Congress had passed the Twenty-fifth Amendment in 1965 saying that the President could hand over his authority for the interim or the Vice President and cabinet could pronounce him unfit. But it left unclear the definition of what constituted a disability (the Ronald Reagan Assassination Attempt, 2008). The Twenty-fifth Amendment was never put into practice after the Reagan assassination attempt, despite the President's incapability. Aides were concerned that handing over authority, even provisionally, would blemish Reagan's image. His counselor Edwin Meese later said there was a real worry about not to offering any facade of a President not capable of continuing to run the nation. Reagan's practice of assigning tasks served him well in the time that followed the shooting. The public, though ignorant of the seriousness of his wound, was encouraged by his recuperation and his noticeable bravery during the tribulation. His reputation rose, and the country's liking served him politically all through his term. The President recovered, but Jim Brady did not. Doctors saved his life, but he continues to experience suffering because of the brain damage that he was inflicted with. His wife led an extended battle for better federal gun control laws. In 1993 President Bill Clinton signed the Brady Bill, which necessitates a five-day waiting period and background verification for handgun acquisitions (the Ronald Reagan Assassination Attempt, 2008).

The Cold War

The Soviets were in a voracious frame of mind when Reagan took over the White House. In the 1970's the Soviets had made quick progress in Asia, Africa and South America, concluding with the attack of Afghanistan in 1979. Additionally, the Soviet Union had piled up the most alarming nuclear arsenal in the world. The Warsaw Pact also had overpowering dominance over NATO in its conservative forces and Moscow had put into place a new generation of intermediate range missiles, the giant SS-20s, aimed at European cities (President Ronald Reagan: Winning the Cold War, 2006).

Reagan did not simply just act in response to these disturbing events; he put together an extensive counterattack policy. He commenced a $1.5 trillion military upsurge,...

He was also resolute to lead the Western coalition in positioning 108 Pershing II and 464 Tomahawk cruise missiles in Europe to oppose the SS-20s. Simultaneously, Reagan did not shun arms control discussions. In fact, he recommended that for the first time the two superpowers significantly lessen their nuclear supplies. If the Soviets would remove their SS-20s, the United States would not carry on with the Pershing and Tomahawk deployments. This was known as the zero option. In the end Reagan had a much more refined perception of communism than most. Even a few who had beforehand been cynical of Reagan in the end had to confess that his strategies had been systematically justified. Reagan's archenemy, Henry Kissinger, noted that while it was George H.W. Bush who supervised over the ultimate dissolution of the Soviet empire, it was Ronald Reagan's presidency which lead to the end (President Ronald Reagan: Winning the Cold War, 2006).
Ronald Regan lived a long and prosperous life. There were many events that took place in his life that shaped him into what he was. Some people saw him as brilliant while others saw him as bungling, but now matter how he was perceived he was a great man who will always be a legend in this country.