Realistically, other than the Tax Rate Reduction from 70% to 28% (for the highest bracket), most of Reagan's domestic wins were more symbollic than legislative. However, except for the first two years of his Presidency, he was hamstrung by a DemonRAT Congress who begrudgingly allowed him to build up the Military to win the Cold War in exchange for runaway domestic spending. Sure, Reagan signed the appropriations bills, but the Cold War against the Evil Empire had to be won and I believe Reagan perceived that the Leftist Congress would have made this impossible if he had fought tooth and nail to decrease domestic spending as it needed to be.
"What agencies did he do away with?"
Heck, we couldn't even get the National Endowment for the Arts or National Public Radio nixed...if any actual agencies were done away with, I'd be surprised.
"Which conservative causes, other than the military, did he advance and have in place at the end of his two terms?"
Much of his gains were rhetorical, IMHO, as he was the first POTUS in generations to challenge the idea that an ever-expanding Federal Leviathan was an unmitigated good. The World War II Generation may in fact be "The Greatest Generation" in a lot of ways; however, they fell in love with the idea that if the Federal Government can defeat the Evil of Hitler and implement the Marshall Plan, it can do anything. Look at the absysmal failure of "The Great Society" and the Ponzi scheme that they designed for Social Security for just two examples of their folly. Reagan was able to convince many in my generation--Reagan was the first President I was eligible to vote for--and others that there were severe limitations on what the Federal Government could accomplish and, in fact, very often the Federal Government's involvement exacerbated problems more than it fixed them.
"Which court decisions under his watch rolled back "socialism"?"
There are many other FReepers who could speak to this question much more authoritatively than I, but I will say that getting Antonin Scalia on the SCOTUS and William Rehnquist as Chief Justice were--along with the nomination of Clarence Thomas--the best things to happen to our Judiciary in 50+ years.
"Then ask yourself what has Bush done in 1/3 of one term that has not matched Reagan both good and bad?"
Believe me when I say I'm no Bush-Basher...sure, I supported Steve Forbes until Bush won the nomination, but got behind Dubyuh and have enthusiastically supported him ever since. There are things I see in Dubyuh's character and his demeanor and his core being that I haven't seen in any politician since Reagan. Still, I believe he is getting some bad advice on how to play the hand that has been dealt him. The Education Bill, the Farm Bill, Campaign Finance Reform, the steel industry subsidies, the seemingly unchecked domestic spending, these are not what Dubyuh and the Right should be standing for!! He's better than that, IMHO, and needn't be bending over and taking it from D'Asshole, Kennedy, etal. We've got a unique opportunity to scale back the size and scope of the Federal Government due to Bush's unprecedented popularity and while losing the Senate has complicated this first two years, we ought to be setting up distinct differences between us and the RATS between now and November so as to make our case to the voters...because I sincerely believe Conservatism is Right for America and we can win big if we stand by our principles instead of cavalierly compromising them away.
FReegards...MUD
I agree completely I just want a fair comparison to be used when using the Great One as the standard for this president and not a myth that many have created for Reagan. No one can EVER match a myth.