Federal Government

Reagan and Federal Government

New Federalism

A plan was made to reduce the size of federal government to go with the cuts in welfare
Starting with Nixon’s revenue-sharing plans of the early 1970s, successive Republican governments had given state and local governments more responsibility
Reagan established two committees on the issue in April 1981: The Presidential Advisory Committee on Federalism and The Coordinating Task Force on Federalism
Both were dominated by conservative Republicans

State of the Union Message (1982)

Reagan announced to Congress his plan to bring government ‘closer to the people’
Federal government would give money to the states in the form of block grants
The states could use this money however they wished
Congress refused to pass these measures
Many states were lukewarm as well
The National Governors’ Association saw New Federalism as nothing but a cost cutting measure

The Federal Justice System

In his two terms Reagan appointed 290 district and appeal court judges (40% of the total)
He also had an influence on the Supreme Court
When Earl Warren retired in 1969, Presidents Nixon and Ford had appointed more conservative judges
Reagan completed the process
1986 Warren Burger retired as Chief Justice – Reagan nominated William Rehnquist of Arizona to replace him
Successfully nominated two other conservative justices: Antonin Scalia and Sandra Day O’Connor (1^st woman justice)
1987 Justice Lewis Powell retired but Reagan failed to get his nominee appointed on two occasions: Robert Bork and Douglas Ginsburg
Ginsburg revealed during the Senate hearings that he had smoked cannabis while at university
So Anthony Kennedy, a more moderate conservative, was appointed
The Reagan Court produced judgements reflecting the new conservative majority
In ‘Wards Cove versus Atonio’ (1987) it provided restrictions on affirmative action
The Court didn’t go far enough for Reagan’s liking Eg upheld the ‘Roe versus Wade’ decision allowing abortions (1973)

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