I don’t disagree with you, but Reagan was faced with Democrat Congress. I recall being peeved when he didn’t veto crap spending legislation. I just think Reagan was far more ideologically inclined to keep spending at a minimum, but then again the Rat Congress thing. Compare Reagan to Trump and you have a massive difference. I know this is won’t go over well here, but Trump made drunken sailors seem frugal.
Reagan also recreated a conventional military, after it having become nearly useless under the ‘all we need are nukes’ doctrine.