revive the american spirit, and to defeat totalitarianism, spreading democracy throughout the world. by remaining true to his convictions through his belief in the american people and with tremendous optimism, president reagan achieved these goals. it s striking how president carter and president obama both took our nation down a path that in four years weakened america s confidence in itself and our hope for a better future. both weakened the respect for america abroad. both increased government programs filled with waste and inefficientcy that failed to produce results. both made promises they couldn t keep, and as a consequence of ineffective policies, both were unable to revive our economy and