Topic 13: The Reagan Regime

New Deal/Great Society Regime

• 1932-1980 = Democratic Party were the dominant forces believing:

  • The government was a positive agent of social change

  • We should and could live in a society free from racial and gender inequality

  • We could end poverty in our time

  • We should contribute to our collective well-being in the form of taxes

• All presidents during this regime were constrained by these beliefs

  • Ex: Eisenhower (R) gave interstate highway

Regan Regime

• 1980-2016(?) = Republican party was the dominant force believing:

  • The government was an obstacle to our freedom

  • Individuals/communities are responsible for their own well-being

  • Capitalism is the ideal + most effective way to distribute goods and services 

  • Racial and gender inequalities are largely resolved, or at least don’t need federal-level solutions. 

Presidents During Reagan Regime

• Ronald Reagan, R (1980-1988) 2 term

• George H. W. Bush, R (1988-1992) 1 term

• Bill Clinton, D (1992-2000) 2 term

• George W. Bush, R (2000-2008) 2 term

• Barack Obama, D (2008-2016) 2 term

George H. W. Bush

Republican, Reagan’s VP = Regans 3rd term (shows failure to work in regime)

• Promised to be Reagan

  • Promote volunteerism and community involvement as solutions to the nation’s problems.  

  • Not to raise taxes

• Yet Bush’s policies in practice, broke from the ideals and values of the Reagan Regime ultimately costing him reelection.

George H. W. Bush Case Study

Bush fails to follow regime (1 term)

• Ppl r concerned gov is spending too much money -> spending as much as it gets in taxes

  • Republicans: balance budget by cutting spending (target Great Society programs)

  • Democrats: balance budget by raising taxes on $$ Americans (keep programs)

• House and Senate controlled by Democrats= 

  • Bush had no choice but to compromise with the Democrats he wanted to balance the budget (the legislature agreed to some cuts but added taxes)

  • The 1991 Fiscal Budget included measures to reduce the deficit by 

    • cutting government expenditures 

    • raising taxes. 

• conservative Republicans felt betrayed

• Unable to work effectively within the bounds of the Reagan Regime, Bush lost his bid for reelection in 1992.

Bill Clinton

 First Democrat in 12 yrs + called himself “New Democrat”

• After 12 yrs of Republican rule, the American people elected Democrat Bill Clinton

• Bill Clinton fashioned himself as a “New Democrat” = Reagan-style

  • Liberalism on social issues/culture (supported access to abortion, civil rights)

  • Conservative on economic issues (reduced the federal deficit, reduced government spending, deregulation) 

• To win back voters to the Democratic party, Clinton believed that the Democrats needed to embrace the idea of small, limited government

  • Clinton made decreasing the size of the federal government a key goal of his Presidency, stating “The era of big government is over!”

Bill Clinton Case Study

Clinton Follows Reagan Regime (2 terms)

• Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996: Clinton embraced conservative view of the welfare program that it created gov dependency and that it was rife with abuse and corruption.

  • Limited welfare programs: who qualified, how much was paid out, and how long one could receive payments w/ democratic Congress

  • Clinton managed to remake the image and actions of the Democratic Party in light of the boundaries of the Reagan Regime, by marrying some of the ideals of Reaganism with more traditional Democratic values

George W. Bush

 (seen as stupid + nepo baby + barely wins)

• The Presidency of George W. Bush got off to a tenuous start. election in Florida were unknown.  

  • Relied on exit polling data to make predictions (they’d call it before polls closed) -> call prez early (even though it’s super close in Florida)

  • Gore's campaign wanted recount which is rejected by Florida (governor is Bush’s bro) 

  • 3rd party candidate pulling old Jewish country + is antisemitic = butterfly ballad r confusing + machine doesn’t count hanging chad’s

    • Bush v. Gore: Dec 2000 the Supreme Court ruled, no fair way to recount the votes in Florida = by just a few hundred (500) votes, Bush had won Florida and the presidency. 

  • Bush had 2 plans for presidency:

    1. Govern according to the principle “Compassionate Conservatism” 

       • use traditional conservative ideas, markets, to help those in need

    2. Cut Taxes & Issue Tax Rebates

       Believes Reaganomics: Americans need to be given their money back to spend stimulate the economy

George W. Bush Case Study

Follows Reagan Regime (2 terms)

• Tax Cuts 2001 (democrats want extra money, republicans say gov is taking to much money)

• Does not anticipate the September 11, 2001 attacks = US in 2 extremely costly wars: The Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq = debt

  • The cost of entitlement programs such as Social Security continued to rise.  

• Working within the parameters of the Reagan Regime and its view of taxes Bush was reelected in 2004.  

Barack Obama

“hope and change”

• Wants to be transformational -> more like Johnson, goals = 

  • cut taxes for working Americans

  • end some discrimination against LGBTQ Americans

  • provide “affordable, accessible health care for every single American” 

  • When Obama was elected in 2008, he was an oppositional leader in the Reagan Regime: the United States was still a center-right nation that had elected a center-left leader. 

Barack Obama Case Study

Obama's brief success = fails due to Regain Regime

• The Affordable Care Act 2010: tries to draft expanded health care = optional public health insurance program = hopefully transitioning to universal health program

  • Drops public option for Republicans: to do 2 things

    • Created more market competition to lower prices 

    • Expand Medicaid to cover people with incomes below 133% of federal poverty guidelines

• Republicans r outraged, believing central health is socialism

• 2010, many Republicans elected to Congress and hate Obama + refuse to work w/ him so he doesn’t get anythign done rest of presidency

Summary of Reagan Regime

• From 1980-2016 we lived in the Reagan Regime–an era of politics in which most Americans believe in limited government, limited taxes, and individual liberty 

• Successful Presidents: (get their legislation passed, get reelected, enjoy popular support) are those that endorse an agenda that aligns with these beliefs

• Unsuccessful Presidents: had agendas that challenges these beliefs

Trump

Trumpism is the belief in a small federal government with an emphasis on giving power to the states while protecting the common American.

• under President Trump we will still be in the Reagan Regime because they hold the same core views about a small government, however, the policies they enact are different because of the circumstances of the times require different solutions = this might lead to new regime

• different solutions for concerns such as popular free trade, overseas military involvement, and internationalism.