Ronald Reagan Achievements

Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States and he served two terms, from 1981-1989. He defeated Jimmy Carter in a landslide of four hundred eighty-nine electoral votes to forty-nine in the election (Reagan). His campaign phrase was “Are you better than you were four years ago? (Jones). Before he was president he was elected Governor of California by a margin of a million votes in 1966 and was re-elected in 1970. Reagan studied economics and sociology at Eureka College and became an American actor and politician. His term saw a restoration of prosperity at home, with the goal of achieving “peace through strength” abroad. Ronald Reagan impacted domestic economy, foreign policies, the Cold War, and the Iran-Contra affair during his two term presidency from 1981-1989. …show more content…
The economy grew 4.6 percent in 1983, and this growth helped create about fourteen million jobs, reducing unemployment rates (Amadeo). Reagan based his policies on “supply side economics” which says that tax cuts cause economic expansion, however, this only works if the taxes were high to begin with. Reagan’s first tax cuts were very successful, however the 1986 and 1987 tax cuts were less effective because the initial tax rates were lower (Amadeo). During Reagan’s presidency in 1982-1989 the Gross Domestic Product increased 3.6 percent due to these tax cuts (Lewis). Reagan removed controls on cable television, gas and oil, and long distance phone calls. His budget cuts and deregulation contributed to the savings and loan crisis of 1989. Reagan cut domestic spending by thirty-nine billion dollars, however he increased defense spending in order to save the United States from communism and the Soviet