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Moral Majority
Moral Majority combated against drug abuse, homosexuality, communism, and abortion. Moral Majority was founded by Jerry Falwell. The Moral Majority movement became a powerful political force during Reagan's first administration. The Moral Majority stood against everything Reagan hated. -
Ronald Reagan is elected President
Ronald Reagan wins the 1980 presidential election against the Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter. Reagan wins by nearly 8 million votes. He was 69 years old. -
Reaganomics
Reagan wanted to shift the direction in which the country was moving. He did this by demanding steep reductions in federal spending and the deficit, through cutting social expenditures like welfare food stamps, and giving more power to individual states. Reagan also wanted to lower income takes by 30% as well as increase military spending. This generated huge federal deficits, and promoted the organization of large corporations. -
Strategic Defense Initiative
SDI, an attempt to create a high-technology anti-ballistic missile shield to protect the United States from nuclear attack was on urged by Reagan -
Another Election
Reagan was nominated for a second term at the 1984 Republican convention without any opposition. The Democratic nomination was Walter Mondale who had been vice president under Carter. Reagan had many advantages: he was popular among religious fundamentalists and conservatives, he was supported by blue collar workers and white Southerners. Voters liked his patriotism and traditional views. He won with 60% of the popular vote and his electoral margin was 525 to 13, Reagan won. -
Cultural exchange with China
Reagan signs off on scientific and cultural exchanges, economic cooperation, and development of nuclear energy during six-day visit to China. -
Reagan and Gorbachev
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Iran-Contra Affair
Secret support is given to the Contras in Nicaragua via CIA & Honduras (Congress will not approve direct support).
Israel/Iran arms-for-hostage deal.
Release of Iran-Contra Congressional Report.
This scandal hurt the Reagan administration. -
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Reagan and Gorbachev Meetings
85 - Reagan/Gorbachev summit-First meeting between U.S and Soviet leaders since '79.
86 - Reagan/Gorbachev meet Reykjavik, Iceland.
87 - Reagan/Gorbachev meet in D.C., sign Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
88 - Reagan visits USSR. -
Income Tax Act
Reagan passed the Income Tax Act of 1986 to reduce the top levy on personal incomes from 50% to 28% and the tax on corporate profits from 46% to 34%. The Income Tax Act of 1986 greatly benefitted the upper class by lowering taxes. The act however raised the bottom tax rate from 11% to 15%. The Income Tax Act demonstarates Reagan's policy of Reaganomics. -
Release of Iran-Contra Congressional Report.
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Appointing Federal Judgeships
Regan appointed conservatives to federal judgeships, including Sandra Day O'Connor the first woman to be named to the Supreme Court. By 1988 Reagan had appointed three Supreme Court justices and over half of the federal judiciary members.
