prospered, especially the upper class, who benefited the most from the tax cuts. Critics charged the tax cuts and the fruits of economic growth benefited mainly the wealthy, and that the gap between rich and poor grown wider (Encyclopedia Britannica, Britannica.com, 2000).Iran Contra AffairThe last two years of Ronald Reagan's presidency were spent dealing with the Iran Contra Affair. The Iran Contra Affair was an American political scandal, that took place in 1985 and 1986, where high-ranking officials in President Reagan's administration made secret arrangements for the sale of arms to Iran. (Encyclopedia American, gi.grolier.com , 2000) This sale of guns and supplies directly violated United States policy and law. This scandal, in the public's eye, turned attention to the effectiveness of Reagan's leadership style and severely damaged his reputation. The profits earned from the illegal sale of arms went directly to the Nicaraguan right-wing guerrillas to help purchase supplies and arms to use in the battle they were fighting against the leftist Sandinista government (Encyclopedia American, gi.grolier.com , 2000). The action of supplying the Nicaraguan guerrillas with funds is also a direct violation of U.S. policy. This policy came about in 1979 and 1980 as a result of the Iranian hostage crisis. The U.S. Congress labeled Iran as a terrorist country and then outlawed all sales of arms and supplies to any Iranian governmental agency. The main person behind these sales was Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North. He was a military aide to the National Security Council. Lieutenant Colonel North did not come up with the plans himself; the Israeli government aided him in his efforts. The sale of these weapons was initially expected to improve the relationship between the United States and Iran. North thought that his improved relationship with Iran would increase the chances of rescuing the American hostages that were initially held...
