Ronald Reagan He also strongly advocated the Republican ideal of less government regulation of the economy, including that of undue federal taxation. Reagan did not seek re-election to a third term as governor in 1974; he was succeeded by the Secretary of State, Democrat Jerry Brown, who took office on January 6, 1975. In 1976, Reagan challenged incumbent President Gerald Ford in a bid to become the Republican Party's candidate for president. Reagan soon established himself as the conservative candidate with the support of like-minded organizations such as the American Conservative Union, which became key components of his political base, while Ford
Political positions of Ronald Reagan of the Jewish faith and the subjugation of blacks, while the same amendment forbids our children from saying a prayer in school?". However, President Reagan did not pursue a constitutional amendment requiring school prayer in public schools. Reagan mischaracterized the Supreme Court decisions on school prayer as no decision of the Court has ever held that a child is prohibited from praying on his own. The effect of the school prayer decisions is to prohibit public school authorities from requiring children to participate in prayer. Reagan was particularly opposed to the establishment of the Department of Education, which had occurred