Foreign Policy of Ronald Reagan - Essay Example

Islamist groups were becoming stronger an aspect that increased Americans' concern due to their ailing economy (Historical times, 2011). In 1980, the country needed a leader who was to reform the economy. The peace through strength slogan by the conservatives popularized the party and as a result, Ronald Reagan was elected. The slogan supported military strength which was aimed at creating peaceful international relations in the world (Snyder & Brown, 1997, p. 45).

After he took power he invested heavily in the military buildup to wear down the soviet that had attained much power. By the time he stepped down, the military budget has been expanded to a 44% increase. This increased thousands of troops, more advanced war equipment, and even an advanced intelligence program. The program was of great importance as it returned America to its military position. No country can develop its economy when it is not guaranteed that the state of security is high. This is because investors fear investing in a country where their capital is not secure (Hodge & Nolan, 2007, p.343). As a result, America recorded tremendous growth as investors were ready to invest in the country as the security of their investment was guaranteed. The benefits of this economic growth and military superiority are being experienced even in the current decade (Hodge & Nolan, 2007).

Reagan's two terms marked a new and dramatic era of innovation. Due to the funds that the government set aside for innovation, many innovators were encouraged to come up with new innovative ideas that were aimed at improving the country’s security and economic growth. The innovation era was not just in America but even in other countries especially in the soviet as they tried to keep up with Americans. This saw them falling into a budget deficit (Hodge & Nolan, 2007).

Massive military expenditure enabled the government to avoid war. This was through scaring off their enemies due to huge investment that was directed towards military buildup. Much of the current military arms power is mainly a legacy of the Reagan years (Historical times, 2011).

The expenditure by President Reagan on military superiority led to high American debt. Since then, the country has been suffering economically as it is trying to pay this long-term debt. Nevertheless, some of the projects that were started by President Reagan are now operational e.g. modern aircraft dubbed as USS Ronald Reagan (Historical times, 2011).

Internationally, Reagan's defense and foreign policy led to the increased armament of different countries as they feared attacks from America. This has led to current weapons of high mass destruction. This move created tension among different countries, therefore, destabilizing peace in the world (Historical times, 2011).