USA HISTORY

THE RISE OF POLITICAL CONSERVATISM 1980 1992

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGANS FOREIGN POLICY

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
President Reagan began a massive buildup of the U.S. military, in part because he believed that
A
the United States already had a strong enough military.
B
massive Soviet defense spending would cause the Communist system to collapse
C
an arms race with the Soviets would reduce the likelihood of nuclear war
D
massive defense spending would stimulate economic growth in the United States
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -President Reagan proposed the largest peacetime military build-up in US history, 180 billion dollar expansion over a six year period. The build-up included the B-1 bomber, the B-2 stealth bomber and an array of conventional weapons programs.

Detailed explanation-2: -He and Thatcher provided mutual support in terms of fighting liberalism, reducing the welfare state, and dealing with the Soviet Union. Reagan started by escalating the Cold War with the Soviet Union, marking a departure from the policy of détente by his predecessors, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter.

Detailed explanation-3: -Reagan believed in policies based on supply-side economics and advocated a laissez-faire philosophy, seeking to stimulate the economy with large, across-the-board tax cuts. Reagan pointed to improvements in certain key economic indicators as evidence of success.

Detailed explanation-4: -Gorbachev’s decision to allow elections with a multi-party system and create a presidency for the Soviet Union began a slow process of democratization that eventually destabilized Communist control and contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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