The Eleventh Commandment (Ronald Reagan) The Eleventh Commandment (Ronald Reagan) The Eleventh Commandment was a phrase used by President Ronald Reagan during his 1966 campaign for Governor of California. The Commandment reads: While popularized by Reagan, "The Eleventh Commandment" was created by California Republican Party Chairman Gaylord Parkinson. In his 1990 autobiography "An American Life", Reagan attributed the rule to Parkinson, explained its origin, and claimed to have followed it: The goal was to prevent a repetition of the liberal Republican assault on Barry Goldwater, attacks which contributed to Goldwater's defeat in the 1964 presidential election. East Coast Republicans like Nelson Rockefeller labeled Goldwater an
Reagan Era Reagan Era The Reagan Era or Age of Reagan is a periodization of recent American history used by historians and political observers to emphasize that the conservative "Reagan Revolution" led by President Ronald Reagan in domestic and foreign policy had a lasting impact. It overlaps with what political scientists call the Sixth Party System. Definitions of the Reagan Era universally include the 1980s, while more extensive definitions may also include the late 1970s, the 1990s, the 2000s (decade), and even the 2010s. In his 2008 book, "The Age of Reagan: A History, 1974–2008", historian and journalist Sean Wilentz argues that