RAH Day 31Enduring

Understanding(s)• Reagan’s domestic policies

led towards a prosperous economy at the immediate expense of the poor, the environment, and minorities.

• Reagan’s foreign policy, based upon increasing the United States military strength, helped to eventually lessen tensions of the Cold War at the expense of devaluing American ideals abroad.

Essential Questions• Explain the impact Reaganomics

and deregulation had different sectors of society including the poor, the environment, and business

• Describe how and why tensions between the USSR and US changed during the course of the Reagan Administration.

• Explain the paradox of Reagan desiring to spread American ideals while supporting dictators in Latin America using specific examples

Unit 4 Test Review• Questions 1, 21, and 25 are not counted• If you got them right, they are “bonus”• So, in effect, the test is now out of 94 points• At the top of your test sheet you have your Multiple

choice score (out of 54) and your short answer score (out of 40). These scores add together for your raw score (out of 94)

• We are going to review the multiple choice as a class

Reaganomics

PolicyTax Cuts• Income tax cuts mostly for

the rich and for businesses

Reduce Gov’t Spending• Cut social programs that

benefited the poor, $41 billion

Tight Monetary Policy• Limited amount of money in

the economy through federal reserve

Results• Reduced top level of

income tax from 70% to 30% over course of his time in office, but tax rates for most Americans stayed mostly level

• Cut programs like food stamps/housing assistance/Medicaid but kept Social Security and Medicare

• Inflation lowered but also slowed economic growth until 1983 (when U.S. became prosperous again)

Supply-Side economics = Reaganomics

1. Cut gov’t spending, especially entitlement programs2. Cut taxes, especially on businesses and the wealthy3. Simplify the depreciation schedule4. Cut business regulations including environmental enforcement5. Improve monetary policy6. Promote confidence in the US7. Cut and limit government activity related to business

Producer/supplier of goods and services

Consumer of goods and services

Keynesian policy

Government

$$$ - welfare, jobs, housing subsidies, food stamps

1. Cut gov’t spending, especially entitlement programs2. Cut taxes, especially on businesses and the wealthy3. Simplify the depreciation schedule4. Cut business regulations including environmental enforcement5. Improve monetary policy6. Promote confidence in the US7. Cut and limit government activity related to business

Supply-Side economics = Reaganomics

Producer/supplier of goods and services

Consumer of goods and services

Supply side policy

Government

Business tax cuts, investment tax cuts, deregulation, lower interest rates

Trickle$ $ $Down

Reagan’s Domestic Policies

• Complete the rest of Domestic Policy G.O. (pg. 2 of packet)

• Work together with table groups• Use pgs. 342-346 of textbook

• Answer EQ1: Explain the impact Reaganomics and deregulation had different sectors of society including the poor, the environment, and business

Essential Question 1• Poor: Cut programs to help poor, gap between

rich and poor grew bigger, some argue that status of poor improved.

• Environment: Used national parks for resources, limited conservation, eventually led to public outcry and the firing of Secretary of Interior James Watt

• Business: Allowed risky business practices that led to a government bailout: Sound familiar?

comparative mean income by quintile

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

year

curr

ent 2

004

$

lowest 20%

2nd 20%

middle 20%

4th 20%

top 20%

top 5%

Comparing Quintiles Mean family income in current 2005 $ – US Census - CPS

Reagan’s Foreign PolicyGoals• Promote American ideals abroad• Stop Communism anywhere and

everywhere• Strong U.S. military• Most expensive peacetime build-

up in U.S. history• Protect U.S. interests and help

anyone stop communism (human rights not an issue)

Foreign Policy G.O.Group 1: Cold War + Arms Build-Up pg. 350-352Group 2: Cold War + Gorbachev pg. 352-353Group 3: El Salvador, Grenada pg. 355-356Group 4: Nicaragua pg. 356-357 Group 5: Middle East Terrorism pg. 356-357

EQ 2: Describe how and why tensions between the USSR and US changed during the course of the Reagan Administration.

EQ3: Explain the paradox of Reagan desiring to spread American ideals while supporting dictators in Latin America using specific examples

EQ 2: Describe how and why tensions between the USSR and US changed during the course of the Reagan Administration.

-At first, strong stance against USSR, “evil empire” military build-up, more arms, SDI

-By 1984, relations improved, Gorbachev: Glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring)

EQ3: Explain the paradox of Reagan desiring to spread American ideals while supporting dictators in Latin America using specific examples

GuatemalaGeneral Efrain Rios Montt Regime lasted from March 1982-August 1983•Deadliest period of violence in entire Guatemalan civil war •Enjoyed the support of United States• “Protected” Guatemala from communism by bringing destruction upon the rural people of Guatemala, the majority Maya Indians, in order to eliminate communist guerillas•Historical Clarification Committee: Considered Genocide beyond any doubt

• Rios Montt came to power through a coup d’état supported by the CIA

• Ronald Reagan restored U.S. funding for military operations against communists in Guatemala

• Reagan: “President Ríos Montt is a man of great personal integrity and commitment. ... I know he wants to improve the quality of life for all Guatemalans and to promote social justice.”

Guatemalan Historical Clarification Committee: “In the majority of massacres there is evidence of

multiple acts of savagery, which preceded, accompanied or occurred after the deaths of the victims. Acts such as the killing of defenseless children, often by beating them against walls or throwing them alive into pits where the corpses of adults were later thrown; the amputation of limbs; the impaling of victims; the killing of persons by covering them in petrol and burning them alive; the extraction, in the presence of others, of the viscera of victims who were still alive; the confinement of people who had been mortally tortured, in agony for days; the opening of the wombs of pregnant women, and other similarly atrocious acts....”

How could the U.S. support regimes like this? Consider this quote:

“The answer to that question begins with a basic intellectual approach which views foreign policy as a lifeless, bloodless set of abstractions. "Nations," "interests," "influence," "prestige"—all are disembodied and dehumanized terms which encourage easy inattention to the real people whose lives our decisions affect or even end.”