The Reagan Era

Paper Summary:

The paper examines America's Cold War national security strategy, which, the paper contends, became unduly influenced by domestic politics. The paper explains that subsequently, the United States overspent on defense and inflicted serious long-term damage to the American economy. The paper claims that the massive defense spending of the Reagan era was unnecessary, for the Soviet Union was already on the brink of collapse by the early nineteen-eighties.

From the Paper:

"Because of a Cold War national security strategy that became unduly influenced by domestic politics, the United States overspent on defense and inflicted serious long-term damage to the American economy. The massive defense spending of the Reagan era was unnecessary, for the Soviet Union was already on the brink of collapse by the early nineteen-eighties. Unfortunately, the American defense and intelligence establishments chose to ignore this, for they were controlled by conservatives appointed by President Ronald Reagan, who were intent upon portraying the Soviet Union as a serious threat in order to preserve the domestic political power of the Republican Party."

More papers on The Reagan Era:

• Research Paper # 9882 : "The Reagan Economic Era"
• Research Paper # 92764 : "The Cold War Winner"
• Term Paper # 96641 : "The Political Climate of the 1980s"

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