1Tax Cuts That Returned Power to the People

Reagan's most unmistakably libertarian achievement came early: the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, which lowered the top marginal income tax rate from 70 percent to 50 percent (IRS historical tables). Five years later, the Tax Reform Act of 1986 delivered an even more dramatic shift by dropping the top rate to 28 percent, the lowest since the 1920s.

Economists debate the exact causes of the economic boom that followed — interest rates, demographics, technological growth — but the impact of Reagan's tax reforms is undeniable. Investment surged. Unemployment fell. Inflation collapsed. Even the New York Times described the 1986 overhaul as "the most sweeping tax reform in U.S. history."

Whether you're a supply-sider or just someone who likes keeping more of what you earn, these reforms stand as some of the most significant tax-cut victories in American history.

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2Finishing the Job on Energy Deregulation and Crushing Inflation

Reagan entered office during one of the most economically turbulent moments since the 1930s. America was drowning in double-digit inflation, gas lines were still fresh in the national memory, and price controls on oil and gasoline — introduced under Nixon and partially phased out under Carter — continued to distort markets.

On his very first week in office, Reagan issued Executive Order 12287, completing the full abolition of federal oil and gasoline price controls. Carter had begun the process in 1979; Reagan finished it swiftly and decisively. The policy shift allowed energy prices to find their true market levels, unleashed domestic production, and wiped out the artificial shortages of the 1970s.

The results were staggering. Inflation fell from 13.5 percent in 1980 to 3.2 percent by 1983 (Bureau of Labor Statistics). While Federal Reserve policy under Paul Volcker deserves major credit, freeing energy markets was an essential part of stabilizing the post-stagflation economy.

For libertarians, this moment was a clear demonstration of a core principle: let prices work and prosperity follows.

3The PATCO Showdown: A Defense of Rule of Law Over Government Privilege

In August 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) declared a strike — an action explicitly illegal for federal employees under U.S. law. Instead of negotiating special privileges or raising taxes to meet their demands, Reagan did something Washington hadn't seen before: he enforced the law.

He gave workers 48 hours to return to the job. When they refused, he fired more than 11,000 controllers and later decertified the union (Federal Labor Relations Authority records).

For libertarians, this wasn't a case of being anti-worker. It was a case of being pro-equal treatment. Public-sector unions had grown accustomed to leverage that ordinary workers could never wield. Reagan's decision reasserted a crucial principle: the state and its employees operate under the law, not above it.

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4Accelerating Deregulation Across Multiple Industries

Reagan didn't begin the deregulation trend — Jimmy Carter's presidency kicked it off in airlines, trucking, and banking — but Reagan put the effort into overdrive.

His administration:

• Pushed competition in telecommunications, including supporting the antitrust case that broke up the AT&T monopoly in 1982.
• Continued implementation of the 1980 Depository Institutions Deregulation Act, which began under Carter but was carried forward by Reagan's agencies.
• Reduced regulatory output across the federal government to half the annual growth rate seen under Carter, according to research from the Heritage Foundation and Mercatus Center.
• Expanded market freedom in transportation industries, especially rail and maritime shipping, through administrative reform.

The result was a broad liberalization of major sectors of the American economy. Long-distance calls got cheaper. Financial products expanded. Transportation costs fell. The economy became more dynamic — and more competitive.

For libertarians who favor markets over bureaucracies, this remains a pillar of Reagan's legacy.

5Signing the Firearm Owners' Protection Act of 1986

Reagan's record on the Second Amendment is complicated. After leaving office he supported some gun-control measures. But during his presidency he signed one of the most influential gun-rights bills in American history: the Firearm Owners' Protection Act (FOPA).

Among its libertarian wins:

• Prohibited the federal government from creating a centralized registry of gun owners
• Ended warrantless ATF inspections of gun stores
• Protected interstate travel with legally owned firearms
• Reopened interstate ammunition sales
• Restricted federal overreach into private gun ownership

FOPA also included the Hughes Amendment, which banned civilian purchase of newly manufactured machine guns after 1986 — a provision sharply criticized by libertarians. But the core of the law still stands as a significant rollback of federal intrusions into peaceful gun ownership.

Reagan's Liberty Legacy: Imperfect, But Historically Meaningful

Reagan wasn't a libertarian purist. He expanded federal spending and accumulated a large national debt. But judged by his structural reforms — the durable changes that outlasted his presidency — he left a legacy that undeniably pushed America in a more libertarian direction.

Lower taxes. Freer markets. Stronger gun rights. Fewer regulations. And a cultural message that government is the problem, not the solution.

That's a pretty strong highlight reel for anyone who still believes in the American experiment of liberty.