The Reagan Revolution is the name for the conservative shift in American politics and economics during the 1980s, led by President Ronald Reagan, who held office from 1981 to 1989. It combined large tax cuts, restraint on many domestic programs, lighter regulation of business, and a major military buildup with an appeal to patriotism and traditional values. Supporters credit it with taming inflation, reviving growth, and helping end the Cold War. Critics blame it for rising debt, weakened regulation and unions, and widening inequality. Historians still debate whether it was a lasting political realignment.
He promised to shrink the government and set the economy loose. Ronald Reagan did cut taxes sharply and slow the growth of many programs. Yet he also poured money into the military and left the government far deeper in debt than he found it. The fierce cold warrior spent his second term making arms deals with the Soviet leader. Reagan reshaped American politics for a generation, and people still argue about what his revolution actually changed.