Ronald Reagan is a president of the United States. He rises a wave of the New Right. Comes out of Hollywood and was CA governor Reagan was a democrat, but McCarthyism lead him Reagan was an FBI informer for McCarthyism investigations Reagan was the first two-term president since 1961, was able to maintain more power compared to others “The Great Communicator” Reagan politics “Government isn’t the solution to the problem, its the problem.” wished for limited politics states rights condemned welfare and “welfare cheats” (the undertone of racist appeal) Evangelical undertones, family values, moral majority Against affirmative action Supply-side economics: “getting rid of taxes will allow more people to spend” Anti-Soviet rhetoric Creates the largest increase in welfare spending, gutting about $1.5Bn. Reagan policy changes Lowering taxes: 70% of tax to 28% of taxes Increase defense budget: 1 trillion to 3 trillion Rising inequality, 1% controlled 40% of wealth (double from the 1970s) Reagan Foreign Policy Ronald Reagan creates the largest military build-up in history (larger than Korea and Vietnam.) Reasserted Command-in-Chief abilities Creates the National Security Council (for whom the ) Comitted the US to supporting the anti-Marxist insurrections around the world Credited with falling the USSR Supreme Court Interview Process A new interview process for the supreme court designed by Ronald Reagan, creating an extensive process to vet conservative. Reagan swapped out 50% of the Federal judicial process. Reagan’s Legacy Inflation dropped USSR Collapse Military complex expanded Incomes rose Inequality widened Welfare slashed Debt Concentrated power in the white house Centralized conservative agenda