Chapter 25 and 26 Review

1996 Election

- A budget standoff helped Clinton (Dem), as did the strong economy and passage of the welfare reform law of 1996, which suggested an improved working relationship with Congress. -As a result, voters reelected Clinton in November 1996. -With 49 percent of the popular vote, he outpolled the Republican nominee, U.S. Senator Bob Dole, and the Reform Party candidate, H. Ross Perot. -Still, the Republicans maintained control of the House and Senate. -Both President Clinton and Republican leaders pledged to work more cooperatively.

1980's Supreme Court

- More conservative -One of the most important ways in which Reagan accomplished his conservative goals was through his appointments to the Supreme Court. Reagan nominated....... -Sandra Day O'Connor -Antonin Scalia -Anthony M. Kennedy - Justice William Rehnquist (the most conservative justice on the court at the time, to the position of Chief Justice) -Ends liberal control begun by FDR

Supply side economics

-"Reaganomics" rested heavily upon supply-side economics. -This theory held that if people paid fewer taxes, they would save more money. Banks could then loan that money to businesses, which could invest the money in resources to improve productivity. The supply of goods then would increase, driving down prices. -At Reagan's urging, Congress lowered income taxes by about 25 percent over a three-year period. -Reagan based his ideas for supply-side economics on the work of economists such as George Gilder and Arthur Laffer.

Bill Clinton

-42nd president -Governor William Jefferson Clinton of Arkansas became the first member of the baby-boom generation to win the presidency. -He captured the White House, at the age of 46, by vowing to strengthen the nation's weak economy and to lead the Democratic Party in a more moderate direction. -Was impeached

1988 Election

-A majority of Americans were economically comfortable, and they attributed their comfort to Reagan and Bush. -When Michael Dukakis, the Democratic governor of Massachusetts, ran for the presidency against George Bush, Reagan's vice-president, most voters saw little reason for a change. -George Bush simply built on President Reagan's legacy by promising, "Read my lips: no new taxes" in his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention. -Bush stressed his commitment to the conservative ideas of the Moral Majority. -Only half of the eligible voters went to the polls in 1988. -Fifty-three percent voted for George Bush. -Bush's electoral victory was viewed, as Reagan's had been, as a mandate for conservative social and political policies.

Perestroika

-A restructuring of Soviet society. -Gorbachev called for less government control of the economy, the introduction of some private enterprise, and steps toward establishing a democratic government.

New Right

-As the 1970s progressed, right-wing grass-roots groups across the country emerged to support and promote single issues that reflected their key interests. -These people became known as the New Right. -The New Right focused its energy on controversial social issues, such as opposing abortion, blocking the Equal Rights Amendment, prayer in school, and evading court-ordered busing. -Many in the New Right criticized the policy of affirmative action that required employers and educational institutions to give special consideration to women, African Americans, and other minority groups, even though these people were not necessarily better qualified. -To members of the New Right, liberal positions on affirmative action and other issues represented an assault on traditional values.

Yugoslavia

-Before his resignation, Gorbachev had encouraged the people of East Germany and Eastern Europe to go their own ways. -He encouraged the satellite nations to move toward democracy. -During a speech given at the Berlin Wall in 1987, President Reagan challenged Gorbachev to back up his reforms with decisive action. -East Germany then opened the Berlin Wall, allowing free passage between the two parts of the city for the first time in 28 years. -Other European nations also adopted democratic reforms. -Yugoslavia, however, collapsed when 4 of its six republics seceded. -Ethnic rivalries deteriorated into a brutal war among Muslims, Orthodox Serbs, and Roman Catholic Croats, who were dividing Yugoslavia, each claiming parts of it. -With the Cold War over, the United States turned more of its attention to regional conflicts. President Clinton proved willing to use troops to end conflicts overseas including Yugoslavia. -In 1991, Yugoslavia broke apart into five nations. In Bosnia, one of the new states, some Serb militias under Slobodan Milosevic began "ethnic cleansing," killing or expelling from their homes people of certain ethnic groups. -In 1995, the United States helped negotiate a peace agreement in Bosnia. -Clinton sent U.S. troops to join NATO troops to help ensure the deal.

conservative coalition

-Beginning in the mid-1960s, the conservative movement in the United States grew in strength. -Eventually, conservative groups formed this which was an alliance of business leaders, middle-class voters, disaffected Democrats, and fundamentalist Christian groups. -Conservative intellectuals argued the cause of the conservative coalition in newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal and magazines such as the National Review, were founded to develop conservative policies and principles that would appeal to the majority of voters.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

-Between 1981 and 1984, the Defense Department budget almost doubled. -In 1983, Reagan asked the country's scientists to develop a defense system that would keep Americans safe from enemy missiles. Officially called the Strategic Defense Initiative, or SDI. -The system quickly became known as Star Wars, after the title of a popular movie. The Defense Department estimated that the system would cost trillions of dollars.

1992 Election

-Bill Clinton (Dem) -George Bush (Rep-Incumbent) -Ross Perot (Ind.) Clinton wins because of his center-of-the-road strategy that had the widest appeal.

Tiananmen Square

-Even before perestroika unfolded in the Soviet Union, students in China began to demand freedom of speech and a greater voice in government. -In 1989, university students in China held marches that quickly grew into large demonstrations in Beijing's Tiananmen Square and on the streets of other cities. -Chinese students constructed a version of the Statue of Liberty to symbolize their struggle for democracy. -China's premier eventually ordered the military to crush the protesters, slaughtering unarmed students.

Glasnost

-Gorbachev advocated a policy known as this (Russian for "openness"). -He allowed open criticism and freedom of the press.

1980 Election

-In 1980, Reagan ran on a number of key issues like abortion, pornography, the teaching of evolution, and prayer in public schools which all concerned conservative voters. -The Iranian hostage crisis and the weak economy under Carter helped Reagan. -Thanks in part to his acting career and his long experience in the public eye, Reagan was an extremely effective candidate for the Republicans. -In contrast to Carter, who often seemed stiff and nervous, Reagan was relaxed, charming, and affable. -Reagan's long-standing skill at simplifying issues and presenting clear-cut answers led his supporters to call him the Great Communicator. -Only 52.6 percent of American voters went to the polls in 1980. -Reagan won the election by a narrow majority; he got 44 million votes or 51 percent of the total. Conservatives now had elected one of their own—a true believer in less government, lower taxes, and traditional values.

9/11

-In a coordinated effort, two hijacked commercial jets struck the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one crashing just minutes after the other. -The jets exploded on impact and subsequently leveled the tallest buildings of New York's skyline, the symbolic center of American finance. -About an hour later, a third plane tore into the Pentagon building, the U.S. military headquarters outside Washington, D.C. -Air travel ceased almost immediately; across the nation planes in the air were ordered to land. -During the evacuation of the White House and the New York financial district, a fourth hijacked plane crashed near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. -About 3,000 people were killed in the attacks. These included all the passengers on all four planes, workers and visitors in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and hundreds of rescue workers.

2000 Election

-In the 2000 presidential race, the Democrats chose Vice President Al Gore to succeed Bill Clinton. -The Republicans nominated George W. Bush, governor of Texas and the son of the former president. -Ralph Nader, ran for the Green Party, which championed environmental causes and promoted a liberal agenda. -On the eve of the election, polls showed that the race would be tight. In fact, the election proved one of the closest in U.S. history. -As election night unfolded, Al Gore appeared to take the lead. Then, in a stunning turn of events, the TV networks recanted their original projection about Gore's victory in Florida and proclaimed the state "too close to call." -As midnight passed, it became clear that whoever won Florida would win the election. -About 2 A.M., the networks predicted Bush the winner of Florida—and thus the presidency. -However, as the final votes in Florida rolled in, Bush's lead shrank considerably and the state again became too close to call. -By the next day, Al Gore had won the popular vote -Meanwhile, George Bush's razor-thin victory in Florida triggered an automatic recount. -In the weeks following the election, lawyers and spokespersons went to Florida to try to secure victory. -The recount of the state's ballots gave Bush a win by just over 500 votes—but the battle for the presidency did not end there. -The Gore campaign requested manual recounts in four mostly Democratic counties but they weren't granted after the battle moved to the supreme court and Bush won.

Tech Industry

-Increases greatly during these years

Iraq

-Iran and Iraq are enemies. -Had Operation Desert Storm. -In 2003, Bush expanded the war on terrorism to Iraq after 9/11 -Following the Persian Gulf War, Iraq had agreed to UN demands to stop the production of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. -However, the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, cooperated only partly with UN arms inspectors and eventually barred them from entering his country. -Bush alleged that Hussein was supporting terrorists and might supply them with weapons of mass destruction. -Bush called for renewed arms inspections in Iraq. -The inspectors determined that Iraq had not resumed its WMD programs; but Hussein had again not cooperated fully with the inspection process. -The United States and Great Britain then ended diplomacy with Iraq and invaded in March 2003. -Within a month, Iraq's forces were defeated and an intense search began but no traces of nuclear, chemical, or biological weaponry were found. -U.S. forces captured the former dictator in December 2003, and Hussein was later tried and executed by the Iraqi government. -In 2004, President Bush was reelected, despite deep divisions among the American people. The continuing war in Iraq and a deteriorating economy contributed to President Bush's unpopularity. -Obama also drew up plans to end combat operations in Iraq.

Iran

-Iran did the Iran-Contra Scandal which was later covered up by Operation Desert Storm. -Iran and Iraq are enemies.

Affirmative Action

-Many in the New Right criticized the policy of Affirmative action. -This required employers and educational institutions to give special consideration to women, African-Americans, and other minority groups, even though these people were not necessarily better qualified. -Many conservatives saw this as reverse discrimination. -To members of the new right, liberal positions on affirmative represented an assault on traditional values.

Reagan assignation attempt

-On March 30, 1981, President Reagan and other members of his staff were shot by a mentally unbalanced man named John Hinckley, Jr. -While being wheeled into surgery to have a bullet removed, the president said to his wife, "Honey, I forgot to duck". -the operating room, Reagan said to the team of surgeons, "I hope you fellas are Republicans." -Reagan recovered speedily and his popularity grew.

Grenada

-On the tiny Caribbean island of Grenada, the United States used direct military force to accomplish its aims. -After noting that the island was developing ties to Communist Cuba, President Reagan sent troops to the island. -There they overthrew the pro-Cuban government, which was replaced by one friendlier to the United States. -Eighteen American soldiers died in the attack, but Reagan declared that the invasion had been necessary to defend U.S. security.

Sandra Day O'Connor

-One of the most important ways in which Reagan accomplished his conservative goals was through his appointments to the Supreme Court. -Reagan nominated/ appointed Sandra Day O'Connor as the first women in the Supreme Court.

Jerry Falwell

-One of the most influential televangelists and formed an organization called the Moral Majority. -He became the spokesperson for this group.

Moral Majority

-One of the most influential televangelists was Jerry Falwell who formed an organization called the Moral Majority. -He became the spokesperson for this group. -This group consisted mostly of evangelical and fundamentalist Christians who interpreted the Bible literally and believed in absolute standards of right and wrong. -They condemned liberal attitudes and behaviors and argued for a restoration of traditional moral values. -They worked toward their political goals by using direct-mail campaigns and by raising money to support candidates.

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency)

-One of the most troubling issues that concerned Americans in the 1980s was caused by a virus that destroys the immune system, this weakens the body so that it is prone to infections and normally rare cancers. -This is transmitted through bodily fluids, and most of the early victims of the disease were either homosexual men or intravenous drug users who shared needles. -However, many people also contracted this through contaminated blood transfusions, and children acquired it by being born to infected mothers.

Panama

-President Bush sent more many soldiers and marines into Panama to overthrow and arrest General Noriega on charges of drug trafficking. -After he was indicted by a Miami grand jury, Noriega was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison. -Many Latin American governments deplored the "Yankee imperialism" of the action. -However, many Americans—and Panamanians—were pleased by the removal of a military dictator who supported drug smuggling.

1984 Election

-Reagan and Bush won the Republican nominations for reelection without challenge. -Walter Mondale, who had been vice-president under President Carter, won the Democratic Party's nomination -In 1984 the economy was strong. -Reagan and Bush won by a landslide, carrying every state but Mondale's home state of Minnesota and the District of Columbia.

Goal of Reagan Presidency

-Reduce size of government ▪ Deregulate industry ▪ Reduce budget of EPA -Reduce inflation -Reduce taxes -Cut social welfare programs

Operation Desert Storm

-Regardless of the scandal surrounding the Iran-Contra affair, conflict with Iraq and its leader, Saddam Hussein, soon covered up U.S. problems with Iran. -During the 1980s, Iran and Iraq had fought a war, and Hussein found himself with debts to pay. -Several times, Hussein had claimed that the oil-rich nation of Kuwait was really part of Iraq. -Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait. -If Iraq conquered Kuwait, it would control one-half of the world's known oil reserves, which would threaten U.S. oil supplies. -For several months, President Bush and Secretary of State James Baker organized an international coalition against Iraqi. -With the support of Congress and the UN, President Bush launched Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi control. -Then the U.S. and its allies staged a massive air assault against Iraq. -They then launched a successful ground offensive from Saudi Arabia. -On February 28, 1991, President Bush announced a cease-fire, Operation Desert Storm was over, and Kuwait was liberated. -Millions of Americans turned out for the victory parades that greeted returning soldiers.

Start II treaty

-START II was a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and Russia on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. -Signed under George H.W. Bush

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

-Seeing flourishing trade as essential to U.S. prosperity and to world economic and political stability, President Clinton championed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). -This legislation would bring Mexico into the free- trade zone that the United States and Canada already had formed. -Supporters said NAFTA would strengthen all three economies and create more American jobs. -Opponents insisted that NAFTA would transfer American jobs to Mexico, where wages were lower, and harm the environment because of Mexico's weaker antipollution laws. -The treaty was ratified by all three countries' legislatures in 1993. -Once the treaty took effect, on January 1, 1994, trade with Mexico increased. -International trade agreements caused some American workers to worry about massive job flight to countries that produced the same goods as the United States but at a lower cost. -In the 1990s, U.S. businesses frequently moved their operations to less economically advanced countries, such as Mexico, where wages were lower. -After the passage of NAFTA, more than 100,000 low-wage jobs were lost in U.S. manufacturing industries such as apparel, auto parts, and electronics. -Also, competition with foreign companies helped U.S. companies to maintain low wages and decrease benefits.

Domestic Terrorism

-Terrorism made by Americans before 9/11 -A shocking crime occurred April 1999 when two students at Columbine High School, in Colorado, killed 12 students and a teacher and wounded 23 others, and then shot themselves. -In 1993, terrorists had exploded bombs in the World Trade Center in New York City. -This was closely followed by a 1995 blast that destroyed a nine-story federal office building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 children, women, and men. Timothy McVeigh, an American veteran of the Gulf War, was found guilty in the Oklahoma bombing. He was executed in 2001, the first use of the federal death penalty in 38 years.

Iran Contra Affair

-Terrorist groups loyal to Iran took a number of Americans hostage in Lebanon. -Reagan then urged U.S. allies not to sell arms to Iran for its war against Iraq. -Weapons then were sold to Iran to gain the release 7 of the hostages. -Members of Reagan's staff sent part of the profits from those illegal arms sales to the Contras in Nicaragua—in violation of the Boland Amendment. -Special committees of both houses of Congress were questioned in court. -Among those testifying was Lieutenant Oliver North, a member of the National Security Council staff who played a key role in providing aid to the Contras. -North appeared in military uniform with service ribbons and badges. -In defending his actions, North talked about patriotism and love of country and that he thought he was carrying out the president's wishes and that the end of helping the Contras justified almost any means. -After a congressional investigation, Special Prosecutor Lawrence Walsh found various members of the Reagan administration who were involved in the scandal and they were given jail time. -President Bush later issues pardons.

Nicaragua

-The United States has had a presence in Nicaragua ever since President Taft sent U.S. Marines to protect American investments there. -The marines left, but only after helping the dictator Anastasio Somoza come to power. -The Somoza family ruled Nicaragua for 42 years. -To keep control of its business empire, the family rigged elections and assassinated political rivals. -Many people believed that only a revolution would end the Somoza dictatorship. -Nicaragua was then engulfed in a civil war between Somoza's national guard and the Sandinistas, rebels who took their name from a rebel leader named Sandino who had been killed in 1934. -When Sandinista rebels destroyed dictatorship President Carter recognized the new regime and sent it $83 million in economic aid. -The Soviet Union and Cuba sent aid as well. -However, President Reagan later charged that Nicaragua was a Soviet out- post that was exporting revolution to other Central American countries. -Reagan cut all aid to the Sandinista government and threw his support to guerrilla forces known as the Contras because they were against the Sandinistas. -The Contra army had grown to greatly and American officials from the CIA had stationed themselves to direct operations—without congressional approval. -In response, Congress passed the Boland Amendment, banning military aid to the Contras for two years. -However, Reagan's administration still found ways to negotiate aid to the Contras.

Pay Equity

-To close the income gap that left so many women poor, women's organizations and unions proposed a system of pay equity. -Jobs would be rated on the basis of the amount of education they required, the amount of physical strength needed to perform them, and the number of people that an employee supervised. -Instead of relying on traditional pay scales, employers would establish pay rates that reflected each job's requirements. -By 1989, 20 states had begun adjusting government jobs to offer pay equity for jobs of comparable worth.

Challenger

-Under the Reagan administration, the government shifted the emphasis of the space program from scientific to military and commercial applications. -NASA directed a series of space shuttle flights. -NASA hoped to establish a space station and have the shuttle ferry workers and materials to it. -The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986 in which the crew was killed caused a reexamination of ventures into space. -Many people thought the money spent on space should be spent on social needs.

Jesse Jackson

Ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and signified the accompishments that africans got in the 1980's.