Read the following excerpt from President Ronald Reagan's State of the Union speech in 1982 This speech was given after Reagan had been president for about a year Then answer the question

In a paragraph of 3-5 sentences, summarize how Reagan changed the role of government and evaluate whether his policies benefited the country Give 2-3 specific examples of policies during the Reagan era that addressed the problems Reagan mentioned in his Inaugural Address.

3 answers

In his State of the Union speech in 1982, President Reagan emphasized his belief in smaller government. He argued that the role of government should be limited and that individuals and businesses should have more freedom to make their own decisions. Reagan's policies during his presidency reflected this belief - he cut taxes, deregulated industries, and reduced government spending. While some economists argue that Reagan's policies helped stimulate economic growth and reduce inflation, others criticize his approach for exacerbating inequality and failing to address social issues such as poverty. Examples of Reagan-era policies that addressed the problems he mentioned in his Inaugural Address include the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, which implemented major tax cuts for individuals and businesses, and the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, which helped spur competition and lower prices in the airline industry.
How was Ronald Reagan able to avoid direct blame for the Iran-Contra affair?
There were several reasons why Ronald Reagan was able to avoid direct blame for the Iran-Contra affair:

1. Sharing responsibility: Reagan's administration argued that the operation was a result of a group decision and that Reagan was not fully aware of its details. This claim was supported by Reagan's age (he was 77 at the time) and his tendency to delegate responsibilities to his advisors.

2. Public support: Despite the controversy, Reagan maintained strong public support throughout his presidency, which helped insulate him from the political fallout of the Iran-Contra affair.

3. Limited media coverage: The scandal broke at a time when the media was preoccupied with other news stories, such as the 1988 Presidential Election and the fall of the Soviet Union. As a result, the media coverage of the Iran-Contra affair was limited, which reduced the public's awareness of the scandal.

4. Timing: The investigations into the Iran-Contra affair did not conclude until after Reagan had left office, which meant that he was never held directly accountable for the scandal.