ABSTRACT
Supposedly, the Reagan administration not only had a long-term impact on politics and policies, but also on how the government functions. This chapter considers the bureaucracy, Congress, and the federal courts. Similarly, no fundamental changes developed in these institutions during the 1980s. An important aspect of Reagan's approach to the presidency was his distinctive use of the media. Just as in other administrations, an effort was made in the Reagan administration to emphasize the president's strengths and downplay his weaknesses. President Reagan and congressional conservatives had some success in federalism policy, especially in cutting federal grants to state and local governments and creating new block grants. However, no fundamental change occurred in the relationship between the federal government and state and local governments during the 1980s. Much of the media and most political analysts mistakenly focus on social programs and government regulations in analyses of federalism.
