The Reagan Legacy

Time will tell how large an impact the presidency of Ronald Reagan will have on history. For now, it’s safe to say that much of what we enjoy as Americans today can be traced back to Reagan’s legacy. National pride, national security, and economic prosperity were brought back to a nation that for years had been lost in a mix of scandal, botched military missions and erroneous economic policies. He also reminded us that the United States of America is a nation set apart, a shinning city on a hill with a global mission to summon the world to the cause of freedom. In response to the godless Socialism of the pernicious Soviet Union, Reagan boldly asserted the Judeo-Christian morality of Western civilization. In opposition to détente, Reagan favored a strong confrontation against Communism, determined to see its demise. He reasserted and reinforced the strength of America’s military abroad, and as a result, boosted the morale of our military. In response to the big government mentality dominant since the time of FDR, Reagan proposed that “government is not the solution, it is the problem”. He believed in the ability, and dignity, of each individual to achieve anything, so long as government did not interfere. He upheld the belief in a free-market ecomony as positive alternative the the Keynesian-saturated policies of the Carter era. He reminded us that the strength and beauty of America lies not in the halls of Congress, but in the hearts of ordinary Americans.

Throughout the sixties and seventies, Americans had become deeply jaded and insecure. The Watergate scandal had sapped a good deal of credibility from our politicians. The prolonged conflict in Vietnam, resulting in thousands of American casualties, left America feeling stunned and humiliated on the world stage. America’s ignominious retreat in Vietnam was due more to the incompetence and feckless policies of our political leaders rather than any failure of the military. Other events, such as the American hostages in Iran and the botched rescue attempt by the Carter administration again left Americans feeling shamed. While Communism seemed to be spreading without limits, the United States seemed crippled and impotent. When Ronald Reagan came into office after a landslide victory, he immediately let it be known that America was back and injected into the veins of our society an optimism and excitement not felt since the early days of the Kennedy administration. The American hostages were released upon Reagan taking office and over the course of his presidency, the Soviet Union would face a gradual decline in power and influence eventually leading to its collapse. Reagan insisted on a pay increase for the United States military and restored America’s trust in her Armed Forces. Reagan believed that if Americans had more control of their hard-earned money, the nation would prosper as a result. He was right. His tax cuts resulted in an economic boom and his small government philosophy demolished forever the appeal of big government. Years later, Bill Clinton himself declared famously, “the era of big government is over”. This coming from the icon of modern liberalism; who would have thought? Ronald Reagan was unabashed in his faith and trust in God. This stood in stark contrast to the atheism running rampant throughout Communist controlled nations. His spirit inspired us to once again believe that America was a unique country in world history and that the United States was a nation to be proud of. His joy, humor and optimism was infectious and touched Americans of both parties.

In his eulogy, President Bush said memorably that “Ronald Reagan belongs to the ages now, but we preferred it when he belonged to us”. This is true. In a very real way, he is still with us. Certainly his policies will have had an everlasting impact on the conservative movement in America. The person of Ronald Reagan transcended the label of “Republican” and party politics. He was and always will be quintessentially American.



Ronald Reagan