to quell the protests 70 . One year after the “Bloody Thursday”, Reagan answered questions about the movements of protests on campus, saying “If it takes a bloodbath, let’s go. More appeasement 72 “. When the Symbionese Liberation Army took Patricia Hearst in Berkeley and demanded the distribution of food to the poor, Reagan joked, “it’s a shame that we do not have an outbreak of botulism 73 “.

The Reagans meet President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon in July 1970.
In early 1967, the national debate on abortion was beginning. The Democratic senator from California Assembly Anthony Beilenson introduced the “Therapeutic Abortion Act” which aimed to reduce the number of illegal abortions performed in California 70 . The Legislature sent the law to Reagan for his signature, which he did after several days of reflection 74 . About two million abortions are performed as a result of this law, mainly because of the clause authorizing abortions for the well being of the mother 74 . Reagan was in office for less than four months when he signed the law and he advanced as if he had more experience in this position, he would not have signed. After recognizing what he called the “consequences” of the law, he announced that he was pro-life 74 . He maintained this position thereafter, and he wrote extensively on the subject 75 .
Despite an unsuccessful attempt for him to resign in 1968 76 , Reagan was reelected in 1970 against Jesse Unruh . One of the major disappointments of Reagan during his tenure involved the death penalty which he was a staunch supporter 19 . His efforts to enforce state laws on the subject were thwarted when the California Supreme Court delivered its judgment in California v.. Anderson which invalidated all death sentences imposed in California prior to April 12, 1972 even though the decision was later overturned by a constitutional amendment. The only execution carried out during the term of Reagan was that of Aaron Mitchell in the gas chamber of the prison at San Quentin 12 April 1967 77 .
In 1969, Governor Reagan signed the Family Law Act which was the first legislation allowing no-fault divorce in the United States 78 .
The mandate of Reagan as governor helped to form the policies he would defend later during his presidency. By campaigning with slogans such as “beggars back to work the welfare system”, he opposed the idea of welfare state. He became an ardent advocate of the republican ideal of a reduction in state regulation of the economy with undue federal taxation 79 .
Reagan did not seek a third term in 1974 and Secretary of State California Democrat Jerry Brown replaced Jan. 6, 1975.
Presidential election of 1976 [ modify ]

Ronald Reagan on the podium with Gerald Ford at the Republican convention of 1976 after he narrowly lost the nomination for the presidency.
In 1976, Reagan came into competition with the chairman, Gerald Ford for the Republican presidential nomination for the presidential election. Reagan quickly established himself as the conservative candidate gathering the support of organizations of the same opinion as the American Conservative Union which became a fundamental component of his political base while Ford presented himself as a moderate Republican 80 .
The Reagan campaign was based on a strategy devised by his campaign manager John Sears consisting of few primary win to threaten the inevitable appointment of Ford. Reagan won North Carolina, Texas and California but the tactic failed 81 because he lost in New Hampshire, Florida and his home state of Illinois 82 . Texas gave new hope to Reagan because he won all 96 delegates chosen at the primary 1 st May and four others pending in the agreement of the state. The credit for this victory went to Enerst Angelo, the mayor of Midland and Ray Barnhart of Houston that President Reagan appointed him director of the Federal Highway Administration in 1981 83 .
However the approach of the Republican convention, Ford seemed assured of victory. To get support from the moderate wing of the party, Reagan chose Senator Richard Schweiker of Pennsylvania as his running mate should he win the nomination. Finally, Ford won the nomination with 1,187 delegates against 1,070 for Reagan 82 . Ford nénamoins lost the 1976 election against the Democrat Jimmy Carter .
In his concession speech, Reagan emphasized the dangers of nuclear war and the threat posed by the Soviet Union. Although it was not named, however, Reagan won the vote of Grand Elector of the State of Washington 84 that Ford had won against Carter.
1980 presidential election

Main article: United States presidential election of 1980 .

Nancy Reagan campaigned and Senator Strom Thurmond (right) in South Carolina, 1980.
The 1980 presidential campaign between Reagan and incumbent President Jimmy Carter was driving on domestic policy issues and during the Iranian hostage crisis . Reagan put the focus on its core principles: lower taxes to stimulate the economy 85 , less government interference in people’s lives 86 , strengthening the rights of the states 87 , the strengthening of national defense 86 and re-indexing of the dollar on the gold standard 88 89 .
Reagan launched his campaign by declaring, “I believe in states’ rights” in Philadelphia , Mississippi, known at the time of the murder of three members of the movement of civil rights in 1964 90 91 92 . After obtaining the Republican nomination, Reagan chose one of his main opponents, George HW Bush to become his running mate. His performance during the televised debate in October reinvigorated his campaign. Reagan won the 1980 election by bringing together 44 states and 489 electoral votes against 49 for Carter. Reagan won 50.7% of the popular vote against 41% for Carter and 6.7% for the Independent (Liberal Republican) John Anderson 93 . The Republicans regained control of the Senate for the first time since 1952 and won 34 seats in the House of Representatives but the Democrats retained a majority.
During the presidential campaign, issues settled on Reagan’s position on the Briggs Initiative, also known as Proposition 6, a popular initiative in California where Reagan had been governor that would have prevented gays and supporters of LGBT rights to work in public schools of the state. His opposition to the initiative played an important role in his rejection by California voters. Reagan published an article in which he posited that “homosexuality is not a contagious disease like measles …” and that the majority scientific position was that the sexual orientation of a child could not be influenced by someone else 94 .
Presidency, 1981-1989

Main articles: Reagan administration and Reagan Doctrine .

President Reagan delivers his first inaugural address , January 20, 1981.
During his presidency, Reagan applied policies that reflected his personal beliefs about individual freedoms, launched reforms economic , increased military spending and contributed to the end of the Cold War 95 . Nicknamed the Reagan Revolution, his presidency reinvigorated morale American 96 97 and reduced the dependence of the people vis-à-vis the government 95 . As president, Reagan wrote a series of papers in which he commented on its activities and its views on current issues. Newspapers were published in May 2007 in a best-seller, The Reagan Diaries 98 .
First term, 1981-1985

Ronald and Nancy up Pennsylvania Avenue to attend the inauguration ceremonies of the 40 th President of the United States.
To date, Reagan was the oldest man ever elected to the presidency because he was 69 years old 99 . In his first inaugural address Jan. 20, 1981, he himself wrote 100 , he defended the idea that “in times of crisis, the government is not the solution to our problems, government is the problem “.
The Reagan Presidency began in a theatrical way because the 52 American hostages held by Iran for 444 days were released as Reagan was giving his inauguration speech 101 .
Assassination attempt
On 30 March 1981, only 69 days into his presidency, Reagan suffered an assassination attempt as he left the Hilton Hotel in Washington. An unbalanced 26-year-old named John Hinckley, Jr. fired six bullets in his direction one of it ricocheted off the door of the limousine and hit the president in the chest. Three people were injured, his press secretary James Brady , who became paralyzed, the police officer Thomas Delahanty and Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy. Although in a “critical condition” during the operation 102 , Reagan recovered and left hospital on April 11 103 . The assassination attempt had a great influence on the president’s popularity, polls indiquèrent approval levels about 73% 104 . Reagan believed that God had spared his life so he can achieve great things 105 .
Air traffic controllers strike

Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan greet King Juan Carlos I of Spain and Queen Sofia in October 1981.
Main article: Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization .
In the summer of 1981, PATCO, the union of federal air traffic controllers went on strike U.S., violating a federal law prohibiting the right to strike for government unions 106 . Involving the provision of the emergency of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, Reagan declared that if the air traffic controllers “do not return to work in less than 48 hours, they have lost their jobs and will be laid off 107 “. Reagan began his threat and he fired the 11,345 controllers who were still on strike on August 5 and they were replaced by military controllers. The latter continued to manage the civilian traffic until the new controllers are trained 108 . As a reference in the field of Public Service, explained, “the dismissal of PATCO employees do not only demonstrated the continued commitment of the President to take control of the bureaucracy but also sent a clear message to private sector unions were no longer to fear 109 “.
Economic Policy
Main article: Reaganomics .
During the last year in office Jimmy Carter (1980), inflation was 12.5% ​​on average, in comparison it was 4.4% during the last years of the Reagan presidency (1988) 110 . The Reagan administration, the unemployment rate rose from 7.4% to 5.4% but reached peaks at 10.8% and 10.4% in 1982 and in 1983 he was an average of 7.5% during the eight years 111 112 .

Official portrait of Ronald Reagan.
Reagan applied policies based on a supply-side economics and favored the philosophies of liberalism and laissez-faire 113 seeking to stimulate the economy with large tax cuts 114 115 . He also sought to return to some form of gold standard and he pushed Congress to establish a commission on gold to study its implementation. Citing the economic theories of Arthur Laffer , Reagan tax cuts introduced as potential drivers of the economy thus expanding the tax base, lower level of taxation would be offset by the fact that more people are paying taxes, this idea was formalized by the Laffer curve . The Reaganomics was the subject of intense debate among his supporters who showed improvements in some economic indicators as evidence of success and critics who anticipated huge increases in the deficit and debt. His policy of ” peace through strength “(also known as” firm but fair “) resulted in a significant increase in military spending, which increased 40% between 1981 and 1985 116 .
During Reagan’s presidency, federal taxes on income were significantly reduced by the signing of the bipartisan law the Economic Recovery Tax Act in 1981 of one hundred seventeen taxes which sent the highest bracket from 70% to 50% and those in the lowest bracket from 14% to 11%, but other tax increases passed by the Democratic Congress passed and Reagan did as income related to income taxes accounted for 18.2% of federal revenues during his presidency compared to 18.1% during the previous forty years 118 . In 1982, the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982 signed by Reagan initiated one of the first public / private partnerships and played an important role in job creation program of the president. The Reagan’s labor secretary, Al Angrisani, was one of the main architects of the law. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 , another bipartisan legislation promoted by Reagan reduced the taxation of the highest bracket of 28% while increasing that of the lowest bracket from 11% to 15% and reducing the number of four slices. Conversely, each year Congress passed tax increases of different types which were signed by the President to continue to fund government programs such as the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA), Social Security and the Deficit Reduction Act 1984 (DEFRA) 119 120 . Although the TEFRA was the “largest tax increase in peacetime in the United States,” Reagan is best known for his tax cuts and his philosophy of low taxes 120 121 122 123 . Growth of gross domestic product (GDP) was stronger after the recession of the early 1980s and in 1982 the United States experienced an average growth of 3.85% per year during the eight years of the Reagan 124 . The unemployment rate reached a maximum of 10.8% in December 1982, the highest rate since the Great Depression , before falling during the two terms of Reagan 125 . Sixteen million new jobs were created, while inflation was considerably reduced 126 . The net effect of all the tax laws of the Reagan era was a 1% decline in government revenues compared to estimates from the Treasury Department 127 . However, federal revenues from income tax rose from 308.7 billion to 549 billion dollars between 1980 and 1989 128 .
During the Reagan presidency, federal revenues increased at an average of 8.2% per year (2.5% coming from broader income security sociable) and expenses increased at a rate of 7.1% 129 130 . Reagan also revised the tax law with the law the bipartisan Tax Reform Act of 1986 131 .

Reagan giving a speech on television from the Oval Office to present its plan to reduce tax in July 1981.
Reagan’s policies were based on the idea that economic growth would occur when tax levels are low enough to encourage investment 132 , it would allow greater economic growth and higher employment levels and wage . Critics désignèrent this idea by the name of trickle in which the wealth of the highest-income benefit the poorest 133 . The question arose whether Reagan’s policies providing for more rich than the poor 134 and many poor and minority saw Reagan as indifferent to their suffering 134 . This view was exacerbated by the fact that the economic policies of Reagan included a freeze on the minimum wage to $ 3.35 per hour, lower federal grants to local governments by 60%, half of the division of the budget for social housing and deletion of housing assistance programs for the poorest 135 .
Continuing its policy of reducing government, Reagan reduced the budgets of all programs unrelated to defense sector 136 137 as Medicaid , and food stamps , federal education programs 136 and EPA 138 . While protecting programs such as Social Security and Medicare 139 , his administration tried to oust many disabled lists of social security 140 .
The Reagan administration’s position vis-à-vis the credit industry contributed to the crisis of the savings banks 141 . It was also argued by a minority of Reaganomics critics, these policies have partially influenced the crash of October 1987 142 but there is no consensus on the issue 143 . To cover new federal deficits, the United States borrowed heavily outside and inside, which increased the public debt of 997 billion to $ 2 850 000 000 000 144 . Reagan described the new debt as the “biggest disappointment” of his presidency 126 .
He renamed Paul Volcker to the direction of the Federal Reserve and in 1987 he appointed the economist Alan Greenspan to succeed him. Reagan ended the price controls on oil that had contributed to the energy crisis of early 1970 145 146 . The gas prices collapsed and the 1980s saw not repeat the gasoline shortages of the 1970s 147 . Some economists, like Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman and Robert Mundell advanced that tax policies of Reagan strengthened the U.S. economy and contributed to the economic boom of the 1990s 148 . Other economists such as Nobel Prize Robert Solow advanced that deficits were a major reason why Reagan’s successor, George HW Bush abandoned his campaign promise and raised taxes 148 .
Lebanon and Grenada
Main articles: Assassination of Drakkar and Invasion of Grenada .

Reagan meets with Prime Minister Eugenia Charles of Dominica in the Oval Office during the events in Grenada.
The U.S. peacekeepers in Beirut belonging to a multinational force during the Lebanon War deployed by Reagan were victims of an attack Oct. 23, 1983. A truck bomb exploded at the U.S. base at the Beirut airport, killing 241 American soldiers and wounding 60 others. Reagan sent a team to the White House led by Vice President George HW Bush on the site four days later. Reagan termed the attack an “odious”, asked to maintain a military force in Lebanon and planned to target the Sheik Abdullah barracks in Baalbek that served as training base for fighters of Hezbollah 149 150 but the mission of Peacekeeping was subsequently canceled. February 7, 1984, President Reagan ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Lebanon. Osama bin Laden cited the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Lebanon as a sign of U.S. weakness 151 .
On 25 October 1983, Reagan ordered the invasion of the island of Grenada in the Caribbean where a coup in 1979 had brought to power a government Marxist-Leninist . A formal request for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) led to U.S. involvement in Operation Urgent Fury. Reagan cited the threat posed by Soviet-Cuban influence in the Caribbean and the threat to hundreds of American students of the University of Saint George to justify his intervention. This was the first major military operation led by the United States since the Vietnam War , the fighting lasted several days and the communist government was overthrown 152 priced at 19 killed and 116 wounded on the American side 153 . In mid-December, U.S. forces withdrew after the appointment of a new government 152 .
Escalation of the Cold War
Main articles: Cold War and War cool .
Reagan revived the Cold War by withdrawing from political relaxation following the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in 1979 154 . Reagan ordered a massive strengthening of the armed forces of U.S. 116 and applied new policies toward the Soviet Union: he raised the program’s Rockwell B-1 Lancer , which was canceled by the Carter administration and started production of the MX missile 155 . In response to the deployment of missiles by the Soviet SS-20 , Reagan oversaw the deployment of Pershing missiles of NATO in West Germany 156 .

In the first speech of an American president in the United Kingdom Parliament , Reagan predicted that Marxism-Leninism will be left on the “ash heap of history 157 “.
In agreement with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , Reagan denounced the Soviet Union in ideological terms 158 . In a famous speech to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in the Royal Gallery of the Palace of Westminster , Reagan declared that the “forward march of freedom and democracy will leave the Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history 159 160 “. March 3, 1983, he predicted that communism would collapse and advanced that “communism is another sad chapter in the strange history whose last pages are being written 161 “. In a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals March 8, 1983, Reagan labeled the Soviet Union as an ” evil empire 162 “.
After the destruction of Korean Airlines Flight 007 by Soviet fighters near the island Moneron the 1 st September 1983 which provoked the death of 269 people, including Congressman Larry McDonald , Reagan called it the act of “massacre” and declared that Soviets “had turned against the world and moral principles that guide human relations 163 . The Reagan administration responded to the incident by suspending all commercial flights between the two countries and trade agreements under negotiation 163 . The failures of the navigation system of flight 007 were accused of having contributed to the incident and in response, asked Reagan September 16, 1983 that the Global Positioning System is available free for civilian use to prevent other navigation errors 164 165 .
Under a policy which was called Reagan Doctrine , Reagan and his administration put in place a formal or covert aid to groups of guerrilla anti-communists to ” suppress “the governments supported by Moscow in Africa, Asia and Latin America 166 . Reagan displayed the Special Activities Division of the CIA in Afghanstan and Pakistan. They played an important role in training, equipment and direction of the mujahideen against the Soviet army 167 168 . The covert program of President Reagan was credited for helping to end the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan 169 even if the arms provided by the United States proved a threat in the War in Afghanistan in the 2000s 170 . However, Reagan ended the policy of providing arms to Taiwan set up by the Carter administration to fight against the threat of Communist China 171 .
In March 1983, Reagan introduced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) providing for the establishment of ground systems and space to protect the U.S. from a penthouse ICBMs 172 173 . Reagan believed that the missile shield would make nuclear war impossible to 172 174 but uncertainties about the feasibility of such a project led his opponents to the initiative dubbed “Star Wars” and that they advanced technology goals were unrealistic 172 . The Soviets worried about the possible effects of the IDS 175 , the First Secretary Yuri Andropov declared that she “would jeopardize the world 176 “. For these reasons, David Gergen, former aide to President Reagan, believes in retrospect that the SDI hastened the end of the Cold War 177 .
Critics have accused the Reagan foreign policy to be aggressive, imperialistic and “warmongering” but it was supported by American conservatives who felt it was necessary to protect the interests of U.S. 175 .
Presidential election of 1984 [ modify ]
Main article: United States presidential election of 1984 .

Results of the presidential election of 1984 with states won by Reagan in red , and those won by Mondale in blue .
Reagan accepted the Republican nomination in Dallas , Texas and was raised among others by the good health of the U.S. economy and the dominance of the United States in Olympic Games in Los Angeles who were still boycotted by Communist bloc countries 178 .
The Democratic opponent of Reagan during the U.S. presidential election of 1984 was former Vice President Walter Mondale . Given the age of Reagan and his poor performance in the first televised debate, his ability to assume the presidential powers for another term were questioned. His behavior apparently confused and distracted was clear to his supporters who had known clever and witty. Rumors of Alzheimer’s disease began to circulate 179 180 . Reagan rebounded in the second debate and faced questions about his age, he declared “I would not of age an issue in this campaign. I would tap it, for political reasons, the youth and inexperience of my opponent “; this statement earned him applause from many in the room and even laughter from Mondale 181 .
In November, Reagan won 49 of the 50 U.S. states 182 . During the election , Mondale did not reach the top in his home state of Minnesota (with only 3800 votes) and Washington DC. Reagan won 525 Electoral College votes, more than any other candidate in American history 183 and his lead in the popular vote was 18% 182 .
Second term, 1985-1989
Reagan took the oath a second time January 20, 1985, in a private ceremony at the White House . As January 20 was a Sunday, a public ceremony was not held but the next day took place in the Rotunda of the Capitol. January 21 was one of the coldest days ever recorded in Washington with -20 ° C in the morning, due to bad weather, the celebrations were held in the Capitol. In the weeks that followed, he modified his administration in part, the chief of staff of the White House James Baker and Treasury Secretary Donald Regan exchanged their functions 184 184 .

Ronald Reagan takes the oath for a second term in the Capitol Rotunda.
In 1985, Reagan visited a German military cemetery at Bitburg to lay a wreath with West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl . The cemetery, however, welcomed the graves of 49 members of the Waffen-SS . Reagan delivered a press release detailing the Nazi soldiers as “victims”, a designation that sparked the controversy over the fact that Reagan had put the SS men on the same plane as the victims of the Holocaust , Pat Buchanan , the director of the communication Reagan did what he had defended approximation 185 . Now hard pressed to cancel the visit 186 , the President said it would be inappropriate to reverse a promise made ​​to Chancellor Kohl. He eventually attended the ceremony where two generals laid a wreath 187 .
The accident of the Space Shuttle Challenger January 28, 1986 proved a crucial moment in the Reagan presidency. The seven astronauts aboard were killed 188 . The night of the disaster, Reagan delivered a speech written by Peggy Noonan , in which he declared:
“The future does not belong to the timid, it belongs to the brave … We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them this morning, when they prepared their trip and said goodbye and “broke ties with the hard earth to touch the face of the Creator 189 “. ”
War on Drugs
Main article: War on Drugs .
In the middle of his second term, Reagan launched more ambitious policies in the war against drugs. He declared that “drugs threatening our society” and promised to fight for schools and workplaces drug-free, expansion of drug dependence treatment, bans on consumption and greater public information 190 191 .
In 1986, Reagan signed a law implementing releasing $ 1.7 billion for the war against drugs and establishing a mandatory minimum sentence for drug related offenses 192 . The law was criticized because it promoted significant racial disparities in prison populations 192 and detractors advanced that the policies had little impact on the availability of drugs while being a financial burden on U.S. 193 . Proponents of the legislation pointèrent the success achieved in reducing adolescent use 194 195 .
The first lady Nancy Reagan made ​​the war against drugs its top priority by launching an education campaign Just Say No to discourage children and teenagers to touch drugs. Reagan went to City 65 in 33 states to warn youth about the dangers of drugs and alcohol 196 .
Bombing of Libya
Main article: Operation El Dorado Canyon .
Relations between Libya and the United States were strained continuously throughout the term of Reagan. An incident air above the Gulf of Sirte in 1981 was the first in a series of clashes between the two countries. In 1982, Gaddafi was considered by the CIA as belonging with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and Cuban leader Fidel Castro to the “unholy trinity” and was described as “public enemy number one international” by a CIA official 197 . A bombing at a nightclub in Berlin April 11, 1986 that killed a U.S. soldier and wounded 63 American military personnel revived tensions 198 . Stating that there was “irrefutable evidence” that Libya had directed the “terrorist attack”, Reagan ordered the use of force against that country 198 . On the evening of April 15, 1986, the United States launched air strikes on ground targets in Libya 198 199 . British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher allowed the U.S. Air Force to use British bases to launch attacks in showing that the UK supported the U.S. right to defend itself under Article 51 of the Charter of UN 199 . The attack was intended to end the “capacity [Qaddafi] to export terrorism” by offering “incentives and reasons to stop his criminal conduct 198 “. The president addressed the nation from the Oval Office after the attacks began by stating that “when our citizens are attacked or abused anywhere in the world on the direct orders of hostile regimes, we will respond as long as I am according 199 “. From the beginning of 1981, Reagan called it Kadhafi “mad dog of the Middle East” 200 and considered him public enemy number one 201 .
Immigration
Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 making it illegal hiring of illegal immigrants , required employers to attest to the citizenship of their employees and granted amnesty to about three million illegal immigrants who had entered United States before 1 st January 1982 and stayed there continuously since. Critics advanced that sanctions against employers were limited and would not reduce illegal immigration 202 . At the signing of the law, at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, recently restored, Reagan declared, “the legalization provisions of this law will greatly improve the life of this class of individuals to hide in the shadows without access to the benefits of a free and open society. Soon these men and women can go out into the open and ultimately, if they want to become Americans 203 . ” Reagan also said, “sanctions against employers are a key element of the law. They will remove the incentive for illegal immigration by eliminating the jobs that attract foreigners here 203 “.
Iran-Contra affair
Main article: Iran-Contra Affair .

President Reagan receives the Tower Commission report in the Cabinet Room of the White House, 1987.
In 1986, the Reagan administration was hit by a scandal involving the sale of unofficial arms to Iran to fund the Contras of Nicaragua , yet that funding had been specifically prohibited by Congress 204 205 . The Iran-Contra affair became the largest political scandal in the U.S. in the 1980s 206 . The international court of justice , whose authority to try the case was contested 207 , states that the U.S. had violated international law in Nicaragua as they had pledged not to interfere in the affairs of other states 208 .
President Reagan said he was not aware of the case. He appointed two Republicans and one Democrat ( John Tower , Brent Scowcroft and Edmund Muskie ) in the “Tower Commission” to investigate the scandal. The commission found no direct evidence that Reagan had prior knowledge of the program but it has strongly criticized for its withdrawal from the management team that had allowed the diversion of funds 209 . A separate report of the Congress concluded that “if the president did not know what his advisers were on defense, he should have 209 . ” Reagan’s popularity rose from 67 to 46% in less than a week, the biggest drop for any American president 210 . The scandal led to the trial of fourteen people in the entourage of President and eleven of them were sentenced 211 .
Many inhabitants of Central America criticized Reagan for his support to the Contras, calling it anti-communist zealot and insensitive to violations of human rights while others argue that he “saved Central America 212 ” . Daniel Ortega , former head of the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and now predict, said he hoped God forgive Reagan for his “dirty war against Nicaragua 212 “. In 1986, the United States were convicted of war crimes against Nicaragua by the International Court of Justice 213 .
End of the Cold War

Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate of Berlin Wall challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”.
In early 1980, the USSR had set up an army and a military arsenal that surpassed the United States. Previously, the Americans relied on the technological superiority of their arms for essentially worry the Soviets but the gap narrowed 214 . After strengthening the defense by Reagan, the Soviet Union did not develop its military capabilities 215 ; the huge military expenditures associated with the planned economy and the planned agriculture was a major burden for the Soviet economy 216 . Meanwhile, the Reagan Administration persuaded Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production 217 which provoked a collapse of oil prices in 1985 fell to one-third of previous levels, oil was a major Exports from the Soviet Union 216 . These factors led to a stagnation of the Soviet economy during the term of Gorbachev 216 .
Reagan recognized the change in orientation of the Soviet leadership with the arrival of Mikhail Gorbachev and attempted to encourage the Soviet leader to negotiate disarmament 218 . Reagan took the view that his mission was to create a “world free of nuclear weapons” which he saw as “totally irrational, totally inhumane, good for nothing except to kill and possibly destructive of life on Earth and civilization 219 220 221 . Gorbachev and Reagan organized four conferences on disarmament between 1985 and 1988: the first in Geneva , the second in Reykjavik , the third in Washington DC and the fourth in Moscow 222 . Reagan believed that if he could convince the Soviets to allow more democracy and greater freedom of speech, this would lead to reform and the end of communism 223 .
In a speech before the Berlin Wall June 12, 1987, Reagan declared:
“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe is, if you seek liberalization, come to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! ”

Reagan and Gorbachev sign the INF Treaty at the White House in 1987.
Before Gorbachev’s visit to Washington DC for the third summit in 1987, the Soviet leader announced his intention to sign an agreement for a major disarmament 224 . The time of the announcement led Western diplomats suggest that Gorbachev realized significant concessions in nuclear and conventional arms and its policies in Eastern Europe 224 . The two men signed the INF Treaty at the White House, the agreement eliminated the entire class of intermediate-range ballistic missiles that had been the cause of the crisis of European missiles in the early 1980s 225 . Reagan and Gorbachev laid the foundation of the Treaty START I , which was signed in the early 1990s 220 .
When Reagan visited Moscow for the fourth summit in 1988, he was considered a celebrity by the Soviets. A reporter asked him if he still considered the Soviet Union as an evil empire, he replied “No, I meant another time, another era 226 “. At the request of Gorbachev, Reagan gave a lecture on the open market at the Moscow State University 227 . In his autobiography, An American Life , Reagan expressed his optimism about the new direction they had drawn and his friendship with Gorbachev 228 . In November 1989 the Berlin Wall was shot down, the Cold War officially ended 3 December 1989 at a summit in Malta 229 and the Soviet Union disappeared two years later.
Health
From the beginning of his presidency, Reagan began wearing a hearing aid , initially in the right ear 230 and thereafter in both ears 231 . His decision to publish in 1983 his hearing difficulties and use of hearing aids led to a sharp increase in sales 232 .
On July 13, 1985, Reagan underwent surgery at the Bethesda Naval Hospital to remove a polyp from his cancerous colon . He delegated presidential powers to Vice President for eight hours using a procedure similar to the XXV th Amendment he refused to invoke 233 . The operation lasted just three hours and was successful 234 ; Reagan took over the presidential powers later in the day 235 . In August of that year, he underwent another operation to remove cancerous tissue from his nose 236 . In October, other cancerous tissues were identified and removed his nose 237 .
In January 1987, Reagan underwent surgery for a swollen prostate that caused concerns about his health. However, no cancerous tissue was found and he was not asleep during the operation 238 . In July 1987 he underwent a third operation to remove cancer cells from his nose 239 .
Judicial appointments
During his 1980 campaign, Reagan promised that if he had the chance, he would appoint a woman to the Supreme Court of the United States 240 . The opportunity came the first year in office and he appointed Sandra Day O’Connor to replace Potter Stewart who was retiring. During his second term, Reagan appointed William Rehnquist to succeed Warren Burger as Chief Justice and chooses Antonin Scalia to fill the vacancy. Reagan nominated conservative jurist Robert Bork to the Supreme Court in 1987. Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts opposed the appointment and much controversy ensued 241 . Bork’s nomination was rejected by 58 votes against 42 242 . Reagan then proposed Douglas Ginsburg Ginsburg but withdrew after being attacked for its consumption of cannabis 243 . Anthony Kennedy was eventually called 244 . In addition to his three appointments to the Supreme Court, Reagan appointed 83 judges to the federal appellate courts of the United States and 290 judges to the district courts of the United States .
Reagan also appointed Vaughn R. Walker , who later revealed to be the first federal judge homosexual 245 , the District Court for the Central District of California. However, his appointment failed in the Senate and Walker was not confirmed before being selected again by Reagan’s successor, George HW Bush 246 .
Retirement, 1989-2004

Ronald and Nancy Reagan in Los Angeles in the early 1990s.
After leaving the White House in 1989, the Reagan bought a home in Bel Air in Los Angeles in addition to the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara . They regularly attended the offices of the Presbyterian Church of Bel Air 247 and sometimes appeared on behalf of the Republican Party, Reagan gave a remarkable speech at the Republican convention of 1992 248 . November 4, 1991, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was dedicated and opened to the public. At the ceremony, five presidents were in attendance as well as six first ladies, he agisait the first five presidents were in the same place 249 . Reagan spoke publicly in favor of expanding the presidential veto; for the Brady Law on the Control of Firearms named after James Brady who was shot during the assassination attempt against Reagan 250 ; for an amendment requiring the vote of a balanced budget, and for the repeal of XXII th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States on the number of presidential terms 251 . In 1992, Reagan introduced the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award with the new Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation 252 . He gave his last public speech February 3, 1994 during a tribute in his honor in Washington DC and he made ​​his last major public appearance at the funeral of Richard Nixon April 27, 1994.
Alzheimer’s disease
Announcement and reaction
In August 1994, at the age of 83 years, Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 253 , a neurodegenerative disease incurable tissue brain that causes progressive and irreversible loss of mental functions including the memory 253 254 . In November, he publicly announced his illness in a handwritten letter 253 in which he wrote:
“I was recently announced that I was one of those millions of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease … Right now I feel good. I intend to live the remaining years that God has given me on this Earth to do the things I always do … I will now begin the journey that will lead me in the twilight of my life. I know that for America there will always be a radiant dawn. Thank you my friends. God bless you 255 . ”
After the announcement, he received numerous messages of support in his home in California 256 but there was also speculation that he was dying from the disease when he was president 257 . In his memoirs, the former corresponding to the White House to CBS , Lesley Stahl , said of his last meeting with the president in 1986: “Reagan did not seem to know who he was … I thought it was crazy . I was going to tell my countrymen that the president of the United States was completely in the west “. The President, however, regained his lucidity at the end of the interview. As she wrote, “I was in it to report that Reagan was senile 258 “. However, Dr. Lawrence K. Altman, a physician working as a journalist for the New York Times noted that “the distinction between mere forgetfulness and early Alzheimer’s may be blurred 259 “and the four doctors from Reagan to the White House declared that n ‘ There were no signs of illness during his presidency 259 Dr. John E. Hutton, Reagan’s physician from 1984 to 1989, argued that the president had “absolutely no signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s 259 “. Reagan was the victim of occasional memory lapses, especially with the names 259 . At a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone , he made ​​several references to the Vice President Bush as the “Premier Bush 260 “. Physicians Reagan noted, however, it began to show symptoms of the disease towards the end of the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-two 261 or 1,993 259 , several years after leaving office. His former Chief of Staff James Baker considered “ludicrous” the idea of Reagan sleeping during cabinet meetings 262 . Other team members, former assistants and friends said they had seen no evidence suggesting that the president was suffering from Alzheimer’s 259 .

The Reagans with a model of the USS Ronald Reagan in May 1996. On the left is the CEO of Newport News Shipbuilding , Bill Fricks.
To complicate the issue Reagan suffered a head injury in July 1989, five years before diagnosis. After falling from his horse in Mexico, one subdural hematoma is formed and underwent surgery later in the year 253 254 . Nancy Reagan assured that the fall of her husband in 1989 accelerated the onset of Alzheimer’s disease 254 citing what doctors had told him 254 even though it is uncertain whether a head injury is a cause of onset Alzheimer’s or dementia 263 264 . One of Reagan’s doctors, Dr. Daniel Huge, said it was possible but not certain that the riding accident has affected the memory of Reagan 265 .
Progression
Over time, the disease slowly destroyed Reagan’s mental capacity 259 . He could recognize a few people including his wife Nancy 259 . He remained active, however, he was walking in parks and beaches near his home, and regularly played golf until 1999, he often went to his office near Century City 259 .
Reagan fell at his home in Bel Air January 13, 2001 and broke his hip 266 . The fracture was operated the next day 267 and then Reagan 89 years old returned home late in the week even though it is a difficult home rehabilitation 268 . February 6, 2001, Reagan celebrated his 90 th birthday becoming the third president to reach this age (the other two being John Adams and Herbert Hoover , Gerald Ford reached 90 years July 14, 2003) 269 . Reagan’s public appearances became less frequent and his family decided he would live in a quiet semi-isolation with his wife Nancy. She told Larry King in 2001 that few visitors were allowed to see her husband because she felt that “Ronnie wanted people to remember him as he was 270 “. After the diagnosis of his illness and death of her husband, Nancy Reagan became an advocate of stem cell research and urged the Congress and President George W. Bush to fund such studies, to which Bush objected. In 2009, she praised President Barack Obama for lifting the ban 271 . Nancy Reagan said she thought it would get treatment against Alzheimer’s 272 .
Death

Ronald Reagan’s coffin was taken to the Capitol in Washington DC
Reagan died of pneumonia 273 at his home in Bel Air, California in the afternoon of June 5, 2004 274 . Shortly after her death, Nancy Reagan delivered an ad that says “My family and I want the world to know that President Ronald Reagan died after ten years of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 93. We will be sensitive to the prayers of everyone 274 “. President George W. Bush decreed that June 11 would be a day of national mourning 275 and tributes poured in from around the world 276 . Reagan’s body was taken in the afternoon in the Kingsley and Gates Funeral Home in Santa Monica where supporters paid homage to him 277 . On June 7, his body was moved to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library , where a brief private ceremony was held. The coffin was displayed in the lobby of the library until June 9, more than 100,000 people filed past his body 278 . On June 9, Reagan’s body was taken to Washington DC where he was placed in the Capitol Rotunda; 104,684 people filed past his body during the 34 hours of attendance 279 .
June 11, a state funeral presided over by President George W. Bush were held in the Washington National Cathedral . Of eulogies were given by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher 280 , former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and the two Presidents Bush. Mikhail Gorbachev , British Prime Minister Tony Blair , German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder , Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi , the former French president Valery Giscard D’Estaing and the Presidents Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, and Ghazi al-Yawer of Iraq assisèrent the ceremony. But the absence of President Chirac, who had often met in the 1980s, was also noticed and criticized by the American press.
After the funeral, the family returned to the Reagan Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, where another ceremony was held during which President Reagan was interred 281 . At the time of his death, President Reagan was the oldest in U.S. history with 93 years and 120 days (2 years, 8 months and 23 days longer than John Adams that he beat longevity). It is now the second oldest president since Gerald Ford lived 45 days longer and it is the first to be dead at XXI th century.
His tomb bears the inscription “I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always triumph and that there is an objective and value all life” recalling the words he uttered during the inauguration of the library 282 .
Inheritance

Ronald Reagan in 1976 at his home in Rancho del Cielo.
Since the end of Reagan’s presidency in 1989, Reagan’s legacy is the source of intense debate among historians, scholars and the general public. His supporters point to the economy more efficient and successful policies that emerged from the Reaganomics 283 , his successes in foreign policy whose peaceful end of the Cold War 284 and a restoration of pride and morale of U.S. 97 . Critics respond that Reagan’s economic policies have led to large budget deficits 126 , an increase in social inequality and an increase in precarious 135 and U.S. credibility has been weakened as a result of the Iran-Contra affair 285 . Despite the debates, Reagan is considered one of the most popular presidents in opinion polls 286 .
The opinions on the legacy of Reagan among journalists and policy makers are also varied. Edwin Feulner , president of the Heritage Foundation said that Reagan “helped create a safer world and more free” and that its economic policies ” it has found an American open ‘malaise’ … and it has allowed its citizens believe again in the future 287 . ” However, Mark Weisbrot , co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research replied that “economic policies [Reagan] was essentially a failure 288 “while that Howard Kurtz ‘s Washington Post opined that Reagan “was a well- most controversial in its time that it can not suggest that generally laudatory obituaries television 289 . ”
Despite the debate on his legacy, many conservative and liberal scholars agree that Reagan was the most influential president since Franklin D. Roosevelt and he left his mark on policy, diplomacy, culture and the American economy. Since leaving the presidency, historians reached a consensus 290 , summarized by the British historian MJ Heale, that rehabilitated the Reagan conservatism, the country turned to the right, performed a very pragmatic conservatism équilibrait ideology and political constraints, has renewed faith in the presidency and the respect of Americans for themselves and contributed to victory in the Cold War 291 .
Cold War
The Cold War had dominated world diplomacy for more than four decades, but the opposition between the two superpowers had dramatically weakened at the end of the Reagan 292 . The important role of Reagan in the end of the Cold War has led to debate controversial and opinionated 293 294 295 . That Reagan has been instrumental in the downfall of the Soviet Union is a fact accepted collectively but many consider that the defense policies of Reagan, his aggressive rhetoric against the USSR and communism and summits with Gorbachev played a significant role in the end of the Cold War 134 218 .

President Ronald Reagan (left) and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev meet in 1985.
He was convinced that the Soviet Union could be defeated and it was not necessary to negotiate with 218 , a conviction which was justified by Gennadi Gerasimov, the spokesman of Foreign Affairs of Gorbachev declared that the IDS was a “very successful blackmail … The Soviet economy could not withstand such competition 296 “. The harsh rhetoric of Reagan to the nation had mixed effects; Jeffery W. Knopf notes that being called a “demon” probably did not affect the Soviets but he encouraged the citizens of Eastern Europe to oppose communism 218 . Others argue, however, that the internal weaknesses of communism was so great that the Soviet Union would have collapsed regardless of the person in the Oval Office 218 . The containment policy of President Harry Truman is also considered one of the causes of the fall of the USSR and the War in Afghanistan has certainly undermined the Soviet system from the inside 294 .
Gorbatechv said about the role of his former rival in the Cold War: “[It was] a man who played a key role in ending the Cold War 297 “and considers him” a great president 297 “. Gorbachev acknowledges no winners or losers in the war but a peaceful end, he said he was not intimidated by the aggressive rhetoric of Reagan 298 . Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of UK , said Reagan, “he warned that the Soviet Union had an insatiable desire of military power … but he felt it was also plagued by its inability to reform 299 “. She said later, “Ronald Reagan, more than any other leader can claim to have won the Cold War for liberty and he did it without firing a single shot 300 . ” According to Brian Mulroney , former Prime Minister of Canada , “he went down in history as a powerful and spectacular player [in the Cold War] 301 . ” Former President of Poland Lech Walesa admitted that “Reagan was a leader who contributed greatly to the collapse of communism 302 “.
Political legacy
Ronald Reagan reshaped the Republican Party, led to the birth of the modern conservative movement and changed the political dynamics of U.S. 303 . More people voted Republican under Reagan and it pierced among religious voters 303 . The so-called ” Reagan Democrats “were a result of his presidency 303 .
After leaving office, Reagan became an icon within the Republican party. Its policies and beliefs have been frequently cited by Republican presidential candidates since 1989 14 . The Republican primaries of 2008 were no exception as the candidates tried to assimilate him, and employed even his campaign strategies 304 . John McCain frequently advanced that he arrived at his post as a “soldier of the Reagan Revolution 305 “. Finally Reagan’s famous statement that “government is not the solution to our problems, government is the problem” became the unofficial slogan of conservative commentators like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh as well as the Tea Party 135 .
Political and cultural image
According to columnist Chuck Raasch, “Reagan transformed the American Presidency in a way that few others could do 306 . He redrew the political agenda of the period, advocated a reduction in taxes, a conservative economic policy and a strengthening of military power 307 . Its role in the Cold War still improved its image different leader 308 309 . His “benevolent style, optimistic and behavior of ordinary person” also allowed him to transform the “bashing in a form Art 135 “.
Reagan’s approval rate
Date Event Approval (%) Disapproval (%)
March 30, 1981 Assassination attempt 73 19
January 22, 1983 High unemployment 42 54
April 26, 1986 Bombing of Libya 70 26
February 26, 1987 Iran-Contra affair 44 51
January 20, 1989 End of Presidency 64
n / a Average 57 39
July 30, 2001 (Retrospectively) 286 64 27
As President, Reagan was not the highest approval levels 310 but its popularity has increased since 1989. Polls Gallup with journalists in 2001 and 2007 placed him in first and second place in respect of the greatest presidents in history, in the third presidents of the postwar period in a Rasmussen poll of 2007 fifth in a study of ABC in 2000, ninth in another Rasmussen poll in 2009 and eighth in a poll of British newspaper The Times 2008 311 312 313 . In a study of Siena College with more than 200 historians, however, Reagan arrived in the sixteenth place on 42 314 315 . The annual survey of presidents of C-SPAN put Reagan in 2009 as the tenth greatest president in American history. A historical study of 2000 placed him in the eleventh 316 .
Reagan’s ability to get along with the American people 317 earned him the nickname of praise “Great Communicator 318 “. From this, Reagan commented, “I earned the nickname The Great Communicator. But I never thought it was my style that made ​​the difference, it was the content. I was not a great communicator but I communicated great things 319 “. Her age and her soft voice gave him a picture of grandfather friendly 320 321 322 .
Reagan also won the nickname “Teflon President” due to the fact that public opinion felt that her image was never tarnished by the scandals that spattered his administration 323 . According to Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder , who coined the phrase, and the reporter Howard Kurtz, the epithet referred to Reagan’s ability to “do almost all the bad things 323 and not having to suffer the consequences 317 324 ” .
The public response to Reagan have always been mixed, the old president was supported by young voters and began an alliance that led many to the Republican Party 325 . Reagan had little support from minorities and especially African Americans 183 who reproached him for his opposition to affirmative action policies 326 . Its support for Israel throughout his presidency won him the support of many Jewish-American and became the first Republican to win the Jewish vote 327 . He laid stress on family values ​​in his campaign and during his presidency even though he was the first president to be divorced 328 . The combination of Reagan’s skills as an orator, his unbridled patriotism, his negotiating skills, along with his skillful use of the media played an important role in defining the 1980s and in his future inheritance 329 .
Reagan was known for his taste for the joke for the humor he displayed during his presidency 330 and was famous for his skills as storyteller 331 . His many jokes and witticisms were described as “classic jokes” and “Legendary 332 “. One of his most famous jokes concerned the Cold War. In a test of his before his weekly address in August 1984, Reagan made ​​the following joke to test the microphone: “My fellow Americans, I am pleased to announce that I have today signed legislation that will Russia banned forever. We begin bombing in five minutes 333 . ” His former aide David Gergen commented, “It was the humor … I think that allowed people to focus on Reagan 177 . ”
Tributes
Reagan received many honors during his presidency and after. Following his election as president, Reagan recut the price Thayer of West Point Military Academy 334 .
In 1989, Reagan was knighted Honorary Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath , one of the highest honors British (it gave him the right to use the letters “GCB” at the end of its name but is not citizen of a Commonwealth realm , he could not be called “Sir Ronald Reagan”), George HW Bush is the only other U.S. president to have earned this privilege 335 . Reagan was also made ​​an honorary member of Keble College , Oxford. Japan awarded him the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum in 1989 and was the second U.S. president to receive this order and the first for personal reasons ( Dwight D. Eisenhower had received in honor of the relations between the two countries) 336 .

Former President Ronald Reagan returns to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George HW Bush in 1993.
On 18 January 1993, former Vice-President Reagan and President George HW Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the highest honor that can be granted by the President of the United States 337 . He also received the Republican Senatorial Medal of Freedom, the highest honor to be awarded by the Republican members of the Senate 338 .
The day of his 87 th birthday in 1998, the Washington National Airport was renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport by a decree signed by President Bill Clinton . The same year, the Ronald Reagan Building was inaugurated in Washington DC 339 . In 2001, the USS Ronald Reagan was christened by Nancy Reagan and the United States Navy . It is one of the few ships have been named in honor of a living person and the first aircraft carrier named after a former president still alive 340 .

A bronze statue of Reagan is in the Capitol rotunda of the United States in the National Statuary Hall Collection .
Congress authorized the creation of the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site in Dixon, Illinois in 2002 pending the purchase of land by the federal government 341 . May 16, 2002, Nancy Reagan accepted the Congressional Gold Medal , the highest honor that can be bestowed by Congress 342 .
Following the death of Reagan, the United States Postal Service delivered a commemorative stamp in 2005 343 . Later this year, CNN and the editors of TIME , named him the “most fascinating person” of the first 25 years of media 344 . Time Reagan also placed first among 100 most influential people of the XX th century 345 . Discovery Channel asked its viewers to vote for the greatest American in an informal survey 26 June 2005 and Reagan came out on top 346 .
In 2006, Reagan went into the California Hall of Fame Museum of California 347 . Each year since 2002, the governors of California Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger has proclaimed February 6 “Ronald Reagan Day” in the state of California in honor of their most famous predecessor 348 . In 2010, Schwarzenegger signed a law making every February 6, the Ronald Reagan Day in California 349 .
In 2007, Polish President Lech Kaczyński conferred posthumously to Reagan the highest Polish distinction, the Order of the White Eagle , saying that Reagan inspired the Polish people to work for change and helped topple the repressive communist regime ; Kaczyński said it “would not have been possible without the tenacity, determination and sense of mission of President Ronald Reagan.” Reagan supported the Polish nation throughout his presidency and supported the anti-communist Solidarity with Pope John Paul II 350 .
June 3, 2009, Nancy Reagan unveiled a statue of her late husband in the Capitol rotunda of the United States. The statue represents the state of California in the National Statuary Hall Collection . Following the death of Reagan, American political parties agreed to erect a statue of Reagan instead of that of Thomas Starr King 351 . The day before, President Obama signed the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act, establishing a commission to plan activities to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Reagan 352 .
The Independence Day of 2011 saw the unveiling of a statue of Reagan this time in London outside the U.S. embassy in Grosvenor Square . The unveiling was to be attended by Nancy Reagan, but she did not attend, the former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice replaced it and read a statement on his behalf. The former British prime minister during the presidency of Reagan, Margaret Thatcher , did not attend the ceremony either because of a frail 353 .

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This is not the first Amnesty bill or attempt to secure our borders by the U.S. government. In 1986 under Ronald Reagan they gave 2.7 million illegal aliens amnesty and charged the companies that hired illegals fines which were up to a million dollars. Then in 1996 under Clinton they tried to secure our border with sensors, increase in border guards, and a fence ( the fence only turned out to be 40 miles long ). Now they are trying to give amnesty to 12 million illegal immigrants and "secure our borders" with this new bill.

Obviously the attempts in 1986 and 1996 did not work. So, what makes people think this bill will work when it is doing the same thing?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/23/washington/23amnesty.html?ei=5088&en=ed7c0795b9f13882&ex=1306036800&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1182535931-/y2GAiYhdcGCaJQYVqrJzQ

http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/interactive-timeline.html

Ok, Petey. Instead of us just giving amnesty again and again why don’t we just focus on really securing our borders. Build a fence that actually goes across the entire border. Then start deporting illegal after the fence is build so they can’t come back.

It would be like if your boat is flooding with water. You don’t sit there and say, " well we can live with a foot of water, then two feet, then three feet". What you do is plug the damm hole that the water is coming from and then bail out the water that is already there.

NOT A CHANCE! It will make things much worse. It will bankrupt our country!

Illegal immigration has nothing to do with race, so put away the race card. This is about our laws. The illegals are criminals for breaking our laws!

That doesn’t even address the fact that our border problems will increase and the provisions are not enforceable. First we GIVE 20+ million illegals legal status. Then there’s the MILLIONS of family member that will get legal status. Don’t forget about the millions that will come and lie about when they arrived in the US.

Then there’s the kicker – the BILLIONS more that will come for the next round of amnesty. Do you really think that the current illegals will continue at their low paying jobs. They will become friends with the want ads to take more jobs away from Americans. Then the employers will scream that they can’t get workers and that they need more workers (AKA illegals)!

NO AMNESTY! ENFORCE OUR CURRENT LAWS! CRACK DOWN ON EMPLOYERS TO DRY UP THE JOB MARKET SO THESE CRIMINALS WILL SELF-DEPORT!

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im trying to do some research for a paper on the Cold War but i am having tooo much trouble finding all the dates for these events and putting then in order. please help me! they gave us one day to see if we are capable of completing a paper in that short time. CAN ANYONE PLEASE HELP ME GET DATES FOR THESE EVENTS AND PUT THEM IN ORDER?
•Mao Zedong’s takeover of China
•U-2 Spy Incident
•Marshall Plan
•Construction of the Berlin Wall
•Creation of Warsaw Pact
•Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of the USSR
•SALT I
•Collapse of the Soviet Union
•Berlin Airlift
•Truman Doctrine
•Creation of NATO
•NSC-68
•Nikita Khrushchev becomes leader of the USSR
•Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
•Ronald Reagan becomes president of the U.S.
•Fidel Castro becomes leader of Cuba
•Vietnam War
•Cuban Missile Crisis
•Korean War
•Berlin Blockade
•Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech
•Prague Spring
•Sputnik launched
•Fall of the Berlin Wall
•JFK becomes president of the U.S.

Thankss. thank you!!!

CHEATER!!! THIS IS FOR HUMANITIES CLASS!!! YOUR LYING ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT U DESCRIBED…WE RECIEVED THE ASSIGNMENT FRIDAY AND IT IS DUE TOMORROW!!! UR FAULT FOR PROCRASTINATIING!!! AND THERE IS NO RESEARCH PAPER!!!

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