And your measure/source that a sixty-five hundredths of a single percent increase on Social Security taxes is the 3rd highest peacetime hike ever is what again?
To put the 1983 hike over 7 years in further perspective, let's look at what the payroll tax rate did in other similar length periods...
1977-1983: increased from 5.85 to 7.00, a 1.15% increase
1970-1976: increased from 4.80 to 5.85, a 1.05% increase
1963-1969: increased from 3.63 to 4.8, a 1.17% increase
1956-1962: increased from 2.25 to 3.13, a .88% increase
1949-1956: increased from 1.5 to 2.25, a .75% increase
Placed in the context of its historical growth over the previous five seven-year periods, the seven-year increase of .65% from 1984 to 1990 is actually the SMALLEST social security payroll tax since the Truman administration!
Now, the fact is that Reagan and Lincoln would have been very comfortable with one another in the same Republican party.
Unsubstantiated. Lincoln never saw a tax hike he didn't like whereas Reagan consistently favored tax cuts.
That rating is given by conservatives, not liberals.
As for Lincoln and taxes, he was never President during peacetime, so we do not know if he would have cut taxes.
Nor, do we know how Reagan would have handled a massive war, I doubt it would have been with tax cuts.