After nearly a decade of slow business growth and declining consumer confidence, the American economy began a period of strong growth and growing confidence beginning in 1982. The cheerleader for this decade of economic optimism was none other than the nation's president, Ronald Reagan (1911–). He told America that it was time to get government off of people's backs. He reduced government regulations, reduced taxes, and let businesses seek their maximum profit.

The 1980s were an era in which big businesses got even bigger. Many large companies sought to gain power by purchasing competitors. Corporate buyouts, mergers, and "leveraged buyouts"—in which a corporate raider gained control of a company's stock and forced its sale—became commonplace. This intense corporate competition was symbolic of the age, as an intense focus on profit and getting ahead seemed to be common among many Americans. Gordon Gecko, the evil...