January 20, 2011, marks the 30th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s inauguration as the president of the United States. Ronald Reagan, throughout his presidency, used humor as a way to captivate audiences whenever he spoke, which earned him the nickname ‘The Great Communicator.’ However, President Reagan was always serious when he talked about the size and scope of the federal government, as well as his mission to put communism on the “ash heap of history.”
Reagan set the tone of his presidency during his inaugural address. One mission of his presidency was to rein-in out-of-control government spending that caused high unemployment and double-digit inflation. In this day and age when more and more people within the government believe that more government is the answer, we remember what Reagan said during his famous address:
In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.
Those are lessons that should be well-remembered in today’s political climate. The core of Reagan’s philosophy is that he believed in America. He believed in the people of America. He believed that if you worked hard, there was nothing that could not be accomplished, and nothing that should prevent the accomplishment. It is a belief that seems to be lost on too many people in Washington.
Heritage played a big role in shaping the policies of his presidency with Mandate for Leadership, and we are proud to continue the legacy of the Reagan presidency. Please take a moment to watch his historic speech.