Chapter 30-31 Text Assignment Book Answers
Describe the major changes that took place in each of the following areas in the 1990s:
*Computers & technology* By the late 1990s, many *workers were able to telecommute, or work from home via computer.* In 1990 researchers in Switzerland developed a new way to present information on Internet-linked computers. Known as the *World Wide Web*, this system used hypertext, or "links," and was accessed with Web browser software. Users could post information on Web pages and use links to move between sites. This new *economy also required American workers to acquire new skills. This retraining increased productivity as well as the nation's GDP.* Driven by the information technology industry, the GDP rose more than 20 percent during the mid- to late 1990s. *Global economies* In the 1990s, *economies of individual nations were becoming more interdependent as new technology helped link the world together economically and culturally.* Also, many world leaders were convinced that free trade and the global exchange of goods contributed to prosperity and economic growth. This idea that the world is becoming increasingly interconnected is called globalism, and the process is globalization. Selling American-made goods abroad had long been important to U.S. prosperity. *American businesses make money selling goods abroad, and consumers benefit by having the option to buy cheaper imported goods.* *Environmentalism* The *rise of a global economy also increased awareness of environmental issues.* Environmentalists began thinking of the environment as a global system and addressing issues they believed were of global concern. In the 1980s, scientists discovered that *chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were affecting the layer of ozone in Earth's atmosphere.* Ozone blocks many of the sun's ultraviolet rays. At that time, CFCs were widely used in air conditioners and refrigerators. In that same decade, scientists documented a large hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. *In 1987 the United States and many other nations agreed to phase out CFCs and other chemicals that might be weakening the ozone layer.* During this time, another environmental issue emerged when some scientists warned that global warming could lead to more droughts and other forms of extreme weather. Many experts concluded that *carbon dioxide emissions from factories and power plants caused global warming, but others disagreed.* The issue became controversial because of the cost of controlling emissions. Industries would have to pay the cost of reducing emissions, and these costs would be passed on to consumers.
Why was President Clinton impeached? Why wasn't he removed from office?
*In early 1998, new allegations emerged about Clinton's relationship with a White House intern. Some evidence suggested that he had committed perjury, or had lied under oath, about the relationship.* In September 1998, Starr argued that Clinton had obstructed justice, abused his power as president, and committed perjury. Starr found no evidence to formally charge Clinton regarding the Whitewater accusations, On December 19, 1998, *the House of Representatives passed two articles of impeachment, one for perjury and one for obstruction of justice.* The vote split along party lines, and the case moved to the Senate. On February 12, 1999, *the senators voted 55 to 45 that Clinton was not guilty of perjury, and 50-50 on obstruction of justice. Both votes fell short of the two-thirds needed to remove Clinton from office, but his reputation suffered.*
How did President Obama respond to the failing economy? Were his policies successful? Give two pieces of evidence to support your answer.
*In response to the failing economy, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February 2009.* The act aimed to stimulate the economy by providing tax cuts to working families and small businesses. It allocated federal funds for growth and investment as well as for education, health, and other entitlement programs. Many Americans were still angry about Bush's bailout plan. They believed it favored large businesses at the expense of ordinary people. To counter this anger, the act set up a system to monitor how the recovery money was spent. Obama pushed additional legislation through the Democrat-controlled Congress in July 2010. Among other things, this financial reform bill provided protection for consumers. It also called for more government oversight of financial institutions and large companies. By the end of 2009, there were signs that some of Obama's measures were working. The nation's *gross domestic product (GDP) had climbed. Some of the large businesses that had accepted stimulus funds were reporting gains.* The *unemployment rate*, however, *continued to rise, as did the federal deficit.* And many Americans were uncomfortable with what they viewed as a rapidly growing role for the federal government in the economy.
What happened as a result of the wars against the Taliban and Iraq?
After the Taliban fled, the *United States and its allies helped local Afghan leaders create a new government.* Meanwhile, thousands of U.S. and allied troops arrived to act as peacekeepers. In 2003 NATO took command of the peacekeeping. Afghanistan held its first nationwide democratic election in December 2004, and Hamid Karzai was elected president. One year later, the Afghan people elected a National Assembly. *Despite these successes, Afghanistan continued to suffer from violence. The U.S. military has remained in Afghanistan in an effort to help stabilize the country.* Many Americans were encouraged when large numbers of Iraqis turned out to vote in democratic elections, but hope for peace in Iraq soon faded. Many Americans had expected the war to end quickly, but between 2003 and 2006, insurgents killed more than 3,000 U.S. soldiers. As the fighting dragged on, support for the war began to decline. Also, the failure to find any WMD added to growing controversy as to whether the war had been a mistake. The elections were followed by a rise in sectarian violence as Sunni and Shia militias turned against each other. *Ongoing suicide bombings, kidnappings, and attacks on U.S. soldiers set a majority of Americans against the war.* In the western province of Anbar, a militant group known as al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) was trying to impose a militant version of Islam through murder and intimidation. The Sunni groups in that area began working with U.S. forces to fight AQI. These actions helped change the course of the war.
Describe the domestic events that occurred during President Obama's first term.
As a candidate and president-elect, Obama stressed many other domestic issues. *Two priorities were to reform and expand the health care system and to solve the nation's energy and environmental problems.* Obama's health care reform plan *aimed to lower health care costs, introduce better procedures for delivering care, and insure all Americans.* In a speech to Congress delivered in 2009, he said, "We are the only advanced democracy on Earth—the only wealthy nation—that allows such hardships for millions of its people. There are now more than thirty million American citizens who cannot get coverage." Obama wanted to pay for the plan through higher taxes on the wealthy and by reducing wasteful spending. Yet some Americans opposed what they saw as another expensive government intrusion. Months of heated partisan debate took place within Congress. No Republican voted for the final bill that passed in March 2010, and many vowed to overturn it. Though Obama had promised to reform the system of earmarks, the bill contained many. The bill extended coverage to about 32 million more Americans who could not previously afford it. It prevented insurers from denying insurance to people who had preexisting medical conditions. It also gave tax credits to small businesses that provide health care to their employees. According to the White House, it would lower costs, strengthen the Medicare program, and expand the Medicaid program. President Obama's energy plan enforced limits on the amount of pollution companies could emit. Conservatives who opposed the idea stalled the bill in Congress. Then, an environmental disaster struck the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. A British Petroleum (BP) oil rig exploded, sending nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf. It was the worst marine oil spill in history. Commercial fishing and tourism in the Gulf region suffered. Obama required BP to create a $20 billion fund to assist people affected by the oil spill. Federal agencies directed the recovery, which lasted through October.
Describe President Clinton's domestic agenda. Where was he successful? How did the Republicans respond?
He set out an ambitious domestic agenda * focusing on the economy, the family, education, crime, and health care.* Clinton's domestic policies became bogged down in struggles with Congress Congressional Republicans refused to support the unpopular tax increases. During his campaign, Clinton had promised to reform the healthcare system. *Republican opposition and a divided Democratic Party led to the death of the plan without a vote.*
What were the successes and failures of George W. Bush's second term?
In 2005 President Bush filled two vacancies on the Supreme Court. In the spring of 2005, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement. Although appointed by President Reagan, Justice O'Connor had been a pivotal swing vote on the Court, sometimes siding with conservatives, sometimes with liberals. As her replacement, *Bush nominated federal judge John G. Roberts, Jr., a conservative who was well regarded in the Senate. Before the Senate could act, however, Chief Justice William Rehnquist died. Bush then named Roberts to replace him.* Again attempting to fill Justice O'Connor's vacancy, President Bush nominated federal judge Samuel Alito, Jr., a well-known conservative justice. *Roberts and Alito were confirmed by the Senate.* One priority of Bush's second term domestic policy was Social Security reform. He proposed that workers be allowed to put 4 percent of their income in private accounts rather than in Social Security. He believed that private accounts would grow rapidly and help cover the expected shortfall in Social Security accounts. Democrats argued that privatizing any part of Social Security was dangerous. *With the public unenthusiastic, the plan was never brought to a vote in Congress. Although this plan failed, Bush did convince Congress to enact a new prescription drug program for seniors.* Under the new program, provided by Medicare, *people age 65 and older can sign up for insurance that helps cover the cost of prescription drugs.*
How did President Bush respond to the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001? What steps were taken to protect the U.S. against further attacks?
On September 14, *President Bush declared a national emergency. Congress authorized the use of force to fight whoever had attacked the nation.* Osama bin Laden and his organization, al-Qaeda (al KY•duh), were soon identified as the plotters behind the attacks. President Bush demanded that the Taliban regime in Afghanistan turn over bin Laden and his supporters and shut down all terrorist camps. *The United States began building international support against terrorism and began deploying troops to the Middle East.* The war would not end quickly, but it was a war the nation had to fight: One effective way to fight terrorist groups is to cut off their funding. On September 24, *President Bush issued an executive order freezing the financial assets of individuals and groups suspected of terrorism. He asked other nations to help, and soon some 80 nations had issued orders freezing the assets of the organizations and individuals on the American list.* To protect against further attacks, *Bush created the Office of Homeland Security and asked Congress to pass legislation to help law enforcement agencies locate terrorist suspects.* Congress had to balance Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure with the need to increase security, but in October 2001, Bush signed into law the antiterrorist bill called the *USA PATRIOT Act. The law made it easier to wiretap suspects, track Internet communications, and seize voice mail. Authorities were permitted to conduct secret searches and were allowed to obtain a nationwide search warrant usable in any jurisdiction.* In June 2002, *Bush asked Congress to combine the agencies responsible for public safety into a new cabinet department, the Department of Homeland Security.* This agency worked to coordinate efforts to fight terrorism.
Identify the reasons that some favored immigration reform while others objected to it.
Some believed that unauthorized immigrants should be deported. Others favored allowing them to apply for temporary work visas *so the government could keep track of them.* Some supported permitting them to earn permanent residence if they learned English, paid back taxes, and had no criminal The Senate bill included a provision that allowed undocumented aliens who grew up in the United States and graduated from high school to apply for citizenship. Conservative Republicans who held the majority in the House objected that this would reward illegal behavior. *"Granting amnesty to people who broke the law penalizes the millions of people who are waiting to come to America legally,"* argued Republican senator Phil Gramm of Texas. Advocates of immigration reform promoted alternatives such as expanding quotas through a guest-worker program and establishing a legalization process for those already in the country. *Some undocumented immigrants had lived in the United States for years and had raised families. Deporting them would mean separating husbands, wives, and children.* Some had arrived as children and had lived in the United States most of their lives. *Their own children, born in the United States, were native-born citizens even though their parents lacked legal status.* Among those who became legal citizens, most wanted other family members to join them.