Discusses the political lives and times of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton, their administrations, and the events which occurred during their tenures.

The Cannons--a father and son reporting team that has covered six of the last seven presidencies--offer an insightful examination of what remains of the Reagan agenda in the Bush era.

Michael Meeropol argues that the ballooning of the federal budget deficit was not a serious problem in the 1980s, nor were the successful recent efforts to get it under control the basis for the prosperous economy of the mid-1990s. In this controversial book, the author provides a close look at what actually happened to the American economy during the years of the "Reagan Revolution" and reveals that the huge deficits had no negative effect on the economy. It was the other policies of the Reagan years--high interest rates to fight inflation, supply-side tax cuts, reductions in regulation, increased advantages for investors and the wealthy, the unraveling of the safety net for the poor--that were unsuccessful in generating more rapid growth and other economic improvements. Meeropol provides compelling evidence of the failure of the U.S. economy between 1990 and 1994 to generate rising incomes for most of the population or improvements in productivity. This caused, first, the electoral repudiation of President Bush in 1992, followed by a repudiation of President Clinton in the 1994 Congressional elections. The Clinton administration made a half-hearted attempt to reverse the Reagan Revolution in economic policy, but ultimately surrendered to the Republican Congressional majority in 1996 when Clinton promised to balance the budget by 2000 and signed the welfare reform bill. The rapid growth of the economy in 1997 caused surprisingly high government revenues, a dramatic fall in the federal budget deficit, and a brief euphoria evident in an almost uncontrollable stock market boom. Finally, Meeropol argues powerfully that the next recession, certain to come before the end of 1999, will turn the predicted path to budget balance and millennial prosperity into a painful joke on the hubris of public policymakers. Accessibly written as a work of recent history and public policy as much as economics, this book is intended for all Americans interested in issues of economic policy, especially the budget deficit and the Clinton versus Congress debates. No specialized training in economics is needed. "A wonderfully accessible discussion of contemporary American economic policy. Meeropol demonstrates that the Reagan-era policies of tax cuts and shredded safety nets, coupled with strident talk of balanced budgets, have been continued and even brought to fruition by the neo-liberal Clinton regime." --Frances Fox Piven, Graduate School, City University of New York Michael Meeropol is Chair and Professor of Economics, Western New England College.

From the vantage point of the 2016 presidential election and the deepening polarization of American politics in recent decades, it is striking how much more distant the Reagan-Bush era of the 1980s and early 1990s seems compared to the years that have actually passed. Whither the Republican Party of yesteryear? Like reincarnated characters from Samuel Beckett’s classic play Waiting for Godot, many disillusioned conservatives in the new millennium continue to search obdurately and in vain for a leader who embodies the acclaimed leadership traits of Ronald Reagan. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Reagan-Bush Era contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, events, institutions, policies, and issues. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about this era.

This is the first and only ready-reference source on the Reagan-Bush years, 1980-1992. No other single volume provides readily available and concise information on the key developments and figures of this period. Organized A-Z, it features over 250 entries on key personalities, issues, events, political and governmental developments, foreign and domestic concerns, laws, terms and catchphrases, and social and cultural trends of the era. Entries are 100-1,000 words in length and conclude with a list of suggested readings. The work also features a chronology of events, statistical charts and tables, and photographs and is thoroughly cross-referenced in boldface for ease of use. The organizing principle of the work is a focus on individuals and events that directly relate to Presidents Reagan and Bush and their administrations. In addition there are entries on social trends, world events, and popular culture. The book presents a balanced account of the Reagan-Bush years. Entries favor description over judgment while at the same time offering a sense of the controversy that surrounded and in some cases still surrounds the events and actions of the Reagan-Bush presidencies. Biographies of key figures in their administrations, Supreme Court appointments, related players on the national and world stage, summaries of significant pieces of legislation, and balanced analyses of their domestic and foreign policies are featured. Entries also include many terms and catchphrases such as Reaganomics, No New Taxes, and A Thousand Points of Light. This is the perfect first-stop for information on all aspects of this important period in American history and will fill a gap in public and high school library reference collections.

Robert Scheer's interviews with US presidents, and his profiles of them, have shaped journalism history. Scheer developed close journalistic relationships with Presidents Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush senior. Here, Scheer offers an unparalleled insight into the presidential mind. Through both new writing and reprinted material, he analyses each American administration since Nixon and, including George W. Bush, offers surprising insights - particularly those with rigid preconceptions about the decision-making process of world leaders.

The Bush-Clinton families' hold on the American presidency is a danger to the presidency itself and to American democracy. This book will highlight the problems and the consequences of combining the most powerful political office in the world with family legacies.