next we look back to ronald reagan's presidential campaign announcement in the 1980 election. in a tape message from new york city, the former california governor talks about the economy, taxes energy and foreign policy. ronald reagan won the 1980 republican presidential nomination with george h. w. bush finishing a distant second. he then went on to defeat incumbent democrat jimmy carter in the general election in 44 states. ladies and gentlemen, ronald reagan. >> good evening. i am here tonight to announce my intention to seek the republican nomination for president of the united states. i am sure that each of us has seen our country from a number of viewpoints, depending on where we've lived and what we have done, for me it has been

as a boy growing up in several small towns in illinois as a young man in iowa trying to get a start in the years of the great depression, and later in california for most of my adult life. i have seen america from the stadium as a sportscaster, as an actor, officer of my labor union, soldier, officeholder, and as both democrat and republican. i have lived in an america where those who often had too little to eat outnumbered those who had enough. there have been four wars in my lifetime and i have seen our country face financial ruin in the depression. i've also seen the great strength of this nation as it pulled itself up from that ruin to become the dominant force in the world. to me, our country is a living, breathing presents. i am impressed by whatever's -- proud of its own success, generous and naive. sometimes wrong, never mean.

always impatient to provide a better life for its people in a framework of the basic fairness and freedom. someone once said that the difference between an american and any other kind of person is that an american lives and anticipation of the future, because he knows it will be a great place. other people fear the future as just a repetition of past failures. but there is a lot of truth in that. if there is one thing we are sure of, it is a history need not be relived. nothing is impossible and that man is capable of improving his circumstances beyond what we are told. there are those in our land today however, that would have us believe that the united states, like other great civilizations of the past, has reached the zenith of its power. that we are weak and fearful. reduced to bickering with each other and know where no longer possess too --

much of this top has come from leaders who claim that our problems are too difficult to handle. we are supposed to meekly accept their failures as what most do you think he can be done. they tell us we must learn to live with less and teach our children that their lives will be less full and prosperous than ours. at the america of the coming years will be a place where because of our past excesses it will be impossible to dream and make those dreams come true. i do not believe that. i do not believe you do either. that is why i'm seeking the presidency. i cannot and will not stand by and see this great country destroy itself. our leaders attempt to blame their failures on circumstances beyond their control. on false estimates by unknown, and identifiable experts who rewrite modern history in an attempt to convince us that are higher highest end of living will resolve and thrust and

hard work is somehow selfish extravagance which we must renounce as we join in sharing scarcity. i do not agree that our nation must resign itself to inevitable decline, yielding its proud position to other hands. i am totally unwilling to see this country fail in its obligation to itself and to the other free peoples of the world. the crisis we face is not the result of any failure of the american spirit. it is a failure of our leaders to establish rational goals and give our people something to order their lives by. if i am elected, i shall regard my election as proof that the people of the united states have decided to set a new agenda, and have recognize that the human spirit thrives best when goals are set and progress can be measured in their achievement. during the next year, i shall discuss in detail why variety of problems which in the new administration must address.

tonight, i shall mention only a few. no problem that we face today can compare with the need to restore the health of the american economy and the strength of the american dollar. double digit inflation has rubbed you and your family have the ability to plan. it has destroyed the confidence and threatens the very structure of family life itself as more and more lives are forced to work to meet the increasing cost of living. at the same time, the lack of real growth in the economy has introduced a justifiable fear in the minds of working men and women who are already overextended. but soon there will be fewer jobs and no money to pay for even the necessities of life. tragically, as the cost of living keeps going up, the standard of living, which has been our great pride, keeps going down. the people have not created this disaster in our economy. the federal government has. it has overspent, overestimated

and overregulated. it has failed to deliver services within the revenue it should be allowed to raise from taxes. in the 34 years since the end of world war ii, it has spent 448 billion dollars more than it has collected in taxes. 448 billion dollars of printing press money which has made every dollar you earn worth less and less. at the same time, the federal government has scenically told us that high taxes aren't in business with in some ways solve the problem and allow the average taxpayer to pay less. well, business is not a taxpayer. it is a tax collector. business has to pass its tax burden on to the customer as part of the cost of doing business. you and i pay the taxes imposed on business every time we go to the store. only people pay taxes. it is political demagoguery or

economic illiteracy to try and tell us otherwise. the key to restoring the health of the economy lies in cutting taxes. at the same time, we need to get the waist out of federal spending. this does not mean sacrificing the sensual services or nor do we need to destroy the system of benefits will which flow to the poor, the elderly and the handicapped. we have long since committed ourselves as a people to help those among us who cannot take care of themselves. but the federal government has proven to be the costliest and most inefficient provider of such help we could possibly have. we must put an end to the arrogance of a federalist establishment which accepts no blame for our condition. cannot be relied upon because a fair estimate of our situation and utterly refuses to live within its means. i will not accept the supposed wisdom which has it that the

federal bureaucracy has become so powerful that it can no longer be changed or controlled by any administration. as president, i would use every power in my command to make the federalist establishment respond to the will and collective wishes of the people. we must force the entire federal bureaucracy to live in the real world of reduced spending, streamline function and accountability to the people it serves. at the same time, in reviewing the functions of the federal government, we must determine which of those functions could better be performed by levels of government closer to the people. a tenth article of the bill of rights is very explicit in pointing out that the federal government should do only those things specifically called for in the constitution. all others, shall remain with the states or the people. we have not been observing that tenth article. the federal government has

taken on functions it was never intended to perform and which it does not perform well. there should be a planned orderly transfer of such functions to states and communities and a transfer with them of the sources of taxation to pay for them. savings and remonstrative overhead could be considerable and certainly there would be increased efficiency and less bureaucracy. by reducing federal tax rates, we will discourage individual initiative especially, personal income tax rates, we can restore incentives, invite greater economic growth and at the same time but get better government instead of bigger government. proposals such as -- would bring about this kind of realistic reduction in tax rates. in short, a punitive tax system must be replaced by one that restores incentive for the worker and for industry. a system that rewards initiative and effort and

encourages thrift. all these things are possible. none of them will be easy. but the choice is clear. we can go on letting a country slip into the brink of financial ruin with a disaster of what this means for an individual, or we can find the will to work together to restore confidence in ourselves and to regain the confidence of the world. i have lived through one depression. i carry with me the memory of a christmas eve where my brother in i and our parents exchanged our modest gifts. there was no lighted trees or had been on christmas this past. i remember watching my father open what he thought was a greeting from his employer. we all watched. yes, we were hoping it was a bonus check. anna it was notice that he no longer had a job. in those days, the government, through radio announcements

telling workers not to leave home looking for jobs. there were no jobs. i carry with me always the memory of my father sitting there, holding that envelope, unable to look at the rest of us. i cannot and will not stand by while inflation and job looseness destroys the dignity of our people. another serious problem which must be discussed tonight is our energy situation. our country was built on cheap energy. today, energy is not cheap and we face the prospect of some forms of energy may soon not be available at all. saw the last summer, you probably spent hours sitting and gasoline lines -- this winter some will be without heat and everyone will be paying much more, simply to keep home and family warm. if you ever had any doubt that the government's inability to provide for the needs of the people, just look at the utter

fiasco we now call the energy crisis. not one straight answer nor any realistic hope of relief has come from the president from the present administration and almost three years of federal treatment of the problem. as gas lines grew, the administration again panicked and now is proposed to put the country on a wartime footing. for this war, there is no victory in sight. there is always, when a federal bureaucracy fails, all it can suggest as more of the same. this time, it is another bureau to untangle ms made by the ones we already have. this just want will not work. solving the energy crisis will not be easy, but it can be done. first, we must decide that less is not enough. next, we must remove government obstacles to energy production. we must make use of those technological advantages we still possess. it is no program. simply to say use less energy. of course waste must be

eliminated, and efficiency promoted, but for the government simply to tell the people to conserve, that is not an energy policy. at this, it means we will run out of energy a little more slowly, but they will come when the lights will dim, and the wheels of industry will turn more slowly and finally stopped. as president, i will not endorse any course which has this as its principle objective. we need more energy and that means diversifying our sources of supply away from the opaque countries. yes it means more efficient automobiles but it also means more exploration and development of oil and natural gas here in our own country. the only way to free ourselves from the pricing power of opec is to be less dependent on outside sources a fuel. the answer, obvious to anyone except those in the administration it seems, it is more domestic production of oil and gas. we must also have wider use of

nuclear power within strict safety rules of course. there must be more spending by the energy industries on research and development of substitutes for fossil fuels. in years to come, solar energy may provide much of the answer, but for the next two or three decades, we must do such things as master the chemistry of coal. putting the market system to work for these objectives, is an essential first step for their achievement. additional multibillion dollar federal bureaus and programs are not the answer. in recent weeks, there has been a lot of talk about excess oil company profits. i do not believe we have been given all the information we need to make a judgment about this. we should have that information. government exists to protect us from each other. it is not governments function to allocate fuel or impose unnecessary restrictions on the marketplace. it is governments function to

determine whether we are being unfairly exploited and if so, to take immediate and appropriate action. as president, i would do exactly that. on the foreign front, the decade of the 19 eighties placed severe pressures upon the united states and its allies. we can expect to be tested in ways calculated to try our patients, to confound our resolve and erode our belief in ourselves. during a time when the soviet union may have -- nuclear security over this country, we must never waver to our commitment to our allies or except any negotiation which is not clearly in the national interest. we must judge carefully that we should lead no initiative untried in our pursuit of peace. we must be clear voiced and our resolve to resist any an peaceful act wherever it may occur. negotiations of the soviet union must never become appeasement. for most of the last 40 years,

we have been preoccupied with the global struggle, the competition with the soviet union and without responsibility to our allies, but too often in recent times, we have just drifted alone, responding as if we thought of ourselves as a nation in decline. do our allies to our allies we seem to be a nation who cannot make decisions in its own interest. let alone, in the common interest. since the second world war, we have spent large amounts of money and much of our time protecting and defending freedom all over the world. we must continue this, for if we do not accept the responsibilities of leadership, who will? if no one will, how will we survive? the 1970s, have tides the foolhardiness of not having a lunge long-range diplomatic strategy of our own. the world has become a place where in order to survive, our country needs more than just allies.

it needs real friends. in recent times, we often seem not to have recognized who are friends our. this must change. it is now time to take stock of our own house and to resupply its strength. part of that process involves taken stock of our relationship with puerto rico and of the people of puerto rico vote for -- and they're coming referendum, i favor statehood for pride regal, and i would as president initiate the legislation to make this a reality. we live on a continent with three countries possessing the assets to make it the strongest, most prosperous and self sufficient area on earth. within the borders of this north american continent are the food, resources, technology and undeveloped territory which properly manage, could dramatically improve the quality of life of all its inhabitants. it is no accident that this unmatched potential for progress and prosperity exists

and three countries with such long-standing heritage as a free government. so a developing closeness among canada, mexico and the united states, and north american accord, would permit achievement of that potential in each country beyond that which i believe any of us, strong as we are, could accomplish in the absence of such cooperation. in fact, the key to our own future security may lie in both mexico and canada, becoming much stronger countries than they are today. no one can say at this point precisely, what form future cooperation among our three countries will take. but if i am elected president, i would be willing to invite each of our neighbors to send a special representative to our government, to sit in on high-level planning sessions with us. as partners, mutually concerned about the future of our continent.

first, i would immediately seek the views and ideas of canadian and mexican leaders on this issue north, that worked tirelessly with them to develop closer ties among our peoples. it is time we stop thinking of our nearest neighbors as foreigners. by developing methods of working closely together, we will lay the foundations for future cooperation on a broader and more significant scale. we will also put to rest any doubts of those cynical enough to believe that the united states would seek to dominate any relationship among our three countries, or foolish enough to think that the governments and peoples of canada and mexico would never permit such a domination to occur. i for 1 am confident that we can show the world by example, that the nations of north america are ready within the context of an an swerving commitment to freedom, to seek new forms of accommodation to meet a changing world.

a developing closeness between the united states canada and mexico would serve notice on friend and foe alike that we were prepared for the long haul. looking outward again and confident in our future. together, we are going to create jobs to generate new fortunes of wealth for many and provide a legacy for the children of each of our countries. 200 years ago, we taught the world that a new form of government created out of the genius of man to cope with circumstances, could succeed and bringing a measure of quality to human life previously thought impossible. now, let us work toward the goal of using the assets of this continent, it's resources, technology and food in the most efficiently as possible for the common good of all its people. it may take the next hundred years, but we can dare to dream that in some future date, a map of the world might show the

north american continent as one in which the peoples and commerce of its three strong countries, full freely across their present borders. in recent months, leaders in our government have told us that we the people have lost confidence in ourselves. we must regain our spirit and our will to achieve our national goals. it is true, there is a lack of confidence and an unease with things the way they are. but the confidence we have lost its confidence in our government's policies. our unease can almost be called bewilderment at howard defend strength has deteriorated. the great productivity of our industry has now surpassed by all the major nations who compete with us for world markets. our currency is no longer the stable measure valued it was it once was. the remains the greatness of our people. our capacity for dreaming up fantastic deeds and bringing them off to the surprise of an

unbelieving world. in washington's men were freezing at valley forts, tom payne told his fellow americans, we have it in our power to begin the world over again. we still have that power. we today's living americans have in our lifetime fought harder, paid a higher price for freedom, and done more to advance the dignity of man than any other people who ever done on this earth. the citizens of this great nation want leadership, yes. but not a man on a whitehorse demanding obedience to his commands. they want someone who believes they can begin the world over again. a leader who won unleashed their great strength and remove the world rocks government has put in their way. i want to do that more than anything i've ever wanted. it is something i believe, with god's help, i can do. i believe this nation hungers for a spiritual revival. hungers to once again see honor

placed above political -- to see government once again the protector of our liberties not distributors of gifts and privilege. governments should uphold and not undermined those institutions which are custodians of the very values upon which civilization is founded. religion, education, and above all, family. government cannot be clergymen teacher and parent. it is our servant, beholden to us. we are privileged to be americans and had a rendezvous with destiny since the moment and 16 31 john wind threat, standing on the deck off the coast of massachusetts told a little band of pilgrims, we shall be as a city upon a hill. the eyes of all people are upon us so that if we should deal falsely with our god in this work we have undertaken, and still cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we should be made a story and a buy word throughout the world. nor a troubled and afflict of

mankind looks to us pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny. that we will uphold the principles of self reliance, self discipline, morality, and above all, responsible liberty for every individual. that we will become that shining city on a hill. for our country's future, i pled you my every effort, i ask for your prayers and your support. i believe that together, we can keep this rendezvous with destiny. thank you. and good night. can

up next, randall bomber on his book redeemer, the life of jimmy carter. he examines the role religion played in both mr. carter's victory over gerald ford in the 1976 presidential election and his defeat in 1980 by ronald reagan. mr. bomber smoke at a jimmy carter presidential library museum in atlanta back in 2014. >> welcome. it is a pleasure for me tonight to introduce mr. bomber, professor of arts and science of arts and sciences. i have followed his career for a long time. his undergraduate work was done at a school where my father was a dean. my brother joe attended that school at the same time. randi has ed