Ronald Reagan Argumentative Essay

Ronald Reagan began his presidency with bright eyes and hope for the restoration and prosperity for the United States of America. He connected with the American people through his wittiness and his experience through his previous acting careers. Even today President Ronald Reagan has held the title of one of the most productive and liked presidents. While President Reagan held two consecutive terms in office he accomplished many things. Reagan benefitted the economy with his political program of "Reaganomics", he improved Americas relationship with Russia through the Strategic Defense Initiative, he ended the Cold War, his motivational speeches which helped end the age of communism, beginning the "Conservative Movement", Reagan's Peace Through

Strength Philosophy, and most of all, President Ronald Reagan gave the American people hope, hope for a brighter and more productive future.
Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in a small apartment on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois.

Ronald Reagan grew up in a Democratic household. His father was Roman Catholic and his mother was a member of the Disciples of Christ. Ronald's mother nurtured and encouraged her sons. She taught them that alcoholism was a disease and urged them not to blame their father for giving in to it. She raised Ronald in her church, the Disciples of Christ. She was a relentless do-gooder, visiting prisoners, poorhouse inmates, and hospital patients. She also organized drama recitals -some of which featured her sons- and worked as a salesclerk and seamstress in the 1930s. Reagan graduated from Dixon High School in 1928, where he played on the football and basketball teams, became president of the student body, acted in school plays, and wrote for the yearbook. After graduating he landed a job being a sports radio broadcaster. In 1937, while in Southern California to cover the Chicago Cubs’ spring training season, Ronald Reagan did a screen test for the Warner Brothers movie studio. The studio signed him to a contract. Over the next three decades he appeared in more than 50 movies. His acting career helped him become a better president. He used his previous acting career to appeal to younger people. He was what they referred to as a "citizen politician". He was a very laid back and used his acting skills to win America and its people's

hearts.
One major accomplishment of President Reagan's was "Reaganomics". President Ronald Reagan unveiled a new tax program, calling it "a second American Revolution for hope and opportunity." Ronald Reagan announced a plan to fix the nation's economic mess. Reagan proposed a 30% tax cut for the first three years of his Presidency. The bulk of the cut would be concentrated at the upper income levels. The economic theory behind the plan was called Trickle-Down-Economics. Reagan thought that tax relief for the rich would enable them to spend and invest more. This new spending would stimulate the economy and create new jobs. Reagan believed that a tax cut of this nature would ultimately generate even more revenue for the federal government. The Congress was not as sure of this plan as Reagan, but they did approve a 25% cut during Reagan's first term. The results were mixed. In the beginning, the Federal Reserve Board believed the tax cut would re-ignite inflation and raise interest rates, which is what happened at first. This began a deep recession in 1981 and 1982. Eventually, the economy stabilized in 1983, and the remaining years during "The Reagan Revolution" showed major national and economic growth.
Along with the national and economic growth, the defense industry boomed as well. Reagan insisted that the United States was open to a "window of vulnerability" to the Soviet Union regarding nuclear defense. Massive government contracts were awarded to defense firms to upgrade the nation's military. Reagan even proposed a space-based missile defense system called the Strategic Defense Initiative. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as Star Wars, was a program first initiated on March 23, 1983 by President Ronald Reagan. The intent of this program was to develop a sophisticated missile system in order to prevent missile attacks from other countries, specifically the Soviet Union. With the tension of the Cold War looming overhead, the Strategic Defense Initiative was the United States’ response to possible nuclear attacks from afar. Ronald Reagan used the idea of the Strategic Defense Initiative as a scare tactic with Mikhail Gorbachev.
The Reagan Administration dealt with foreign policy on the manner of “Peace through Strength,” they worked to isolate any world menace and to direct all immediate attention to that threat.

This ideal of foreign policy worked to threaten the Soviet Union and to make them aware that any danger they may pose would be dealt with in a quick and decisive manner. In 1983, Reagan ordered the United States Marines to invade Grenada. A coup d’état was taking place and a revolutionary group was trying to take control of the government to align with the Marxist Soviet Union (Reagan, “American Life” 449). Although the troops were only in Grenada for a short period of time, they did quell the threat of a Communist uprising and Reagan shocked the world with his tough stance on global threats. During his presidency, Reagan increased federal defense spending by 35 percent and began building nuclear weapons at an unprecedented rate. In 1986, one American serviceman was killed in a bombing in Berlin that injured 63 other members of the American military. It became evident within hours that the terrorist attack had been planned and carried out by the leader of Libya, Mu’ammar Qadhafi. Reagan made a quick decision to order an air raid on key ground targets in Libya. The strike was a success and many important buildings were destroyed. Reagan went on televisions and radio stations and announced to the nation after the air raid and made several comments that showedq his firm stance

against terrorist actions. He said, “When our citizens are abused or attacked anywhere in this world… we will respond so long as I’m in this Oval Office,” and to terrorist leaders around the world he said, “He [Qadhafi] counted on America to be passive. He counted wrong” (Reagan, “Speaking” 288). With that speech, Reagan showed his views to the world and he let the United States of America know that he would not put up with any foreign national threats.
During the 1980s, the production of nuclear missiles surged and the United States found itself in a mini-arms race with the Soviet Union. In essence, the Reagan Administration outspent the Soviets in defense and nuclear weapon production. In an effort to compete, the Soviets bankrupted themselves and had no choice but to dismiss their Marxist values. Between the years of 1985 and 1988, Reagan met with General Secretary Gorbachev four times; in Switzerland, Iceland, Washington D.C., and Moscow (Reagan, “American Life” 545). The meetings between the two world leaders were dramatic and Reagan walked out of the meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland after Gorbachev failed compromise. The tensions were high during all of the meetings and many people feared that any mistake could lead to an immediate nuclear Armageddon. Fortunately, no nuclear weapons were launched and the Reagan Administration triumphed over the Soviet Union. In 1987, Reagan visited East Berlin and spoke at the Brandenburg Gate. During his speech, he called for an end to Communism and a strengthening of individual liberty. His speech as the Brandenburg Gate is often viewed as one of the most successful speeches of his presidency. While speaking to a crowd of thousands, Reagan said to the General Secretary of the Soviet Union, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” (Reagan, “Speaking” 352). Two years later, the Soviet Union agreed to tear down the Berlin Wall and within the year, Communist nations around Europe began to crumble. Many Democrats in Congress and the mainstream media praised Gorbachev for bringing peace to European countries; they praised Gorbachev for capitulating and for keeping the warmongering Ronald Reagan from leading the country on the road to a nuclear war. Many Americans who opposed the Reagan Administration were more than happy to give the credit to the Soviet Union; they believed Reagan was too overpowering and heartless to have been so successful. Nevertheless, conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh writes, “The end of the Cold War and the defeat of Communism in the Soviet Union was a clear victory for American values, for the American way of life, for the republican, democratic, free-marked ideals of the United States of America” (Limbaugh “Ought to Be” 230). Therefore, it would seem that Reagan played a major role in bringing an end to the 40 year Cold War. Not only did he play a major role in ending the Cold War, but Ronald Reagan also diminished the Communist threat worldwide.