Reaganomics and Its Effect on Minority Groups - 1519 Words

The most noteworthy component of Ronald Reagan’s two terms as leader of the free world are the laws, regulations, and policies passed under his two terms as President of the United States. These regulations soon became known as â€Å"Reaganomics†, a term that is still used today to describe these policies. Hidden underneath the manufactured depiction of Reaganomics policies by mass media lies a controversial observation: these policies may have created a permanent shift in American society which, as a result, disenfranchised minorities since they went into effect over thirty years ago. This particular idea or theory is exceptionally contradictory and has been distorted by not only various media outlets but by subsequent pro-Reaganomics†¦show more content†¦The income received by the top 5% of highest incomes increased by 5%. This also increased the income wage gap between races (primarily white and black) and the wage gap between social classes (middle class a nd wealthy) as the number of Americans below the poverty line increased by more than 2 million. Despite its successes on the American economical structure and more significantly, its benefits for the rich, Reaganomics jeopardized the welfare of Americans of the lower class as Reagan’s administration cut 60% of funding towards social programs that primarily assisted mothers, children, and minorities like Social Security, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and federal education programs. The administration also proved to be detrimental to the citizens in the urban area with budget cuts to federal legal services for the poor as well as decreased funding for public transportation and the eliminated anti-poverty programs such as the Community Development Block program. When Reagan first came into office, city budgets used over 20 percent of federal funding but towards 1988, it decreased to 6 percent. The results of these cuts were so destructive that many inner city schools, public libraries, hospital/clinics, police and fire departments were forced to close down indefinitely. With thirty percent of African Americans below the poverty line, these spending cuts sparked the onset of several implications for African American family life, such as the halving of the housing andShow MoreRelatedThe Changing American Culture Essay1324 Words   |  6 Pagessolution. According to Peter Ferrara in â€Å"Reaganomics vs Obamanomics† Ronald Reagan said in his speech during his first inauguration â€Å" In this present crisis government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem†. This shows that people of his generation tended to be more independent and solve their own problems rather than be dependent and expect the government to do it for them. 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But usually the presidentRead MorePre-Columbian Period9302 Words   |  38 Pagesago.[10] Some of these groups migrated south and east, and over time spread throughout the Americas. These were the ancestors to modern Native Americans in the United States and Alaskan Native peoples, as well as all indigenous peoples of the Americas. Many indigenous peoples were semi-nomadic tribes of hunter-gatherers; others were sedentary and agricultural civilizations. Many formed new tribes or confederations in response to European colonization. Well-known groups included the Huron, Apache