The Age of Reagan: A History 1974-2008
by Sean Wilentz
“The age of Reagan is over”
2008, His conclusion
Obama won nomination with Clinton’s support, Biden VP (who had foreign policy credentials)
McCain – chose Palin VP who had conservative credentials
Preface
Economic collapse Lehman Brothers (bankrupt Sept. 2008)
 Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
 Merrill Lynch
 AIG
 FED Chairman said large money from Gov was needed to stabilize collapsing financial industry
 All this impacted the election NOW- it was all about the Economy
 Now lots of complaints emerged about the Republicans and deregulation
DEMS win, Pres, House, and Senate (58 seats)
DEM base = African Americans, Hispanic, young voters, lots of white males
Election of Obamba marks a “great change”
GOP (pg. Xiv)
“The Republicans had become an exhausted coalition out of touch…”
“Election night affirmed that the conservative political order of Ronald Reagan lay in ruins.”
Introduction:
Eras 1933-1968 New Deal Era of Liberal Reform
FDR then LBJ endedNew Era for the past 35 years were dominated by conservative politics
 Some brief interruptions late 70s and 90’s
Book is a political history of 1974
Explains how a conservative movement seized power.
Reagan was the most important political figure of the age.
He made it successful not solely responsible but a big leader.
Author
 Comment about how limited the release of Presidential Papers has been fundamentally
limited by the G.W. Bush admin (the full story cannot be told)
 Author is critical of Edmund Morris’ book on Reagan
Reagan’s Rise (Pg. 4)
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Confluence of factors
Watergate
Political turning point 1968
Nixon’s Southern political strategy
Reagan used Nixon’s strategy on
o School desegregation
o Judicial appointments
Reagan used Nixon’s men
o Rumsfeld and Cheney
Reagan used Nixon for advice while in the White House
Nixon Conservatives Pat Buchannan- speech writer
 William SafireCollege Republicans
 Lee Atwater
 Karl Rove
Still there were lots of differences between Reagan and Nixon Political
 Ideological
 Temperament
Theme- How successful was Reagan?
How did conservative ideologies work?
How much did conservative ideology have to do with his success?
1. Supply Side Economics
2. Confronting the Soviet Union and their proxies
The Reagan Era: Unfolded amid changes social and political
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Suburbs
Civil Rights and Feminists movements broke down barriers
The economy was declining 1973
New Party System
Need for large amounts of money
Upheaval of JFK, LBJ, and Nixon caused alienation
Foreign Policy- divisions caused by Vietnam
Reagan came to power as a result of this fragmented political environment
Reagan’s Message:
Problem with America was leadership solved by:
 Optimism
 Cut Taxes
 Shrink Government
o =Small Federal Government
o Cut spending
 Encourage private investment
 Keep Military strong
 Aid those abroad fighting communism
(Pg. 8)
The Age of Reagan Assumptions:
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Reduce taxes on the Rich was best solution for Economic problems (Supply Side = Trickle Down)
Business leaders having input into Federal Policy
Reagan Era Constitutional Crises:
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Watergate Nixon
Iran Contra
Clinton Impeachment
Supreme Court 2000 Election
GW Bush War on Terror
Prologue July 4, 1976
Ford trying to heal America (pg. 16)
 Status of America was for 2 decades of marching liberalism – “Alleviating the burdens of the
underprivileged and poor was a national good.”
 “A lot of people would like to see it stop now.”
Pg. 16
Nixon Watergate
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Break-in
Violation of campaign ethics
Cover up
Nixon used the machinery of government to spy on
o Domestic radicals
o Mainstream critics
o And political enemies
 Journalists
 Congressional leaders
 Presidents of Yale, Harvard and MIT
 Even Steve McQueen
o Fabricated documents
o Secretly conducting Foreign Policy
 Coup in Chile
 Bombing of Cambodia
He Expanded Executive power by reorganizing the Federal Burercracy
o He replaced career professionals with political loyalists
o Reduced their independent power
Nixon’s Charges
Violation of Oath of Office and Constitutional violations
Bills of Impeachment were included:
1. Abuse of power by conductiong illegal surveillance of citizens
2. Unlawfully using both the IRS and CIA in covert operations that violated the Bill of Rights
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Later it was discovered the “Huston Plan”
White House plans to use surveillance and spy operatives to attack and investigate political
opponents
June 1974 Supreme Court forced Nixon to release secret tapes recordings
Denied him executive privilege
One taped conversation Nixon ordered the CIA to block the FBI investigation
Nixon was finished
Nixon Bio
Ch. 3 Jimmy Carter and the Agony of Anti-Politics (Pg. 73)
Election 1976
Election low turnout, only 54% - lowest since 1948
Carter’s Message:
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Personally moral
Proud and upright
Southern Baptist
Annapolis Trained Navy Engineer
Peanut Farmer
God fearing
Hardworking
Pledged never to lie to the voters
Reflected high moral character of the American people
Playboy Interview:
 Before inauguration
 Carter was seen as mixed
 Weirdo/Sinner
 Evangelicals thought America was doomed
 Lots of criticism
 Evangelicals may have preferred Carter to Ford’s wife who made pro-abortion comments
1970 Governor of Georgia
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“Homespun boy”
“The time for racial discrimination is over.”
He was a humanitarian
He started badly
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Energy Crisis
Stagflation
Political infighting or criticism
Pro-Human Rights foreign policy (neo conservatives hated this)
Pg. 75
Lacked Washington experience
Anti-Capitol politics
Carter floundered (Reagan will be empowered)
1875- Carter did have experience
Rem. Congressional campaign (DNC)
Official travel foreign affairs
Trilateral commission
o Private group
Colombia University
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Zbignien Brzenski
Pg. 76-
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Carter’s Advisors “Georgia Mafia”
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Hamilton Jordan
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Advisor
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Then Chief of Staff
Bert Lance
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Budget
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Director of Office of Management but had to resign
Brzenski
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Cyrus Vance
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Sec. of State
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LBS Admin
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California Sec. of Health
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Domestic Advisor
Charles Schultze
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Council of Economic Advisors
Schlesiger- <Nixon/Ford>
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NAT Security
Advisor on energy
Carter
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Technocrat Mizcho-manager
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He made the decisions
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Engineer like
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Wanted to increase minorities and women in upper level management
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Civil rights leader
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Advised on appointments
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Hud
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Juanita Kreps
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Sec. of Commerce
Pg. 77
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Caddell
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Advisor
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Coined the phrase ‘malaise’ = alienation
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Said Americans need a new kind of leader
Admin
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1st day
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Executive order
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Unconditional amnesty to draft borders
Rejected elitism “Hail to the Chief”
Legislature Agenda
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Economic problems renewed- 1977
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Inflation 6%- rose every year
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1979- 10+%
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Fed. raised interest rated
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Unemployment 6%
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1980- 7.5%
Deficit
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$68 Billion – Highest ever
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1980 - $73 Billion (page 79)
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Carter’s Stimulus Package
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Every bill passed
Welfare Reform
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Califano-Conflict
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Jobs instead of welfare
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Labor complained
Tax Reform
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Caused in fighting in cabinet
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Scandal – Bert Lance, Director of OMB
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Accused of suspicious bank dealings – Resigned
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Carter Econ Advisor
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Economy was wealthy
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7% Inflation and 7% unemployment
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Carter underestimated the problem
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Also fought with Democratic Congress over issues
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Point -> Carter did not understand the power of Congress
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He did not have pull in Congress
Social Security Funding Problems
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Tax increase
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Not popular at all
Enraged liberals by
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Declaring Gov. cannot fix poverty the recovery or reduce inflation or save the articles
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Pg. 83
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Carter believed special interest hurt Gov.
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Tried to be the anti-politics leader
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He was fiscal conservative
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Wanted more efficiency – less fraud
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To help the needy to empower themselves
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He wanted to create a new mode in Washington
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Congress said no
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Congress was already in the anti-executive mode
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Carter misplayed the game
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Fight with Kennedy over health care plans
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Kennedy would challenge Carter for Presidential nomination
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Public was angry over inflation 9%
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Angry over high taxes
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California 1978 Howard Jarvis- Right Reagan- Right
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Created Prop. 13
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Tax cut + limits
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Carter