[ti:Ronald Reagan: Communicator]
[al:America's Presidents]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2023-12-03]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:06.06]VOA Learning English presents America's Presidents.
[00:11.83]Today we are talking about Ronald Reagan. He was president for two terms, and served from 1981 to 1989. 
[00:23.00]Before that, he was the governor of California, worked as an actor and led a labor union.
[00:32.15]As president, Reagan is credited for changing the direction of the country.
[00:38.67]He tried to establish a feeling of confidence in the American people.
[00:44.35]Although not everyone profited equally from his policies, the president rarely suffered in public opinion polls. 
[00:54.23]Reagan was called the "Great Communicator" because he was able to connect with many Americans, and to speak persuasively about conservative values.
[01:06.54]He is remembered warmly by many Republican Party politicians and voters especially.
[01:29.99]Ronald Reagan is often linked to California and the American West. 
[01:35.44]But he was born and raised in Illinois, in the center of the United States.
[01:41.23]His father sold shoes, and his mother mostly took care of Ronald and his older brother, Neil.
[01:49.31]The entire family supported the Democratic Party, especially President Franklin Roosevelt.
[01:57.15]While the boys were growing up, the Reagans did not have much money, and the father suffered from alcoholism.
[02:06.28]But Ronald was energetic and took part in many activities.
[02:12.35]He played football and basketball; ran on the track team; swam; acted in plays; led student groups; wrote for school newspapers and yearbooks; and worked several jobs to help pay for his education and support his parents.
[02:29.69]He attended Eureka College in Illinois, and completed his studies in 1932.
[02:37.79]One of his first jobs out of college was as a sports announcer for a radio station.
[02:45.85]He had an appealing voice and a natural way of talking that was a good fit for radio.
[02:53.28]Reagan was also good-looking, and a dependable worker. 
[02:58.90]In time, he was offered a chance to act in movies and moved to California.
[03:05.73]During his acting career, Reagan made more than 50 films. 
[03:11.75]He also married actress Jane Wyman and had two children with her.
[03:18.12]But after several years, the relationship ended. Their marriage ended in divorce.
[03:25.73]Four years later, Reagan married another actress.
[03:29.71]Her name was Anne Robbins, but she was called Nancy Davis. 
[03:35.17]They also had two children.
[03:38.39]As he was starting his second family, Reagan began another part of his career.
[03:44.21]He served as host of a popular television series about the American West. 
[03:50.84]He also became president of a labor union, the Screen Actors Guild.
[03:56.31]It represented actors, announcers, and others working in the film and television industry.
[04:03.77]During that time, Reagan's political beliefs changed.
[04:09.44]He increasingly supported conservative ideas. During public appearances, he often spoke in support of business interests. 
[04:20.47]He also expressed concern that the federal government was limiting Americans' freedom.
[04:27.39]The message was well-received by many Americans. 
[04:31.72]Although the Democratic Party was in power for most of the 1960s, a number of Americans were becoming increasingly conservative.
[04:42.43]Reagan won national recognition in 1966 when he successfully ran for governor of California as a Republican.
[04:52.62]In 1970, voters re-elected him to the position.
[04:56.85]But Reagan had set his sights on the presidency. 
[05:01.05]He sought the Republican nomination in both 1968 and 1976.
[05:09.26]Finally, in 1980, he won the office.
[05:14.42]By that time, he had already had several careers, as well as a long life. 
[05:20.85]At age 69, he was the oldest person until then to be elected president.
[05:52.72]When Reagan took office, he made improving the U.S. economy his highest concern.
[05:59.41]One way to do that, he believed, was to reduce the influence of the federal government.
[06:06.95]He wanted especially to cut some of the government programs that former president Lyndon Johnson had put in place to help poor people. 
[06:18.31]Reagan believed that cutting taxes - especially on big businesses - would help strengthen the economy, and in time help everyone.
[06:30.01]In a speech after taking office, Reagan noted that, "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."
[06:40.51]At first, the economy continued to struggle. 
[06:44.43]But in a few years, Reagan's policies appeared to work.
[06:49.90]Unemployment dropped, the stock market rose, and many industries grew quickly.
[06:56.84]Americans often remember Reagan's presidency as a time of economic growth.
[07:03.51]Not everyone benefited equally, however. 
[07:07.28]Reagan's critics observed that his policies largely helped people who were already wealthy. 
[07:15.07]The divide between rich and middle-class Americans increased during Reagan's presidency.
[07:23.52]And Reagan did not reduce government spending in all areas.
[07:28.91]In fact, he sharply increased military spending.
[07:33.89]One result was a large national debt. Another result, Reagan's supporters say, was a quicker end to the Cold War.
[07:44.26]One of Reagan's major foreign policy goals was to end the stand-off with the Soviet Union.
[07:52.56]He believed that building up the U.S. military was the best way to pressure the Soviets to reach an agreement on arms control.
[08:02.30]Reagan also spoke out strongly against communism. 
[08:07.91]In his second term, he famously appealed to the new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, to tear down the Berlin Wall.
[08:18.08]For some, the wall was a sign of communism.
[08:22.11]Many historians say Reagan's policies worked. 
[08:26.70]For sure, Reagan and Gorbachev improved relations between their countries. 
[08:33.01]And in time, the Soviet leadership permitted the Berlin Wall to come down.
[08:52.18]In addition to the economy and the Cold War, Reagan is often remembered for his likable personality.
[09:00.58]He spoke easily with the public, often had a positive message about the country, and usually appeared cheerful.
[09:10.42]He won even more public approval after a man with mental problems tried to kill him.
[09:17.10]The bullets seriously injured several people nearby, and just missed Reagan's heart.
[09:25.19]Yet, shortly after he was shot, the president joked with his wife and with his doctors. Opinion polls showed that the recovered president was more popular than ever.
[09:39.28]Reagan's political image also survived a scandal known as Iran-Contra.
[09:46.03]In brief, Congress found that a number of government officials secretly sold U.S. weapons to Iran as part of a deal to free hostages. 
[09:57.77]Then, the officials used some of the money to help rebels in Nicaragua.
[10:05.12]The actions violated congressional rules. 
[10:09.21]They also challenged Reagan's promise that he had not traded weapons for hostages.
[10:16.67]The president apologized for any part he had played in the events. 
[10:22.63]Polls showed that, in general, the American public accepted his apology and continued to trust him.
[10:31.47]Unlike most U.S. presidents, who lose public support during their terms, Reagan finished his time in office as he had taken it - with the support of more than half of Americans.
[11:10.12]Reagan retired to his home in California with his wife, Nancy. 
[11:16.89]For several years, he wrote about his life and helped organize his presidential library.
[11:24.28]But in a few years, the former president announced that he suffered from Alzheimer's. 
[11:30.67]The disease affects people's ability to think, remember, and express themselves.
[11:38.27]Soon, Reagan disappeared from public life. He died in 2004.
[11:45.00]But he is well-remembered as an able politician who could work effectively with many people. 
[11:52.03]He is also remembered - by both supporters and critics - for being a powerful voice for conservative ideas and traditional values.
[12:04.66]His influence extended beyond his two terms. 
[12:08.73]Later generations of leaders and voters called themselves Reagan Republicans.
[12:20.69]I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.