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Ronald Reagan Inaugural Address Analysis

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Thirty-seven years ago, Ronald Reagan gave his inaugural address prior to taking office as the 40th president of the United States. Reagan was a Republican candidate who campaigned heavily against the government as well as his opponent. The government had grown into an imperious bureaucracy since the revising administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In his address, he stated that the “…government is the problem…” to the United States (325). Reagan maintained that the government was overspending and overregulating, deficit and inflation were high, and the tax burden was heavy. At the time of Reagan’s inauguration, the United States was “…confronted with an economic affliction of great proportions” (325). Not only was the country suffering from massive …show more content…

In addition, the unreasonable tax price kept the nation “…from maintaining full productivity” (325). Reagan stated that “We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow” (325). He proposed that the best way to solve the financial dilemma was to put all Americans into the workforce and “…reawaken this industrial giant…” (326). Furthermore, Reagan planned to end the financial crisis by “…removing the roadblocks that…slowed the economy and reduced productivity” (326). Moreover, the United States government had grown entirely too powerful. Reagan proposed that the problems facing the nation came from “…an unnecessary and excessive growth of government” (326). He also stated that it was “…time to check and reverse the growth of government…” since it had “…grown beyond the consent of the governed” (325). Reagan did not want to do away with the government; however, he did want to assure Americans that it would be under his competent control. Reagan wanted to affirm that the government would “…work with…not over…” the citizens (325). So, to further bring America’s problems to an end, Reagan sought “…to get government back within its means…” by “…restoring the balance between the various levels of

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