Ronald Reagan: From Hollywood To The Oval Office

Ronald Reagan Is Elected President Of The United States In 1981

Photo Credit: David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

In 1980, Ronald Reagan won the Republican Primary and faced off against Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter. Reagan ran on a platform promising lower taxes, strong national defense, and less government interference in public affairs. He beat Jimmy Carter 489 electoral votes to 49.

Ronald Reagan spent the next eight years as president. His biggest contribution during these years was “Reaganomics.” Reagan planned to stimulate the economy with major tax cuts and a free-market fiscal policy. The result of his “trickle-down” economic policies was a one percent decrease in overall government revenues and a $200 billion rise in federal tax income receipts.