Reagan

Ronald Reagan became the 40th President of the United States on January 20, 1981. On March 30, he was shot by John W. Hinkley in front of Washington DC Hilton Hotel. This life-threatening incident did not interfere with Reagan’s plan for the United States. His goals while President were to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment, and strengthen national defense. When Reagan began his term, taxes were extremely high, resulting in a minimal amount of people wanting to work. This decreased production of goods and increased the inflation rate. Under Reagan’s administration, Congress had to pass a tax cut that would lower the income taxes 25 percent by 1984. The inflation rate then decreased 4-5 percent, becoming the most reported increased production and sales in United States history. Reagan also helped redistribute American income and wealth by assault on American labor. In 1981, he fired 12,000 air-traffic controllers on strike. This gave employers the freedom to "permanently fire" striking workers. The unemployment rate rose to 11 percent, but gradually decreased to 6-7 percent by 1984. President Reagan began to increase defense spending, despite the fact that the income taxes had been lowered. Because of this, by the end of Reagan’s presidency in 1989, the federal deficit had doubled. Although Reagan worked constantly on strengthening the United States as nation, he also worked toward the United States regaining global leadership. He viewed communism as evil, therefore his administration first attacked the government of Nicaragua in 1981. The anti-Communist government supporters, the "Contras", were being taken over by the majority of the Nicaraguan people. Until 1985, the United States supported and supplied aid to the Contras. In 1983, Ronald Reagan introduced a proposal for defense against Soviet Union threat. At this time, the entire nation was fearful of the Soviet Union, therefore Reagan was highly respected when he began the Strategic Defense Initiative. It consisted of powerful laser beams that would shoot down enemy missiles heading for North America. Until 1985 when Mikhali Gorbachev became the new Soviet Premier, the US government enforced this system. The SDI did not have to be further used because Gorbachev knew that the only way for the Soviet economy to greaten was if he fixed relations with the United States. Between November 1985 and December 1988, Reagan and Gorbachev met five times. In 1987, both leaders agreed to sign the Intermediate Nuclear Force Treaty. It stated that all countries had to destroy their nuclear weapons. By the end of Reagan’s presidency in 1989, the United States and the Soviet Union were on some of the best terms they had been on in a while. United States citizens now had little to fear due to Reagan. Although Ronald Reagan created problems with the foreign debt, his remaining goals were beneficial for global peace.

"Ronald Reagan." The White House. 26 May 2009. .
"The Years of Billy Joel's 'We Didn't Start The Fire' - 1964-1989 (Part 3)." BBC Home. 26 May 2009 .