Ronald Wilson Reagan - Research Paper Example

? RONALD REAGAN RONALD REAGAN Introduction: Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of America ruled the country for eight years only. His presidency period was short, but he proved himself as the legendary president of America. He was the great communicator who brought revolution with his successful and innovative approaches. His era is also known as Reagan revolution. Under his presidency the most outstanding campaign of American history took place which was named as “Morning in America”. There are numbers of successful events that became important part of US history because of Ronald`s bravery and use of power under article II. This paper aims to provide enough information to other class-mates about Ronald`s life and his presidency era, as well as importance of his successful government in the American history. Personal Life: Ronald Reagan, the son of John Reagan, was born on February 6, 1911 and died on June 5, 2004. In his young years he used to live with his family in Tampico, but a few years later they went to live in Chicago. Initially his father was the supporter of Ku Klux Klan, the political group of America, but when he went through financial crises he turned against political parties and started negotiating against them1. This situation created more problems for him and his family. As a result, both son and father became obsessive followers of Democratic Party headed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ronald was sent to Doral Senior High school in Dixon. He was a brilliant student and secured good position in class. He was interested in studying economics and sociology. Apart from studies he was highly interested in sports, especially in swimming and football. He also gained sports scholarship because of his outstanding performance in annual football match at Eureka College. After completing studies at high schools, he got job at the Davenport radio station as a sports commentator2. A few years later he joined another radio station in Des Moines, where he gained fame and became one of the most famous sports announcer of the state. He got chance to work in Hollywood movies as well and he appeared as a leading actor in many hit movies. The famous movies in which he performed include Hollywood Hotel, An Angel from Texas, the Santa Fe Trial, the Voice of the Turtle and many others. He worked in movies not just to make money or for entertainment. When the Second World War started he made such training films for captains and other army men that help them defense the country3. Meanwhile, during the making of the movie Brother Rat he met the Hollywood actress Jane Wyman and they get married in 1940, but after eight years of marriage she left him because of Ronald`s involvement in the war. They had two children, Maureen Elizabeth and Michael Edward. When the parents were separated the mother got custody of both the kids. In 1947 Ronald was elected the leader of Screen Actor Guild. During his occupation of the post of a leader of the Screen Actors Guild in 1951, Nancy Davis, another beautiful actress of Hollywood, tried to approach him. Finally, they got married in a small church on March 4, 1952. They were blessed with two children, Patricia Ann in October 1952 and Ronald Prescott in May 1958. Governor of California: Before World War he remained passionate supporter of Democratic party, but later he changed his affiliation and joined Dwight Eisenhower`s Republican Party. Soon he became a prominent member of the national political party. With the help of smear campaign, he won an easy victory and was selected as a governor of California4. After being announced a governor he worked with dedication, specifically for students, and gained fame in no time. Michael K. Deaver, another important political figure, took responsibility of scrutinizing Reagan`s presidential campaign. The main problem was that Reagan was sixty-eight years old by the time present government considered him as a suitable candidate for becoming the next president of America. His antagonist argued that Reagan was very old for this position. However, during campaigns he did well to gain people`s trust. He showed enthusiasm and patriotism and promised people to strengthen military power as well as to secure traditional values and self respect5. Announced as a President: Despite making serious mistakes while interviews and negotiations, he gained people`s confidence and he easily defeated Jimmy carter by 45 million votes. Having won as president, he hired Michael Deaver as Deputy White House. Reagan tried to convince congress to supply weapons to Guatemala, but he failed to persuade congress for helping vulnerable people. Ronald took step on his own in collaboration with Deaver and helped training several Guatemalan officers and taught them many oppressive methods of fighting against enemies. It was observed that only after thirty days of presidency he was attacked by John Hinckley, who fired six shots from his gun at Washington Hilton. John had no personal issues with the president, but he did so just to impress a Hollywood actress. However, he returned home from hospital in 20 days. He aimed to introduce reduction in income tax rate; in order to achieve this target he tried to convince congress to look into this matter6. As a result, after few months of his presidency congress passed the targeted plan of three-year income tax reduction. This was a successful act under his presidency that inspired millions of people. Domestic spending was also influenced by this act and cuts have been observed in the welfare system of the country. Supported Anti-Communists: Reagan is still considered the most dedicated and patriotic president of America. He did not only work for his own state, but he always aimed to perform well abroad. He supported anti-communist party of Nicaragua by helping them financially. He facilitated anti-communist group to bring down communism in the state. This act was known as Reagan Doctrine. However, later on it was observed that mining of Nicaragua`s harbor caused damage to American economy. Many opponents consider this action as funding terrorism, but he kept on doing his best to provide protection to US people. American historical records showed that in 1981 Reagan sent his representative to Iraq and also he sold useful items to Saddam Hussain including jets and some chemicals7. In addition, he provided weapons to Taliban of Afghanistan. Star War: He was the great leader who was given credit for his efforts of developing most advanced weapons ever in the history of American army, for example, nuclear submarines, cruise missiles and MX ICBMs. In 1983 he initiated Star Wars military project, a system of strategic defense initiative that intended to make anti-missile protection8. He and his followers believed that this system would help US to get protected from foreign nuclear threat. Moreover, as a chief diplomat, he used other strategic tools to reduce tension between America and the Soviet Union. He always adopted methods that were less violent; he tried to resolve issues through peaceful negotiations rather than other violent means. Additionally, his fluency in the Russian language always helped him to deal with USSR9. Second Term of Presidency: It is evident from his second time victory as a president that he performed well and brought revolution in the country with his innovative ideas and approaches. During his era of presidency unemployment rate had decreased from 7.1% to 5.5%. Also, there was the sustained progress of the American economy, as inflation and income tax rates both became reasonable for the public. As a reward, public named him “The Teflon President”. In addition, it is noticeable that during his second term of presidency the issues related to Iran were put before him when it was explored that under his authorities arms had been supplied for criminals. Even though, he refused to know anything about this matter, but later he declared that it was his major mistake. Many people considered that it was the time when he started showing Alzheimer's symptoms10. Alzheimer's Disease: In 1994, it was officially announced that the ex-president of America is suffering from the Alzheimer's disease. In his letter he quoted one of his best phrases: "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the Sunset of My life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead". At the beginning White House members were not willing to accept the fact that Ronald had serious disease, but his son Ron Reagan tried to persuade them to accept the fact and told them that he had observed Alzheimer's symptoms. However, Ronald himself issued an official public letter in which he wrote: " I am one of the Millions of American who will be afflicted with Alzheimer`s disease". Initially, it was not very problematic, but later disease became more serious and incurable. As a result, his family members had to face difficulties. Historical records showed at that time he expressed his feelings for his wife and tried to free her from that terrible phase she was going through because of her husband. He wished to thank American people for giving him chance to serve American nation as a president for eight years. For next ten years he suffered from Alzheimer`s disease; on 5th June 2004 he died in California at the age of 93. Conclusion: From the history of Ronald`s life and his era of presidency, it could be concluded that he proved himself as one of the most famous presidents of America. He is the most remembered president and American people consider him the great hero of the nation. During his presidential journey from 1981 to 1989 he faced different critical situations which he intended to resolve through peaceful means. Many remarkable events and changes took place under his presidency. Undoubtedly, he proved himself as a talented Hollywood actor, great communicator and the most dedicated president of America in the history. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cannon, L. Ronald Reagan:The presidential portfolio: a history illustrated from the collection of the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum. New York: PublicAffairs, 2001. D'Souza, D. Ronald Reagan:How an ordinary man became an extraordinary leader. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999. Gloway, T. Ronald Reagan's America: his voice, his dreams, and his vision of tomorrow. Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2008. Robinson, P. How Ronald Reagan changed my life. London: HarperCollins, 2004. Ryan, F, and N. Reagan. Ronald Reagan:The great communicator. Darby City: Diane Pub Co, 2003. Read More