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{{Infobox_President| name=Ronald Wilson Reagan| nationality=American| image=Official Portrait of President Reagan 1981.jpg| imagesize = 185px| order=40th President of the United States| term_start=[January 20 1981 [1989| successor=[George H. W. Bush| lieutenant2=[Robert Finch
(1967–1969)
Ed Reinecke
(1969–1974)
John L. Harmer
(1974–1975)] 1967 [1975| successor2=[Jerry Brown| birth_date=| birth_place=Tampico, Illinois| spouse=(1) [Jane Wyman (married 1940, divorced 1948)(2) Nancy Reagan (married 1952)| alma_mater=Eureka College| religion=[Presbyterian-->Ronald Wilson Reagan ([February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). Born in Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles in the 1930s, where he became an actor, president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and a spokesman for General Electric. Reagan became involved in politics during his work for G.E. and switched from the Democratic Party (United States) to the Republican Party (United States) in 1962. After delivering A Time for Choosing in support of Barry Goldwater's presidential candidacy in 1964, he was persuaded to seek the California Governorship, winning two years later and again in 1970. He was defeated in his run for the U.S. presidential election, 1968 as well as U.S. presidential election, 1976, but won both the nomination and election in U.S. presidential election, 1980.

As president, Reagan implemented new political initiatives as well as economic policies, advocating a laissez-faire philosophy, but the extent to which these ideas were implemented is debatable. The policies, dubbed "Reaganomics," included Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 implemented in 1981. After surviving an Reagan Assassination Attempt and ordering controversial military actions in Invasion of Grenada and Bombing of Libya (April 1986), he was U.S. presidential election, 1984 in a landslide victory in 1984.

Reagan's second term was marked by steps toward ending the Cold War, as well as the Iran-Contra Affair, one of a few Reagan administration scandals. The president ordered a massive military buildup in an arms race with the Soviet Union, rejecting the previous strategy of détente and directly confronting Communism. He portrayed the USSR as an "Evil Empire" and publicly Reagan Doctrine. Despite his rejection of détente, he negotiated with General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev to shrink both countries' nuclear arsenals, and is regarded as a major driving force behind the end of the Cold War. Reagan left office in 1989 and Ronald Reagan's Alzheimer's letter he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994. He Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan at the age of ninety-three, and ranks today with a high Historical rankings of United States Presidents among former U.S. presidents.

Early life , IllinoisRonald Reagan was born in an apartment above the Ronald Reagan Birthplace in Tampico, Illinois, Illinois on February 6, 1911 to John "Jack" Reagan and Nelle Wilson Reagan. As a boy, Reagan's father nicknamed him "Dutch", due to his "fat little Dutchman"-like appearance, and his "Dutchboy" haircut. The nickname stuck with him throughout his youth. Reagan's family briefly lived in several Illinois towns, including Monmouth, Illinois, Galesburg, Illinois and Chicago, Illinois, until 1919, when they returned to Tampico and lived above the H.C. Pitney Variety Store.Ward, Michael. " Main Street Historic District," (PDF), National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, 1 April 1982, HAARGIS Database, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved 27 July 2007.

According to Paul Kengor, author of God and Ronald Reagan, Reagan had a particularly strong faith in the goodness of people which stemmed from the optimistic faith of his mother, Nelle,Kengor, Paul (2004), p. 16 and the Disciples of Christ faith. For the time, Reagan was unusual in his opposition to racial discrimination, and recalled a time in Dixon, Illinois when the local inn would not allow black people to stay there. Reagan brought them back to his house, where his mother invited them to stay the night and have breakfast the next morning.Kengor, Paul (2004), p. 15

Following the closure of the Pitney Store in late 1920, the Reagans moved to Dixon, Illinois;Cannon (2001), p. 2 the midwestern "small universe" had a lasting impression on Ronald.Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 27 He attended Dixon High School (Illinois), where he developed interests in acting and storytelling. His first job was that of a lifeguard at the Rock River in Lowell Park, near Dixon in 1926. "I saved 77 lives," Reagan said in an interview, and mentioned that he notched a mark on a wooden log for every life he saved." Ronald Reagan (1911~2004): Small town to tinseltown." CNN, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-08-15. After high school, Reagan attended Eureka College, where he was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, majored in economics and sociology, and was very active in sports.Cannon (2001), p. 9

Entertainment career Radio and film After graduating from Eureka in 1932, Reagan worked at radio stations WOC in Davenport, Iowa and WHO (AM) in Des Moines as an announcer for Chicago Cubs baseball games. While traveling with the Cubs in California, Reagan took a screen test in 1937 that led to a seven-year contract with Warner Bros. studios.

His first screen credit was the starring role in the 1937 movie Love Is on the Air, and by the end of 1939 he had appeared in 19 films. Before the film Santa Fe Trail (film) in 1940, he played the role of George Gipp in the film Knute Rockne, All American. He acquired the lifelong nickname "the Gipper" from this role.Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 15 Reagan's favorite acting role was in 1942's Kings Row, but his performance did not meet with universal approval; one reviewer felt that Reagan had made "only casual acquaintance with the ". Reagan also acted in Tennessee's Partner, Hellcats of the Navy, This Is the Army, Bedtime for Bonzo, Cattle Queen of Montana, and The Killers (1964 film) in a 1964 remake.

Military service After completing fourteen home-study Army Extension Courses, Reagan enlisted in the Army Enlisted Reserve on April 29 1937, as a private assigned to Troop B, 322nd United States Cavalry at Des Moines, Iowa. He was appointed Second Lieutenant#United States of America in the Officers Reserve Corps of the Cavalry on May 25 1937, and on June 18 was assigned to the 323rd Cavalry.

Reagan was ordered to active duty for the first time on April 18 1942. Due to his nearsightedness, he was classified for limited service only, which excluded him from serving overseas. His first assignment was at the San Francisco Port of Embarkation at Fort Mason, California, as a liaison officer of the Port and Transportation Office. Upon the request of the Army Air Force (AAF), he applied for a transfer from the Cavalry to the AAF on May 15 1942, and was assigned to AAF Public Relations and subsequently to the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California. On January 14 1943 he was promoted to First Lieutenant and was sent to the Provisional Task Force Show Unit of This Is The Army at Burbank, California. Following this duty, he returned to the 1st Motion Picture Unit and was promoted to Captain on July 22 1943.

In January 1944, Captain Reagan was ordered to temporary duty in New York City to participate in the opening of the sixth War Loan Drive. He was assigned to the 18th AAF Base Unit, Culver City, California on November 14 1944, where he remained until the end of the World War II. He was recommended for promotion to Major on February 2 1945, but this recommendation was disapproved on July 17 of that year. He returned to Fort MacArthur, California, where he was separated from active duty on December 9 1945. By the end of the war, his units had produced some 400 training films for the AAF.

Television and SAG President Reagan landed fewer film roles in the late 1950s and moved to television as the host of General Electric Theater, earning approximately $125,000 per year ($800,000 in 2006 dollars), until he was fired by General Electric in 1962. His final work as a professional actor was as host and performer from 1964 to 1965 on the television series Death Valley Days.

Reagan was first elected to the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild in 1941, serving as an alternate. Following World War II, he resumed service and became 3rd Vice president in 1946. The adoption of conflict-of-interest bylaws in 1947 led the SAG president and six board members to resign; Reagan was nominated in a special election for the position of president and was elected. He would subsequently be chosen by the membership to seven additional one-year terms, from 1947 to 1952 and in 1959. Reagan led SAG through eventful years that were marked by labor-management disputes, the Taft-Hartley Act, House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) hearings and the Hollywood blacklist era.

In 1947, as SAG president, Reagan testified before HUAC regarding the influence of Communists in the motion picture industry. Strongly opposed to communism, he reaffirmed his commitment to democratic principles, stating, "As a citizen, I would hesitate to see any political party outlawed on the basis of its political ideology. However, if it is proven that an organization is an agent of foreign power, or in any way not a legitimate political party—and I think the government is capable of proving that—then that is another matter. but at the same time I never as a citizen want to see our country become urged, by either fear or resentment of this group, that we ever compromise with any of our democratic principles through that fear or resentment." House Un-American Activities Committee Testimony Ronald Reagan. Tennessee Wesleyan College, (October 23 1947). Retrieved on 2007-04-09

Marriages and children aboard a boat in California in 1964 Jane Wyman In 1938, Reagan co-starred in the film Brother Rat with actress Jane Wyman (1917–2007). They were engaged at the Chicago Theatre, and married on January 26, 1940, at the Wee Kirk o' the Heather church in Forest Lawn, California. Together they had two children, Maureen Reagan (1941–2001) and Christine (born and died June 26, 1947), and adopted a third, Michael Reagan (born 1945). Reagan and Wyman divorced on June 28, 1948 following arguments about Reagan's political ambitions, making Reagan the only American president to have been divorced.

Nancy Davis Reagan met actress Nancy Reagan (born 1923) in 1949 after Davis contacted then-president of the Screen Actors Guild Reagan to help her with issues regarding her name appearing on a communist blacklist in Hollywood (Davis was mistaken for another Nancy Davis). Nancy described their meeting by saying, "I don't know if it was exactly love at first sight, but it was pretty close." They were engaged at Chasen's restaurant in Los Angeles and were married on March 4, 1952 at the Little Brown Church in the San Fernando Valley. Ronald and Nancy Reagan had two children: Patti Davis (born 1952) and Ron Reagan (born 1958).

Observers described Ronald and Nancy Reagan's relationship as close, real, and intimate.Beschloss, Michael (2007), p. 296 While president and first lady, the Reagans were reported to display their affection for each other frequently, with one press secretary noting, "They never took each other for granted. They never stopped courting." He often called her "Mommy"; she called him "Ronnie". When the president was recuperating in the hospital after the assassination attempt in 1981, Nancy Reagan slept with one of his shirts to be comforted by the scent;Beschloss, Michael (2007), p. 284 in a letter to Mrs. Reagan, President Reagan wrote, "whatever I treasure and enjoy all would be without meaning if I didn’t have you." In Ronald Reagan's Alzheimer's letter written in 1994, President Reagan wrote "I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience," and in 1998, while her husband was severely affected by Alzheimer's, Nancy told Vanity Fair (magazine), "Our relationship is very special. We were very much in love and still are. When I say my life began with Ronnie, well, it's true. It did. I can't imagine life without him."

Early political career A registered Democratic Party (United States) and admirer of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Reagan supported the New Deal, as well as the presidential candidacies of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956 and Richard Nixon in 1960. His political loyalties soon shifted to the Republican Party (United States), however, for he thought that the Democrats had created a larger government.Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 132 Following the election of John F. Kennedy, Reagan formally switched parties in 1962, saying "I didn't leave the Democratic Party. The party left me." During his work for General Electric, Reagan wrote his own speeches, laboring diligently and daily upon his prose. Although he had speechwriters later in the White House, he continued editing, and even occasionally writing, many of them.Rollyson, Carl E. 2006. American Biography. iUniverse. 197

Two years after switching parties, Reagan joined the campaign of conservative presidential contender Barry Goldwater. Speaking on Goldwater's behalf, Reagan revealed his ideological motivation in a famed speech given on October 27, 1964: "The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government set out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing." The address soon became known as the "A Time for Choosing" speech, and is considered the speech that launched Reagan's political career.Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 36

Governor of California, 1967–1975 California Republicans were impressed with Reagan's political views and charisma after his "Time for Choosing" speech, and nominated him for Governor of California in 1966. In Reagan's campaign, he emphasized two main themes: "to send the welfare bums back to work", and in reference to burgeoning anti-war and anti-establishment student protests at the University of California at Berkeley, "to clean up the mess at Berkeley". He was elected, defeating two-term governor Pat Brown, and was sworn in on January 3, 1967. In his first term, he froze government hiring and approved tax hikes to balance the budget.Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 47

Shortly after the beginning of his term, Reagan tested the United States presidential election, 1968 as part of a "Stop Nixon" movement, hoping to cut into Nixon's Southern supportFischer, Klaus (2006), pp. 241-243 and be a compromise candidate if neither Nixon nor second-place Nelson Rockefeller received enough delegates to win on the first ballot at the 1968 Republican National Convention. However, by the time of the convention Nixon had 692 delegate votes, 25 more than he needed to secure the nomination, followed by Rockefeller with Reagan in third place.

and First Lady Pat Nixon in July 1970Reagan was involved in high-profile conflicts with the protest movements of the era. In 1969, during the People's Park (Berkeley)#"Bloody Thursday" and Its Aftermath at UC Berkeley, Reagan sent California Highway Patrol officers onto the campus to quell the protests.Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 50 On May 15 of that year, the protests increased, and the officers resorted to using firearms, shooting and killing a 25-year-old man from San Jose, California and injuring others, the incident being known as "Bloody Thursday." Reagan then called out 2,200 United States National Guard troops to occupy the city of Berkeley in order to crack down on the protesters.

Early in 1967, the national debate on abortion was beginning. Democratic California state senator Anthony Beilenson introduced the "Therapeutic Abortion Act", in an effort to reduce the number of "back-room abortions" performed in California. The State Legislature sent the bill to Reagan's desk where, after many days of indecision, he signed it.Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 51 About two million abortions would be performed as a result, most because of a provision in the bill allowing abortions for the well-being of the mother. Reagan had been in office for only four months when he signed the bill, and stated that had he been more experienced as governor, it would not have been signed. After he recognized what he called the "consequences" of the bill, he announced that he was pro-life. He maintained that position later in his political career, wikiquote:Ronald Reagan#Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation .281983.29.Reagan, Ronald (1984). Abortion and the conscience of the nation. Nashville: T. Nelson. ISBN 0840741162

Reagan was re-elected in 1970, defeating "Big Daddy" Jesse Unruh, but chose not to seek a third term. One of Reagan's greatest frustrations in office concerned capital punishment, which he strongly supported. His efforts to enforce the state's laws in this area were thwarted when the Supreme Court of California issued its California v. Anderson decision, which invalidated all death sentences issued in California prior to 1972, though the decision was later overturned by a constitutional amendment. The only execution during Reagan's governorship was on April 12, 1967, when Aaron Mitchell's sentence was carried out by the state in San Quentin gas chamber.

Reagan's terms as governor helped to shape the policies he would pursue in his later political career as president. By campaigning on a platform of sending "the welfare bums back to work," he spoke out against the idea of the welfare state. He also strongly advocated the Republican ideal of less government regulation of the economy, including that of undue federal taxation.

1976 presidential campaign In 1976, Reagan challenged incumbent President Gerald Ford in a bid to become the Republican Party's candidate for president. Reagan soon established himself as the conservative candidate; like-minded organizations such as the American Conservative Union became the key components of his political base, while President Ford was considered a more moderate Republican. Ford considered himself a "a moderate in domestic affairs, a conservative in fiscal affairs, and a dyed-in-the-wool internationalist in foreign affairs". He relied on a strategy crafted by campaign manager John Sears of winning a few primaries early to seriously damage the lift-off of Ford's campaign, such as his victories in North Carolina, Texas, and California, but the strategy disintegrated. Reagan ended up losing New Hampshire and later Florida.

As the party's 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri neared, Ford appeared close to victory. Acknowledging his party's moderate wing, Reagan chose moderate Republican Senator Richard Schweiker of Pennsylvania as his running mate. Nonetheless, Ford narrowly won, with 1,187 delegates to Reagan's 1,070.

Reagan's concession speech emphasized the dangers of nuclear war and the threat posed by the Soviet Union. Although he lost the nomination, he received 307 write-in votes in New Hampshire, 388 votes as an Independent on Wyoming's ballot, and a single electoral vote from a Washington State "faithless elector" in the November election. Ford went on to lose the 1976 presidential election to the Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter.

1980 presidential campaign The 1980 presidential campaign was conducted during domestic concerns as well as the ongoing Iran hostage crisis. After receiving the Republican nomination, Reagan challenged incumbent President Jimmy Carter. His showing in the United States presidential election debates boosted his campaign, and he selected one of his primary opponents, George H.W. Bush, to be his running mate.

Reagan won the election, carrying 44 states with 489 electoral votes to 49 electoral votes for Carter (representing six states and Washington, D.C.). Reagan won 50.7% of the popular vote while Carter took 41%, and Independent John B. Anderson (a liberal Republican) received 6.7%. United States Senate elections, 1980 for the first time since 1952, and United States House elections, 1980, but the Democrats retained a majority.

Presidency, 1981–1989 During his Presidency, Ronald Reagan pursued policies that reflected his optimism in individual freedom, expanded the American economy, and contributed to the end of the Cold War.Freidel, Frank (1995), p. 84 The "Reagan Revolution," proponents claimed, would reinvigorate American morale, and reduce the people's reliance upon government. As president, Reagan kept a series of leather bound diaries, in which he talked about daily occurrences of his presidency, commented on current issues around the world (expressing his point of view on most of them), and frequently mentioned his wife, Nancy Reagan. The diaries were published in May 2007, into the bestselling book, The Reagan Diaries.

{]||align="left" |Ronald Reagan||align="left"|1981–1989|-|align="left"|Vice President of the United States||align="left"|George H. W. Bush]||align="left"|Alexander M. Haig]||align="left"|1982–1989|-|align="left"|United States Secretary of the Treasury||align="left"|Donald Regan]||align="left"|1985–1988|-|align="left"| ||align="left"|Nicholas F. Brady]||align="left"|Caspar Weinberger]||align="left"|1987–1989|-|align="left"|Attorney General of the United States||align="left"|William French Smith||align="left"|1981–1985|-|align="left"| ||align="left"|Edwin A. Meese III]||align="left"|1988–1989|-|align="left"|United States Secretary of the Interior||align="left"|James G. Watt]||align="left"|1983–1985|-|align="left"| ||align="left"|Donald P. Hodel]||align="left"|Howard M. Baldrige, Jr.||align="left"|1981–1987|-|align="left"| ||align="left"|C. William Verity, Jr.]||align="left"|Raymond J. Donovan]||align="left"|1985–1987|-|align="left"| ||align="left"|Ann Dore McLaughlin]||align="left"|John Rusling Block]||align="left"|1986–1989|-|align="left"|United States Secretary of Health and Human Services||align="left"|Richard S. Schweiker]||align="left"|1983–1985|-|align="left"| ||align="left"|Otis R. Bowen]||align="left"|Terrell Bell||align="left"|1981–1984|-|align="left"| ||align="left"|William J. Bennett]||align="left"|1988–1989|-|align="left"|United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development||align="left"|Samuel Pierce||align="left"|1981–1989|-|align="left"|United States Secretary of Transportation||align="left"|Drew Lewis]||align="left"|1983–1987|-|align="left"| ||align="left"|James H. Burnley IV]||align="left"|James B. Edwards]||align="left"|1982–1985|-|align="left"| ||align="left"|John S. Herrington||align="left"|1985–1989|}

First term, 1981–1985 to the White House, right after the president's inaugurationIn his First Inaugural address of Ronald Reagan on January 20, 1981, which Reagan himself wrote,Murray, Robert K. & Blessing, Tim H. (1993); p. 80 he addressed the country's economic malaise arguing: "Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem." The Reagan Presidency began in a dramatic manner: just 30 minutes into his inaugural address, Iran Hostage Crisis were set free..

Assassination attempt On March 30, 1981, only 69 days into the new administration, Reagan, his press secretary James Brady, and two others were struck by gunfire from a deranged would-be assassin, John Hinckley, Jr. Missing Reagan’s heart by less than one inch (2.5 cm), the bullet instead pierced his left lung, which likely saved his life. In the operating room, Reagan joked to the surgeons, "I hope you're all Republicans!" Though they were not, Dr. Joseph Giordano replied, "Today, Mr. President, we're all Republicans," and when Nancy Reagan came to see him, he famously told her, "Honey, I forgot to duck" (using defeated boxer Jack Dempsey's quip). Reagan was released from the hospital on April 11.

Air traffic controllers' strike Only a short time into his administration Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (1968), violating a regulation prohibiting Government unions from striking. Declaring the situation an emergency as described in the 1947 Taft Hartley Act, Reagan held a press conference in the White House Rose Garden, where he stated that if the air traffic controllers "do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated". On August 3, 1981, Reagan fired 11,345 striking air traffic controllers who had ignored his order to return to work.

"Reaganomics" and the economy When Reagan entered office, the American economy's inflation rate stood at 11.83%, and unemployment at 7.1%. Reagan implemented policies based on supply-side economics and advocated a laissez-faire philosophy,Karaagac, John (2000), pp. 113 seeking to stimulate the economy with large, across-the-board tax cuts.Cannon, Lou (2001) p. 99Appleby, Joyce (2003), pp. 923–924 He aimed to reduce the growth of domestic government spending, cut back on excess regulation, and institute a sound currency policy which would end inflation. In attempting to cut back on non-defense spending, significantly increase defense spending, while at the same time lowering taxes, Reagan's approach was a departure from his immediate predecessors. The economic policy, dubbed "Reaganomics", was the subject of debate, with supporters pointing to improvements in certain key economic indicators as evidence of success, and critics pointing to large increases in federal budget deficits and the national debt. His policy of "peace through strength" resulted in a record peacetime defense buildup, including a 40% real increase in defense spending between 1981 and 1985.

During Reagan's tenure, income tax rates were lowered significantly, with the top personal tax bracket dropping from 70% to 28% in seven years, although effective payroll tax rates increased. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth recovered strongly after the 1982 recession and grew during Reagan's eight years in office at an annual rate of 3.4% per year, slightly lower than the post-World War II average of 3.6%. Unemployment peaked at 9.7% percent in 1982 then dropped during the rest of Reagan's presidency, while employment increased by 16 million, and inflation significantly decreased.

Reagan's economics polices proposed that economic growth will occur when marginal tax rates are low enough to spur investment, which would then lead to increased economic growth, higher employment and wages. Critics called this "trickle-down economics" — the belief that tax policies that benefit the wealthy will create a "trickle-down" effect to the poor.

The administration's stance toward the Savings and Loan industry and reluctance to take action as problems arose contributed to the Savings and Loan crisis. It is also suggested, by a minority of Reaganomics critics, that the policies partially caused the Black Monday (1987), but there is no consensus regarding a single source for the crash.. In order to cover newly-spawned federal budget deficits, the United States borrowed heavily both domestically and abroad, raising the national debt from $700 billion to $3 trillion,Cannon, Lou (2001) p. 128 and the United States moved from being the world's largest international creditor to the world's largest debtor nation. Reagan described the new debt as the "greatest disappointment" of his presidency.

He reappointed Paul Volcker as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and in 1987 appointed monetarist Alan Greenspan to succeed him. Some economists, such as Nobel Prize winners Milton Friedman and Robert A. Mundell, argue that Reagan's tax policies invigorated America's economy and contributed to the economic boom of the 1990s. Other economists, such as Nobel Prize winner Robert Solow, argue that the deficits were a major reason why Reagan's successor, George H.W. Bush, Read my lips: no new taxes and raised taxes.

War on Drugs Midway into his second term, Reagan declared more militant policies in the "War on Drugs". He said that "drugs were menacing our society" and promised to fight for drug-free schools and workplaces, expanded drug treatment, stronger law enforcement and drug interdiction efforts, and greater public awareness. On October 27, 1986, President Reagan signed a drug enforcement bill into law that budgeted $1.7 billion dollars to fund the War on Drugs and specified a mandatory minimum penalty for drug offenses.

The bill was criticized for promoting significant racial disparities in the prison population, because of the differences in sentencing for Crack cocaine versus powder cocaine. Critics also charged that the administration's policies did little to actually reduce the availability of drugs or crime on the street, while resulting in a great financial and human cost for American society. Defenders of the effort point to success in reducing rates of adolescent drug use.

First Lady of the United States Nancy Reagan made the War on Drugs one of her main priorities by founding the "Just Say No" anti-drug association, which aimed to discourage children and teenagers from engaging in recreational drug use by offering various ways of saying "no." Mrs. Reagan traveled to 65 cities in 33 states, raising awareness about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Judiciary During his 1980 campaign, Reagan pledged that, if given the opportunity, he would appoint the first female Supreme Court Justice.Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 280 That opportunity came in his first year in office when he nominated Sandra Day O'Connor to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Potter Stewart. In his second term, Reagan elevated William Rehnquist to succeed Warren Burger as Chief Justice of the United States, and named Antonin Scalia to fill the vacant seat. However, in 1987, Reagan lost a significant political battle when the Senate rejected the nomination of Robert Bork, but Anthony Kennedy was eventually confirmed in his place.

Lebanon and Grenada, 1983 of Dominica in the Oval Office about ongoing events in GrenadaAmerican peacekeeping forces in Beirut, a part of Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF) during the Lebanese Civil War, were attacked on October 23, 1983. The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing, in which 241 American servicemen were killed by suicide bombers, was the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima, and the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States military since the first day of the Tet offensive. Reagan called the attack "despicable," pledged to keep a military force in Lebanon, and planned to target the Sheik Abdullah barracks in Baalbek, Lebanon, which housed Iranian Revolutionary Guards believed to be training Hezbollah fighters, but the mission was later aborted by Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger. Besides a few shellings, there was no serious American retaliation, and the Marines were moved offshore where they could not be targeted. On February 7, 1984, President Reagan ordered the Marines to begin withdrawal from Lebanon. This was completed on February 26: the rest of the MNF was withdrawn by April.

Two days later, U.S. forces invaded Grenada, where a 1979 coup d'état had established a Marxism-Leninism government aligned with the Soviet Union and Cuba. The Grenadan government began military expansion and construction of an international airport with Cuban assistance. On October 13, 1983, a faction led by Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard seized power. A formal appeal from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) led to the intervention of U.S. forces; President Reagan also cited the regional threat posed by a Soviet-Cuban military build-up in the Caribbean and concern for the safety of several hundred American medical students at St. George's University as adequate reasons to invade. On October 25, 1983, in the first major operation conducted by the U.S. military since the Vietnam War, several days of fighting commenced, and led to U.S. victory, with 19 American fatalities and 116 wounded American soldiers. In mid-December, after a new government was appointed by the Governor-General, U.S. forces withdrew.

1984 presidential campaign , and Washington, D.C.Reagan accepted the Republican nomination in Dallas, Texas, on a wave of positive feeling bolstered by the recovering economy and the dominating performance by the U.S. athletes at the 1984 Summer Olympics that summer. He became the first American president to open a summer Olympic Games held in the United States.

Reagan's opponent in the United States presidential election, 1984 was former Vice President Walter Mondale. With questions about Reagan's age, and a weak performance in the first presidential debate, many wondered if he was up to the task of being president for another term. Reagan rebounded in the second debate, and confronted questions about his age, stating, "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience," which generated applause and laughter from members of the audience, and even from Mondale himself.

In the U.S. presidential election, 1984, Reagan was re-elected, winning 49 of 50 states. The president's landslide victory saw Mondale carry only his home state of Minnesota (by 3800 votes) and the District of Columbia. Reagan won a record 525 electoral votes total (of 538 possible), and received 58.8% of the popular vote to Mondale's 40.6%.

Second term, 1985–1989 Reagan was sworn in as president for the second time on January 20, 1985, in a private ceremony at the White House. The public ceremony took place in the Capitol Rotunda the next day, because January 20 fell on a Sunday, and thus no public celebration was held. January 21 was one of the coldest days on record in Washington, D.C., and due to the low temperatures and large snowfall the night before, inaugural celebrations were held inside the Capitol.

On July 13, 1985, Reagan underwent surgery to remove polyps from his colon, causing the first-ever invocation of the acting president clause of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and on January 5, 1987, Reagan underwent surgery for prostate cancer which caused further worries about his health. At the time, the president was 76 years old.

In 1985, Reagan visited a German military cemetery in Bitburg to lay a wreath with West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, but it was found that the cemetery held the graves of 49 members of the Waffen-SS. In advance of the visit, many prominent U.S. government officials, veterans, Jewish leaders, Holocaust survivors, 95 Republican and 215 Democratic members of Congress, even First Lady Nancy Reagan protested and called on Reagan to cancel the visit,Reeves, Richard (2005), p. 249 but the president argued that it would be wrong to back down on a promise he had made to Chancellor Kohl. Reagan issued a statement that called the Nazi soldiers buried in that cemetery "victims" and some say equated them with victims of the Holocaust, but Pat Buchanan, Director of Communications under Reagan, argues: "President Reagan never equated SS troops and camp victims. He equated the teenage boys Hitler put in uniform and sent to certain death at war's end with concentration camp victims." In the end, Reagan attended the ceremony where two military generals laid the wreath, as was customary. Reeves, Richard (2005) p. 255 In 1983, he told prominent Jews — notably Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir of Israel, Simon Wiesenthal, and Rabbi Marvin Hier of Los Angeles — of his personal experience vis-à-vis the Holocaust, saying "I was there," and that that he had assisted at the liberation of Nazi death camps. He was in a film unit in Hollywood that processed raw footage it received from Europe for newsreels, but was not in Europe during the war.Morris (1999), p. 113

Reagan's administration was criticized for its slow response to the HIV-AIDS epidemic, and for Reagan's controversial refusal to say the term "AIDS" in public for several years, until the illness of movie star and national icon Rock Hudson became public news in July 1985. By that time, over 10,000 Americans had been diagnosed with AIDS, and over 6,000 had died.

Immigration In 1986, Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). The act made it illegal to knowingly hire or recruit illegal immigrants, required employers to attest to their employees' immigration status, and granted amnesty to approximately 3 million illegal immigrants who entered the United States prior to January 1, 1982 and lived there continuously. Critics of the act claim that its laws subjecting employers to sanctions were without teeth and that it failed to stem illegal immigration. Upon signing the act at a ceremony held beside the newly refurbished Statue of Liberty, Reagan said, "The legalization provisions in this act will go far to improve the lives of a class of individuals who now must hide in the shadows, without access to many of the benefits of a free and open society. Very soon many of these men and women will be able to step into the sunlight and, ultimately, if they choose, they may become Americans."Reagan, Ronald (November 6, 1986) Statement on Signing the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Collected Speeches, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.

Iran-Contra Affair In 1986, in the Nicaragua v. United States case, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found the Reagan Administration to have illegally sold arms to Iran to fund the Contras in Nicaragua, which was specifically outlawed by act of Congress. The Iran-Contra Affair became the largest American political scandals in the United States during the 1980s. President Reagan professed ignorance of the plot's existence and quickly called for an Independent Counsel to investigate, but while the arms sales and hostage releases were going on, Reagan allegedly signed a presidential finding authorizing the actions after they had begun. The ICJ, whose jurisdiction to decide the case was disputed, ruled that the U.S. had violated international law in Nicaragua due to its treaty obligations and the customary obligations of international law not to intervene in the affairs of other states.

Reagan appointed two Republicans and one Democrat (John Tower, Brent Scowcroft and Edmund Muskie, known as the "Tower Commission") to investigate the scandal. The commission could not find direct evidence that Reagan had prior knowledge of the program, but criticized him heavily for his disengagement from managing his staff, thus making the diversion of funds to the Contras possible. A separate report by Congress concluded that "If the president did not know what his national security advisers were doing, he should have."

Fourteen individuals who were directly involved in the illegal activity were indicted, resulting in eleven convictions (both plea agreements and trial convictions). Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger was indicted for perjury, but received a pardon from then-President George H. W. Bush during the last month of his presidency. At the same time, President Bush pardoned five others, four of whom had already pleaded guilty or had been convicted. In 2006, a survey of presidential historians ranked the Iran-Contra affair as the ninth worst mistake by a U.S. president.

Many Central Americans criticize Reagan for his support of the Contras, saying he was an anti-communist zealot, blinded to human rights abuses, while many others say he "saved Central America." Daniel Ortega, Sandinista National Liberation Front president of Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, said that he hoped God would forgive Reagan for his "dirty war against Nicaragua."

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