United States, 1981–1989

Democracy · Republic · North America · Late Cold War era

Reagan-era America, a democracy of tax-cutting, deregulation and military buildup that pressed and outlasted the Soviet Union in the late Cold War.

The Reagan administration cut taxes, deregulated industries and expanded military spending, presiding over recovery from the early-1980s recession alongside rising deficits and inequality. Abroad it pursued an assertive Cold War policy of arms buildup and support for anticommunist forces, later negotiating arms reductions with a reforming USSR. Democratic institutions and alternation of power continued unchanged.

Open United States 1981–1989 in the interactive 3D atlas →

Dominant patterns

  • Democratization
  • Militarization
  • External Expansion
  • Great-Power Rivalry
  • Regime Stabilization

Political-science factor profile

Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).

Centralization of Power45
Media Control28
Repression32
Nationalism62
Militarization78
Economic Stress45
External Conflict65
Cult of Personality38
Elite Fragmentation48
Institutions78
Social Polarization58
Corruption & Patrimonialism38
Ideological Mobilization55
External Sovereignty100

Economy & society

GDP per capita$31k (intl-$)
GDP growth+3.5%/yr
Population240.0M people
Share of world population5%
Urban share74%
Territory~9.4M km²
Capital population~620k

Closest historical twins

The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles United States 1981–1989, by similarity score (0–100).

  1. British Empire, 1901–1914 – similarity 96/100 · shared: Democratization, Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  2. United States, 1945–1968 – similarity 96/100 · shared: Democratization, Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  3. British Empire, 1868–1901 – similarity 95/100 · shared: Democratization, Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  4. Great Britain, 1688–1727 CE – similarity 93/100 · shared: Democratization, Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  5. Great Britain, 1727–1760 CE – similarity 93/100 · shared: Democratization, Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Regime Stabilization
  6. France, 1900–1914 – similarity 93/100 · shared: Democratization, Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry
  7. Great Britain, 1783–1815 – similarity 90/100 · shared: Democratization, Militarization, External Expansion, Regime Stabilization
  8. France, 1870–1900 – similarity 89/100 · shared: Democratization, Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry

What followed

  • A renewed arms race with the USSR.
  • Economic expansion after the early-1980s recession.