Free Custom «Effects of Reagan’s Presidency» Essay Paper

The reign of Jimmy Carter didn’t solve the dominating political and economic problems of that time. The Americans were still desperate for a leader who would grant them relief from the prevailing crisis. In 1980, Reagan from the Republican Party was elected on the basis of promising change in governance and development policies.

Reagan’s regime was dominated by conservatives, whose impact affected the government policy-making. In an attempt to rescue the situation, Reagan employed different ways which had partial benefits to the immediate crisis and which had an impact to the public. Reduction of the social development policies fund in the national budget paralyzed the hope of the poor and minorities who were the immediate beneficiaries of the social programs, leading to a wider economic inequality (Foner 651).

 Moreover, his policy of reducing taxes only favored a few rich individuals who dominated the business world, while the rest of the public experienced the same struggles. This led to a reduced industrial production.

 

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The conservative ideologies of Reagan out-ruled the function of trade unions in advocating for the issues affecting the working class, and leaving them to exploitation. The working class experienced a stagnated economic condition. On the other hand, there was a notable economic progress. He managed to curb inflation, oil prices and eventually an ultimate recovery of the economy. This had a positive impact on the public (Foner 653).

Internationally, Reagan revived the Cold War atmosphere by terming the USSR communists as an evil regime. This resulted to hostility towards American peace, keeping forces operating in Asia. This crystallized into widespread tension, as the US was globally criticized for its international interference.

Clinton’s international initiatives

Although Clinton was criticized of being under informed about global affairs, his foreign policies after the Cold War were significant. He took over the office after the US triumph over the Cold War, emerging as the world superpower. During his reign, America did not get into any major international crisis.

Clinton’s international strategy was based on five fundamentals. He believed that, in order to restore international cohesiveness, it was vital to build powerful foreign coalitions, especially with Asia and Europe, where the Cold War had stronger effect. He also engaged in propagating reconciliation between America and its former opponents (Foner 659). Peaceful relations, especially with USSR, were intended to create an atmosphere of a positive and productive union for further development. He also employed the principle of perceiving domestic hardships in a global perspective. This was meant to standout spectacularly in addressing and engaging in international economic and political advancement.

There was also a need to prioritize on national and foreign security, which was facilitated by rapid development in technology. This had an impact in promoting and participating in international security operations, as there was minimal risk connected to maintaining security, due to advanced weapons. Finally, Clinton adopted the principle of global economic amalgamation, in order to spur the global trade and development. These initiatives greatly contributed to Clinton’s participation and achievements in foreign affairs (Foner 662).