Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger is indicted by a federal grand jury on five felony counts of lying to Congress and investigators about the Iran-Contra scandal, marking the highest-ranking Reagan administration official charged in the affair. Independent counsel Lawrence Walsh brings the …
Former President Ronald Reagan is questioned under oath in a videotaped deposition for the trial of former National Security Advisor John Poindexter, providing 293 pages of testimony in which he repeatedly claims he cannot recall virtually any specific details of the Iran-Contra affair. …
Ronald ReaganJohn PoindexterIran-ContraReagan-administrationaccountabilityperjurycover-up
Ronald Reagan leaves office with a domestic legacy of systematic corruption, regulatory capture, and policy failures that define American political economy for decades. The S&L crisis triggered by his deregulation will ultimately cost taxpayers $160 billion and require prosecuting 1,000+ bankers …
Ronald ReaganGeorge H.W. BushAmerican publicreagan-legacycorruptionpolicy-failureeconomic-inequalityderegulation
On August 4, 1987, the Federal Communications Commission voted 4-0 to abolish the Fairness Doctrine, a 1949 policy requiring broadcast license holders to present controversial issues of public importance in a manner that fairly reflected differing viewpoints. The elimination of this fundamental …
Federal Communications CommissionMark S. FowlerRonald ReaganRobert BorkAntonin Scaliamedia-infrastructureregulatory-capturefairness-doctrinepartisan-mediafcc+1 more
CIA Director William Casey dies at age 74 from nervous-system lymphoma, taking critical knowledge of the Iran-Contra scandal to his grave without ever testifying before Congress. Casey dies less than 24 hours after former colleague Richard Secord testifies that Casey supported the illegal aiding of …
William CaseyRonald ReaganRichard SecordIran-ContraCIAReagan-administrationaccountabilitycover-up
The Tower Commission delivers its report on the Iran-Contra affair to President Reagan, producing findings widely criticized as a whitewash that shields Reagan from accountability while blaming subordinates for the illegal scheme. The commission, composed of former Senator John Tower, former …
Ronald ReaganJohn TowerEdmund MuskieBrent ScowcroftWilliam CaseyIran-ContraReagan-administrationcongressional-oversightaccountabilitycover-up
By early 1987, over 25,000 Americans have died of AIDS-related illnesses, yet President Reagan has still not delivered a major public address on the epidemic despite six years of crisis. Reagan does not give his first comprehensive AIDS speech until May 1987, by which time the death toll exceeds …
Ronald ReaganAIDS patientsLGBTQ communityPublic health officialsACT UPaidspublic-healthreaganlgbtqgovernment-negligence+1 more
Attorney General Edwin Meese announces that proceeds from secret arms sales to Iran were illegally diverted to fund Nicaraguan Contra rebels, publicly exposing the Iran-Contra scandal that had been revealed three weeks earlier by the Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa on November 3. The announcement comes …
Congress passes the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, establishing a 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenses—imposing the same penalties for possession of 5 grams of crack cocaine as for 500 grams of powder cocaine. The legislation provided mandatory minimum …
Ronald ReaganCongressmass-incarcerationracial-justicewar-on-drugscriminal-justicesentencing-reform+1 more
On October 22, 1986, President Reagan signed the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the centerpiece of his second term domestic agenda. The legislation dramatically lowered the top individual income tax rate from 50% to 28% - the largest single drop in the history of the federal income tax - while reducing the …
Ronald ReaganCorporate lobbyistsSenate Finance CommitteeCongresstax-cutscorporate-lobbyingwealth-transferreaganomicsinequality+1 more
Surgeon General C. Everett Koop releases “The Surgeon General’s Report on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome” after being muzzled by the Reagan administration for five years. The groundbreaking 36-page report provides frank, explicit guidance on AIDS prevention including …
C. Everett KoopRonald ReaganDepartment of Health and Human Servicesaidsc-everett-kooppublic-healthsurgeon-generalsex-education
President Reagan vetoes the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, calling economic sanctions against South Africa’s white minority regime “economic warfare” and claiming they would hurt the impoverished Black majority. Reagan’s veto represents the culmination of his …
Ronald ReaganDesmond Tutuforeign-policyhuman-rightsapartheidSouth-AfricaReagan-administration
President Reagan signs a finding on December 5, 1985, retroactively authorizing covert arms sales to Iran already conducted by National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane, formalizing an illegal shadow foreign policy run through the National Security Council. McFarlane had undertaken the sale of …
Robert McFarlaneJohn PoindexterOliver NorthRonald ReaganIran-ContraReagan-administrationNSCcovert-operationsconstitutional-crisis
Hollywood icon Rock Hudson dies at age 59 of AIDS complications, becoming the first major U.S. celebrity to die of the disease and forcing President Reagan to finally acknowledge the epidemic publicly. Hudson’s death marks a turning point: Reagan had maintained complete public silence on AIDS …
Rock HudsonRonald ReaganNancy ReaganC. Everett Koopaidsrock-hudsonreaganpublic-healthlgbtq+1 more
Israel sends 96 American-made BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles to Iran through arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar, marking the first covert arms shipment in what becomes the Iran-Contra scandal. Hours after receiving the weapons, the Islamic fundamentalist group Islamic Jihad releases one American …
Ronald ReaganRobert McFarlaneOliver NorthManucher GhorbanifarIran-ContraReagan-administrationforeign-policyarms-traffickingcovert-operations
Several Opus Dei members and sympathizers gain positions in the Reagan Administration, including key roles in economic policy and judicial nominations. This marks the beginning of systematic Opus Dei influence in Republican politics, particularly around conservative economic and social policies. By …
Ronald ReaganOpus Dei MembersRepublican Partyreagan-administrationopus-deirepublican-politicsconservative-influence
By mid-Reagan presidency, the structural mechanisms of permanent upward wealth redistribution are firmly established: union-busting destroys worker bargaining power, tax policy rewards capital over labor, financial deregulation enables speculation and asset stripping, and weakened antitrust …
Ronald ReaganAmerican workersWealthy eliteCorporate executivestrickle-downinequalityreaganomicseconomic-legacystructural-inequality
On October 30, 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, fundamentally deregulating the cable television industry and setting the stage for massive media consolidation. Written and championed by conservative Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, the act amended …
Ronald ReaganBarry GoldwaterFederal Communications CommissionCable industrymedia-deregulationcorporate-consolidationregulatory-capturereagan-administrationmedia-infrastructure
Congress passes the most restrictive version of the Boland Amendment, explicitly prohibiting any U.S. government agency involved in intelligence activities from providing support for military or paramilitary operations in Nicaragua. The amendment, effective from October 3, 1984, to December 3, 1985, …
Edward BolandRonald ReaganIran-Contracongressional-oversightNicaraguaReagan-administrationconstitutional-law
President Reagan sends Donald Rumsfeld as a special envoy to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, establishing formal diplomatic relations and initiating a strategic partnership during the Iran-Iraq War. The now-infamous handshake between Rumsfeld and Hussein symbolizes the Reagan …
Donald RumsfeldSaddam HusseinRonald Reaganforeign-policyIraqReagan-administrationwar-crimeschemical-weapons
A federal jury convicts EPA official Rita Lavelle of perjury for lying to Congress about her handling of the $1.6 billion Superfund toxic waste cleanup program. Lavelle, who headed the Superfund division, is found guilty on four of five felony counts for false testimony regarding her knowledge that …
Rita LavelleEnvironmental Protection AgencyAerojet-General CorporationRonald ReaganCongressepaperjurysuperfundconflict-of-interestregulatory-capture+1 more
Interior Secretary James Watt announces his resignation after describing a department panel as having “a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple,” mocking affirmative action. Watt resigns within three weeks of the September comments amid bipartisan condemnation. His controversial 33-month …
James WattRonald ReaganDepartment of InteriorBeach Boysinterior-departmentenvironmental-deregulationracismregulatory-capturepublic-lands
Anne Gorsuch Burford resigns as EPA Administrator after becoming the first cabinet-level official in American history held in contempt of Congress. Gorsuch had refused to turn over Superfund records related to a $1.6 billion hazardous waste cleanup program, citing executive privilege on …
Anne Gorsuch BurfordRonald ReaganCongressEnvironmental Protection AgencyNeil Gorsuchepaenvironmental-deregulationregulatory-capturecontempt-of-congresssuperfund+1 more
President Reagan signs the Garn-St Germain Depository Institutions Act in the Rose Garden, calling it “the most important legislation for financial institutions in the last 50 years.” The Act removes Depression-era constraints on thrift asset holdings, allows S&Ls to make high-risk …
Ronald ReaganJake Garn (R-UT)Fernand St Germain (D-RI)Chuck SchumerSteny Hoyer+2 morederegulationthrift-industryregulatory-capturereagan-administrations&l-crisis+1 more
President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan welcome Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos to the White House in September 1982, demonstrating strong support for the Philippine dictator despite his regime’s notorious corruption, extravagance, and brutality. The Reagans maintain a personal …
Ronald ReaganFerdinand MarcosImelda MarcosNancy Reaganforeign-policycorruptionkleptocracyhuman-rightsReagan-administration
General Efraín Ríos Montt seizes power in Guatemala through a military coup, beginning what would become the bloodiest period in the nation’s history. The Reagan administration, seeking regional allies for its covert war against Nicaragua’s Sandinista government, immediately embraces the …
Ronald ReaganEfraín Ríos Monttforeign-policyhuman-rightscentral-americagenocideReagan-administration
Reagan-era S&L deregulation creates massive moral hazard by combining three toxic elements: elimination of prudential lending standards, expanded federal deposit insurance covering risky investments, and weakened regulatory oversight. The Garn-St. Germain Act removes Depression-era constraints …
Ronald ReaganSavings and Loan industryFederal Home Loan Bank BoardFederal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporations&l-crisismoral-hazardderegulationfrauddeposit-insurance
The national debt under President Reagan explodes from $997 billion in 1981 to $2.9 trillion by 1989, representing an increase of 186% and adding approximately $1.9 trillion in new debt during his eight-year presidency. Annual budget deficits average 4.0% of GDP during Reagan’s tenure, …
Ronald ReaganCongressOffice of Management and BudgetDepartment of Treasurydeficitnational-debtreaganomicsfiscal-policysupply-side-economics
President Ronald Reagan signs the Economic Recovery Tax Act (ERTA), enacting sweeping tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy and inaugurate the “supply-side economics” era. The legislation slashes the top marginal tax rate from 70% to 50% and the bottom rate from 14% to …
Ronald ReaganCongressJack KempWilliam Rothtax-cutsreaganomicssupply-side-economicswealth-inequalitytrickle-down+1 more
President Ronald Reagan fires 11,345 striking air traffic controllers who refused to return to work, permanently banning them from federal service. When 13,000 PATCO members went on strike August 3 seeking better pay, improved working conditions, and a reduced workweek, Reagan declared the strike a …
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The CDC publishes the first report on unusual immune system failures in five previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles, marking the medical recognition of what becomes the AIDS epidemic. President Ronald Reagan’s administration responds with years of complete public silence while the epidemic …
Ronald ReaganCenters for Disease ControlC. Everett KoopLarry Speakesaidspublic-healthreaganlgbtqepidemic+1 more
President Reagan appoints James Watt, former president of Mountain States Legal Foundation (funded by Coors and oil companies), as Interior Secretary. Watt immediately opens federal lands to mining and drilling, reverses environmental protections, and staffs the department with industry executives. …
Ronald ReaganJames WattMountain States Legal FoundationCoors CompanyOil Industryreagan-eraregulatory-capturederegulationinterior-departmentoil-industry
Income and wealth inequality surge during the Reagan presidency, with the top 1% of earners capturing an increasingly disproportionate share of national income while middle and working-class incomes stagnate. The top 1% income share rises from 9.0% in 1979 to 13.8% by 1986—a 53% increase in less …
Ronald ReaganTop 1% earnersMiddle classWorking classwealth-inequalityincome-inequalityreaganomicsgini-coefficienttax-policy
Empirical evidence systematically disproves Reagan’s supply-side economic theory—the claim that tax cuts for the wealthy would generate economic growth benefiting all Americans through “trickle-down” effects. Statistical analysis reveals the correlation coefficient between top tax …
Ronald ReaganArthur LafferDavid StockmanGreg MankiwCongressional Budget Officesupply-side-economicstrickle-downreaganomicseconomic-theorytax-policy
Real wages for American workers begin a prolonged period of stagnation and decline during the Reagan era, with median hourly wages falling nearly a dollar from $16.90 to $16.00 between 1980-1990. Average real hourly wages for production and nonsupervisory workers—representing the vast majority of …
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The Reagan administration launches systematic dismantling of environmental protections through regulatory capture: appointing industry advocates to lead EPA and Interior, slashing enforcement budgets, weakening Clean Air and Water Act regulations, and opening public lands to resource extraction. EPA …
Ronald ReaganAnne GorsuchJames WattEnvironmental Protection AgencyDepartment of Interiorenvironmental-deregulationeparegulatory-capturereaganpublic-health
The Reagan administration prohibits Surgeon General C. Everett Koop from publicly addressing the emerging AIDS epidemic from 1981 through early 1986, demonstrating deliberate suppression of public health information during a catastrophic disease outbreak. Journalists receive advance instructions …
C. Everett KoopRonald ReaganDepartment of Health and Human Servicesaidsc-everett-koopcensorshippublic-healthreagan+1 more
The Heritage Foundation publishes “Mandate for Leadership,” a comprehensive 3,000-page policy blueprint containing over 2,000 specific recommendations for conservative governance. Reagan distributes copies to every Cabinet member at their first meeting and the administration implements …
Reagan’s 1981 tax cuts create massive corporate tax loopholes through permissive depreciation rules and reduced rates, causing corporate tax revenue to plummet from 25% of federal revenue in the 1950s to just 6.2% by 1983. The tax law allows corporations to slash or erase tax obligations …
Ronald ReaganCorporate AmericaInternal Revenue ServiceCongresscorporate-taxestax-avoidanceloopholesreaganomicstax-policy
In 1981, ALEC formalized its systematic corporate legislative capture mechanism by establishing seven Cabinet Task Forces that worked directly with the Reagan administration on policy development. President Ronald Reagan formed a national Task Force on Federalism headed by U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt …
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)Ronald ReaganPaul LaxaltTom StiversJohn Kasichcorporate-capturelegislative-capturealecreagan-administrationstate-level-politics+2 more
Archbishop Oscar Romero is assassinated on March 24, 1980, while celebrating Mass in San Salvador, marking a symbolic beginning of U.S. support for El Salvador’s death squad government during a brutal 12-year civil war. A single gunman fires directly into Romero’s heart from the chapel …
Ronald ReaganRoberto D'AubuissonOscar Romeroforeign-policyhuman-rightsdeath-squadsCentral-AmericaReagan-administration