...research paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or any of its agencies. U.S. Army War College CARLISLE BARRACKS, PENNSYLVANIA 17013 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. ABSTRACT AUTHOR: TITLE: FORMAT: DATE: William E. Coburn The Reagan Way: Using Leadership Skills for Strategic Success Strategy Research Project 10 April 2000 PAGES: 22 CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified In spite of many critics who belittled his style and his presidency, Ronald Reagan is increasingly viewed as a heroic President who fulfilled his vision of restoring peace and prosperity at home and freedom abroad. The thesis of this paper is that Reagan used certain key leadership skills to succeed as President that may be used as a model by other strategic leaders. In examining Reagan's leadership skills, the competencies of...
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...Previously a radio broadcaster, actor and governor, in 1981 Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th president of the United States. As a teen, Ronald Reagan lifeguarded, a job that his son believes formed his role in the United States government in years to come; he always wanted to save people. As a lifeguard, he protected and saved the lives of swimmers. As president, he took on a different role, saving the vitality of the nation. In 1962, despite the fact that he had been a Democrat his whole life, he became a Republican, believing the Democrat party left him. Some may have argued that he was not cut out to take on such a demanding role within the government, but many people fully supported his campaign, seeking a leader who could get them through tough times, especially because the election was going on simultaneously with the Iran Hostage Crisis. Stressing principles of low taxes and a strong defense, Reagan won the election. In a nation where the political pendulum was stuck to the left for the past 30 years, Reagan was able to shift it right, taking control over his nation with his charisma and political promises. Whether it was negative or positive, Reagan had a tremendous influence in America. The figure of the pendulum is a basic allegory for the American public opinion since the 1930s, and is especially affected by the life and career of Ronald Reagan. The entire pendulum is a representation of the atmosphere of America since the 1930s; this atmosphere includes...
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...The Reagan Doctrine Ronald Reagan is best known for his speech at the Brandenburg Gate near the Berlin Wall where he stated “Mister Gorbachev, Tear down this wall!” That was his challenge to the Soviet leader. Like presidents before him present Reagan had established a doctrine to eradicate the Soviet influence on the world. Ronald Reagan was not the first to propose a doctrine to fight the Soviet nation. In fact, he was just following in the footsteps of his predecessors. The Reagan doctrine was similar to of Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon and Carter in that they all wanted containment of the Soviet Union, but were as they used a more defensive method Reagan deployed a more Offensive style to dealing communist-controlled countries. Reagan laid out his interpretation of his doctrine at his State of the Union Address on February 6, 1985. "We must not break faith with those who are risking their lives on every continent from Afghanistan to Nicaragua to defy Soviet-supported aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth . . . Support for freedom fighters is self-defense." He went on to explain how he thought that Truman’s version of containment, originally designed to halt Stalin in Europe was now obsolete. President Reagan’s doctrine facilitated the use of US involvement in places like Angola where the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) fought against the Soviet and Cuban backed Angolan government. US involvement was also present in Afghanistan...
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...Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. Reagan was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981-1989. His time in office saw a restoration of prosperity at home, with a goal of achieving peace through strength abroad. Ronald Wilson Reagan was born to Nelle and John Reagan. He went to a nearby high school in Dixon, Illinois. He then worked his way through Eureka College where he studied Economics and Sociology, played on the football team, and acted in school plays. Once he graduated, he became a radio sports announcer. An acting test in 1937 won him a contract in Hollywood. During his next 20 years appeared in 53 films. His first marriage...
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...our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” - Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States. He was President from 1981 to 1989. He played a major role in ending the Cold war. He strengthened the military. To defeat the Communists he used force where as many former presidents had used appeasement. One of his speeches helped influence the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Through his domestic affairs he stimulated the economy. He enacted many tax and budget cuts. Unemployment also dropped. Both Ronald and Nancy Reagan started an anti-drug campaign. This led Ronald Reagan to pass an act with tight enforcement on drug laws that backfired. The...
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...Introduction On Feb. 6, 1911 a child named Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in a small town, Tampico, Illinois. His parents are the late Nelle Wilson and John ("Jack") Reagan. Ronald grew up with one brother by the name of Neil ("Moon") Reagan. The Reagans moved quite a few times throughout Ronald’s childhood before settling down in Dixon Illinois. Although Reagan Majored in Sociology and Economics, his love was in entertainment. In 1936 he accepted a position with the radio station WHO in Des Moines, Iowa as a sports caster. Only a year later, Reagan went on to Hollywood in Los Angeles, California to establish his acting career. His acting career lasted 25 years. Reagan became known for his political abilities in 1964 when he preformed a television speech that supported Senator Barry Goldwater’s campaign for presidency. Although Goldwater lost, the speech was moving none the less. After the speech was delivered, a group of Republicans in California approached Reagan and convinced him to run in the 1966 election for the seat of governor of California. Reagan beat out Democrat Edmund G. Brown, his opponent, by nearly a million votes. In the Race for presidency in 1980 Regan’s opponent was Jimmy Carter. Carter’s nervous mannerisms were no match for Regan’s charm and public appeal. Carter's 41% of votes was dwarfed by Reagan’s 51%. Reagan became known as "the great communicator.” Reagan became the 40th President of the United States of America. Reagan spoke out publicly...
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...On Friday October 16, 1981, President Ronald Reagan wrote in his personal diary, “Central America is really the world’s next hotspot. Nicaragua is an armed camp supplied by Cuba and threatening a communist takeover of all of Central America.” (The Reagan Diaries, 2007) For the next eight years as Commander-in-Chief, this mindset would shape his perspective on the small Third World country about the size of North Carolina. The Administration’s policies, actions, and attitudes toward Nicaragua and other perceived hostile nations became known as “Reagan Doctrine.” The defeat of the Nicaraguan Revolution became the “cornerstone of the Reagan Central American policy and the test case of Reagan Doctrine.” (U.S. Intervention in the Nicaraguan Elections and American Foreign Policy in the Post-Cold War Era, 1992) Reagan Doctrine was not a label coined by President Reagan or his administration. It was a term used later by his critics to define his foreign policy strategy for countries around the world. The Reagan Doctrine was a strategy to aid anti-communist, or more specifically, anti-Soviet insurgencies in the Third World during Reagan’s two terms as president from 1981-1989. The primary goal was to overthrow Marxist regimes and/or prevent Marxist regimes from becoming established. Reagan wasted no time getting started in the implementation of his foreign policy. The Administration’s first comprehensive “U.S. National Security Strategy,” which was a document approved by the President...
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...President Reagan’s use of rhetoric in his speeches throughout his political career was essential in establishing a cohesive and successful relationship with the American people. His charismatic nature and unfaltering authenticity in every single speech defined him as a true leader – one who might finally be able to restore faith in the American presidency in a country perpetually traumatized by the Watergate Scandal. Reagan brought indisputable political beliefs established on a solid sense of conservatism as well as a solid moral code built on firm religious values. These two features that Reagan exemplified laid the groundwork for an administration that was characterized by consistent and unyielding principles. The perfect example of this aspect of his administration is prevalent in his rhetoric. His small anecdotes, perfect word choice, and references to past great leaders all underscored his incredible ability to communicate the successes and lessen the defeats that faced his administration. Through his use of consistent and unique rhetoric from his first major speech in 1964 continued to his farewell speech in 1989, Ronald Reagan established motifs of freedom, limited government, moral renewal, and hope for the future that ultimately rescue American pride in the executive branch and in the country as a whole. In Ronald Reagan’s second inaugural address, which spans just over three pages, he used the word freedom 17 times. He took one of the most complex and hard to achieve...
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...After Ronald Reagan was finished lassoing up criminals in Hollywood and announcing Cubs games in Iowa, he became one of the greatest presidents of all time according to C-SPAN. One of his greatest attributes was his skillful communication with the audience. Whenever he spoke, he connected with the audience and his words inspired people. His speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Germany was no different. In the 1960s, Germany became separated into East Germany and West Germany. On the east was Communism and the west had Democracy. Ronald Reagan – and presidents before him – went to Germany in attempt to unite the two and spread freedom. Chaim Perelman, from nearby Belgium, literally wrote the book on argumentation. It is clear from his speech that Ronald Reagan read this book – or at least knew some of Perelman’s ideas. Throughout his speech, Ronald Reagan appeals to the value of something these Germans didn’t have: freedom. He also emphasizes the importance of communities through liaison and presence. While the speech was televised throughout Europe and North America, it is clear Reagan had a particular audience he was speaking to. He was trying to influence the citizens of Germany and Berlin. They are the ones who were in the position to make change. He knew that if they could come together they could take down the wall. In the end, that is exactly what happened. East Germans protested and the Communist government had to open the gate and tear down the wall. Any German who was...
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...RONALD REAGAN ECONOMIC POLICIES Name: Instructor: Ronald Reagan Economic Policies Reaganomics was the popular term that was used to describe Ronald Reagan’s economic policies, which advocated for a decreased social spending, widespread tax cuts, increased military spending, and deregulation of the domestic markets. This paper aims at analyzing the economic policy of President Reagan’s administration. Generally, Reagan pledged to advance, or return, to a free market and that involved getting the government off the citizens’ backs. Specifically, he was in favor for a massive deduction in government spending, a balanced budget by the year 1984, and a more drastic cut in taxation. His main concern was the reduction of income tax, and ensuring a come back to the gold standards, when money supply was done by the markets and not the government. Besides calling for free markets domestically, Reagan asserted deep commitment to liberty of international trade. However, when the president’s advisors went to office with the idea of cutting both taxes and spending, they found out that the first objective was easier to achieve than the second because of politics of the day. Cutting tax was popular and they did come down substantially. The top marginal rate reduced to 28 per cent from 70 per cent (Magazzino, 2010). Many loop holes were eliminated and the tax base broadened. However, cutting the spending was unpopular and the democratic...
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...When he became president, he did what he had promised. He rearmed and build up the US military. He increased defense spending to make it clear to the Soviets and to America that the US did not intend to lose the cold war. Reagan’s actions towards the Soviets were matched by his constant criticism of communism. Reagan's most famous quotes include “The Evil Empire” and “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall,” (Ronald Reagan) In doing all of these actions , he kept inspiring Americans to go against the views of communism and to hate this form of government.. Since the Soviet Union was a communist country that was spreading its influence in Europe,America truly got...
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...Ronald Wilson Reagan, born February 6, 1911, served the United States as the 40th president from 1981 to 1989. Reagan was the first and only movie actor elected to office. During his two-terms in office, Reagan had many accomplishments; cutting taxes, strengthened and increased national defense spending, and through foreign policy pursued “peace through strength.” (Freidel & Sidey, 2006). The primary strength Reagan possessed in office was his oratory skills, in which he was dubbed “The Great Communicator”. The presidency of Ronald Reagan corresponded with a “long period of dramatic economic growth and the beginning of a momentous change in international relations.” (Brinkley, 2002). Through legislation, Reagan stimulated the economic growth, curbed inflation, and increased U.S. employment. By cutting taxes and Government expenditures Reagan overhauled the income tax code. By which, he removed many deductions and made exempt millions of low-income people. As the end of his term neared, our nation enjoyed “its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without recession or depression.” (Freidel & Sidey, 2006). Another achievement of Reagan was his plan, Supply Side Economics. In a plan, he felt in order to improve the economy, the industries needed to be built up through “entrepreneurial skills” and the corporate wealth would “trickle down to the people.” (The 40th US President - Ronald Reagan). Raised in the small town of Dixon, Illinois, his parents Jack...
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...President Ronald Reagan, in an 1987 speech, famously said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (“Tear Down This Wall” speech). Germany and Berlin was divided, one side was controlled by the free world, West Germany and West Berlin, while the other controlled by the communist Soviet Union, East Germany and East Berlin. The Berlin wall was a symbol of the Cold War. It finally fell in 1989 and the Cold War ended soon after. The President of the United States, at the time, stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate, and delivered a speech that called an end to the wall, the arms race, and an end to Communism in Germany. The notorious speech was to convince the people of Germany that breaking barriers and uniting was in Germany’s best interest,...
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...Presidents are known to lead the country with the best interest of citizens and hold the responsibility of many things, such as ensuring that laws are abided by, and that the government fulfills its purpose efficiently. Presidents perform these obligations differently, in which their political views and time periods served as president play a direct role in the choices they make. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan were not only two of the most important presidents of the 20th Century, but were also very much needed as they instilled great amounts of optimism within the country. They both dealt with a wide range of issues, some of which they handled differently due to their perspectives. Ronald Reagan and Franklin Delano Roosevelt entered the office at a time when the nation was in turmoil and dealt with economic issues. Both presidents brought courage, civility, and morals, which are necessary characteristics especially when one is a president. President Roosevelt came into office promising to help America recover from the Great Depression, and President Reagan, who won by a landslide margin of came into office at the age of sixty-nine during a period of economic hardships combined with the fear of the Soviet Union taking over our nation. Both men presented innovative plans for ending the crises and stabilizing the country as soon as possible, as well as boosting the confidence of many Americans. Roosevelt proposed the New Deal, in response to the 1929 Wall...
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...Ronald Reagan: Underrated, Overrated or Both Erica Boozer HIS/145 April 10, 2014 Tee Swan Ronald Reagan: Underrated, Overrated or Both Was President Reagan overrated or underrated? This is such a controversial question. Some believe he was overrated while others believe the latter. Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th president of the United States. Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois on February 6, 1911. In 1920, after living in a series of towns as a child, Reagan family settled in Dixon, Illinois. Here his father opened a shoe store (biography, 2014). Reagan graduated high school in 1928 and continued his adult education at Eureka College in Illinois. Here, he was an athlete and scholar. He played football, ran track, and was captain of the swim team. He also acted in school plays and was president of the student council (biography, 2014). Reagan graduated in 1932 and in the latter part of the thirties he signed a seven year contract with Warner Brothers studio. He starred in over 50 movies during his time as a Hollywood actor (biography, 2014). Political Career Reagan started his political ventures in 1964. He gave a televised speech for Barry Goldwater who was a Republican presidential candidate at the time. Two years later he became the governor of California and was re-elected for a second term in 1970 (biography, 2014). After two failed bids for the Republican presidential nomination, Reagan finally made it in 1980 when he beat Democratic incumbent and current...
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