Magnetic electron spectrometer data from six satellites (OV3-3, OV1-14, OGO5, S3-2, S3-3, and CRRES) have been used to study long-term (1966--1991) behavior of trapped energetic electrons in the inner radiation belt. Comparison of the observed energy spectra at L≥1.35 for different phases of the solar cycle reveals a clear trend toward enhanced fluxes during periods of solar maximum for energies below a few hundred keV; we suggest that this is caused by an increase in the rate of inward radial diffusion from a source at higher L. In contrast, for L<1.30, where atmospheric collisions become increasingly important, the electro flux is reduced during solar maximum; we attribute this to the expected increase in upper atmospheric densities. The electron flux above 1 MeV exhibits a systematic decay beyond 1979 to values well below the current NASA AE-8 model. This indicates that the natural background of high-energy electrons has previously been overestimated due to the long lasting presence of electrons produced by nuclear detonations in the upper atmosphere in the late 1950s and early 1960s. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1994