Was Ronald Reagan a Good President? Pro and Con Analysis Puts President Reagan in New Light

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Oct 18, 2010, 10:05 ET

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ProCon.org researched the pros and cons of Ronald Reagan's presidency and presented its authoritative findings in a new publicly accessible resource. ProCon.org is 501(c)(3) nonpartisan public charity which provides millions of readers with free research on important debated issues in order to stimulate critical thinking and educate without bias.

Reagan ProCon.org (http://www.reagan.procon.org), the 38th ProCon.org issue website, presents 26 compelling pro and con arguments related to the question "Was Ronald Reagan a good president?" In its exploration of the 40th US President, the website includes several little known "Did You Know?" facts about Ronald Reagan, a photo montage of John Hinckley Jr.'s assassination attempt on President Reagan, a 1,500+ word "Background" article, video clips, photographs, citations for all sources used, readers' comments, and more. The website also tracks budget deficits, Dow Jones averages, gold prices, unemployment rates, GDP, inflation, and other metrics from 1961-2009 so readers can see what happened before, during, and after a president's term. The findings should help readers think critically about Ronald Reagan's presidency and get facts about his accomplishments and failures without any spin.

The website investigating Ronald Reagan was launched simultaneously with a website investigating Bill Clinton (www.clinton.procon.org). Kamy Akhavan, Managing Editor of ProCon.org, remarked on the project: "We didn't want to create even a perception of bias by focusing on one president alone, so we picked two from opposite parties. Why these two presidents? Both Clinton and Reagan served two relatively recent terms, remain very popular within their parties, and are relevant in today's politics. Our researchers are fantastic. The results of their work will help a lot of people understand and evaluate these iconic presidents."

For much more information, visit www.reagan.procon.org.

Did You Know?

* When Ronald Reagan was first elected on Nov. 4, 1980 at the age of 69, he was the oldest man ever to be elected President of the United States. He broke his own record with his reelection on Nov. 4, 1984 at age 73.

* On Mar. 30, 1981, 69 days into Reagan's first term, John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to assassinate the President outside the Washington Hilton hotel. Reagan was shot under his left arm, the bullet lodging in his lung and stopping within an inch of his heart.

* Ronald Reagan appointed the first woman to the Supreme Court by nominating Sandra Day O'Connor to replace Justice Potter Stewart. O'Connor was confirmed by Congress on Sep. 21, 1981 by a vote of 99-0.

* In his two terms as President, Reagan cut the budgets of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (by 40%), the Department of Commerce (by 32%), the Department of Agriculture (by 24%), the Department of Education (by 19%), and the Department of Transportation (by 18%). He never cut the budgets for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Justice, or State.

* President Reagan presided over the biggest peacetime defense buildup in US history. He expanded defense spending from $178 billion in 1981 to $283 billion by 1988, an increase of 58.9%

About Us

ProCon.org (online at www.procon.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity whose mission is promoting critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship. Information is presented on 39 different ProCon.org issue websites in subjects ranging from medical marijuana, abortion, and alternative energy to the death penalty, illegal immigration, and health care reform.

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