Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
History
Date of Award
5-2016
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Dr. Daryl A. Carter
Committee Members
Dr. Dinah Mayo-Bobee, Dr. Elwood Watson
Abstract
The 1980’s were a transformative era for the United States of America. The nation had been through a very tumultuous and difficult period following the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, Watergate Scandal, and recession that had plagued the late 1970’s. The fortieth President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, sought to alter this direction by bringing the United States back into a conservative renaissance. He accomplished this in part by using his history in and knowledge of Hollywood. Films and television shows were used by President Reagan to paint the image he had of a better America. A return to classical, conservative family values, a strong, effective military, and the strong opposition and denunciation of communism all became synonymous with the 1980’s and with Ronald Reagan. He left office as one of the most popular and successful Presidents in the history of the country and cast a shadow upon the American political scene that is still seen today.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Hackett, Gable, "That 80's Show! - The Politics, Film, and Television of the Reagan Years" (2016). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3048. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3048
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.