American Experience

Reagan (1): Lifeguard (10x7)

Air date: Feb 23, 1998

When he left the White House in 1988, Ronald Reagan was one of the most popular presidents of the century - and one of the most controversial. A failed actor, Reagan became a passionate ideologue who preached a gospel of lower taxes, less government and anti-communism. Reagan surprised opponents, rising to become a president who always preferred to see America as a "shining city on a hill."