Ronald Reagan

by Torr, James D.; Leone, Bruno; Szumski, Bonnie; Miller, Stuart B.

• ISBN13: 9780737705027
• ISBN10: 0737705027
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-02-01
• Publisher: Greenhaven Pr

Summary

The 1980 election of Ronald Reagan symbolized the ascendancy of conservatism in American politics. While his admirers credit him with revitalizing the economy and winning the Cold War, Reagan's critics fiercely dispute these claims. Topics in this volume include Reaganomics, the end of the Cold War, and the Iran-contra affair.

Table of Contents

Foreword	12	(3)
Introduction	15	(22)
Reaganomics
The Reagan Presidency Constituted a Profound Change in U.S. Politics	37	(12)
David Mervin
Reaganomics Was a Success	49	(8)
Esmond Wright
Reaganomics Was Fatally Flawed	57	(11)
Anthony S. Campagna
Reagan's Economic Policies Favored the Rich	68	(8)
Howard Zinn
The End of the Cold War
Renewing the Cold War	76	(13)
Andrew E. Busch
Elizabeth Edwards Spalding
Reagan and Gorbachev: An Unexpected Thaw in the Cold War	89	(10)
John Lewis Gaddis
The Strategic Defense Initiative Helped End the Cold War	99	(12)
Lou Cannon
The Strategic Defense Initiative Was a Failure	111	(4)
Michael Schaller
The Reagan Military Buildup Prolonged the Cold War	115	(10)
Raymond L. Garthoff
The Iran-Contra Affair
The Reagan Administration's Involvement in Central America	125	(7)
Haynes Johnson
An Insider's Perspective on the Iranian Initiative	132	(8)
Edwin Meese III
Ronald Reagan's Role in the Iran-Contra Affair	140	(14)
William E. Pemberton
The Scandal Breaks	154	(8)
Adriana Bosch
The Cover-Up That Worked	162	(7)
Joel Brinkley
The Great Communicator
Reagan was a Great Communicator of American Ideals	169	(8)
Dinesh D'Souza
The Myth of Reagan as a Great Communicator	177	(10)
Wilbur Edel
Reagan the Actor	187	(5)
Bob Schieffer
Gary Paul Gates
Reagan Was a Charismatic Leader and a Shrewd Politician	192	(9)
David Mervin
Reagan's Popularity Before and After the Assassination Attempt	201	(8)
Haynes Johnson
The First True Television President	209	(6)
Mary E. Stuckey
Appendix: Excerpts from Original Documents	215	(20)
Chronology	235	(7)
For Further Research	242	(2)
Index	244