Ronald Reagan
won the U.S. presidency in 1980, at the end of a decade of
humiliation and
frustration for the American people. Using his affable personality as a potent political weapon, Reagan helped to restore confidence in the country's future and went on to convert millions of Americans to his conservative political ideology. During the 1980s, Reagan oversaw a sustained economic recovery, driven primarily by
one of the great bull markets of all time on Wall Street. Soaring profits in the stock market minted millionaires by the thousands, lending the Reagan era a certain gold-rush aura as more people attained spectacular wealth than ever before in American history. Looking beyond America's borders, the 1980s brought first
heightened tension and then
unexpected victory in the decades-old
Cold War with the Soviet Union; the peaceful collapse of the global Communist bloc Reagan
once denounced as an "Evil Empire" stood as a monumental triumph in American foreign policy.
Economic and diplomatic successes notwithstanding, Reagan's presidency still had its flaws—a widening gulf between the rich and ordinary working Americans, some serious foreign-policy blunders, and worsening race relations. Despite these limitations, Reagan left office with
high approval ratings and today
many Americans rank him among the greatest presidents ever. Perhaps most importantly, Reagan's powerful ideology continues to shape the contours of American politics to the present day. There is a strong case to be made that we're all still living in the Age of Reagan today.
Folders in your Toolbar below to quickly find your saved stuff.
