The main aim of this study is to investigate the factors governing the post-peak cyclic response of laterally loaded reinforced concrete cantilever columns. A series of experiments are conducted, in which five reinforced concrete columns are subjected to cyclic lateral displacement. Much attention is paid to the cover concrete spalling and the large lateral displacement of the reinforcement. Specimens are designed so that the buckling of the reinforcement and the cover concrete spalling can be clearly observed. Finite element analyses are also performed using enhanced nonlinear fiber models. These analyses are verified by comparing their results with those of the experiments on the five RC columns.