History 2301E Lecture Notes - Lecture 35: John Hinckley Jr., Nancy Reagan, Political Evolution
2 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
April 10, 2018
Ronald Reagan and Beyond
➢ Reagan’s 80s
➢ The 1980 Election
o The moal majority
o Domestic concerns
➢ Regan’s foreign policy
o Afghanistan to 9/11
o Terrorism
o SDI and the Soviets
➢ America Post Reagan
Ronald Reagan, 1981-1989
- Reagan an unusual president
- Background
▪ Born in Illinois
▪ A radio announcer for major sport teams
• In the 1930s, brought him to Hollywood, California
• Booming during the great Depression
▪ Actor – first real career
• In Hollywood the politics and political evolution come into play
▪ SAG politics
• Became the head of union for Hollywood actors
• President of SAG during McCarhthy witchhunt
• Testified to HUAC as a friendly witness
• Had previously been a liberal democract, supporter of Roosevelt
AND New Deal
• A political shift to conservativism
▪ Nancy Davis
• Regan’s second wife
• Very rich and ultra-conservative policy
• Shifted Regan to the right
- Governor, 1966
o A conservative republican of California
o This is the 60s – have the hippies
- 1980 election
o Regan builds on this and gets the presidential nomination
- Assignation attempt, February 1981
o Gave a speech at a hotel in Washington DC
o Reagan shot in the rib cage
o John Hinckley, Jr. – not about politics (the shooter)
▪ Mentally disturbed young man
▪ 1970s went to film and watched Taxi Driver
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▪ Had watched a 13 year old child called Jodi Foster and he fell in love with
her
▪ Believed if he shot and killed the president, he’d become famous and
foster would fall in love
▪ About fame – shootings are creating a sick culture of celebrity
- Style
o Communicator
▪ Have to act and play the role of president
▪ Focusing on communication – how the actors sell their lines
▪ Could sell a policy and idea because of skills
o Intelligence questioned
▪ Problem: did he know what he was talking about – understanding
microeconomics, trade policy
▪ Public didn’t care because he sold it
▪ Nothing bad stuck to Reagan unlike Nixon and Clinton
o The Teflon President
The 1980 Election
Conservatives about small government when it comes to economics and welfare – no shifts to a
cultural definition
- The Moral Majority, 1979
o Jerry Falwell – created the moral majority, an organization
▪ A televangelist
▪ Angry at the liberalism of the 1960s, sexual liberalism, abortion debate,
gay rights, etc
▪ From this perspective, sees US as a nation of sinners – lost moral,
Christian founding
• Because of cultural shifts
o Bloc Voting
▪ Moral Majority important to 1980 election because they vote as a bloc
▪ Christian voters angry at cultural shift to vote republican – the bible belt
• A very effective political group
o Culture Wars
- Electoral college vs popular vote
Domestic Issues
Reagan does not get rid of major welfare state – still have old age employment
Believes in a free economy
- Voodoo economics
o Trickle down economics – wants the government out of business
o Take government out of regulating economy, will work well
▪ Good for capitalism – companies can prosper on their own
o Tax cuts – taking away major tax impositions on the wealthy
▪ Cut by almost 50% for the 1%
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o Theorietically: the rich with more income and money will spend it
▪ Buy cars (auto industry), resturants (hire chiefs,waiters), trips, etc
o Problem: this doesn’t work – doesn’t trickle down to the people who need it the
most
o Deregulation
▪ Banks, 1981 +
• Local/state banks during the 1930x, Roosevelt began to regulation
the banks
• Regan got rid of regulations
▪ Failures/closings
• Short term: bc no regulation, pops would up, people need money
and they in it would
• Longterm: 2008 recession – based on banking industry
o The origins of it
▪ Airtraffic controllers – a strenuous job
• Paid poverty wages
• Strike, 1981
o Reagan told them to go to work or they would also be fired
– they listened
o Brought in airforce
o Wanted to break unions
o Yuppies
▪ Wealth going to emerge
▪ Young, urban professionals
▪ Worked on wall street, long stressful hours but compensated for work
▪ All about work
o Poverty and homelessness
▪ Social security not increased by Nixon
▪ Difference between the 1960s
▪ Was not hidden
Domestic Issues
- The HIV/AIDS crisis first case in 1981
o Reporting an unusual cancer – thought it was a new disease
o Was deadly
o Spread through unprotected sex and sharing used needles
o Hollywood encompassed by HIV
- Regan’s policies
o Silence
▪ Did nothing about the epidemic
o 1984: 4177 cases, 1807 cases
o Anti-gay stigma
▪ A disease of marginalized group of people
- 1987 speech on AIDS
o AMFAR [E. Tylor]
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The 1980 election: the moal majority, domestic concerns. Regan"s foreign policy: afghanistan to 9/11, terrorism, sdi and the soviets. Background: born in illinois, a radio announcer for major sport teams. In the 1930s, brought him to hollywood, california: booming during the great depression, actor first real career. And new deal: a political shift to conservativism, nancy davis, regan"s second wife, very rich and ultra-conservative policy, shifted regan to the right. Governor, 1966: a conservative republican of california, this is the 60s have the hippies. 1980 election: regan builds on this and gets the presidential nomination. Conservatives about small government when it comes to economics and welfare no shifts to a cultural definition. Reagan does not get rid of major welfare state still have old age employment. The hiv/aids crisis first case in 1981: reporting an unusual cancer thought it was a new disease, was deadly, spread through unprotected sex and sharing used needles, hollywood encompassed by hiv.
