Reagan :

* Optimistic and clear vision for America’s future * Political coalition * People he attracted before his first election ( “Reagan Democrats”, New Right) * According to him, the federal government could not solve social pbs. * 1981: the administration cut social welfare funding by 25 billions of dollars, welfare programs benefiting Americans of all income levels. * The Reagan administration: reduce the proportion of the federal budget devoted to social welfare programs. * He also attacked federal environmental, health, and safety regulations (which according to him reduced business profits and discouraged eco growth). * State control: issue * During the 1980s: hard relationships between businesses and labor, unions=effective opposition. * New Right: increasingly important role in Reagan’s domestic policy. Reagan supported New Right social issues (anti-abortion cause and prayer in public schools). * Centerpiece of Reagan’s domestic agenda: economic program (Reaganomics cf polycop) * In the early 80s the US eco was foundering and Reagan was convinced that US eco pbs were caused by intrusive government regulation of business and industry, expensive social programs giving “handouts” to nonproductive citizens, high taxes, and deficit spending, in short by government. * Reagan proposed to promote free-enterprise system, highly reduce programs, and balance the budget by reducing the role of the federal government. * “Supply-side economics” (cf polycop) theory that tax cuts and stimulate growth. * “Laffer curve” (cf livre) * Reagan: a massive tax cut arguing that American corporations and individuals would invest funds freed up by lower tax rates, producing new plants, new jobs and new products. * David Stockman (head of the Office of Management and Budget) * Reagan canceled out domestic spending cuts by dramatically increasing defense spending. * The federal budget deficit