The extent to which 'big government' was reduced 1981-96

(WIP)

What was government philosophy in the half-century before Reagan’s presidency?

• Big government philosophy of the New Deal era dominated American politics
• This favoured large-scale federal government intervention

What did some Americans start to fear?

• Their country was becoming an expensive welfare state + felt alienated by expanding federal government, Great Society programmes and affirmative cost
• Reagan’s aim was to halt this process

What did Reagan sought to do to the Department of Education and what did he actually do?

• Sought to get rid of the whole department, considered it an unsuccessful example of big government
• Reduced staff by 25%, cut its programmes savagely + decreased education block grants to the states by 63%

What happened to overall civilian employment in the federal government?

• Rose by 3%
• Due to emphasis on building up national defence where civilian employment grew by 11.5%

What did Reagan promise to do in his 1980 campaign?

• Do something about the “welfare mess” and to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse”

What happened to benefits under Reagan?

• Reduced level + range of benefits for ‘safety net’ programmes e.g. Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
• Roughly 13 million children lived below the poverty line in 1984

What did Reagan decide not to touch?

• Pensions + medical aid for the elderly , veterans’ benefits, school lunches and Head Start (free breakfast for poor schoolchildren)

What was the growing consensus on federal regulations?

• That they were stifling capitalism and competition
• Reagan was going to work to deregulate further than that of Carter