by Chris Staron | May 26, 2026 | Episodes, Reagan, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right
What did evangelicals get from Ronald Reagan?
A bunch of evangelicals like Tim LaHaye, Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell pushed many in the evangelical movement to support Ronald Reagan for president. The New Right tied them to the Republican Party. But… what did they get for their efforts?
In this mini-episode, Chris lays out some of the few things they got. And some of the things that Reagan did that upset these evangelicals with large followings.
Evangelical opposition to Sandra Day O’Connor
One thing they didn’t like was the appointment of Sandra Day O’Connor as the first female Supreme Court judge. But Reagan did dedicate a day of prayer and offered an amendment to protect prayer in schools (though it was never going to pass).
It’s possible that what Reagan really left these evangelicals with large followings was not legislation, but permission to use deeply flawed individuals to achieve their goals.
Sources:
- God’s Own Party by Daniel K Williams
- The Invisible Bridge, Nixonland, and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- Proclamation 4999. National Family Week 1982
- Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz
- The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
- New York Times article about the O’Connor opposition
- Christianity Today article about O’Connor’s opposition
- New York Times Article “Reagan Proposes School Prayer Amendment, May 18, 1982.
- Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ by John G Turner
- Article on National Ice Cream Day
- Letter from Gary North to Paul Weyrick
- Article on the US overthrow of Grenada
- Revive Us Again by Joel Carpenter
Discussion Questions:
- What did evangelicals get from Reagan?
- How did these evangelicals with large followings continue after Reagan?
by Chris Staron | May 19, 2026 | Episodes, Reagan, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right
Ronald Reagan’s Economic Policies Left the Country Further in Debt
Ronald Reagan’s economic policies, often referred to as “Reaganomics,” were based on supply-side economics. His administration focused on reducing the role of government in the economy by cutting taxes, especially for corporations and high-income individuals, with the belief that this would stimulate investment, job creation, and overall economic growth. The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 was a cornerstone of this approach, slashing income tax rates across the board. Reagan also prioritized deregulation, aiming to reduce government oversight in industries such as banking, energy, and transportation, under the idea that less regulation would foster greater business efficiency and innovation.
The Reasons People Are Critical of Reaganomics
At the same time, Reagan significantly increased defense spending while aiming to cut domestic programs, which contributed to a substantial rise in the federal budget deficit. While the economy experienced a period of strong growth and declining inflation during his presidency—especially after the early 1980s recession—critics argue that the benefits were unevenly distributed. Income inequality widened, and the national debt tripled by the end of his two terms. So… was it worth it? Who benefited from his programs? And what does that say about us as a nation?
Sources:
- Article about Reagan’s radio program
- The Invisible Bridge and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- The story of Tom Smith, the bread manufacturer
- Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Boot
- Way Out There in the Blue by Frances Fitzgerald
- Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz
- A bio of Bob Taft
- A helpful article about the savings and loan crisis
Discussion Questions:
- What does the term “Reaganomics” mean?
- Why is trickle-down economics helpful to the rich and not the poor?
- Do you think that Americans favor the rich? Why?
- How have your opinions about the rich and the poor shaped your faith?
by Chris Staron | May 5, 2026 | Economics and Faith, Episodes, Reagan, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right
Reagan’s Star Wars was never going to work
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), announced by President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983, was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from nuclear attacks, particularly those launched by the Soviet Union. Often dubbed “Star Wars” by critics, the initiative aimed to develop a space-based shield that could intercept and destroy incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) before they reached U.S. territory. The plan called for the use of advanced technologies, including ground-based interceptors, space-based lasers, and other futuristic weapon systems, many of which were in the early stages of research or purely theoretical at the time.
Mutually Assured Destruction
Reagan’s vision for SDI was rooted in his desire to shift U.S. defense policy away from the Cold War doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), which relied on the threat of retaliatory strikes to deter nuclear war. Instead, SDI aimed to make nuclear weapons “impotent and obsolete” by providing a defensive solution that would render enemy missiles ineffective. The initiative sparked intense debate, both domestically and internationally. Critics argued that it was technologically unfeasible, enormously expensive, and risked escalating the arms race by undermining existing arms control agreements like the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.
Why keep Star Wars around when it was sure to fail?
Despite its ambitious goals, the Strategic Defense Initiative faced numerous scientific and budgetary challenges, and many of its proposed technologies never moved beyond the conceptual or experimental stages. Nevertheless, SDI played a significant role in the strategic dialogue between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the 1980s, influencing arms negotiations and highlighting the role of technological innovation in defense policy. By the early 1990s, after the Cold War ended, the program was scaled back and eventually evolved into the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization under subsequent administrations.
Sources:
- Way Out There in the Blue by Frances Fitzgerald
- Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- JFK Library article about the missile gap
- PBS article about Reagan’s security plans
- Reagan’s “evil empire” speech
- Article from harvest.org about their predictions for Magog
- Bill Graham’s sermon, which uses the fear of communism to create a sense of urgency
- Armageddon and the Coming War with Russia pamphlet by Jerry Falwell
- Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ by John G Turner
Discussion Questions:
- What was the Strategic Defense Initiative?
- What were its goals?
- Why did they keep it around even after it was obvious it didn’t work?
- Does Reagan fit the mold of conservatives of his time? Of conservative Republicans through American history?
by Chris Staron | Apr 7, 2026 | Episodes, Reagan, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right
Ronald Reagan pulls a fast one on the Screen Actors’ Guild
Before he became president, Reagan was the head of the Screen Actors’ Guild. While he held that office, he worked out a sweetheart deal between MCA (an agent for actors) and the Screen Actors’ Guild. In the process, he messed over the actors in SAG while walking away with a plush job. Coincidence? Robert Kennedy Sr. didn’t think so. The investigation is one reason why Reagan, a solid Democrat, switched to the Republican Party.
Reagan was a “business-first” kind of leader
When it came down to backing his followers or helping big business, he chose business. The same was true when he fought air traffic controllers. In this way, you can see the influence of Ayn Rand. This strongman president often sided with business, while blaming societal ills on the poor.
Reagan grew up as a poor kid, but he later became a famous radio star and movie icon. When his star faded, he became a political guest speaker and found a new path forward.
In this episode, we’re going to better understand the groundwork for the Reagan presidency. Our special guest is historian and author Rick Perlstein.
Sources:
- Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz
- US v. Paramount Pictures from Justia
- article from the Reagan library
- Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Boot
- The Invisible Bridge and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- CNN article on Paul Manafort
- Reagan’s speech at the Neshoba County Fair
- NPR article on the infamous “welfare queen”
Discussion Questions:
- Why is it valuable to understand Reagan’s role in messing with his union?
- How did his treatment of his union parallel that of his actions against air traffic controllers?
- What do you think of Reagan and his legacy?
- Why have some Republicans lifted him up as the ultimate conservative?
by Chris Staron | May 20, 2025 | Economics and Faith, Episodes, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right
Arthur Laffer creates trickle-down economics. And it doesn’t work.
Gerald Ford’s administration was in trouble. The country was experiencing stagflation, where prices were going up but employment was going down. What could he do? He announced his desire to lower taxes. This proposal was met with opposition by… Ronald Reagan. Reagan was worried that these cuts would increase the national debt. Then, just a few years later, Reagan changed his mind.
Two major things happened. One was the invention of supply-side economics (also called trickle-down economics) and the other was the tax revolt of the 1970s.
Supply-side economics was invented by an economist named Arthur Laffer. His ideas were based on an old concept but with a new twist. Laffer and his friends published their ideas in The Wall Street Journal and shared them with people like Dick Cheney.
Author and historian Rick Perlstein joins us for this episode. His books are The Invisible Bridge and Reaganland.
Sources:
- The Invisible Bridge and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- NPR story about Laffer’s napkin legend
- International Inequalities Institute study of supply-side economics
- Investopedia article comparing inflation rates
- Reagan’s “Restore America” speech
- Ford Library’s documents about Reagan’s inaccuracies in his speech
- Federal Reserve article about inflation. Here’s another
- History of COVID stimulus payments
- Investopedia article on Keynes
- Zombie Economics by John Quiggin
- Historical tax bracket rates
- Proposition 13 article
Discussion Questions:
- What is supply-side economics?
- How does it compare to Keynes’ ideas?
- Does the Bible specify a tax policy?
- Where did you first hear about trickle-down economics? Who benefits from it the most?
- Rick Perlstein, former President George HW Bush, John Quiggin, and many others say that supply-side economics is bogus. What do you think?
- Why might supply-side economics appeal to some evangelicals? To people of the 1970s?
