Boldly declaring that "government is the problem," Reagan took advantage of the electoral mandate he had won to craft an agenda that stood in stark contrast to the philosophies of the New Deal and the Great Society. Unabashedly in favor of deregulation and lower taxes, he nevertheless vastly increased the military budget and swelled the national deficit. Despite charges that he was little more than an out-of-touch mouthpiece for conservative policies, he enjoyed a level of public affection not seen since FDR and Eisenhower. Learn more with this resource from American Experience: "The Presidents."