Leadership and Ethics of President Ronald Reagan

Introduction

Naturally gregarious and charismatic, even his critics admired Ronald Reagan's ability to cajole, persuade, and otherwise convince others of the legitimacy of his ideas. While he frequently got his facts wrong, as the 40th U.S. president, Reagan was consistent in demonstrating the kind of leadership that the nation needed following the Iranian takeover of the U.S. Embassy and the taking of embassy staff as hostages, and for confronting the Soviet Union's efforts to achieve European hegemony. This paper provides a summary of the key details about Reagan, a description of his positions of progressive responsibility culminating in two terms as U.S. president, and some important points concerning his life and times. An analysis of Reagan's alignment with the four universal principles of integrity, responsibility, compassion, and forgiveness, and the different bases of power he used, is followed by an assessment of his consistently demonstrated beliefs. In addition, an analysis of how Reagan affected the culture of the executive office is followed by an evaluation of which behaviors had a strong effect on the American public, his credibility, and how his attitudes and actions influenced the federal government's ethical practices. Finally, an assessment of whether Reagan can be regarded as an ethical leader is followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

Summary of the Key Details About Ronald Reagan

Born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, Ronald "Dutch" Reagan was student body president of his high school and worked his way through Eureka College during the height of the Great Depression (Reagan biography, 2016). Following graduation, Reagan was a sports announcer for a short period of time before taking and passing a screen test for a part in a motion picture, which began an acting career that resulted in more than 50 films (Reagan biography, 2016). After being elected president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan was elected to two terms as governor of California and then two terms as U.S. president, beginning in 1980 (Reagan biography, 2016).

In 1940, Reagan married his first wife, actress Jane Wyman, with whom he had two children — Maureen and adopted son Michael — before divorcing in 1948 (Reagan biography, 2016). Although he was ineligible for combat service during World War II due to his eyesight, he served his country throughout the war by making training films, rising to the rank of captain (Reagan biography, 2016). In 1954, Reagan became the host of the weekly television series The General Electric Theater, a position that required him to tour the country as General Electric's public relations representative (Reagan biography, 2016). It was during this period that Reagan's political activism began in earnest, leading him ultimately to the highest office in the country (Reagan biography, 2016). Reagan died on June 4, 2004, at age 93, following a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease, having been the oldest president in U.S. history (Reagan biography, 2016).

Analysis of Reagan's Alignment with the Four Universal Principles

According to Streeter (2005), there are four universal human principles: integrity, responsibility, compassion, and forgiveness. An analysis of Reagan's alignment with each of these principles follows.

While Reagan may have been enigmatic in other areas of his life, there is a general consensus that he possessed personal integrity that guided his day-to-day actions, particularly by the time he became president. In this regard, McCoy (2003) reports that, "The President had developed a deep consistency and integrity in who he was and what he said and how he said it. He knew who he was, and others could figure out who he was as well" (p. 59). Likewise, King (1999) argues that despite his other limitations, Reagan had the kind of integrity that set him apart from typical politicians: "He was not primarily a politician, but an honest man who believed in the integrity, honesty, and creativity of the American public and acted on it" (p. 2). Some indication of Reagan's personal views about integrity can be discerned from his advice to staff during U.S. negotiations with the Soviets, when he counseled them to "trust but verify" (cited in Maccoby, 2003, p. 60).

Regardless of his other limitations, Reagan consistently demonstrated responsible leadership throughout his life. Pemberton reports that Reagan "led Hollywood actors during the postwar Red Scare, established himself as the undisputed leader of the American conservative movement in the 1960s, served as governor of California for two terms, and won two terms as president of the United States, leaving office as one of the most popular chief executives in recent history" (1998, p. 4).

Perhaps attributable to his middle-class upbringing or to the experience of working his way through college, most biographers agree that Reagan was a highly compassionate individual, as evidenced by his actions and statements during his presidency. For instance, Smith (2004) reports that "Ronald Reagan understood clearly how crucial it is to value all people equally, regardless of their capacities or state of health" (p. 95). In support of this assertion, Smith cites a 1983 opinion article in which Reagan stated, "Regrettably, we live at a time when some persons do not value all human life. They want to pick and choose which individuals have value. Some have said that only those individuals with consciousness of self are human beings" (cited in Smith, 2004, p. 96). Likewise, Reagan's impassioned "tear down this wall" speech in Berlin was clear evidence of his compassion for the sufferings of others (Barnett, 2003).

Although unapologetic concerning the validity of his own actions, Reagan was largely forgiving of mistakes made by others (Morrell, 2011). This attribute may be attributable in part to the modest circumstances of his early life. One biographer points out that, "His father was a gifted raconteur with a drinking problem. His mother used the father's failings to teach lessons of forgiveness and God's grace, leaving the child with an inner confidence and optimism that lasted throughout his life" (Morrell, 2011, p. 4). This inner confidence and optimism served Reagan well during his tenure as U.S. president, helping him draw on different power bases to achieve his goals for the country.

Conclusion

The research showed that Ronald Reagan was born in 1911 and died in 2004, leaving a legacy of confronting Communism and contributing to the collapse of the former Soviet Union while simultaneously leading the country into a sustained period of economic prosperity. This legacy was marred somewhat by Reagan's failure to prevent — and then to accept accountability for — the Iran-Contra scandal, but that incident did not permanently tarnish his record. He is widely regarded today as one of the most consequential leaders in the country's history. In the final analysis, it is reasonable to conclude that the positive aspects of Reagan's career will continue to overshadow his shortcomings, and future historians will likely agree that his contributions to world peace make him a worthy subject of study.