Entering the political circuit from the movie industry, Reagan was the epitome of the American dream, moving from theaters to the White House, he became one of the most powerful leaders in the world. Reagan has served as the living testimony to a country of freedom and equality, where any dream can be realized and any challenge can be overcome, with the help of an authentic ability and a burning desire.

Reagan was a typical and literal right-wing representative who actively promoted and revived the classical values ??of American freedom, in an attempt to return to the path that American founders had put so much effort into studying and establishing: i.e. capitalism, economic freedom, limited government, peace through strength.

On that basis, Reagan built effective economic policies, powerful military strategy, and tough political diplomacy, which not only helped to restore America's greatness in line with his campaign commitment, 'Let's make America great again', but also contributed to the termination of the persistent Cold War with the Soviet Union, which led to the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) and the collapse of the communist Soviet Union two years later (1991).

As columnist Chuck Raasch put it, "Reagan transformed the American presidency in ways that only a few have been able to."

He redefined the political agenda of the times, advocating for lower taxes, a conservative economic philosophy, and a stronger military. His role in the Cold War further enhanced his image as a different kind of leader.

Let's look back at the core conservative values ??that elevated Reagan's leadership skills and helped him to achieve the great accomplishments of his presidency.

President Ronald Reagan in 1982. (Public Domain)

1. Limited Government vs. Personal Freedom

In his first inaugural speech, on January 20th, 1981, a speech drafted by Reagan himself, he pointed out the cause of the nation's economic ills, "In the current crisis, the government is not the solution to our problems, the government is the problem."

It was a sharp statement because, at that time, the legacy of his predecessor Jimmy Carter was one of comprehensive economic decline, a bulky government apparatus, and deep involvement of the government in the private economic sector.

In fact, as early as the 1960s, in the role of the behind-the-scene supporter of the campaign of the conservative presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, Reagan repeatedly emphasized his belief in the importance of a lean government. He expressed his thoughts in a famous speech, 'A Time for Choosing', on October 27th, 1964.

"They knew that governments don't control things. A government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate functions, the government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy."

Ronald Reagan, 1964. (ReaganFoundation/YouTube)

He was also quoted to have said, "You and I are told increasingly we have to choose between a left or right. Well, I'd like to suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There's only an up or down: [up] man's old – old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism."