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President Ronald Reagan's guiding principles, the four Pillars of Freedom, have come to define American domestic and foreign policy for the past two decades. One of the reasons why is that they have become core beliefs for millions of people who desire to see American freedoms spread across the world.

When one takes a closer look at the Pillars of Freedom, it becomes clear why they have become such an enduring part of our government policy.

• Individual Liberty

  Our nation, and its establishing document, the Constitution, were born out of a struggle to obtain greater individual liberty. Most people had come to America seeking greater freedom, only to see a self-centered monarchy eroding it away. After winning independence from Great Britain, our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution to ensure that the notion of inalienable rights held by the people would not be similarly eroded in the future. President Ronald Reagan strongly believed in this notion. The Federal government should under no circumstances infringe upon the rights of the people, even when "the ends" were supposedly a greater social good.

  As a wise man once said, "those who sacrifice a little liberty for a little security deserve neither". Similarly, those who sacrifice individual liberty for societal good deserve neither. It is impossible to reduce individual liberty and in the process achieve greater social good.

  I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.... The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom, and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.—Ronald Reagan

• Economic Opportunity

  I have always believed that only once a person has achieved economic security do they fully participate in helping to secure the rights of others. A man or woman who is trying to feed their starving family is an unlikely candidate for social rights activism. They are far too busy with the job of keeping their family alive to spend time questioning whether a government might be infringing on someone else's rights. On the other hand, someone who has little problem providing for their family is more likely to try and ensure those rights for someone else.

  Similarly, we have seen that when the economy grows (and more people have jobs) charitable giving increases—whether it is a tax advantage or not. It is hard to help someone else fight a fire at their house when your own house is burning down! Indeed, we have seen the greatest social agitation for human rights during times of economic expansion (such as the 1960s, 1980s and 1990s) while times of economic uncertainty (such as the 1970s) saw a decline in the importance of human rights from the average American. Indeed, the central point of the Reagan vs. Carter contest was the economy and not whether President Carter had increased human rights around the world. Americans were far too concerned with their own economic struggles to put progress in global human rights above their own well-being.

  President Reagan pursued a policy of greater economic opportunity, despite inheriting a high-inflation, recession-prone economy. Indeed his first great economic policy, across the board tax cuts, helped bring America out of a recession by the end of his second year in office. The economy took of and never looked back, expanding by a third, creating 20 million new jobs, reducing inflation, poverty and unemployment and becoming the longest peacetime expansion in history.

  On 8 of the 10 key economic variables examined, the American economy performed better during the Reagan years than during the pre- and post-Reagan years.—CATO

• Global Democracy

  It is easy to forget that when President Reagan took office the Soviet Union had been on a ten-year "winning streak" in the Cold War. Starting with the American retreat from Vietnam and culminating with the invasion of Afghanistan, the Soviet Union had pressed its advantage in the face of American "détente"—which to the Soviets meant they did what they liked and we offered only weak protests, at best.

  President Reagan was determined to reverse this course. From the outset he portrayed the Soviet Union for what it was—an Evil Empire—and not "just another society with differing opinions" as some wanted to portray it. Some expressed dismay at his choice of worse, afraid that we might "upset" the Soviets. Good! After becoming to believe that America was willing to surrender in the Cold War they had to be dragged back to reality—and the bargaining table—so they would halt their quest for global domination.

  President Reagan's success can be seen on any map of the world. Fifteen new, independent countries where previously there was only the monolithic, oppressive Soviet Union; liberated countries in central and eastern Europe; a unified Germany; elections in Nicaragua; and a Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. Even more amazing is that President Reagan did this while reducing the number of nuclear weapons. His START treaty with the Soviet Union, and follow-on treaties with Russia, the Ukraine, and Belarus have resulted in a reduction in nuclear warheads equal to two-thirds the totals of the 1980s. Even with the rise of global terrorism, the world is more free and a safer place than when Reagan took office.

• National Pride

  For most people, 1979 was a pretty bad year and 1980 wasn't much better. America seemed on the road to defeat. Many leading "pundits" were of the opinion that America had last the Cold War and our domestic problems were so severe that we should just negotiate the best "second place" position that we could. President Carter, mistaking this condition as a failure of the people (instead of a failure of the government to lead) called it a "malaise".

  President Reagan understood that America had been and still was a great nation, the people were simply waiting for a great leader. What they had seen for the past 20 years had not been impressive. President Reagan told the people of America that no matter how bad things had become, tomorrow would be better and the day after that better still.

  Motivation is often the key to success. With his inspirational leadership, President Reagan helped motivate the people of the United States to do better. By the time he left office Americans were once again proud of their country and once again willing to take a leadership position in the world. America was once again a bright, shining beacon of hope in the world.

  ...The poet called Miss Liberty's torch, "the lamp beside the golden door." Well, that was the entrance to America, and it still is. And now you really know why we're here tonight.

  The glistening hope of that lamp is still ours. Every promise every opportunity is still golden in this land. And through that golden door our children can walk into tomorrow with the knowledge that no one can be denied the promise that is America.

  Her heart is full; her torch is still golden, her future bright. She has arms big enough to comfort and strong enough to support, for the strength in her arms is the strength of her people. She will carry on in the eighties unafraid, unashamed, and unsurpassed.

  In this springtime of hope, some lights seem eternal; America's is.

  —RNC speech, August 23, 1984.

These four Pillars of Freedom were essential to America's comeback. They remain key to her success in the future.

When one takes a closer look at the Pillars of Freedom, it becomes clear why they have become such an enduring part of our government policy.

...those who sacrifice individual liberty for societal good deserve neither.

On 8 of the 10 key economic variables examined, the American economy performed better during the Reagan years than during the pre- and post-Reagan years.

"In this springtime of hope, some lights seem eternal; America's is."—Ronald Reagan