Ronald Reagan

One of the most admired men in American history, Ronald Wilson Reagan (1911-2004) enjoyed a successful career as a motion picture actor, appearing in 53 feature films, before serving two terms as Governor of California. His landslide election to the presidency in 1980 revived the Republican Party and brought a conservative philosophy of limited government to a dominant position in American politics. As President, he won the admiration of supporters and adversaries alike for his courage and resilience in recovering from an attempted assassination. When he ran for re-election, President Reagan carried 49 of the 50 states. His resolute opposition to the Soviet Union is widely credited with weakening the communist regime and bringing about the liberation of Central Europe. In this 1990 address to the Academy of Achievement, President Reagan discusses his early life and engages in an uninhibited discussion of current events with the Academy's student delegates. The discussion topics include the budget deficit, taxes, line-item veto, presidential term limits, and gerrymandering.