The inauguration of Ronald Reagan (1911-; see entry in volume 5) in 1981 promised a new start for the nation. The 1970s had begun with U.S. soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War (1954-75) and ended with American hostages being held in Iran after over four hundred days. The resignation of President Richard Nixon (1913-1994; see entry in volume 5), soaring fuel costs, and diminishing international prestige were other problems of the 1970s that Americans were anxious to put behind them.

Reagan had capitalized on that sense of discontent during his campaign for the presidency. Always speaking with optimism, he declared that the federal government had grown too large and too intrusive in the lives of its citizens. Promising to scale back government programs to promote only those that created opportunity, Reagan hoped to begin a period of national renewal.

There was a sense of...