The EightiesI. The Election of 1980 II. Reagan Revolution

A. “Dutch”B. Domestic Policy

1. Reversing Liberalism2. Culture Wars

C. Society during the 1980s1. Boom and Bust2. Scandals3. Dissent

III. Foreign AffairsA. Proxy WarsB. Secret DealsC. Nuclear Showdown

Election of 1980

• Religious Right– Moral Majority, 700 Club, PTL Club

• Reagan Democrats– Catholics, Blue-collar workers, southern

whites

Ronald “Dutch” Reagan• Rags to Riches

• Anti-communist SAG president– HUAC testimony

• California Governor– Berkeley

• “Amiable dunce” or visionary?

Retreat from Liberalism

• Reduce top income tax rates• Increase social security taxes--flat and

capped• Code becomes less progressive• Average families pay larger share

“Starving the Beast”

• Attack social spending– “Welfare queens”

• Massive Deficits

• Deregulation– Trucking, airlines

• Crushing Labor

Culture Wars• Issues

– Abortion– School prayer– Feminism– Sexual

expression

• USSC nominees– O’Connor– Scalia– Kennedy– Rehnquist

• Meese Commission

Winners

• 2.9% growth• Yuppies• Mergers and

Acquisitions• High tech

Losers

• De-industrialization

• Union Busting • Homelessness

Scandal

• John Z. Delorean

• Michael Milken

• Ivan Boesky• Charles

Keating

Dissent

• Bruce Springsteen– Born in the USA

(1984)

• Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, featuring Melle Mel– The Message (1982)– White Lines (1983)

Action

• From contempt to worship

The New Militarism• Nuclear

brinkmanship with the USSR

• Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”)

• Intervention

• Proxy wars

• Secret wars

Proxy wars: Central America

• Back dictators in El Salvador, Honduras

• Support rebel forces in Nicaragua

– US funds Contras against Sandinista government

– Congress forbids• Boland Amendment

(1984)Eight killed, 17 wounded

Proxy war: Afghanistan

• CIA arms Afghans to fight Soviets and Communists– Stinger missiles

• Arabs, including Bin Laden, recruited to join Mujahideen

• USSR withdraws (1988)

• Defeat the USSR-backed Communist government (1992)

• Victors become the Taliban and Al Qaida

Mujahideen fighter with rocket-propelled grenade launcher

Intervention: Grenada

• PM Maurice Bishop deposed

• US invades to prevent communist government from forming

Secret war: Iran-Contra

• October

Surprise

• Arms for

Hostages

• Use funds from

arms sale to

fund Contras

Iran-Contra “mastermind” Oliver North

Nuclear Showdown

• “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”– Ronald Reagan, 8/11/1984

• “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace… tear down this wall!”– Ronald Reagan, 6/12/1987