Agenda for 4/7

1. Key Concept 9.1:

A newly ascendant conservative movement achieved several political and policy goals during the 1980s and continued to strongly influence public discourse in the following decades.

I.          Conservative beliefs regarding the need for traditional social values and a reduced role for government advanced in U.S. politics after 1980. 

A.       Ronald Reagan’s victory in the presidential election of 1980 represented an important milestone, allowing conservatives to enact significant tax cuts and continue the deregulation of many industries.

Examples:  Reaganomics (supply side) tax cuts (1981), air traffic controllers’ strike (1981), deregulation of airline, oil, and other industries, Contract with America (1994), George W. Bush tax cuts (2001)

Key Concept 9.3:

The end of the Cold War and new challenges to U.S. leadership forced the nation to redefine its foreign policy and role in the world.

I.          The Reagan administration promoted an interventionist foreign policy that continued in later administrations, even after the end of the Cold War.  

A.        Reagan asserted U.S. opposition to communism through speeches, diplomatic efforts, limited military interventions, and a buildup of nuclear and conventional weapons.

Examples:  Reagan’s “evil empire” speech (1983), “Star Wars” missile defense system (1983), US-Soviet summit meetings (1985-1988), Iran-Contra scandal (1987),

B.        Increased U.S. military spending, Reagan’s diplomatic initiatives, and political changes and economic problems in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union were all important in ending the Cold War.

2. Ronald Reagan Crash Course US History

3. Read - The Age of Reagan

4. Group Presentations - produce a slide that answers the following question:

Group 1 - What were the factors that contributed to Reagan's political popularity (who liked him and why)?

Group 2 - Evaluate the effectiveness of Reaganomics in solving the economic problems from the 1970s, and dealing with the economic issues of the 1980s, and beyond?

Group 3 - Evaluate the effectiveness of Reagan's foreign policy (how effectively did he deal with the international situations and problems of the 1980s?).

Group 4 - What was American society like in the 1980s? What was new? What was different? What was important to American culture? How did people begin to feel about the "sex and drugs" culture of the 60s and 70s?

HW - Ch. 31