Oklahoma Social Studies USH.C.8.2.A
The Standard
- USH.C.8
- Analyze the rationale and impact of foreign and domestic policies of the late 20th century.
- USH.C.8.2
- Analyze the presidency of Ronald Reagan and the rise of the conservative movement in American politics.
Identify the economic and domestic policies of the Reagan Administration known as “Reaganomics” featuring tax cuts and less regulation including the response to the air-traffic controllers’ strike.
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · USH.C.8.2
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify tax cuts and fewer business regulations as Reagan's main economic policies. They explain what he did when federal air traffic controllers went on strike in 1981.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student explains that Reagan argued lower taxes and fewer rules would encourage business investment. They state that he fired the striking controllers, who were federal workers barred from striking.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think a cut to the top tax rate lowered everyone's rate by the same amount. They may think deregulation meant removing all rules. Some mistake the controllers for private airline employees.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Name two Reagan economic policies, give the goal of one, and explain what he did when air traffic controllers went on strike.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs the top income tax rates for 1980 and 1988, 70% and 28%; have them plot both and label the change.
Ask: Why might a president who wanted fewer business rules still fire federal workers who went on strike?
Have teams match cards reading 'lower tax rates,' 'fewer business rules,' and 'fired striking controllers' to tax cuts, deregulation, and labor policy.
Compare two sample $1,000 paychecks, one with $200 withheld for income tax and one with $150; ask what the worker could do with the difference.
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