...Though he never managed to formally command words, Reagan became one of the most distinguished communicators of modern times. He accomplished this through his ability to speak casually and directly to the people. As Kathleen Hall Jamieson notes in “Eloquence in the Electronic Age,” Reagan’s grasp of modern technology allowed him to capture the attention of the American audience. Reagan was a master of storytelling and manipulation of his audience, which can be attributed to his career as a Hollywood actor. He preferred the “story” over the facts, and was a “very straightforward, plain-spoken communicator.” This style of communicating is common with Republican leaders from former President George W. Bush to current President Donald Trump. One...
Words: 1606 - Pages: 7
...President Ronald Reagan in his mournful, yet inspiring speech, “Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger Address to the Nation”, addresses the horrific tragedy of the Challenger Seven, while also motivating the future generations of America to take part in the ever growing space program. Reagan adopts a solemn tone in order to mourn the loss of the astronauts with his American viewers. Through the use of various rhetorical strategies, Reagan not only provides his condolences for the astronaut’s families, but also uses the accident as way to inspire those who may have lost hope on space exploration to look at the sacrifice made by the Challenger Seven as a stepping stone in the advancement of humanity. In order to sympathize with his American audience, Reagan utilises pathos to mourn the tragedy. He begins his...
Words: 455 - Pages: 2
...Is Reagan Overrated or Underrated as President Yuleidy M. Rodriguez HIS/145 June 25, 2014 Richard Pinder Is Reagan overrated or underrated as President The purpose and intent of this paper is to touch on the 40th president of the United State, President Ronald Reagan. He was the 33rd governor of California. He was also a republican. He took over as the president on January 20th, 1980 until January 20th 1989. President Reagan was one of the oldest men ever to be elected president of the United States. In this paper, the author will provide the economic policies that this individual changed, as well as one of the many things he did, he was credited with the ending of the Cold War. In addition, there was also an assassination attempt against this president. The author will also provide brief information on President Reagan’s overrated or underrated views. President Ronald Reagan cut income taxes down from seventy percent to twenty-eight percent to control the recession that was going on around this time. The reduction had an impact on both the top income tax rate and also the corporate income tax rate. This eliminated many economic issues going on at this time. Many people were able to buy houses, for a much lower interest rate. These changes also help the unemployment rate as it changed tremendously. The unemployment rate changed form 10.8 percent to 5.3 percent under President Reagan ("The Washington Post", 2014). President Reagan removed the entire price control...
Words: 1099 - Pages: 5
...Ronald Reagan, My American Hero October 5, 2014 English 101 Ronald Reagan was more than just our nation’s 40th President, he was a remarkable leader. Winning the Governor election by more than 1 million votes, and President of the United States for two terms, America was needing a fearless figure in front of economic, domestic and international threats this nation was experiencing. He brought lower tax rates, negotiated the nuclear arms treaty with the Soviet Union, and influenced the tear down of the Berlin wall and the ending the Cold War without firing a shot. Reagan left Office in 1989 and said, “We meant to change the nation, but instead we changed the world” (cardigan, 1995). Spending his last years with Alzheimer’s and never removing himself from the nation he had great passion for, Ronald Reagan arguably became the greatest President America has ever had. In the early days of Ronald Reagan’s career in acting, he took a very keen interest in his first political endeavor as President of the Screen Actors Guild in 1947. The SAG According to Cardigan (1995), was a labor organization much like other older unions during World War I. When the War was over, Reagan was at the helm of one of the toughest trials and even bigger strikes than before he became President of the SAG (Cardigan, 1995). Ronald Reagan Stated that dispute was hideously complicated. When the eider ideological issue of a possible communist takeover arise was he able to exert his full...
Words: 1023 - Pages: 5
...Communicator The great communicator – is the phrase coined to describe Ronald Reagan by both his supporters and his critics. His approach to leadership was truly charismatic. John D Rockefeller said, “The ability to deal with people is as purchasable as a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for anything under the sun”. Reagan had the ability to get others to conform to his version of what a nation really should be. Ronald Reagan continually developed his leadership ability from his early years, while he was governor of California, and during his presidency. It was during his early years when Reagan first began to stand above his peers. He got his first taste of office when he became involved with his high school student body. By his senior year he had become the student council president. While he attended college, Reagan continued to hone his leadership abilities by getting involved in the student government, eventually working his way up to the student body president. However, it was after college while working for NBC as a play by play announcer that he was able to find his voice. With his new found fame, he was able to acquire a screen test with Warner Brothers, which he won and was signed to a seven-year contract. It was at some point during his movie carrier while acting as the president of the screen actor’s guild that Reagan got involved in politics. Reagan was convinced by a group of prominent business men to try to run for Governor...
Words: 744 - Pages: 3
...Ronald Reagan: Tribute to D-Day “These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.” These words spoken by then President, Ronald Reagan are just one example of the many that shows his respect and gratitude towards all the service men that fought during WWII, more specifically D-Day. His speech was a moving tribute that moved some to tears and encouraged peace and disarmament talks between the US and the Soviet Union. Background of Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico Illinois to Jack and Nelle Reagan. Ronald had one brother named Neil Reagan. As a child, Reagan often moved therefore he could not make close friendships. At the age of 12, Reagan joined the Disciples of Christ religion, much like his mother, while his brother stayed in the Roman Catholic Church. Reagan...
Words: 1049 - Pages: 5
...are addressing a whole country that is looking to them for their opinion, advice, or guidance. Even though not every citizen in the country is going to agree with what the president is saying, it is usually over an important issue, so the president is completely aware that everyone will be listening. On January 28, 1986, while Ronald Reagan was serving as president, the country experienced a huge tragedy when the Challenger space shuttle exploded on live television. It wasn’t really an event that words could describe, but as the president, Reagan had to try. Through the use of ethos and pathos, President Reagan’s speech attempts to persuade America and the viewers of the Challenger explosion that despite the tragedy, the United States and its space program will continue to move forward. President Reagan uses ethos by making sure that the audience knows who he is and what his purpose is. He starts out the very beginning of his speech by letting everyone know his change of plans from speaking about the state of the Union to speaking about the national tragedy. He then goes on to say “Nancy and [he] are pained to the core by the tragedy”. The way that he uses his wife’s first...
Words: 978 - Pages: 4
...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,...
Words: 904 - Pages: 4
...Doctrine of Reagan Mrs. J. Y. Baker Prof. Thomas Payne Jr. – POL 300 February 4, 2012 Doctrine of Reagan With the threat of The Cold War, U.S. Presidents beginning with Truman had to create doctrines to find remedies for the problem of communism and its expansion. The doctrine of Ronald W. Reagan was especially noteworthy because it initiated a revolutionized foreign policy after World War II. The Cold War brought trepidation of nuclear bombing that sent panic through the U.S. government. This is why previously the U.S. chose not to challenge the Soviet Union head-on. Officials felt American’s weren’t ready to send their loved ones to fight another war on foreign soil after Vietnam listed so many casualties. However with the risk of communism spreading further and possibly encompassing the globe, the U.S. just couldn’t take a backseat and keep quiet. In 1983, Reagan dubbed the Soviet Union an “evil empire” using a speech written by Dolan for the opposite purpose. As Diggins put it “Reagan dubbed the Soviet Union ‘the focus of evil’ of the entire world” (2007, pg. 29). Following the footsteps of his predecessor, President Carter, Reagan developed a way to fight the war on communism and make the people happy by preventing our military from suffering anymore casualties. President Carter got the ball rolling when the Soviet Union tried to invade Afghanistan in 1979. That’s when the U.S. supplied secret military aid to mujahideen fighters to assist in driving out the...
Words: 784 - Pages: 4
...Down This Wall!” In 1987, when Ronald Reagan arrived in Berlin, he arrived in a city and country divided. The Berlin Wall took center stage, dividing Berlin into two separate entities. West Berlin was run by the Allies, and East Germany was controlled by the Soviet Union. The political ideologies of these two also clashed, with East Germany practicing communism and West Germany being more democratic. Reagan, the President of the United States at that time, quickly realized that the situation involving the two countries was doing nothing but harm to both sides. In his “Speech at the Brandenburg Gate”, Reagan presents his theme that Germany would be unified and strong without the Berlin Wall, through use of metaphor and repetition. Reagan...
Words: 674 - Pages: 3
...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 Street Crash, and 1930's great depression. The New Deal was a series of social and economic programs that helped people in numerous ways and boosted the economy. These programs consisted of Civil Works Administration (CWA), Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA), and the Social Security...
Words: 1149 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 1280 - Pages: 6
...The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Strayer University Summer 2014 The purpose of the Reagan Doctrine was to “sponsor anticommunist guerrillas who are trying to overthrow pro-Soviet regimes” (Roskin, 2010, p.58). It was implemented in the mid-1980’s; specifically mentioned in a discrete manner in President Reagan’s 1985 State of the Union Address and lasted less than a decade, until the end of the Cold War in 1991. One of the major challenges that President Reagan faced throughout his time in office was Communism and the Cold War. Although these issues had been a problem through several presidencies, they began to escalate in the early years of Reagan’s administration. Reagan believed that President Carter provided minimal leadership to reverse communism. In 1985 President Reagan introduced the principles of the doctrine through support of anti-communist revolutions. During his State of the Union Address in 1985 he compared, “anticommunist forces with American colonists who had fought the revolutionary war, describing those latter-day patriots as ‘freedom fighters’ for democracy” (“The Reagan Doctrine”, 2014, par. 2). The doctrine was created to decrease the Soviet influence in Africa, Asia and Latin America as part of the Reagan administration’s Cold War strategy (Reagan Doctrine, 2014). It has been argued that the Reagan doctrine contributed to the fall of communism itself. One of the diplomatic efforts that occurred during Reagan’s time in office was the support...
Words: 1193 - Pages: 5
...Reagan Analysis George W Ivery III HIS 145 June 16, 2014 Shaun Sullivan Reagan Analysis President Ronald Reagan the 40th President of the United States had certain qualities that made people think of him in several different lights. One of the ways people saw him is overrated and taking credit for what he did not do when he resided at the White House as president. On the other hand some said he is much underrated due to him not getting proper credit for some of the things he did and changed while he was in office. He had quite a few items that are in the history of this country, which include the Principles of the New Right, the Iran Contra Affair, and credit for ending the Cold War between the United States (U. S.) and the Soviet Union (USSR). These are just a few items that will be taken into consideration to see if he was or was not the person that is liked or disliked by the people of the U. S. The election of President Reagan in 1980 saw the emergence of what was considered the “conservative cause known as the “New Right” movement, partly in response to counter-cultural protests of the 1960’s-evangelical Christian groups, social issues” (The resurgence of conservatism 1980-2000, 2014). The Reagan Doctrine; “A strategy orchestrated and implemented by the United States under the Reagan Administration to oppose the global influence of the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War” (The resurgence of conservatism 1980-2000, 2014). It is also known as...
Words: 1418 - Pages: 6
...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 concepts in the world and used America’s mastery of it to his advantage. The majority of American citizens loved the freedoms given to us by this bill of rights making it easy for Reagan to embrace. Furthermore, living in a democratic society with the opportunity and freedom to achieve whatever someone desires in life is truly the American dream. Reagan harnessed this in every single...
Words: 4643 - Pages: 19
