296 a short history of the united states
were to be indexed to reflect cost of living increases. In addition, the
capital gains tax was reduced from 28 to 20 percent, and the amounts
to be excluded from estate and gift taxes were increased. As for the
budget, such areas as education, health, housing, environment, food
stamps, school meals, the National Endowment for the Arts and Hu-
manities, and urban aid programs were slashed. On the other hand,
Reagan won huge appropriations for the military. The defense budget
was increased from $ 180 billion to $ 279 billion. Funds were provided
to rebuild the navy, purchase bombers and missiles, and construct a
space-based strategic defense system, popularly known as “Star Wars.”
Consequently the deficit soared from $ 79 billion in 1981 to $ 185 billion
in 1986 , obliging Reagan to abandon one of his most important prin-
ciples and ask Congress to raise taxes. Even with this increase, the
defi cit rose to a high of $ 290 billion, and the national debt tripled.
Modern methods of accomplishing goals changed many of the
ways Americans lived and how their government functioned. For ex-
ample, television provided Americans with entertainment, informa-
tion, and access to places they never knew existed and events that they
never expected to witness. For one thing, the public for the fi rst time
could literally watch laws enacted in Congress. The beginning of pub-
lic television came when the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network
(C-Span) introduced continuous coverage of Congress, both House
and Senate. Speaker O’Neill said that permitting live, televised cover-
age of the debates in the House of Representatives was “one of the best
decisions I ever made.” The electorate came to realize that many of
their representatives were hardworking and intelligent men and women.
This medium also provided members with a means of communicating
directly with their constituents back home. But one obvious disadvan-
tage was the fact that members who in the past spent a good part of the
day on the chamber floor listening to the arguments put forward by
their colleagues now watched them intermittently on television from
their offi ces. Gone were the great days of congressional debate when a
Daniel Webster, a Henry Clay, a John C. Calhoun, a Thaddeus Ste-
vens, a William Jennings Bryan could mesmerize an audience, infl u-
ence voting, and demonstrate the qualities of statesmanship.