Ronald Reagan

1911–2004 · 40th President of the United States

Ronald Reagan was a Hollywood actor and General Electric spokesman before serving as Governor of California (1967–1975) and as the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989). He built much of his domestic rhetoric around voluntarism and what his White House called “private sector initiatives” — the idea that neighbors, churches, and charities, rather than federal programs, should carry the work of caring for people in need. That documented theme is precisely why this particular sentence sounds so much like him, and precisely why it stuck to his name without anyone ever checking it.

Traced to source

5 quotes we’ve traced to Ronald Reagan

Not actually Ronald Reagan

Often misattributed to Ronald Reagan

Famous lines widely pinned on Ronald Reagan that we’ve traced to someone else.

On the research bench

Commonly pinned on Ronald Reagan — under review

1 line flagged as pinned on Ronald Reagan and queued for a full source trace — not yet verified.

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