Ronald Reagan and the Politics of Freedom by Andrew E. Busch

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For most Americans, Ronald Reagan and the 1980s are ineluctably linked. Exactly how Reagan defined the 1980s-or, to put it another way, what defined his presidency and what that meant for America in the 1980s and beyond remains a venue of controversy. While some positive analyses of Ronald Reagan's presidency and the 1980s have been offered, these analyses have focused overwhelmingly on economic policy and the end of the Cold War. In Ronald Reagan and the Politics of Freedom, Andrew E. Busch goes beyond economic and foreign policies to examine Reagan's understanding of statesmanship. Busch analyzes Reagan's conscious attempt to strengthen the separation of powers, federalism, and traditional rhetoric, and his efforts to revive the notion of limited government in a Constitutional Republic. In this important new study, Busch concludes that Ronald Reagan's politics of freedom-found in his discourse, policy, and coalition-building-achieved significant successes in the 1980s and beyond.

Introduction


1. Reagan and American Political Discourse
2. Reagan and the Constitution
3. Reagan, American Political Institutions, and National Morale
4. Reagan, Economic Freedom, and the Economic Recovery
5. Reagan and the Rise and Fall of the Federal Deficit
6. Reagan and the (Partial) Recovery of Society
7. Reagan and the Cold War
8. Reagan, Coalition Building, and the Politics of Limited Government
   Conclusion