Presidency of Ronald Reagan Presidency of Ronald Reagan The presidency of Ronald Reagan began on January 20, 1981, when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican, took office following a landslide victory over Democratic incumbent President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election. Reagan was succeeded by his Vice President, George H. W. Bush, who won the 1988 presidential election with Reagan's support. Reagan's 1980 election resulted from a dramatic conservative shift to the right in American politics, including a loss of confidence in liberal, New Deal, and Great Society
First inauguration of Ronald Reagan First inauguration of Ronald Reagan The first inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th President of the United States was held on Tuesday, January 20, 1981, on the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. This was the first inauguration to be held on the building's west side. The inauguration marked the commencement of the first four-year term of Ronald Reagan as President and of George H. W. Bush as Vice President. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administered the presidential oath of office to Reagan, who placed his hand upon a family Bible given to him by