Ideology, Pragmatism, and Ronald Reagan's World View: Full of Sound and Fury, Signifying?

Abstract

The nature of Ronald Reagan's belief system remains an enigma. Five years after he left Oval Office, role that ideology played in framing Reagans world view still remains hotly contested and confusing issue. The literature reflects this confusion and offers bewildering array of interpretations. To some analysts, Reagan rabid ideologue who only saw red; to others he closet pragmatist who cut deals when politically expe dient. Still other scholars assert, less charitably, that Reagan neither pragmatist nor an ideologue. According to this approach, his world view consisted of an incoherent jumble of unformed beliefs that were devoid of focus and conviction. The variety of opinions regarding Reagans ideological position is truly impressive. Nonetheless, distinct schools of thought are discernible. The first approach observes that Reagan's belief system possessed coherent and definable vision based on a bedrock of principle and purpose . . . [and] fervent anti-Communist ideology.1 A hybrid of this theme asserts that while Reagan indeed an ideologue, he an atypical one who seldom act[ed] on his ideology.2 An opposing view holds that Reagan was never in any serious or thoughtful way an ideologue of any sort.3 This school contends that Reagan sought compromise with Soviets moment he entered White House and remained pragmatic throughout his presidency.4 These scholars argue that Reagan's shrill rhetoric served only to mask centrist philosophy.5 Andrew Sullivan generally agrees with this last assessment, but argues further that Reagan's pragmatism bewilderingly incoherent.6 This view holds that Reagan had policy preferences but no overarching or coherent belief system. He possessed no firm beliefs and therefore moved freely between ideological and pragmatic positions independent of issue, unencumbered by burden of logic or conscience.7 An alternate approach argues that Reagan shifted from ideologue to pragmatist.8 A review of literature does little, however, to pinpoint time of this shift. Accord ing to Terry Deibel, the world changed and this allowed Reagan, pragmatist, to emerge.9 These changes, depending on scholar, first occurred either in 1982 with appointment of George Shultz as secretary of state, or in 1984, after America had restored its strength,10 or after each superpower summit. Others do not see shift from anti communism until 1988.n Still others contend that Reagan remained an ideologue and no shift occurred.12