Analysis and Evaluation of the Impacts of Deregulation Measures on Selected Sectors of the U.S. Economy During the Presidency of Ronald Reagan

The aim of this bachelor’s thesis is to analyze and evaluate the impacts of specific deregulation measures on selected sectors of the U.S. economy during the 1980s, under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Specifically, the thesis examines deregulation in the energy industry, the movie industry, the railroad industry, and in financial institutions. Based on the analysis of the impacts of these deregulation measures, it can be stated that deregulation contributed to the growth of the railroad industry, the film industry, and the energy sector, thereby confirming the main hypothesis of the thesis: deregulation of selected industires of the U.S. economy in the 1980s under President Reagan contributed to the growth of deregulated sectors. This hypothesis cannot be confirmed only in the case of the financial institutions sector, where the expected growth did not occur. The thesis also addresses the following research questions: Were the deregulation measures introduced during Reagan's administration entirely new, or did they build upon the policies of President Carter's administration? Which sector experienced the highest growth following deregulation? And what impact did deregulation have on consumers? The findings indicate that part of the deregulation initiatives had been prepared during President Carter’s administration and were subsequently expanded by President Reagan. The railroad industry experienced the greatest growth after deregulation, marked by significant improvements in efficiency, financial stability, and infrastructure development. The impact of deregulation on consumers varied across sectors — while the effects were predominantly positive in the railroad industry and the movie industry, in the financial sector, they were perceived more negatively.