Admittedly, political change is inevitable in the democratic process. In the past years, dynamism has led to the emergence of the strongest of leaders. America has transformed immensely, this is attributed to the myriad forms of leadership that various leaders have championed in their tenure. Various leaders have contributed towards the prosperity of the United States, but the efforts of President Ronald Regan were distinct and undoubtedly considered to have culminated to the greatest extent of prosperity. His era of leadership is extremely admired. He is remembered as an indispensable symbol (Patterson 14).
Ronald Wilson Regan assumed office in 1981 and served for two terms. He was the 40th President of America. As president, he implemented new political and economic policies. Mostly, he established economic policies that embraced globalization. His popular economic policy, “Reaganomics”, was the basis of destruction to trade barriers. The economic reform advocated for the reduction of tax rates in a bid to foster economic growth and the regulation of money to avert inflation. The policy was aimed at reducing government expenditure. During his presidency, federal tax rates reduced significantly, after he embraced the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981. The top marginal tax bracket was observed to decline substantially from 70% to 50%. He was able to ensure 18.2% tax revenue of GDP as opposed to the 18.1% tax revenue of GDP experienced for over 40 years. He later championed a bipartisan policy in 1986 through the establishment of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. This reform saw further reduction of the top rate to a mere 28% and increasing the bottom margin from 11% to 16%. Reagan is popularly known for his low tax policies and tax cuts. He provided funding for government programs that contributed towards the reduction of tax rates. The gross domestic product increased considerably during his eight years in office. The annual GDP growth rate was observed to be 3.85% per year. Despite the peak of unemployment especially after the great depression, Reagan spurred economic growth even after recession in the early 1980’s. Over the subsequent years, he was able to foster economic growth, improve employment rates and wages.
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As a president who identified drugs as a menace, Reagan established militant policies in the war against drugs. He funded a Drug Enforcement bill in 1986 that was obliged to fight the spread of drugs within the state. It remained his noble ambition to establish a workplace and learning institution free of drugs. He also established expanded rehabilitation facilities for drug treatment. In his second year of presidency, he staged massive campaigns to create public awareness, enforced stringent laws, and interdiction to drug users. He envisioned a nation where the children will be raised in an environment that id drug-free. He knew that a generation striving under the impact of drug abuse would slow down economic growth of America. The move is thus considered one of his greatest achievements during his presidency.
Despite his economic accomplishments that helped reinvigorate and stimulate the growth of the American economy, Reagan is credited towards contributing to the decline of the Cold War. Most historians consider this as the greatest achievement in his presidency. He initiated talks of disarmament with the Soviet Union at the wake of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s regime in 1985. His constant efforts led to the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the two leaders. In the treaty, both countries agreed to destroy myriad nuclear weapons, including missiles in their possession. The treaty further permitted on-site inspection by either country to ascertain the execution of the provisions of the treaty. The agreement is considered as the breakthrough towards the end of the Cold War.
Reagan takes credit for re-establishing the diminished military during the Carter years. He adopted a philosophy that fostered peace through strengthening the military. He revived the B-1 bomber that was cancelled by Carter, initiated the production of MX missiles, and pressed NATO to deploy forces to the west of Germany (Patterson 108). He conducted a massive armament program in the military. Military expenditure is speculated to have bolted up by 35%. This move fostered peace within the state as the United States was considered a superpower. The establishment of a strong military base loosened Soviet’s economy in the world market. America favorably competed with the world superpowers with the assurance of defense within its own boundaries. This was a vital step towards the reestablishment of national confidence.
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His role towards revitalizing the conservative movement is worth a mention. He successfully staged a coalition comprising of conservatives. His pro-liberty conservatism remains an outstanding aspect in his leadership. He was able to influence the conservative leaders to invoke him as the standard-bearer. Such leadership stemmed from his distinctive personality. Regardless of his practical achievements, he was considered as “The Great Communicator” owing to his confident ability to champion patriotism and optimism in his speeches (Patterson 28).
In general, Reagan would be considered as the restoration of prosperity in America. He grasped peace within the United States of America by enforcing military strength and contributed a lot to the American economy. Even after his death in 2004, most historians remember his significant role in launching modern conservative movement in the course of the “Reagan Revolution.”” Such a leader is undoubtedly the greatest reformist in the American history.
