The Reagan Revolution: Crash Course US History #43

In which John Green teaches you about what is often called the Reagan Era. Mainly, it covers the eight years during which a former actor who had also been governor of the state of California was president of the United States. John will teach you about Reagan's election victory over the hapless Jimmy Carter, tax cuts, Reagan's Economic Bill of Rights, union-busting, and the Iran-Contra among other things. Learn about Reagan's domestic and foreign policy initiatives, and even a little about Bonzo the Chimp.
Hey teachers and students - Check out CommonLit's free collection of reading passages and curriculum resources to learn more about the events of this episode. Ronald Reagan signaled a shift to conservative values on the role of government, discussed in his "Time for Choosing" Speech: www.commonlit.org/texts/from-...
America turned to President Reagan for comfort in times of tragedy, including following the Challenger Disaster: www.commonlit.org/texts/ronal...
Chapters
Introduction: The Reagan Era 00:00
Reagan's Election in 1980 1:00
Reagan's Supporter Base 1:41
Reagan's Vision of "Freedom" 2:21
Lowered Tax Rates 4:00
Mystery Document 4:20
Supply-Side/Trickle-Down Economics 5:31
Government Spending in the Reagan Era 6:36
1980s Wall Street 7:20
Growing Economic Inequality 8:17
Reagan's Moderate Policies 8:59
Reagan & the End of the Cold War 9:49
The Iran Contra Affair 12:22
Credits 13:47
Crash Course is on Patreon! You can support us directly by signing up at / crashcourse
Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet?
Facebook - / youtubecrashcourse
Twitter - / thecrashcourse
Instagram - / thecrashcourse
CC Kids: / crashcoursekids

[@user-cg9ng2mx8l]

1:05 "Anyone could have beaten Jimmy Carter." Except Gerald Ford.

[@drakekendall5095]

He's saying anyone could beat Jimmy Carter in 1980. Gerald Ford barely lost in 1976 because of 3 things: People had a bad taste in their mouths from Nixon, Reagan gave him a heavy primary challenge which divided the conservatives and demoralized Ford supporters, and Ford was viewed as illegitimate since he was 3rd in line to the Presidency aka an unelected President. People quickly realized Jimmy Carter was a big, fat mistake after he was inaugurated. He was never popular.

[@0108dylan]

That’s not true. Carter was popular for a decent chunk of his term.

[@alwillk]

@@0108dylan Not at the end.

[@mrrogersrabbit]

@@drakekendall5095 One more thing: the NY Daily News's "Ford to City: Drop Dead" headline. Ford went on to lose NY by 4%. If that 4% swung the other way, New York would have gone red and cost Carter the election.

[@ronniebaker4549]

He had a 74% approval ratting before Delta Force failed the Hostage rescue mission

[@skeltonslay8er781]

Reagan’s best moment is when he is giving a speech and hears gun shots and then goes “missed me”

[@abhiprakash74999]

What??? that actually happened ?? Damn that's a cool guy

[@alahjandrodagrate1611]

Abhi Prakash it was a balloon popping, but it sounded like a gunshot during the speech. Still hilarious

[@rileyh520]

@@abhiprakash74999 yep it happened. It's even better in the context that he survived a previous legitimate assassination attempt

[@bothi00]

In the surgery room following his assassination attempts, he said to the surgeon "I hope you're not democrats" before going under anaesthesia.

[@lukeswain1463]

Nah his best moment was dying

[@trpc6894]

5:45 look very closely at John Greens forehead. A mark emerges at the same time his voodo doll is stabbed. Genius

[@guykruger1]

That was so painful to watch!

[@mariyahndiaye1357]

That freaked me out. Is this clever or sinister🤔

[@evahumphries2345]

i saw that and thought i was tripping for like 5 minutes straight

[@lurchingdeath2642]

anyone else here bc your teacher can't find something better to assign you for online classes during coronacation

[@masterthaxx1630]

that would be me

[@joeygrecenuk7911]

And Me

[@lovejoy5774]

I'm just here so I can understand what the hell my teacher is trying to teach during corona lol

[@kalicx1996]

Yes

[@ziscotv3072]

Me

[@AlternateHistoryHub]

It isn't American history, without a jab at the French

[@savvapouroullis7927]

It isn't anyone's history without a jab at the French.

[@lukejohns5869]

AlternateHistoryHub so true

[@Keres8096]

Yet, they were a huge factor in the creation of this country.

[@drdejesus21]

Garrett Baumann This. America arguably would not have won their independence without French naval help.

[@yeshualawson]

Shawny D and they wouldn't have won theirs in wwI and WWII without our help. 2 to their 1 they still owe us one

[@loltshy]

is it just me who's watching this series for fun not for AP tests? I'm not even American.

[@Sh0cKwavE__]

I am, btw I'm an American

[@GregTom2]

That's not too surprising. Americans aren't known to learn for fun.

[@Sh0cKwavE__]

GregTom2 but, i am watching for fun and im an american whos too lazy to put lines in my words

[@chandruae]

Oh yes. I'm an Indian (from India) and have watched the entire Crash Course US History series. It's quite fascinating!

[@shaywright6608]

I'm watching it for fun. I love history

[@sabrinarosario6499]

"Keep your bureaucratic hands off my thermostat" LMAO

[@SiVlog1989]

Considering how Reagan was politically in his youth, he did a complete about face. From Democratic leaning, sympathetic to Trades Union and campaigning for people like Harry Truman, to being pro-business, Anti-Union and the darling of Conservatives as Republicans think of him to this day

[@squamish4244]

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this comment section!

[@thatguyoverthere468]

Heheh I see what you did there

[@browngirlinaclownworld2077]

Mr. Gorbachev might also want to tear down this video. It kinda breaks my heart how little credit he gets for ending the Cold War. That pudgy bastard was 80% of the reason it ended. With another Brezhnev in office, the Cold War might have gone on to this very day.

[@asielmilian38]

@@browngirlinaclownworld2077 agree. Thank god we had Reagan.

[@noice2606]

😂

[@louise-yo7kz]

Wow!🙄

[@MrBasedgod510]

I feel that an analysis of the War on Drugs and its effects on mass incarceration should have also been included in the video.

[@davidpatton906]

What a stupid idea! This guy is covertly liberal but you want him to be in your face liberal.

[@louise-yo7kz]

Absolutely

[@platosplatoon6873]

I'm British... but i'm going to become an AP US history teacher very soon so def feeling the pressure. Thank you John Green.

[@drakekendall5095]

Make sure not to be biased against conservatives! This guy is definitely biased against Reagan.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

@@drakekendall5095 Reagan flooded the country with Democrat illegal aliens and republicans are about to be made a national minority because of it.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

@fm'latghor You do know how immigration and demographics works, right?

[@garfieldfarkle]

@@gregorymalchuk272 Republicans have long been a national minority. In the last 28 years, they have gotten a majority of the vote only once in 7 elections.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

@@garfieldfarkle That's because of amnesty and democrats flooding the country with immigration. The elections aren't legitimate anymore.

[@justinfeller1777]

8:20 Real talk though, what's up with carpeted bathrooms in the 80s???

[@xdearlifex]

John Green is living some sort of Kafka-esque nightmare. He is forced to sit in a white room while lecturing to his younger self about history while occasionally berating him. He is forced to by a mysterious figure named "Stan", who occasionally makes him answer game-show style questions where the only reward is a lack of punishment via this "shock pen". Somebody HELP HIM!

[@Teuwntjuh]

Someone must have been telling lies about John G., for without having done anything wrong he was arrested one fine morning.

[@JLRoberson]

please sir no more shocks MORE HISTORY GREEN uh...Mongols? AAAAAA

[@Jjb-gk4ce]

We don't care about John Green, individuals don't matter after all

[@prodwysp]

Get your r/woooshes ready everyone

[@abhiprakash74999]

Omg. Underrated comment

[@Gusativo]

the most shocking part of this video was the "carpeted bathroom". WHY AMERICA?

[@jakestockton4808]

100% true

[@alihaleem8264]

Gustavo Palamone my house was built in 1980 and the floor in the bathroom was carpet before we changed it several years ago.

[@Strawberry92fs]

I was born in 92 and I remember carpeted bathrooms. Terrible, terrible idea.

[@thisisaname5589]

Because America. Love it or GTFO

[@merrittanimation7721]

THE HORROR

[@alonalkalai9505]

Trump took Reagan's slogan. "Let's Make America Great Again"

[@barneycarparts]

Its a good goal.

[@telescopicS627]

And is coincidentally also a moron. History will not be kind to Boomer clowns.

[@obiwanshinobi87]

More like he ruined Reagan's slogan

[@stephenb6016]

@@telescopicS627 why is the country doing so good then

[@telescopicS627]

@@stephenb6016 *well. You mean "why is the country doing well". It's not. It's doing just as well as it was under Obama, which is mediocre. Maybe your low standards and psychotic partisanship play a role in this perception? Obsession with stock market too.

[@thatguyoverthere468]

He completely skipped over the fact that Reagan had a great sense of humor

[@parrotboss785]

like trump

[@lavaniadelrey2807]

Parrot Boss yes, just like trump

[@saamyar9524]

@@lavaniadelrey2807 Much, much, greater then Trump's.

[@shawnmoore1319]

That Guy Over There the best

[@bearcatben4762]

and he liked jelly beans. I have seen his portrait made in jelly beans

[@tunclegingercunt9696]

"Keep your Bureaucratic hands of my thermostat" XD

[@mikkelschwartz5666]

Insta subscribe

[@Denmire]

Off*

[@inferno7181]

Denmire of*

[@Denmire]

inferno r/whooooosh?

[@dominic2009]

GiT'cHuR HaNs OfF mUh ThErMaStAt

[@TheMarkusFIN]

Fun fact about trickle-down economics: Poverty in the US hit an all-time low (far lower than in the 50's or the 60's) in 2000, during the height of trickle-down economics when US was the most capitalist country in the world.

[@jdoctopus9488]

Fun fact about your comment bill clinton was president. With major regulations on companies.

[@TheMarkusFIN]

***** Well overall there was less regulation. Some areas of business might have had more and some less but overall 2000 was the peak of US economic freedom.

[@secularmonk5176]

+Markus FIN Link...

[@secularmonk5176]

+Markus FIN Oh, how interesting: mjperry.blogspot.com/2010/09/us-poverty-rate-1959-to-2009.html Johnson's War on Poverty appears responsible for most of that drop from the 50s, and the ten years after Johnson had a comparable poverty rate to the SINGLE YEAR that you are celebrating. The 70s run ended because of loss of working class jobs and stagflation due to the rising global economy, whereas the "prosperity" of the dotcom boom is shown clearly to be an unsustainable sugar-high.

[@TheMarkusFIN]

Len Arends Sure, as long as you actually bother responding after I give them. US poverty rate: 1.bp.blogspot.com/_otfwl2zc6Qc/TJgxEwPv7RI/AAAAAAAAObs/AU8XbvZCSdo/s1600/poverty.jpg US economic freedom (in this graph compared to Denmark's economic freedom): fee.org/media/12279/3m.png?width=100%&height=auto

[@MasterTSayge]

D.A.R.E. Drugs Are Really Expensive

[@briancromwell6021]

Thanks to everyone at crash course (especially Stan). You are helping me study for my APUSH test and my teacher taught me nothing lol.

[@davidl7743]

"A lot of reagans policy's weren't popular at the time" *1980 election wins 44 states and 489 electoral votes* *1984 election wins 49 states and 525 electoral votes*

[@swaharmaman9410]

David L a lot not all. You can still win with some policies that are not popular as long as the rest is popular? Reagan won big, really big, but that does not make all his views beling to the majority. Moreover, if 40% oppose a certain view does hot mean 60% is in favour of it, it means that 60% of people are in either in favor or do not care.

[@itsabovemenow]

David L he didn’t win bc of his policies.

[@richgrasby5294]

David L I was hoping somebody would point out that fact. If no one did I was going to.

[@RyderSpearmann]

@Swahara man That means the emphasis was WRONG. The statement should have been "Most of Reagan's policies were popular at the time, leading to his reelection with even more impressive numbers." Making a technically correct but WRONG statement is just partisan spin. David L. is just illuminating the biases of the presenter for us all to see.

[@shahabkhan4278]

I R A N C O N T R A

[@mustardsfire22]

The breakdown John has in the middle of the episode about why he wants us to learn about our history is one of the best moments of any Crash Course episode ever.

[@x0cx102]

I just checked my remote learning APUSH notes my teacher provided on presidential domestic/foreign policies, and this video hit basically every major point and historical event that was in my notes. Great video!

[@CarBuddy10]

2:17 "He even carried the traditionally Democratic states of Illinois and New York" Illinois was actually considered to be a swing state during (and before) Reagan's time. It wasn't until Bill Clinton's 1992 election that Illinois became more consistently Democrat-leaning. California has a similar history in this regard. However, imo West Virginia might be a better example in this regard, considering it was a Democrat-leaning state during the time, and Bill Clinton's elections would be the last time it voted for a Democrat leading to today.

[@sleeplessvirus]

Illinois went for Kennedy in 1960 in an election that was completely honest, lacking any interference

[@willzjc]

"It's never about individuals, it's always about collective hivemind" thanks Comrade

[@auDipquid]

Good one.

[@jeroldproductions6367]

+Amon Ra To the shadows comrade!

[@xpect7114]

Lmaoo

[@rightwinglimbo7686]

This video is annoying and Commies aren't people.

[@keiwolfen]

LMao

[@Dexcesss]

It's kind of disheartening how there were zero mentions of the AIDS crisis and Reagan's total disregard of it.

[@mandpanda]

"Someday maybe you'll be almost interesting" dang he just roasted himself

[@BradyPostma]

It's also a complicated logic joke. Because he is me-from-the-past's future. So he's reminding his past self that insulting his own future is still insulting himself.

[@JunSian1001]

Oh, stagnated wage.. It is still with us in 2019.

[@HyperIonMake]

Still waiting for those trickle-down economics to kick in.......

[@jamal2070]

I moved to the United States two years ago, and your videos are the reason I understand American politics and history!

[@tabula_rosa]

if you're looking for a career in american politics try a lobotomy

[@richardunderwood4158]

Tax cuts are great but only if you cut spending.

[@rishantdutt1946]

Ronald Reagan did.

[@richardunderwood4158]

Rishant Dutt Not enough to balance the budget.

[@rhettnewbern2649]

Richard Underwood you have to think the house and senate were both controlled by the democrats

[@antonio4114]

Hopefully trump cuts spending on things like common core, and SOME military spending. I used to be for more military spending until I found out how much it adds to the debt

[@antonio4114]

damn maybe we really do have a problem here. I heard Bill Clinton reduced the debt, what did he do? Trump should just do that

[@Farb_dk]

Reagan didn't cut the Medicare, Social Security, etc... Because of the congress

[@giorgilabadze4955]

A spot on Gorbachev's head :) This guy has one of the most perfected historical humor on youtube

[@lars1701again]

I love how he plays down Reagan's win in 80, it toasted a sitting president, something that isn't done often

[@lars1701again]

***** Do you know how hard it is to beat a sitting president? its only happened twice in the last 50 or so years (ford doesn't count since he wasn't elected president) only Reagan and Clinton come to mind.

[@diskpanic]

Marc P. Money says that he doesn't know how hard it is. Even Obama got reelected with numerous first term blunders, unpopular ObamaCare, and the Benghazi scandal brewing... Now that he's even less popular than "W", one wonders how he got reelected... but the Republicans ran a dead horse (Romney)... and lost.

[@One-Crazy-Cat]

Well I'm guessing this host was in diapers when Reagan won in 80 so his first hand knowledge here is lacking somewhat and he must draw from textbooks.

[@diskpanic]

Jonathan R Yes, the video's poster, like all most post-Reagan generation don't understand what American optimism feels like. It's sad.

[@One-Crazy-Cat]

diskpanic yes, hopefully we know that kind of unity again some day

[@Kat22Kit]

Thank you for bring up the de-institutionalization of the mentally ill. This has had drastic effects that linger to this day. American's mental healthcare system is so fraught with holes many people are not getting the help they desperately need. This has led to the increase in homelessness and also violent crimes committed by people with untreated mental illness.

[@skellymom]

Sadly, add to that the growing number of veterans coming home to the US-the highest number of women vets, too who need good mental healthcare...and that makes it even more dismal.

[@mydh122]

I hope that you realize that it was an ACLU lawsuit that forced the de-institutionalization of the mentally ill. The ACLU argued that institutionalizing the mentally ill took away their rights and freedom. It was NOT a policy initiated by Reagan. John Green, conveniently, leaves out that important fact.

[@Kat22Kit]

mydh122 I didn't say Reagan did anything, I was just pleased anyone has brought up the issue at all! But yes the lawsuit was the initiator. What I do know is that one hospital in my city, just kicked out its patients onto the street upon its closing. Leaving these people with nothing else but to live on the streets. There were not then nor now enough safeguards to allow the severely mentally ill a safe place to live where they would be monitored.

[@Imhornydadcomeinside]

mydh122 You are correct, however being a "conservative" Reagan had no problems defunding anything with health care+poor people.

[@GodofKillers121]

Imhornydadcomeinside "liberals"

[@communisttrash8590]

"the government is the problem so make me incharge of the government so i will make the military bigger thus giving the government more power"

[@thepencilwarrior4947]

"Oh yeah, the French." Haha laughed so hard at this xD

[@flagcoco69]

7:40 THIS is why I love John Green, because, every once in a while, he'll put the shtick aside and be incredibly honest. He's absolutely right, and I wish those who ask for our votes would show a small degree of the same honesty. The 20 seconds after he bonks his head, he's saying what every thoughtful American is thinking, that he wishes our so-called leaders would stop the party rhetoric, stop the pandering, stop the posturing, and fix the problems we all know we have. Partisans point fingers and speak in mocking, accusing tones, but the truly thoughtful citizen is just driven so freaking crazy by those we put in office that we all want to bonk our heads on the table.

[@lisameskimen9296]

Flag Coco well said.

[@rooqbranwen8305]

Flag Coco One of the big problems is, that not all of you know of the problems you have, be it out of a lack of interest or due to the mind-numbing effects of ever so slightly manipulative media. That's not a purely American problem, it's the same here in Germany, but look around you to the general populace: Most of them don't know what's going on and they don't care what's going on. The only thing they care about is who wins the next Superbowl and when Honey Boo Boo will finally marry her own dad.

[@christoffelmiddel6663]

But it is the people who are in office today that make the worse out of society...

[@BRNRDNCK]

That's a nice way of saying "Everyone else should shut up and agree with me."

[@111asel]

I love the way John roasts himself.

[@WilliamSarokon]

Good show. 43 years old & I love crash course in history!!!!!

[@TheTariqibnziyad]

"we never fix the problems we always fix the things that are fine" John Green.

[@TheArtunism]

STOP STOP STOP. STOP SCROLLING DOWN. DON'T DO IT

[@CoolieCoolster]

+TheArtunism Cant.... avoid.... it..... sorry.....

[@kelownatechkid]

+TheArtunism Thanks for the warning :o

[@alexmarcoe8150]

+TheArtunism I should have listened, that hurt my brain.

[@velvetrose610]

+Alex Marcoe I didn't listen either.... I thought just skimming wouldn't hurt. I was WRONG!!! Don't do it.

[@ariana0205]

+TheArtunism Why didn't I listen? Ugh my eyes burn

[@Scixxy]

I was not a fan of Reagan when he was in office. I'll say this, though: his successors made him look a lot better.

[@pyruvatepersonage]

I am still a fan of Reagan for that reason. Very well said!

[@garfieldfarkle]

Clintonomics outperformed Reaganomics and balanced the budget.

[@raghul0078]

@@garfieldfarkle at that time US was at an arms race with USSR so spending was very high.

[@garfieldfarkle]

@@raghul0078 If one spends more, one must FIRST have more to spend. During the 1980 campaign, Ronald "Dutch" Reagan promised that tax cuts would trigger an economic boom that would balance the budget, then running a $133 billion deficit, in 2 years., as well as finance an increase in the defense budget. It was not defense spending, but tax cuts that blew a hole in the budget, just like they did under George W. Bush and just like under Trump. Under Reagan's timetable, 2 years later, the budget was not balanced, but the deficit had shot up from $133 billion to $300 billion and instead of a boom, we were in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Then Reagan reversed course and began signing tax increases and the deficit dropped, even as defense spending rose.

[@raghul0078]

@@garfieldfarkle ok

[@NequeNon]

Dear John Green, Fan here. Your condescension and assuming posturing as if pained to judge others' efforts from on high is...delightful. Best wishes, Someone other than John Green

[@generalphobia]

The fact that John was able to talk about Supply-side economics and call it trickle-down economics with a straight face lost any possibility of me taking this video seriously

[@alexitoussaint2777]

finally somebody gets it

[@Fischdosepremium]

Yeah, that was painful. Also it's not about the rich spending more, unless you call investment spending (which you don't).

[@NanZingrone]

I was worried how you were going to handle this era: I spent a significant amount of it arguing with my Mother on the pros and cons of Regan and his policies (she the daughter of Democrats who became a Republican when she hit voting age, and me the opposite). But it was balanced. Looking forward to next week.

[@VS24AT]

How will he cover the current admin??? maybe it's best not covered since the current admin is still cutting deals to line their pockets before 2016 ends and the pardon pen starts to spill ink

[@hiwayM9]

I am continually amazed at how pragmatic John is- this topic and course of events in most anyone's hands in this day and age would become a segue into political soapbox diatribes (I know I can't refrain) My most sincere respect for relaying accurate info, instilling a sliver of your opinion without digressing, and offering a balanced assessment that leaves the viewer plenty of things to ponder. At this point even if John did forget to be awesome, the residual compensates.

[@thestranger5564]

7:58 Remember when we wanted to stay neutral in world war 2 and FDR invited his defense cabinet to strike back at Japan because of the lives of many loss in Pearl Harbor and the defense Department was like "Uhhh we cannot." Then FDR stood up from his chair seeing the defeat in his countrymen and told them "Don't tell me it can't be done." And then had Congress declare a state of war against Japan.

[@BradyPostma]

I wish Republicans were still this optimistic.

[@PatrickHogan]

I would love to see a Crash Course series on US Presidents. I think it would be interesting. Have an episode per president amd go over life, policies, running mates, people running against them, et cetera. I think it would help put into perspective our presidents and politics, and would really help those who will be voting for the first time in 2016 to really be able to choose the candidate that is right for them, and not just who their parents like (or dislike). Just a thought.

[@marcosbeni5875]

This wild assumptions about conservatives bother the heck out of me. 9:27 The "Christian right" is not equivalent to "Conservatives". The Christian right is only a subset of the Conservative set. 9:31 No common Conservative is proposing to have women leave the workforce. Conservatives respect each woman's decision: you want to join the workforce? Fine. You want to be a stay-home mom? Fine. Supporting stay-home moms is not equivalent to being against women joining the workforce. The two positions are not mutually exclusive. When will people understand that? 9:35 No common Conservative is against appointing women to the supreme court. Since when is that a thing attached to Conservationism?

[@andrewkaster4033]

+Marcos Beni You seem to be confusing contemporary conservatism with the conservatism of 30 years ago

[@davidpatton906]

+Andrew Kaster No he isn't. The crap that this liberal site says about conservatives is BS.

[@Alex-ud6zr]

+Marcos Beni I literally got the same result as you on that test. I bet you noticed how incredibly bias that test is as well. The creators think that people like Marco Rubio and Cruz and all those republican candidates are like 9.0,9.0 on that graph. They think Obama is like a 6.0,6.0. Makes no sense to me since I'm in the lower right and I consider myself an American conservative.

[@marcosbeni5875]

Alex A. Yeah, I'm not entirely sure either how they come up with those assessments for certain politicians.

[@nitsuj7491]

+Benedict Feser sure the black lives matter may have destroyed property (which i do not agree with, it puts a negative light on the whole movement), but you cant forget the KKK has also stabbed anti protestors and then later got released form jail with no charges. I dont see any ways that we give "special treatment" to African Americans other than affirmative action. and thats not because theyre inferior. Its because heavy oppression and segregation ended 50 to 60 years ago and it takes time for those communities to get on their feet. You really think that as soon as that stuff ended that everything would just fall into place? It goes a lot deeper than that. Systematic racism is very real and a lot of people dont notice it. There are a lot of people alive today that lived through segregation and saw it end which means that there are still a lot of people with racist and/or prejudice mentalities, whether that person is aware or not.

[@Kellycutie3579]

at 7:50 when his glasses magically dissappear

[@devchan4316]

The only reason why I remember what "voodoo economics" is is because of Ferris Bueller's Day Off

[@secretmilo]

Do a crash course on the Wilcox revolutions in a Hawaii. It was a violent and often glossed-over period in our 50th state's history that was essential for making it what it is today.

[@laurenbrowning6330]

Honestly, I just watched this for a quick overview of some information for a History course... but, I have to say this was incredibly interested and entertaining. I appreciate the candid thoughts about where we were and where we are now as a country (and how it really has not changed much). Thanks for a fun and informative video! Wish you were my history teacher.

[@lidlett9883]

Having been alive and paying attention at the time your synopsis of Reagan gets a D+

[@christopherdavis1860]

The dude is literally just stating facts.

[@gloomyk]

I nearly just lost it when he made that joke about Regan's friends being old. OMG! XD (ALL OF MY FRIENDS ARE ON THIS)

[@ninarakic1771]

John Green, you're a gem. Thanks for these videos (you as well Stan and also John from the past) they make my mornings and inspire me to learn more about the world I live in. Which is pretty great.

[@RussTaylorLegend]

I have to say that I'm really impressed with the restraint shown in this episode. It was a very even handed take on a very polarizing presidency. I'm not sure I could keep my political bias out of a discussion of this presidency.

[@TheBespectacledN00b]

Is it as polarising as Margaret Thatcher was this side of the pond? (To the point some people - though a lot of the Left did give them grief for it as well, to be fair - held parties celebrating her recent death).

[@RussTaylorLegend]

Probably pretty close, and definitely for the same reasons that Thatcher was so reviled by left-leaning parties.

[@TheBespectacledN00b]

It's interesting though, Baroness Thatcher (she got the title after resigning as PM) might be more so because Reagan could be optimistic and "speak without condescending" (I paraphrase), whereas she couldn't.

[@RussTaylorLegend]

You bring up a good point. In his day, I think that Reagan was fairly well liked in both parties precisely for that reason. I think that most of the criticism of Reagan era politics came afterwards, when the negative effects of "trickle down" economics began the rear their ugly head in full.

[@TheBespectacledN00b]

Also possibly the industrial disputes in the USA were nowhere near as vitriolic as some of the ones over here. By the sounds of it, Reagan's showdown with the controllers doesn't sound anything like as divisive as the 1984 coal miner's strike.

[@pc...430]

One Question? Why didn't you mention anything about the mass incarceration, the war on drugs, the private prisons making money from people in prison, police enforcement profits nor the effects on the black communities These are many things that were really important for many people in this time. There is a good Documentation about the Prison system in america called "the 13th".

[@gobul-glargz8953]

10:25 Aight, Imma let the jab at the French pass just for this once because of the RATM reference, but I'm keeping an eye on you guys

[@mustang6172]

I want all the kids watching to know that the carpeted bathroom was a real thing and remains a terrible idea.

[@PumaFau]

That is just inconceivable to me. I still cant believe they existed.

[@UniteForgetLeftRight]

My parents house still has TWO carpeted bathrooms

[@jrenae75]

Weird thing is my grandma was such a neat freak, her carpeted bathrooms actually worked! But she was a rare breed.

[@sassycassgames3158]

mustang6172 I used to live in a single-wide trailor built in the 90's, and the bathroom in it had one of those...... and whats worse is the entire room....toilet, bath-tub, walls, and for a while... the floor, was PAAAAYNK..... I dont mean pink, I mean PAAYNK...... Its literally gave you a migraine just to look IN THE ROOM..... God, I hated it....

[@ceilingsandfloors]

AttentionJunkie mine too! it's just very inconvenient.

[@ikesteroma]

So I halfway expected this to be a hit-job on the Gipper, and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't. I suspect that there are a huge number of Neocons that would be utterly offended that Green wasn't slobbering in adoration over Reagan, but for myself, despite his faults, he is one of my favorite presidents.

[@z-beeblebrox]

Surprise surprise, John Green doesn't have an agenda. Although you get the impression that even pure neutrality counts as an evil liberal agenda to some people.

[@ikesteroma]

Eugene Conniff Nah. Everyone has an agenda, even J. Green. For sure, Green shoots left of center, but he tends to be fair, and I'm okay with that.

[@z-beeblebrox]

"agenda" implies planning, organization, and action. An explicit goal. "To make an agenda". You can't accidentally have an agenda purely due to your biases. At least not in the way I see the word. It's either intentional or it doesn't exist. Everyone has biases; not everyone has an agenda.

[@SageGarlandSingerSongwriter]

I love that their symbol in the document for relief was a toilet :P

[@dylanlager7068]

The French comment won me over. I’ll subscribe now.

[@chefkendranguyen]

Good episode, John. Much appreciated.

[@GleeChan]

Big props for talking about politics while not getting personally political.

[@Blalack77]

10:19 - Where he's calling the Soviet Union "the Evil Empire".... Notice the Rage Against the Machine album at the bottom of the shelf... Also named "Evil Empire"..

[@prodwysp]

T H A T S T H E J O K E I D O T

[@Thumbnailsquid5767]

I’d love to see a redo of the us history series every fifteen years .. not too far now

[@Thumbnailsquid5767]

Or at least much closer than when I first had this thought a few years ago

[@BoldOpal]

Is it to late to nominate John Green for the 2016 election?

[@bookcreator]

He'd get my vote!

[@BoldOpal]

***** I think that the minimum age in the US to be president is 35 (or at least that is what the internet is telling me), and John is 36.

[@evil001987]

BoulderOpal Why do they have an age limit?

[@tehboyscout]

Patrik Lilja Ageism

[@BoldOpal]

Patrik Lilja Because our founding fathers knew that young people were idealistic idiots, with no practical experience that would make them successful at the job (I can say this because I am one as well).

[@paladingunny4082]

11:22 I see that Fallout reference

[@redcoat4348]

+Paladin Gunny he did one in the episode before where he shows vault boy. think that's Caesar at 10:15. also i didn't catch it. i saw mad max though

[@arcticfirst]

I can't tell what the guy on the left is. I know the right is probably a raider.

[@TheRealPentigan]

+Anartik Guy on the left is wearing the iconic power armor from the covers of Fallout 1, 3 and possibly either BoS or Tactics.

[@arcticfirst]

TheRealPentigan Ahh, I kinda see it now. Thank you.

[@rigobertogiusti3637]

SECTION 8. Clause 1. The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States. When ever you say the founding fathers wouldn’t recognize our country because of welfare programs like social security etc. I just think of this part of our constitution.

[@neospacedout]

heck yes night before AP exam

[@kyoyarenji9254]

Anika Jackson I felt that in my soul, I have an exam tmrw morning

[@temporalTechnologist]

There is so much Ron Paul happening in the comments, holy crap.

[@zestotemp]

huh?

[@USAltefore]

There sure is!

[@TacComControl]

Reagan's push for additional testing of who he considered "High Risk" groups(Specifically homosexuals) lead to a national mindset, or at least rode on it, that AIDS was the Gay's Disease. To quote Reagan himself when it comes to his prejudice towards the GLBT community... "My criticism is that [the gay movement] isn’t just asking for civil rights; it’s asking for recognition and acceptance of an alternative lifestyle which I do not believe society can condone, nor can I." And before anyone says "Reagan wasn't a racist", let us not forget that this is the man that loudly opposed the CRA and the VRA both. He often talked about States Rights when it came to voting(And by proxy, the state's "Right" to discriminate), even though he flipflopped on the CRA later on. However, he went on to veto the Civil Rights Restoration Act(Congress overrode his veto), and attempted to veto the establishment of MLK Day as a national holiday(He only withdrew when a veto-proof majority made it clear that it was going to happen whether he liked it or not). He was unapologetic in his racism, and in his homophobia, and the world is far, far better off without him.

[@Alverant]

***** According to you. Reality has a different view.

[@TheTurbofish]

Why do you suggest states rights is by proxy the right to disciminate? Are suggesting even the federal government by proxy has a right to discriminate because at one point in time there was slavery? It seems to me you associate "states rights" with the civil war(slavery) because that is what it was fought over. States rights could do a lot of good for everyone in any aggenda LBGT, legalizing weed, gun rights, health care. Why do we need big brother telling us when we can do something when we already know what and how to do it?

[@2011e92M3]

TheTurbofish Because it was historically clear and TODAY (see Republican voting restrictions enacted as we speak since the recent Supreme Court ruling) still clear that when left to certain states to decide on voting laws, they'll lean towards discriminatory practices. Do you even have the slightest clue of American history over the past 100yrs? If southern states were using discriminatory voting practices and the federal government had to step in to stop such practices how can you ask why would someone assume there's a correlation between states rights and discrimination? Maybe I'm misunderstanding you but you don't seem to properly understand the context of which these topics are based in. That's why you had the government establish Civil and voting rights because the States (mostly southern) were allowing abuse on an egregious level. Heck they didn't even allow minorities and women to vote until only several decades ago. So the government had to step in to create said rights because the states refused to do anything about discriminatory practices. So clearly this country needed a "big brother" at a time when the States refused to acknowledge all of their citizens.

[@napoleon_bonaparte2462]

GINI coefficient (measure of inequality) doesn't seem to change with respect to left or right political power.

[@Alfakatt]

”This wasn’t bias whatsoever”...

[@Goreuncle]

Leaving the French joke aside, I liked this episode a lot. I would've liked to hear about Reagan's financial deregulation which led to the current financial meltdown. The point of choosing Reagan over some other REAL politician was the fact that he was a known actor, a good communicator as John said. Why? Because the agenda was already planned by others (financial powers, lobbyists, etc.), all they needed was a face/image that could sell it to the people and that was a job for a PR agent, an actor like Reagan, who could deregulate away with a smile in his face.

[@RonaldReaganRocks1]

You mean the part where liberals forced banks to give mortgages to poor people? That is what caused the meltdown.

[@scottmatthews2300]

RonaldReaganRocks1 The liberals certainly have their share of the blame... Reagan started the ball rolling with the financial deregulation... He literally cut positions of the people who were supposed to keep Wall Street honest. Every president since Reagan (Bush1, Clinton, Bush2, etc.) conservative and liberal alike, have continued on this trend of deregulating wall street and getting big donations to their party from the the wall street companies who operate in the dark.

[@creeper52enderman]

Scott Matthews deregulation didn't do anything to hurt the economy

[@BramClaes]

If a politician uses the word freedom a lot, or claims to act in the name of it, that is already a red flag for me

[@burgerboot]

So you would rather hear em talk about oppression?

[@shutupsprinkles]

CARPETED BATHROOMS. I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD ONE GROWING UP.

[@Akiraspin]

He also had an absolutely killer sense of humor that helped ease the American peoples paranoia and fear over the Soviet Union. Whenever he joked about communism he would elate some of the very real fear over nuclear holocaust. One of my favoritres; "There was a commissar and a farmer having a conversation in the Soviet Union, and the Commissar asked the farmer "So, how are the crops doing?" And the farmer said "Oh they're great! In fact if you stacked all the food in one big pile it would reach the foot of God." And the commissar looked at him in confusion and said "This is the Soviet Union. There is no God." And the farmer said "Well that's alright, because there's no food either!" LMAO

[@Gewehr_3]

Reagan was a good cold war president... He also gave fantastic speeches. Other then that, I have no good words for him.

[@ThreeDigitIQ]

7:30 is the most candid moment ever to not get cut from the final production in all of CrashCourse video history kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJmXdZ6me7WSl9km30s

[@dayit6260]

Thanks! These videos are awesome and help me in my APUSH class so much! Hopefully everyone keeps doing these videos because I know they help a lot of people understand more about American history.

[@vivianlee861]

It’s 11 right now and I still haven’t finished studying for APUSH which is tomorrow

[@Mobius14]

"Greed is Good" is a misquote, John. He actually said "The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good".

[@3lapsed]

Diana Peña the more quotes are misquoted the further it can get from it's core truth. This misquote the same fact is conveyed however if someone, somehow, manages to misquote that then we may change the meaning entirely.

[@Vnam72]

"It's about us collectively deciding what we mean when we talk about freedom and equality." Explain how we collectively decide something and what happens when someone disagrees.

[@lizroote6076]

love John from the Past's Holden shirt!!

[@sissadragon]

Just now noticed the RATM Evil Empire album 10:16 LOL, nice reference :)

[@alexocean9196]

Actually, when you take Regan's defict as a percentage of GDP and calculate for inflation, its the lowest between 1900 and 2012

[@davidarnold2456]

Yeah, but Bill Clinton balanced the budget.

[@alexocean9196]

David Arnold You can thank Reagan's Tax Cuts and a REPUBLICAN CONGRESS :P

[@alexocean9196]

***** eeehhh under Obama, the debt grew hugely

[@alexocean9196]

serious? dude, the deficit has grown hugely compared to when Bush was in town.. in the first year of obama's administration, the debt grew more than that of bush's entire presidency

[@jackmaedgen8555]

Incorrect, the deficit has now shrunk by about three quarters because after we went from a surplus under Clinton to 9.8% of the GDP in 2009 when Obama first took office. In 2015 the deficit was 2.4% of our GDP. While debt has still risen debt has gone way down.

[@drewthur15]

We need this guy back

[@jordanbikes2437]

Because with all of this war and wealth inequality, we need a big military spender and the guy who started the great wealth inequality in the first place. Yup.

[@10Phy]

+Jordan Bikes did you not watch the video. He cut the spending once the cold war was over. Today he would not have as large of a military spending because he realizes that one is not needed one he same scale. But his economic policies would help the economy grow again. Better than trumps or Bernies plans.

[@ilanmalkin1466]

+Le Peel Have you ever faced systemic discrimination or lived in poverty? I haven't really, but I'm pretty sure that if you asked a person struggling to feed their family or a black person who's treated like a criminal by police because of his race, they'll tell you inequality is a real issue

[@ilanmalkin1466]

+Le Peel If person A is rich and person B is poor, isn't that inequality?

[@10Phy]

Ilan Malkin this is not the fucking 1940 when workers had no rights and were not payed.

[@keatonr776]

I've noticed that as we get into later time periods more and more of your opinion comes through, not a complaint, or even a criticism just an interesting observation.

[@nolanmartin3573]

I guess Hillary was just as unelectable as Jimmy Carter.

[@zionnuby842]

When you realize that Hillary has never lost the popular vote in her life but Reagan lost twice in his life, and that Hillary won more votes then he did

[@leokennedy7624]

Jack Bat How did it damage his reputation? Was the crisis his fault? Did he start it?

[@squamish4244]

No, but like many presidents who have bad stuff happen that they have no control of, he was blamed anyway. And he got blamed mostly for how long it took to end, although it was a very tough situation and he did eventually negotiate an end to it.

[@maddoxbellrose7679]

@@zionnuby842 That was an awkward "when you realize..."

[@garlicbrad7916]

@@leokennedy7624 I mean, after the shah died in America, Khomeini literally said he would only release the hostages when Carter was no longer president. Soooo...

[@BrendenFP]

I'm sad to see John labling the French "cowardly" for their distaste for war, as if it's a bad thing. They, as a nation, have been through some horrendous history, bloody and wrought with war (a lot of which their own doing *cough* Napoléon *cough*) and culminating in their country being brutally invaded by Germany on no less than three occasions.

[@SanvelloSerapiega]

reagan net increased taxes on the nonrich why isn't this mentioned

[@SanvelloSerapiega]

***** the comment section would of been filled up either way with lvr if someone put that fact up so your answer is not justification

[@SanvelloSerapiega]

***** i know but i don't care enough damage has been caused by misguided conservatism that any misguided half baked comment from a misguided supporter of reagan on the internet does not matter

[@Ancor3]

I think he also tripled the debt during his presidency. That wasn't mentioned either.

[@priscillajiron8866]

these are great! thank you so much for producing them.

[@joshuaklein2859]

Priscilla Jiron hi :)

[@vinista256]

Nice job-I hadn’t seen any of your other videos, so I was afraid that this was going to be more Reagan hagiography, but your presentation was a very clear-eyed (and, considering the time constraints, very comprehensive) account of the era. Glad that you put the notion of RR “ending” the Cold War in perspective (you didn’t mention Chernobyl, but enough people have seen the HBO mini-series ...), and Gorbachev certainly deserves some credit for allowing it to happen without a bloodbath. Regarding the legacy of economic policies from that time, your assessment is spot on, unfortunately.

[@alelioi1710]

He was completely wrong about the impact of reaganomics in the 80'

[@vinista256]

ale lioi I disagree, but you’re entitled to your opinion.

[@skellymom]

John, I sooo appreciated your headdesk! Yes, the US is great at fixing things that work...*sigh*...

[@maxdicola1]

How are the french cowards!? We were the first people to fight for a egalitarian revolution and we work towards Liberty, equality and fraternity. However I agree that the US is really a special country because it is capable of recover from very severe crisis.

[@metallicakixtotalass]

Seriously, the hating on the French is totally baseless and bullshit.

[@Cucumber-ej1pm]

Well the American Revolution did happen several years before the French Revolution ... and also didn't lead to a tyrannical warmongering dictatorship just saying.

[@ethanlevine1935]

Quinn Weber We also fought to keep in place most policies of Great Britain, but under local rule.

[@MollyGermek]

Because you didn't join the Iraq war. That's literally all it is.

[@jfridy]

The US loves to mock the French. It's like a national hobby or something. France is seen as being weak and effeminate, since they needed allied assistance in both world wars, but then later seemed quite ungrateful to the US and British for it. Strangely their problems against the Germans in WWII and defeat in the Napoleonic Wars and the Franco Prussian War have created a strange image of the French as poor fighters, when the French have a long and brutal military tradition. Also France hasn't jumped into wars in the last 30 years. They focused on trying to be a world leader that wasn't going to demand obedience like the US or USSR.

[@hiddensheepy8736]

5:01 "substantial relief" *a picture of a toilet flashes in red*

[@francinafedele1308]

"we only fix the things that are fineeeeee" XD