Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair : The Politics of Presidential Recovery

by Busby, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780312219826
• ISBN10: 0312219822
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 1999-02-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

The Iran-Contra affair proved to be the deathknell for the Teflon Presidency of Ronald Reagan. Not only did the President suffer politically, his popular standing also plummeted as details of controversial covert operations in the Middle East and Central America trickled out in 1986 and 1987. Having explored the nature of American political scandal and the comparative experiences of a number of presidential administrations, Roger Busby examines the efforts of the Reagan administration to recover its standing in the twelve months following the initial exposure in Iran-Contra. The President had to concoct a plan to establish renewed political credibility in the eyes of the public and his political opponents which proved to be a difficult, dramatic and eventful process.

Author Biography

Robert Busby is Lecturer in the Department of American Studies at Liverpool Hope University College.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Exhibits	ix	(2)
Acknowledgements	xi
Introduction	1	(8)
1 Political Scandal in the United States	9	(21)
2 Damage Limitation: the Modern Experience	30	(24)
3 Origins of the Iran-Contra Scandal	54	(13)
4 Teflon Trauma: October-November 1986	67	(31)
5 Riding the Storm: November 1986 -- February 1987	98	(31)
6 Searching for Stability: February-July 1987	129	(19)
7 Congressional Finale: July-November 1987	148	(32)
Conclusions	180	(6)
Notes	186	(30)
Index	216