Ronald Reagan. Champion of neoliberalism. To some, the man who lifted the spirits of a nation and restored a sense of pride and optimism after a period of despair. To others, the Reagan years marked the death of liberalism. A dark turn toward unfettered capitalist exploitation and the decapitation of working class movements and civil rights. So, which is it? Was Ronald Reagan responsible for ushering in an era of prosperity and restoring national pride as his boosters maintain? Or was he indeed the harbinger of doom and the reason we have Donald Trump today? Like most things, it’s complicated. But there are three ways in which Reagan fundamentally altered the trajectory of the United States to the detriment of most American families. Max walks through each of them before offering a bit of context for the era and ends with an example of a modern political figure that borrows from Reagan’s political playbook but with a twist: this time it’s to do good in the world.

Resources

Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute: Americans Still Believe in Strong U.S. Global Leadership and Engagement, Including Young MAGA Republicans

The New York Times: Javits Sees G.O.P. Hurt By Reagan

NPR: 1976: The Last Time Republicans Duked It Out To The Last, Heated Minute : NPR

270ToWin: 1980 Presidential Election Interactive Map

Center for Public Integrity: How four decades of tax cuts fueled inequality

Roosevelt Institute: To Put Trickle-down Economics to Rest, We Need a New Tax Code

Wikipedia: Americans for Tax Reform

Brennan Center for Justice: Citizens United, Explained

Heritage Foundation: Reagan And Heritage: A Unique Partnership

The Nation: The Mandate for Leadership, Then and Now

The New York Times: The Strike That Busted Unions

Jacobin: The Legacy of the Crushed 1981 PATCO Strike

NPR + Code Switch: The Truth Behind The Lies Of The Original ‘Welfare Queen’

History: Just Say No

History of Cannabis Project: Reagan Drug Policy — Just Say No & the 1986 Act

Wikipedia: Dark Alliance

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General: CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy

PBS: The Iran-Contra Affair

National Archives: President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address (1961)

Peter G. Peterson Foundation: The United States Spends More on Defense than the Next 6 Countries Combined

Frederic Lemieux: Militarization of Law Enforcement in America

ProPublica: The Best Reporting on Federal Push to Militarize Local Police

CounterPunch: The Hidden Cost of the U.S. Military: The Real Budget is Far Larger Than Reported

UNFTR Resources

Video: Did Reagan Destroy the American Dream?

Essay: Did Ronald Reagan Destroy the American Dream?

The Carter Series.

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Ronald Reagan. Champion of neoliberalism. To some, the man who lifted the spirits of a nation and restored a sense of pride and optimism after a period of despair. To others, the Reagan years marked the death of liberalism. A dark turn toward unfettered capitalist exploitation and the decapitation of working class movements and civil rights. So, which is it? Was Ronald Reagan responsible for ushering in an era of prosperity and restoring national pride as his boosters maintain? Or was he indeed the harbinger of doom and the reason we have Donald Trump today? Like most things, it&rsquo;s complicated. But there are three ways in which Reagan fundamentally altered the trajectory of the United States to the detriment of most American families. Max walks through each of them before offering a bit of context for the era and ends with an example of a modern political figure that borrows from Reagan&rsquo;s political playbook but with a twist: this time it&rsquo;s to do good in the world.
Resources
Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute: <a href="https://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan-institute/press-releases/new-reagan-institute-survey-americans-still-believe-in-strong-us-global-leadershi">Americans Still Believe in Strong U.S. Global Leadership and Engagement, Including Young MAGA Republicans</a>
The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/16/archives/javits-sees-gop-hurt-by-reagan-fears-extinction-of-party-if.html">Javits Sees G.O.P. Hurt By Reagan</a>
NPR: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2016/03/13/470271684/1976-the-last-time-republicans-duked-it-out-to-the-last-heated-minute">1976: The Last Time Republicans Duked It Out To The Last, Heated Minute : NPR</a>
270ToWin: <a href="https://www.270towin.com/1980-election/interactive-map">1980 Presidential Election Interactive Map</a>
Center for Public Integrity: <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/inequality-poverty-opportunity/taxes/unequal-burden/how-four-decades-of-tax-cuts-fueled-inequality/">How four decades of tax cuts fueled inequality</a>
Roosevelt Institute: <a href="https://rooseveltinstitute.org/publications/to-put-trickle-down-economics-to-rest/">To Put Trickle-down Economics to Rest, We Need a New Tax Code</a>
Wikipedia: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_for_Tax_Reform">Americans for Tax Reform</a>
Brennan Center for Justice: <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained">Citizens United, Explained</a>
Heritage Foundation: <a href="https://www.heritage.org/conservatism/commentary/reagan-and-heritage-unique-partnership">Reagan And Heritage: A Unique Partnership</a>
The Nation: <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/the-conservative-promise/">The Mandate for Leadership, Then and Now</a>
The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/03/opinion/reagan-vs-patco-the-strike-that-busted-unions.html">The Strike That Busted Unions</a>
Jacobin: <a href="https://jacobin.com/2021/08/reagan-patco-1981-strike-legacy-air-traffic-controllers-union-public-sector-strikebreaking">The Legacy of the Crushed 1981 PATCO Strike</a>
NPR + Code Switch: <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/12/20/255819681/the-truth-behind-the-lies-of-the-original-welfare-queen">The Truth Behind The Lies Of The Original &lsquo;Welfare Queen&rsquo;</a>
History: <a href="https://www.history.com/articles/just-say-no">Just Say No</a>
History of Cannabis Project: <a href="https://historyofcannabis.org/war-on-drugs/reagan-era">Reagan Drug Policy &mdash; Just Say No &amp; the 1986 Act</a>
Wikipedia: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Alliance_(book)">Dark Alliance</a>
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General: <a href="https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/special/9712/ch01p1.htm">CIA-Contra-Crack Cocaine Controversy</a>
PBS: <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/reagan-iran/">The Iran-Contra Affair</a>
National Archives: <a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/president-dwight-d-eisenhowers-farewell-address">President Dwight D. Eisenhower&rsquo;s Farewell Address (1961)</a>
Peter G. Peterson Foundation: <a href="https://www.pgpf.org/article/the-united-states-spends-more-on-defense-than-the-next-6-countries-combined/">The United States Spends More on Defense than the Next 6 Countries Combined</a>
Frederic Lemieux: <a href="https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/61796/chapter-abstract/546081363">Militarization of Law Enforcement in America</a>
ProPublica: <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-best-reporting-on-the-federal-push-to-militarize-local-police">The Best Reporting on Federal Push to Militarize Local Police</a>
CounterPunch: <a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/06/23/he-hidden-cost-of-the-u-s-military-the-real-budget-is-far-larger-than-reported/">The Hidden Cost of the U.S. Military: The Real Budget is Far Larger Than Reported</a>
UNFTR Resources
Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/PDbSQ0Al61k">Did Reagan Destroy the American Dream?</a>
Essay: <a href="https://www.unftr.com/blog/did-ronald-reagan-destroy-the-american-dream">Did Ronald Reagan Destroy the American Dream?</a>
<a href="https://www.unftr.com/unftr-series/the-carter-series">The Carter Series</a>.
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Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.

Unf*cking The Republic&reg; (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.