Reagan's Pen: Trickle it Down

President Ronald Reagan's terms in office were eventful to say the least. Reagan promoted a system of economics that quickly became popularized as Reaganomics, a system focused on giving tax breaks for the rich believing that the money will eventually trickle down to the poor. These economic ideas were incredibly flawed and caused many problems for the United States down the line, notably the increase in the wealth gap between the poor and rich in America. As for pens, Reagan popularized the Cross Century Ballpoint pen, a black and gold writing instrument signifying how he believed the rich were the key to success in America.

The pen was made from mostly plastic and metal, but unlike the previous two pens discussed, Reagan's pen was a ballpoint utensil meaning it stored ink to be applied by a small metal ball when rolled, and not dipped in a cartridge like a fountain pen. The pen shows how his presidency was a break from the previous administrations, a daring attempt at forming oligarchy in the United States that was to some extent, successful in doing so.

Ronald Reagan was incredibly popular during both his terms, however this was mostly due to his ,American Model Spirit in which he portrayed himself as the classic American man during his political career. Reagan promoted generally harmful ideas for America, and was also behind one of the biggest scandals in American history, the Iran-Contra Affair. Reagan's time in office is littered with events and ideas that simply were defective to the American dream.

Works Cited/Sources

Samantha Di Nardo. What Pen Does the President Use?: From Roosevelt to Trump. Dayspring Pens, January 2, 2023. https://www.dayspringpens.com/blogs/the-jotted-line/presidential-pen?srsltid=AfmBOoq5LI0Ud-mctl9DV6TY3XT4N92YSmWz4FUy_uCmb7m-rrgF255lc

Heclo, Hugh. The Mixed Legacies of Ronald Reagan. Presidential Studies Quarterly 38, no. 4 (2008): 555-74. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41219701.

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