American Experience

In "Quotes"

Below are quotations from the speeches and writings of Ronald Reagan. Each is followed by a series of questions that you may want to raise with your students.

"It is not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make it work -- work with us, not over us; stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it."

Questions to Consider:

• Evaluate Reagan's view on government. Do you agree with his description of what the governmental role should be? Why or why not?

"Only when the human spirit is allowed to invent and create, only when individuals are given a personal stake in deciding economic policies and benefiting from their success -- only then can societies remain economically alive, dynamic, progressive, and free. Trust the people. This is the one irrefutable lesson of the entire postwar period, contradicting the notion that rigid government controls are essential to economic development."

Questions to Consider:

• How did Reagan's political initiatives support his words in this quotation?
• Do you think that the people today have a "personal stake" in the U.S. government?
• What government controls, if any, do you think should exist?
• What controls or regulations would you like lifted?

"It was leadership here at home that gave us strong American influence abroad, and the collapse of imperial Communism. Great nations have responsibilities to lead, and we should always be cautious of those who would lower our profile, because they might just wind up lowering our flag."

Questions to Consider:

• Do you agree that there is a link between what happens domestically and a country's standing internationally?
• Do you think this quotation is an accurate description of cause and effects between domestic and foreign affairs? Why or why not?

"Public servants say, always with the best of intentions, 'What greater service we could render if only we had a little more money and a little more power.' But the truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector."

Questions to Consider:

• What do you think of Reagan's philosophy as described here?
• Do you agree that the private sector could always out-perform the government?
• What "legitimate functions" do you think Reagan might be referring to?
• What services do you think would be better provided by private business than by the government?
• How is or isn't the first part of this quotation consistent with Reagan's defense spending?

"The years ahead will be great ones for our country, for the cause of freedom and the spread of civilization. The West will not contain Communism, it will transcend Communism. We will not bother to denounce it, we'll dismiss it as a sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written."

Questions to Consider:

• How accurate was Reagan in his prediction?
• Did Reagan's administration contribute to making this prediction come true? Why or why not?