Merriam-Webster offers many definitions for the word hero.

One of these definitions, A man admired for his achievements and noble qualities, is a perfect portrait of Ronald Reagan. During his presidency, Reagan showed that he was this man as he achieved great things. Today, he is one of Americas most revered presidents. Ronald Reagan proved his leadership abilities on the home front by rebuilding the economy and rekindling the American spirit. The United States economy was in disarray, suffering after the 1979 energy crisis. Due to high unemployment and inflation, many Americans had lost faith in the government and the nation as a whole. When Reagan took office in 1981, the recession and this national malaise were already about a year old. However, many people faulted him for Americas poor condition. Immediately, he addressed the declining economy, introducing many new policies that came to be known as Reaganomics. These policies encouraged entrepreneurship, reduced government spending, and cut federal taxes to twenty-five percent. After a period of turmoil, Reaganomics improved the economy and restored America to its rightful place in the world. Once more, Americans began to feel a renewed sense of pride and accomplishment. Not only was Ronald Reagan a successful leader in America, but his influence was also felt by the entire world. Because of his cunning insight into the psychology of Soviet leaders, he effectively ended the Cold War. By the 1970s, in the effort to spread communism, the Soviet Union had advanced into Asia, Africa, and South America. They built the most formidable nuclear arsenal in the world and put it into practice by deploying a group of intermediate-range missiles toward certain European cities. Reagan developed a new method to deal with the Soviets. Through a huge U.S. military build-up

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and speeches filled with hostile rhetoric, Reagan drew them into a massive arms race that he was convinced they could not afford. This new strategy succeeded, causing Moscow to rescind and seek a new plan. Further, Ronald Reagan remained committed to the spread of freedom and democracy around the world. Reagans tough line with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and his refusal to back off of his attacks on communism, inspired a revolution in 1989. Soon a chain reaction of revolutions swept throughout both the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Reagans unrelenting anti-communist speeches both challenged Gorbachev to end communism and earned him the title of the Great Liberator, who freed the slaves of communism. An example of his dedication to bring about this change include the words from his famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! Ronald Reagan once said, Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. Theyre just braver five minutes longer. His five minutes lasted throughout his two terms of presidency, as he remained committed to human rights and worked for peace and stability. Because of his worldwide accomplishments and noble qualities, Reagan was voted the best president of the United States, in March 2011.

Patterson References Ronald Reagan (n.d.) Retrieved March 15, 2011 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/ronaldreagan Chronology of Ronald Reagans Presidency, 1979-89 (2005, May 18) Retrieved March 15, 2011 from http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/reference/reference.html#Ronald_Reagan President Ronald Reagan: Winning the Cold War (2006, June 12) Retrieved March 17, 2011 from http://www.historynet.com/president-ronald-reagan-winning-the-coldwar.htm#hide US Government Printing Office (2005). Ronald Reagan, Late a President of the United States. Retrieved April 5, 2011, from http://books.google.com/books?id=L-

Oup8TM63MC&pg=PA146&lpg=PA146&dq=ronald+reagan+%22rightful+place +in+the+world%22&source=bl&ots=8lOZXWY9e_&sig=Md7_vF3iGG7V86FH _P8rILHCkBI&hl=en&ei=5subTbiHBuF0QHJoo3dAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ6AE wAA#v=onepage&q=ronald%20reagan%20%22rightful%20place%20in%20the % 20world%22&f=false

Eulogy for Ronald Reagan (2004, June 11) Retrieved March 18, 2011, from http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/110360