1990’s - Present

Chapter 26 – The AmericansChapter 15 & 16 Jarrett Book

George Herbert Walker Bush

• Served 2 Terms as Reagan’s VP• Bush promised to continue Reagan’s policies,

improve education and fight drug use• Ran against Michal Dukakis in 1988 Election• Won election with the quote; “Read my lips, No

New Taxes!”

Bush’s Domestic Policies

• Greatest challenge was to reduce the budget deficit

• Began to cut military and defense spending due to end of Cold War

• Increased income taxes on the wealthy– Even though he promised- “no new taxes”

• Never was able to significantly reduce the budget deficit

The Recession

• By 1990, United States had moved slowly back into a recession

• “Rust Belt” – areas of the Northeast and Midwest with Coal and Iron, once the backbone of American Economy– Began to decline with less U.S.

Steel being produced– More jobs moved to Mexico and

overseas

Bush’s Foreign Policy• Shortly after becoming President in

1989, Bush invaded Panama to oust Manuel Noriega, a dictator and drug dealer– Was captured by U.S. and convicted

of drug charges• End of Cold War – 1989-1991

– Beginning in 1986 Gorbachev had begun reforming Communist government

– From 1989-1991, Eastern Europe moved from Communism to Democracy

– 1991 – The Soviet Union dissolved and was replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States

Persian Gulf War

• During the 1980’s Iraq and Iran had fought a long and brutal war

• August 1990 -Facing mounting debts, Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein invaded a small, yet very oil rich nation of Kuwait, claiming it as part of Iraq

• Hussein ignored the United Nations demands to remove his troops from Kuwait

• U.N. feared that Saudi Arabia would be next on Hussein’s list

Operation Desert Storm• Operation Desert Storm – U.S. led

attack to liberate Kuwait, led by U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf

• January 16, 1991 the U.S. and its allies launched a massive air campaign to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi control

• February 23rd, 1991 – the U.S. launched its ground campaign into Kuwait

• February 28th, 1991 – Pres. Bush announced a cease-fire, and Kuwait was liberated from Iraqi control

Gulf War Success• After embarrassment of Vietnam,

millions of Americans greeted Gulf War Vets back home

• Only 400 U.N. Troops died in the war– Several Thousand will suffer some

disabilities from Chemical Warfare (Gulf War Syndrome)

• Over 100,000 Iraqi’s will die during the war

• Only Negative – We did not remove Hussein from power, will lead to issues during Clinton and George W. Bush Presidencies

End of Bush’s Presidency

• After victory in Persian Gulf War, Bush’s popularity was at 89%

• But by 1992 the recession had gripped most of America– Approval rating nose dived under

40%• Bush could not convince

Americans that he had a plan to end recession

• Found himself in a 3 Way Battle for Presidency in the 1992 Election

William (Bill) Jefferson Clinton

• Former Arkansas Governor• Was able to unite the Democratic Party & attract independent voters• Country was angry with Bush’s inability to stop recession• Independent Candidate Ross Perot divides the Republican party winning

20% of popular vote• Clinton wins election with only 43% of popular vote

• Trivia – Bill Clinton is a skilled saxophonist

Clinton’s Domestic Policies• Began to limit Federal spending,

raised taxes to 40% for the rich, cut low income taxes and introduced a Federal gas tax

• Promised to reform health care; Hillary Clinton lead this charge for health care; Clinton’s failed to get health care bill passed, a major defeat for Clinton

• Clinton reduced trade restrictions, and the internet led to largest peace time economic boom. Even a budget surplus by the end of the decade

Impeachment and Scandal

• Early in his second term, Kenneth Starr led an investigation into Clinton’s affair with a White House intern

• Clinton had lied under oath to Congress

• Clinton was impeached by the House, and for only 2nd time in history a President was put on trial in the Senate

• Senate failed to gain 2/3 Majority for removal, and Clinton stayed in office

Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Kosovo• After World War I, Yugoslavia

was created by joining several ethnic groups together– Catholic Croats in the

Southwest– Bosnian Muslims in the

Southeast– Orthodox Christian Serbs in

the North• After the Cold War ethnic

tensions increased again• Some Serbs attempted to

massacre Muslims in parts of Bosnia and Kosovo in a policy of ethnic cleansing

Bosnian Crisis

• Europeans were shocked when it appeared that another Holocaust was about to occur

• President Clinton negotiated peace in Bosnia, and spearheaded the NATO air strikes against Serbia to stop the attacks

• Led to eventual compromise and end of the bloodshed

NAFTA

• North American Free Trade Agreement – a gradual phase out of tariffs (taxes) between Canada, Mexico and U.S.

• Some believe it helps to stimulate economy (we import what we need, and export what others need)

• Critics claim is pushes jobs outside of U.S. (Cheaper labor in Mexico)

George Walker Bush

• Previously served as Gov. of Texas• Graduated from Yale• Worked in oil and gas in Texas before politics• Defeated Al Gore in the closest election in U.S. History

– Election was in doubt for several weeks– Florida became center of debate, Bush won by fewer than 1,000 votes and Supreme Court

had to put an end to the recount

• Trivia – George W. Bush was once a part owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team.

Bush’s Domestic Policy• Bush pushed through tax cuts

to revitalize the economy, and the Federal Reserve dropped interest rates to their lowest point in decades

• Tax cuts revived the economy but lack on income led to larger budget deficits

• No Child Left Behind – National requirement that all states must test all student in English and math every year from 3rd-8th Grade

September 11th, 2001• Islamic Fundamentalists boarded 4

different U.S. airlines and crashed 2 into the World Trade Center in NYC, 1 into the Pentagon in D.C. and a 4th crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers mounted a counterattack

• Over 3,000 U.S. citizens were killed, making it the largest terrorist attack in U.S. History

• The attacks were led by Osama bin Laden and carried out by his organization al-Qaeda

• Bin Laden was then sheltered by the Taliban in Afghanistan, who refused to return him to the U.S.

War on Terror

• After 9/11, Bush promised to carry out a “War on Terror” against nations who harbored terrorists

• In October of 2001, Bush launched ground and air strikes which destroyed al-Qaeda’s bases and toppled the Taliban

Effects of 9/11• Transportation Security Agency (TSA) –

created by Bush, the TSA took over security at all American airports– Passengers and luggage were now subject to

greater screening• Department of Homeland Security (DHS) –

new Cabinet post created by Bush whose mission is to keep America secure from all threats

• USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 – gave the government greater authority to conduct searches and obtain information. Led to warrantless wiretaps, and greater surveillance of immigrants and allies of al-Qaeda.

War in Iraq• Bush and his advisors believed the

Hussein had weapons of mass destruction

• In March of 2003 Bush gave Hussein 48 hours to either turn over his weapons or face invasion, Hussein refused and began an air strike of Iraq

• In April of 2003 U.S. soldiers entered Baghdad and Hussein’s dictatorship collapsed

• Hussein was captured, found guilty of war crimes and executed in 2006

Hurricane Katrina• In August of 2005, Hurricane

Katrina struck the Gulf Coast region of the United States, particularly New Orleans, LA

• The storm brought the largest waves and storm surge ever seen in North America

• This amount of water far exceeded the levee system of New Orleans, leaving over 80% of the city flooded

• The storm cost 1,800 lives, and over $81.2 Billion in damages, making it the deadliest and costliest natural disasters on record

Financial Crisis of 2008-2009• In 2000 the Federal Reserve

lowered interest rates and people bought homes in record numbers which led to rising home prices

• By 2007, overbuilding led to falling house prices. Some mortgages had adjustable interest rates which increased and people were unable to afford their homes, leading to record number of foreclosures

• Bush gave rebates to taxpayers and businesses to stimulate the economy, but it was too little too late

2008 Election• The Democrats selected Illinois

Senator Barack Obama as their candidate

• Republicans selected Vietnam War Vet and former POW John McCain

• The war in Iraq, health care reform, border protection, and tax cuts for the wealthy became some of the key points in the election

• Obama appealed to the young people as well as African Americans and opponents of the war in Iraq

Importance of 2008

• Obama wins the election over John McCain

• The son of a Kenyan father and white American mother, Obama becomes the first African American elected President

• Obama won using a grassroots campaign promising “change” and was one of the first Presidents to use social media to reach out to young voters

Obama Responds to the Crisis• April 2009 – Obama and Congress agree to

the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act– Goal was to jumpstart the American economy– More than $700 Billion was to be spent by

the Federal Government to create new jobs, save existing ones, spur economic activity and invest in long-term infrastructure development

• Obama also passed legislation regulating credit cards, lending and other banking practices.

• Obama took steps to bail out the auto industry and passed a health care reform act to make health care available to all Americans

Supreme Court Appointments

• 2009 – President Obama selected Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, making her the 3rd woman and first Hispanic on the Court

• Also in 2009 – Obama selected Elena Kagan to serve on the Supreme Court as well