Tommy Douglas And Ronald Reagan

There are no two snowflakes alike in this world, and such is true pertaining to human beings. Each individual derives from a unique background, in result forming them into the person they are with their own aspirations and goals. For some people, their vocation is politics. For Tommy Douglas and Ronald Reagan, their calling was such. While these politicians each held their own beliefs and values, they held one common goal as respected political figures; to improve their homelands to the best of their abilities.

Both men led very different lives. Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas was born into the working class in Scotland and later emigrated to Canada with his family, settling in Winnipeg. He was a very religious man, eventually

As a result of the period of time he lived in and his upbringing in a small town, he knew the severity of which money could affect one's quality of life. Assisting the less fortunate escape poverty was important to him. Under his leadership, spending for basic low-income assistance program rose 40%. Reagan also worked to have Congress pass a legislation which worked on helping recover the economy as a whole. He introduced the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, which in result decreased an individual’s income tax rates and the cost of private property. Over the span of his reign, twenty million new jobs were created, inflation rates dropped by over half than what they were when he became President, unemployment rate decreased, the net worth of families income increased by over half of their previous earnings, and the tax cuts saved American families of close to ten thousand. Reagan’s belief of the government’s as protecting their citizens and his value on collectivism was reflected in his actions as he worked to improve the quality of life for the common good.

Tommy Douglas had his own view on government’s role in society. He lived through both World Wars, and his actions reflected the period of time he lived through. The World Wars contributed to his leadership beliefs; the Second World War convinced

He was motivated by an incident in his childhood where he obtained an injury that left untreated would result in the amputation of the leg. Fortunately for him, a doctor stepped forward and offered to conduct the surgery free of charge on account that medical students could observe and his leg was saved. The idea of an individual being ill and not being able to afford medical attention was not acceptable to the Premier. He later stated, “I felt that no boy should have to depend either for his leg or his life upon the ability of his parents to raise enough money to bring a first-class surgeon to his bedside.” As result of Douglas’ initiating universal health care, citizens to this day continue to benefit, but this decision was initially triggered by one’s self interest in mind.

Apart from the introduction of health care, Douglas and his party played a role by being the first to advocate the idea of Canada-wide pension plans. Another event in his life that affected his political career was witnessing the Winnipeg General Strike, which was a strike demanding higher pay. In result, Douglas and his party also played a role in bargaining rights for civil servants. Tommy Douglas’ actions reflected his individualist beliefs. Both men made decisions that they they thought was best for their country or