The Reagan Election and Mandate: Their Fiscal Policy Implications for the Welfare State

Authors

James Fendrich, Florida State University
Douglas St. Angelo, Florida State University

Abstract

This paper has three main thrusts. The first searches the Reagan campaign, the 1980 Republican Platform, the election and survey results to determine whether or not Reagan can creditably lay claim to a mandate for his social policies. The second thrust investigates the 1982 Reagan spending and taxing programs. Our purpose here is to ascertain if those policies denote major new directions in U.S. social policy. Our third purpose involves an assessment of the Reagan fiscal policies upon the U.S. economy.

This study concludes: (1) Reagan can claim a mandate for much of his social policies, (2) the Reagan fiscal policies are a significant departure from the national policy of the recent past, and (3) the consequences of the Reagan policies of the future are so negative that his policies will require reversal -- either by his administration or a new administration following his defeat or retreat.

Recommended Citation

Fendrich, James and St. Angelo, Douglas (1981) "The Reagan Election and Mandate: Their Fiscal Policy Implications for the Welfare State," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 8: Iss. 3, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.1498
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol8/iss3/8