The thirty-second president of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, exclaimed during his Inaugural address: “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little” (Kleinknecht 26). This quote starkly contrasts Ronald Reagan's priorities and the policies he pushed, which did not benefit every man as he claimed. In the history of American politics, no president stands out quite like Ronald Reagan. His presidency remains the subject of constant examination regarding his economic policies. Not only that, the fortieth president’s rhetoric especially became a point of scrutiny, revealing his ability to manipulate the masses to believe in
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The cuts resulted in a 0.4 percent increase in taxes for the middle class, while the wealthiest Americans continued to receive tax cuts. The president, who bolstered himself as a tax-cutting guru, fell short of his promise, his rhetoric not reflecting the reality of supply-side economics. Despite Reagan’s promises of economic prosperity and growth, Reaganomics ultimately proved detrimental to American society and affected both the working class and the vulnerable. Reagan’s rhetoric during his reign painted pictures of prosperity and economic growth. Still, its failure became evident as it aggravated inequality and slowed down the progress of the ones most in need. Soon enough, the harsh reality soon showed itself to the American public. Reagan said in a 1981 speech, “We've gone astray from first principles. We've lost sight of the rule that individual freedom and ingenuity are at the very core of everything that we've accomplished. Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives” (Reagan …show more content…
By mentioning these “states rights” at the location of such an event, Reagan sent a message that was almost supportive of the racist ideologies of the South. His racism in these statements and his pandering to racist Southerners helped further the systemic discrimination faced by African Americans. This type of leadership in America held back progress toward racial equality and created hostile environments for minorities. Reagan’s use of rhetoric on the matter of race remains deeply troubling to this day and shows a resurgence of racism in America. Despite all this, Reagan's busting of unions could be his most devastating blow to the middle class. One must first understand his union past to understand how paradoxical this is. Reagan was head of the actor’s union, serving two terms from 1947-1952 and 1959-1960 (Flowers). When he returned in 1959, he called for a strike soon after in February of 1960 (Flowers). Reagan’s experience with unions gave him a unique perspective on their power and influence that no president has ever had. However, once Reagan took over office, he began to belittle them and try to limit their ability to
The cuts resulted in a 0.4 percent increase in taxes for the middle class, while the wealthiest Americans continued to receive tax cuts. The president, who bolstered himself as a tax-cutting guru, fell short of his promise, his rhetoric not reflecting the reality of supply-side economics. Despite Reagan’s promises of economic prosperity and growth, Reaganomics ultimately proved detrimental to American society and affected both the working class and the vulnerable. Reagan’s rhetoric during his reign painted pictures of prosperity and economic growth. Still, its failure became evident as it aggravated inequality and slowed down the progress of the ones most in need. Soon enough, the harsh reality soon showed itself to the American public. Reagan said in a 1981 speech, “We've gone astray from first principles. We've lost sight of the rule that individual freedom and ingenuity are at the very core of everything that we've accomplished. Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives” (Reagan …show more content…
By mentioning these “states rights” at the location of such an event, Reagan sent a message that was almost supportive of the racist ideologies of the South. His racism in these statements and his pandering to racist Southerners helped further the systemic discrimination faced by African Americans. This type of leadership in America held back progress toward racial equality and created hostile environments for minorities. Reagan’s use of rhetoric on the matter of race remains deeply troubling to this day and shows a resurgence of racism in America. Despite all this, Reagan's busting of unions could be his most devastating blow to the middle class. One must first understand his union past to understand how paradoxical this is. Reagan was head of the actor’s union, serving two terms from 1947-1952 and 1959-1960 (Flowers). When he returned in 1959, he called for a strike soon after in February of 1960 (Flowers). Reagan’s experience with unions gave him a unique perspective on their power and influence that no president has ever had. However, once Reagan took over office, he began to belittle them and try to limit their ability to