Presidential Elections 1980-2020  
Party Control Flip-Flops, But Some Progress Made

Other Era Elections
1. 1792-1824   2. 1828-1852  3. 1856-1892  4. 1896-1928    5. 1932-1976   

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Carter had been elected president because the country needed a change. Most felt Carter was not the answer because of  the Iran hostage crisis, a worsening economy with already high unemployment and inflation. His Crisis of Confidence " Malaise" speech seem to be blaming the country's poor attitude for its troubles. 

Most Experts did not fall for Reagan's "Morning in America' attitude. They believed  his campaign promise to increased defense spending, implement  supply-side economic policies, while balancing the budget would fail. They were wron as by the end of his first term the economy seemed to be going in a better direction. The era ended with the malaise of President Carter still in control of the country.
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"And Now the Rest of the Story"

  
Election of 1980 saw Carter attacked Reagan as a dangerous right-wing radical while Reagan won easily as he pledged to uplift the nation's pessimistic mood. Congressional elections also went Republicans for the first time in 28 years. This began the Reagan Revolution which signified a conservative national political realignment. Election 1984 went Republican as the economic stagflation of low growth with high inflation was over. Reagan joined Nixon (1972) as the only candidate to carry 49 of the 50 states. Ronald Reagan cut taxes, increased defense spending, ignored federal deficits which today look insignificant because of nominal economic growth. His Supply Side Economics sought economic growth through more efficient production caused by less regulation and low taxes rather than government supported demand. His low taxes and large military spending was Keynesian demand supported growth that soon lowered the relative size of the annual federal deficit and accumulated debt. The later had stayed below 40% of GDP until 1) New Deal and 2) WW2 spending caused it to peak at 120% of GDP. The Penn Square 1982 Bank bailout began a new chapter in the long history of government helping business.
Election of 1988 saw a good economy, a stable international stage, and Reagan's popularity foster the third consecutive presidential victory for the Republican Party. It was the first time that a party had won more than two consecutive presidential elections since the Democrats won five straight elections from 1932-1938. George H. W. Bush popularity peaked early because his 1990 Coalition of the First Gulf War repelled Iraq's Kuwait invasion. Not always conservative, he signed the Immigration Act of 1990 that led to a 40 percent increase in legal immigration and his temporary ban on certain important semiautomatic rifles cost him a NRA endorsement.
Election 1992 went to Clinton as 1) Bush broke his no new taxes pledge, 2) the economy was in recession 3) Bush's perceived foreign policy strength was less important with the fall of the Soviet Union and Middle East stability after the Gulf War victory. Economic conservative Ross Perrot got 19% of the vote helping Democrat Clinton.
Election of 1996 A strong economy caused a small 49.0% turnout which was lowest since 1924. Clinton beat Republican Bob Dole with help from Reform Party candidate businessman Ross Perot.		 Bill Clinton was another contentious president who survived the Lewinsky scandal as twenty-five years of increased education had cultivated a mare tolerant nation. This allowed him to appoint more women and minority federal court judges than white male judges and also to have a very diverse cabinet. The longest economic expansion in American history allowed for increase educational opportunities, lower crime and increased homeownership. The little noticed 1999 Gramm, Leach, Bliley Act initiated by Republicans and signed Democrat  Clinton continued Republican liberalized of financial regulation which added to the many causes of The Great Recession.
Election of 2000 was one of the most contentious in history as it marked the fourth time the winner failed to win a plurality. See 1824, 1876, and 1888). A Florida recount required Supreme Court intervention which followed party lines. The Green Party adversely affected Democratic Al Gore.
Election of 2004 was a G.W. victory over John Kerry.  Bush's popular vote victory was the smallest ever for a reelected incumbent president. Only three states changing side.		 George W. Bush reacted to September 9/11 attacks with a War on Terror, a War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. His major tool was the USA PATRIOT Act which established Department of Homeland Security. He also implemented 1) tax cuts 2) No Child Left Behind 3) Medicare Part D but vetoed StaElection of 2000 was one of the most contentious in history as it marked the fourth time the winner failed to win a plurality. See 1824, 1876, and 1888). A Florida recount required Supreme Court intervention which followed party lines. The Green Party adversely affected Democratic Al Gore.
Election of 2004 was a G.W. victory over John Kerry.  Bush's popular vote victory was the smallest ever for a reelected incumbent president. Only three states changing side.te Children's Health Insurance Program legislation 4) government activities to and 5) he promoted the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban and Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
Election of 2008 saw leading Democrat Hillary Clinton lose when the campaign switched focus from The War On Terror to economic concerns. This was the first election in which 1) neither major candidate was born in the contiguous U.S, (Obama/ Hawaii and McCain/Panama military base) 2) a woman presidential candidate ran in every primary/caucus and 3) Sarah Palin was the first female Republican VP candidate. Geraldine Ferraro was first major party's presidential candidate. Election of 2012 saw Mormon Mitt Romney lose by four points.
 Election, 2012 Obama defeated Romney, winning a majority of both the popular vote and the Electoral College. Obama won 51.1% of the popular vote compared to Romney's 47.2%		 Barack Obama's 2010 Affordable Care Act finally fulfilled Democratic efforts for a national health insurance program that had begun with Harry Truman. Major federal health care involvement had began during WW 2 when employer provided health insurance was exempted from federal income tax. His to-date successfully completion of governmental attempts to negate effects of The Great Recession will be balanced against possible successes of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
Election of 2016 While Clinton received over 2.8 million more votes nationwide, a margin of 2.1%, but Donald Trump won 30 states many with  "winner-takes-all" award of electoral college votes by appealing to negative political force's spreading around the liberal democratic world. Trump took 306 electors, or 57% of the 538 available. A joint  U.S. intelligence community review interfered with the campaign [21] In his first two years Trump appointed two new Supreme Court justices. banned US travel from Muslim-majority countries, signed a tax cut legislation which also rescinded the individual insurance mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act,  opened the Arctic Refuge for oil drilling, partial repeal of the Dodd-Frank Act and pursued his America First agenda in foreign policy and trade, withdrawing U.S. from the TPP trade negotiations, renegotiated  NAFTA, withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the Iran nuclear deal. He also recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and imposed import tariffs on various goods, triggering a trade war with China.
Election of 2020