ResearchResearchResearch American Presidents and Their Attitudes, Beliefs, and Actions Surrounding Education and Multiculturalism A Series of Research Studies in Educational Policy Sixth Installment: Examining Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and William Jefferson Clinton By H. Prentice Baptiste, Heidi Orvosh-Kamenski, & Christopher J. Kamenski Introduction cause of its status in the policy process, relation to the chief executive . has the the President’s agenda is the subject of in- power to frame, implement, and transform In our nation’s history all of the presi- tense conflict” (Light, 1999, p.1). government” (Baptiste & Sanchez, 2004, dents have been white males. As West The president’s leadership, actions, p. 34; Schlesinger, 2002). We invite you, if states (1993) in his seminal book, Race and policies have great significance on you haven’t already done so, to look back Matters, the significance of the race factor matters of social justice and matters of at the previous five installments. Reading cannot be overlooked in the selection of our race. “The presidency is the chief engine of those installments will not only put this national leaders and this national value is progress in American history; its leader- current article in context, but it will also reaffirmed in the following quote: “Race still ship and power are central” (Blumenthal, give you a better sense of understanding matters in this country, largely in ways that 2003). The president is involved in each our purpose in writing these articles. are subtle but is no less venomous to the stage of policy making (Shull, 1993). Fur- threadbare proposition that we live in a col- thermore, “Much of the expected policy Ronald Reagan orblind society” (Wickham, 2002, p. 233). change is likely to be attributable to presi- (40th President 1981-1989) Each president must decide through dential influence” (Shull, 1993, p. 26). his agenda to fight for social justice or dis- This article focuses on the recent presi- The country in 1980 was in a profound tance himself from issues of race, class, dencies of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. state of gloom. For more than a year and access to employment, health care, and Bush, and William Jefferson Clinton and Jimmy Carter had struggled unsuccess- other societal needs. The president must is the sixth installment in a series that fully to free a group of fifty-two Ameri- negotiate his agenda through bargaining, can hostages held in Iran. And with the examines how presidents, through their of- economy in trouble and inflation in double debate, and sometimes domination. “Be- fice of power, have impacted U.S. citizens digits, Carter’s repeated calls for sacrifice by their actions and policies. By viewing and lower expectations had left many H. Prentice Baptiste is a professor the presidents through a multicultural Americans pessimistic about the future. of multicultural and science education lense we can more clearly understand the Ronald Reagan saw his job, as president, and Heidi Orvosh-Kamenski impact of their legacies that have been ad- as teaching Americans how to dream and Christopher J. Kamenski vanced and continue to exist today with again. (Kunhardt, Kunhardt, & Kun- are doctoral students in critical pedagogy, respect to issues of social justice. hardt, 1991, p. 294) all with the Department of Curriculum Our reasons for examining the presi- and Instruction dency are apparent, “the president is the Social Currency at New Mexico State University, embodiment of leadership in this coun- Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, Las Cruces, New Mexico. try…. the ambiguity of the Constitution in Illinois in 1911. He grew up in a lower middle MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION 28 Research class environment (www.multied.com). He egy. Unfortunately, the U.S. military spend- had a difficult childhood and attended pub- ing was paid for through budget cuts in eco- lic school. His father was an alcoholic and nomic and social programs. his undiagnosed nearsightedness held him Economic Ignorance. Reagan’s social back in school (Kunhardt, Kunhardt, & policy is best seen as an abdication. Kunhardt, 1999; WorldHistory.com). Reagan’s economic policy was to adjust Reagan graduated in 1932 from Eureka government regulation so that it favored College where he majored in economics and business once again…the coalitions that sociology (www.americanpresident.org). were necessary for election were either In 1932 Reagan began his career in gratified(the elderly) or abandoned (the the spotlight as a radio sportscaster and poor) (Thomas, 1998). The Department of was later cast in more than 50 films Housing and Urban Development was the (Kunhardt, Kunhardt, & Kunhardt, 1999). main government supporter of subsidized When he became the host of the television housing for the poor and Reagan cut the show General Electric Theater, he became budget by three-quarters during his eight one of the “most recognizable men in year term. America” (Kunhardt, Kunhardt, & Kun- Furthermore, under Reagan, the num- hardt, 1991, p. 292). He later became part ber of people living beneath the federal pov- owner of the show and very wealthy. Reagan erty line rose from 24.5 million in 1978 to became General Electric’s spokesperson 32.5 million in 1988 (Gray Panthers, n.d.). and traveled to GE factories around the On Reagan’s policies Roger Wilkins con- United States gaining political capital. cluded, “I think Reagan was such a genial Reagan was an active Democrat, but real- fellow that nobody could conclude that his ized his political beliefs had changed. In policies were as mean spirited as they 1962 he changed political parties. turned out to be” (Wilkins, 2004). It is un- Reagan received strong political sup- Ronald Reagan deniable that under Reagan’s watch his port from the business community in policies subsidized the rich on the backs of southern California which helped him to lieved in whatever he said (Schaller, 1992). the poor. secure his position as California’s gover- “As an actor and simplistic ideologue and Reagan’s goal of paralyzing govern- nor for eight years (Kunhardt, Kunhardt, the supremely homey orator, Reagan was ment was an obvious success, as evidence, & Kunhardt, 1999). During this time he of course a master at manipulating the now Congress enacted the fewest number of ad- established a conservative record. essential media cues of American politi- ministration-proposed bills since Eisen- Looking at the presidency of Reagan cal success” (Krieger, 1986). hower (Blumenthal, 2003; Light, 1991). He one can’t help but notice the contradiction He made politics as theater into an pushed for the passage of his economic and in his uncomplicated yet intricate person- art form by creating a White House of illu- defense programs and ignored other issues, ality. He comforted the comfortable and sion (Walsh, 1997). Reagan came to un- especially domestic policy issues. Reagan’s disarmed the afflicted (Wills, 2000). His derstand his chief function as president neglect of programs and issues had critics vision for the nation was easily understood was essentially to serve as a national sto- describing him as lazy (Schaller, 1992). In by many Americans through his unique ryteller and develop a positive vision of addition, interest payments on the national ability of communication that was compa- America and what it means to the world, debt more than doubled, savings dropped, rable to FDR and Lincoln (Truelsen, 2004). and connect that vision to the past, and the infrastructure was grossly ne- Known as the “Great Communicator,” present, and future (Walsh, 1997). glected due to cutbacks (Wills, 2000). for many Reagan communicated a message Those who were most directly affected that instilled pride and patriotism in Actions, Policies, and Political Decisions by those cutbacks were the poor. This be- Americans. He was able to sell America to Reagan deserves credit for enabling comes apparent when you examine the Americans, something that hadn’t hap- Americans to share in his vision. Under Census Bureau statistics that have been pened during previous presidencies. He his watch the cold war came to an end and compiled over the past forty years which gave conservatism what it had lacked— the world listened as he said those famous show that during the Reagan administra- humanity, optimism, and hope (Wills, words, “Mr. Gorbachov, tear down these tion by 1989 the richest two-fifths of fami- 2000). Reagan was benign and grandfa- walls.” Through these accomplishments he lies had the highest share of national in- therly in style, not harsh, more similar to was able to restore patriotism back to come and the poorest two-fifths had the a democrat like Franklin Roosevelt (Wills, America. But through these same accom- lowest share (Cannon, 1991). Cutbacks in 2000). Reagan embodied the contradiction plishments his spending created a down- food stamps, Medicaid, housing subsidies, of being both a genuinely liked, but a highly ward spiral for the American economy. unemployment compensation, urban mass polarizing political figure, an unusual com- Reagan’s strategy was for the United transit, student loans, and welfare were bination perhaps found in no other mod- States to spend so much money on its mili- part of Reagan’s tax cuts aimed at stimu- ern president (Laham, 1998). tary defense that it would force the Soviet lating the economy (D’Souza, 1999). Reagan’s popularity with the Ameri- Union to do the same, which eventually The reality was the poor got poorer and can people enabled him to pursue his divi- would cause the Soviet’s collapse. The So- the economy never became stimulated sive conservative agenda, yet coming across viet Union’s economy wasn’t the only through the Reaganomics theory (Kun- as sincere and persuasive in large part be- economy that would suffer from this strat- hardt, Kunhardt, & Kunhardt, 1999).