ronald reagan. reagan public approval ratings before national politics goldwater speech 1964
TRANSCRIPT
Ronald Reagan
Reagan Public Approval Ratings
Winning the Republican Nomination
Capturing the Nomination
• New Hampshire debate 1980:
• The Line
Reagan’s Clarity
• Strong Defense• Cut taxes• Cut Spending• Balance the Budget
Effect of Reagan on US Political Culture
Left Right
Left-right defined as accepted level of government intervention in the economy:
right = less intervention
left = more intervention
US Pre-1981; New Deal and Great
Societyera
Reagan era
Realignment
New Deal Coalition• Democratic South• African-Americans• Union members• Urban North• Immigrant/newer ethnic groups• Farmers
Reagan Coalition• Midwest small towns• Wealthiest Americans• Hawks on foreign policy• Blue Collar in North and Midwest (union and non-
union)• White Southerners• Evangelicals• Yuppies
The “Troika”
Counsellor Chief of Staff Dep. Chief
Ed Meese James Baker Michael Deaver
Policy Process Image
Presidential Power and Persuasion
LBJ Model
Pres Congress People
Presidential Power and Persuasion
Reagan Model
Pres People Congress
Reagan Media Strategy
• Bully Pulpit• Stage Events in Controlled Settings• Feed the Media• Consistency of Message• Selling the President• Popularity is Power
Iran-Contra
• Comparison to other scandals• When Congress tries to restrain
presidential actions– Ignore Congress– Reinterpret the law
The Iran Contra ScandalPrivate US $Foreign Gov’t $
$$$
Hostages
weapons
weapons
Swiss bank accounts;controlled by North
Contras
Israel
Iran
US
Congressional Restrictions on Arms Sales in 1980s
Arms Export Control Acts• No arms sales to nations determined to be
sponsors of terrorism (US State Dept determines which nations fit into this category; it included Iran)
• No arms sales of over $25 m in value without congressional approval (1974); A 1976 bill lowered this to $14 m for sophisticated weaponry and $50 m for other items– Both the House and Senate would have to reject
the arms sales