Speechwriter Michael Waldman said that Bill Clinton's 1996 State of the Union might have killed off liberalism. But if there was one person who made "big government" a dirty word (yes, we know that it's technically two words), it was President Ronald Reagan.

In a way, Reagan was Clinton before Clinton. First running for president against incumbent Jimmy Carter in 1980, he served two terms and finished as one of the most popular presidents of modern times. With his trademark humor, he moved the country in an economically conservative direction, preaching the ideology of lower corporate taxes and so-called trickle down economics .

Reagan talked about shrinking government programs and reducing bureaucracy, famously quipping, "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'"

(Personally, we think it's ten words: "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." But there's no point in getting bogged down with the specifics.)

Recently, however, there has been an ongoing historical reevaluation of Reagan's performance as president. More and more journalists and historians are pointing out that, contrary to his public statements, he actually increased government spending in significant ways, especially on defense. (Source)

It's sort of like that movie you really liked in the theater, but then you noticed all the plot holes.

The fact remains: after "the Gipper," as he was known, you couldn't openly profess liberalism, even as a Democrat. The enduring popularity of Reagan's philosophy fueled the ideological revolution behind the 1994 midterm elections, in which Republicans ran on social conservatism and small government. (Source)