Reagan becomes president, 1980-81

• The 1980 election

  The 1980 election pitted Ronald Reagan, a Republican, against Democrat Jimmy Carter.
• Ronald Reagan was born in Illinois in 1911 to relatively poor parents.
• Careers in three forms of media - radio in the mid-1930s, movies from the late 1930s to the mid-1950s and television from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s - gave Ronald Reagan an unparalleled tuition in the political arts of communication, image-making and performance.
• Ronald Reagan was once a fervent supporter of the New Deal, but had moved to the right in the 1950s, becoming the idol of those Republicans who approved of his attacks on big government.
• In 1966, Ronald Reagan became governor of California, appealing to voters who resented high taxes, affirmative action programmes, rising crime and the challenges to traditional values.
• Carter's unpopularity

  By 18980, most Americans believed their country was drifting.

  • There was serious concerns with regard to the energy crisis, economic decline and rising crime.
  • Foreign reverses suggested that the USSR was poised to become the world's dominant power.
  • The Iranian hostage crisis, which TV reported on daily, reminded viewers of Carter's apparent weakness
• Reagan's problem

  Democrats tried to make Reagan's right-wing views and his age (69) central issues in the campaign
• The Final TV Debate

  Reagan and Carter remained even in the polls until the final TV debate on the 28th of October, in which Reagan posed the most telling question of the campaign: "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" Most political commentators thought Reagan won the debate convincingly. So did most voters.
• The Result

  Reagan won a bare majority (50.7%) of the popular vote but that was well ahead of Carter's 41%. The Republicans took control of the Senate for the first time in 25 years. They also gained seats in the House of Representatives but the Democrats remained in control there.
• Inauguration

  Reagan's installation was a triumph of showbiz spectacle. In his inaugural address, Reagan promised a 'new beginning'. The tax system, 'which penalises successful achievement and keeps us from maintaining full productivity', was the central point of attack.
• Assassination attempt

  In March 1981, Reagan was shot and severely wounded. His bravery/humour - 'Honey, I forgot to duck' he told his wife, Nancy - endeared his to most Americans. A number of Congressional Democrats, impressed by his popularity and recovery, were prepared to support some of his measures.