ABSTRACT
According to the Reagan revolution thesis, fundamental conservative changes occurred in public policies during the 1980s. However, an examination of the policy developments shows that no fundamental conservative change happened in the 1980s. The 1980s witnessed the greatest increase in federal spending on agriculture in the history of the program. The developments in sugar policy during the 1980s were completely contrary to conservative ideology. Just as with sugar, the early 1980s offered an excellent opportunity to eliminate the tobacco program. Just as with the sugar program, the Reagan administration ended up supporting the continuation of the peanut program in a deal to gain support on other legislation. The increase in social spending on defense personnel would have offset much of the savings gained by the cuts in the growth rates of the several regular social programs. Congress with the support of the Reagan administration passed several huge tax increases.
