Chapter # 32Chapter # 32

The Republican The Republican Resurgence 1980-Resurgence 1980-

19921992

Reagan in PowerReagan in Power

High Inflation hurt High Inflation hurt Carter’s Carter’s chance for chance for reelectionreelectionReagan –republican and Reagan –republican and former former Hollywood actorHollywood actor

Reagan elected Reagan elected VP George BushVP George Bush

ReaganomicsReaganomics

Reagan blamed conditions on Reagan blamed conditions on high high government spendinggovernment spending

Embraced a concept of supply-Embraced a concept of supply-side side economicseconomics

Reduce government spending Reduce government spending and and private private business would business would be free to spend more be free to spend more moneymoney

Recession and RecoveryRecession and Recovery

Supply-side theorySupply-side theory

Cut spendingCut spending

Reduce taxesReduce taxes

Increased defense spending Increased defense spending

= 1 trillion over 5 years= 1 trillion over 5 years

This all together lead to a recessionThis all together lead to a recession

The President stuck to his beliefs and The President stuck to his beliefs and refused to bendrefused to bend

He did agree to a slight tax increaseHe did agree to a slight tax increase

The economy rebounded in 1983The economy rebounded in 1983

People gave credit to the Reagan People gave credit to the Reagan administration for solving the administration for solving the problems problems of the Carter administrationof the Carter administration

DeficitDeficit

$70.5 billion 1976 pre-Reagan$70.5 billion 1976 pre-Reagan

$207.8 billion 1983 $207.8 billion 1983

$221 billion 1986$221 billion 1986

$155 billion 1988$155 billion 1988

Gap between the Rich and Poor

Blue collar jobs decreased – steel, auto

Some companies moved production overseas (cheaper labor)

Service jobs increased- accountants, lawyers, technicians (white collar jobs) (increase in women)

1990 1 in 3 workers was white collar

1 in 5 worked in factories

Inequality in distribution of wealth

Top 5th made as much money as other 80% of population

Top 5th owned 80% nations household wealth

Reagan saw Russia as the “Focus of Evil”

Increased military spending – missiles est..

New arms race would strain the economy of both nations

Star Wars – Defense missile system

50,000 nuclear war heads between 2 nations

Middle East

Conflict between Palestine and Israel

Reagan wanted Palestinian homeland

Israel continued to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank (disputed area)

June 6, 1982 Israel invaded Lebanon (united States did nothing to stop this

Lebanon sunk into a full scale Civil war that had been raging since 1975 (Muslims v. Christians)

American Marines were sent to help keep the peace

Muslims saw the Marines as aiding the ChristiansOne attack killed 239 Marines

Marines left February 1984

Central America

United States often supported regimes that oppressed their people

Nicaragua Somoza leadership was overthrown by

Sandinista Rebels

Reagan accused the Sandinista of taking aid from Cuba/Russia

Reagan felt that the United States was at risk to Communism

CIA began supplying Contras

Congress blocked aid / spending money in Nicaragua – Left Contras on their own

El SalvadorRevolution / rebellion / Rebels since

1970’s

Reagan sent aid to Napoleon Duarte (ignoring charges he may have had 40,000 civilians killed)

Aid helped secure reelection of leadership

Grenada

Had close ties to Cuba / built a huge airfield

2,000 marines invaded Granada 10-25-1983 v. 800 Cuban workers and soldiers

American forces claimed victory / displayed captured Soviet weapons on TV

Iran Contra Affair

Robert McFarland wanted to trade arms to Iran for hostage release (held in Lebanon)(Iran was fighting a war against Iraq)

Oliver North arranged the trade of weapons

Some hostages but not all and Iran captured more (they saw that we were willing to pay high cost for hostage release)

Oliver North and others came up with the idea to trade weapons to Iran for profit and use the money to aid the Contras (violation of government)

Reagan administration denied involvement but many people lost faith in it

Gorbachev

1985 Reagan and the new Soviet leader Gorbachev met. They would meet 4 times and agree to a reduction in missiles

Reagan’s popularity soared to a 70% rating / high than before the Iran-Contra Affair

Aids

Outbreak started in early 1980’s

Most likely started in Africa

Mostly Gay men victims

Aid hysteria swept the nation

1989 100,000 cases

War on Drugs

1980’s rapid spread of cocaine

Considered to be a danger to American Society

1986 5.8 million using cocaine

Just Say No (Mrs. Reagan took this slogan in her fight against drugs

Helped reduce drug use with middle class but had little effect in ghettos

Reagan used federal law enforcement to fight against drug smuggling

Labs in other countries were destroyed but rebuilt almost as fast as they were destroyed

1989 – poll of Americans said illegal drugs were their greatest concern

Election 1988

George Bush – president

VP Dan Quayle

Tiananmen SquareChinese students were protesting for democracy

Government sent troops – tanks used

Several hundred protesters were killed and thousands injured

Chinese used martial law

Poland

1989 called for free electionsIdea of democracy spread through satellite countries (freely elected governments)HungaryEast GermanyCzechoslovakiaBulgariaRomania

Mikhail Gorbachev

His reforms lead to the fall of communism1991 he was arrested by those hoping to gain power

Boris Yeltsin – elected president of the new Russian Republic Stopped the planned coup and Gorbachev was released

Yeltsin then disbanded the communist party

Chapter#33

Thurgood Marshall 1st African American Supreme

Court Justice

Replaced by BushClarence ThomasAnita Hill accused him of sexual

harassmentStill confirmed

New Immigration issuesMost from Latin America & AsiaStrain on public services

Still a concern in 2013

Chinese – largest group of Asians in America

African AmericansEducation proved to be a key to

African American SuccessBlacks divided into two catagories1. Affluent2. Low income

Affirmative action had some success in leveling the playing field

CaliforniaPoverty level black society feels they

are neglected by society

Police accused of beating Rodney King

Leads to riots in LA

Bill Clinton elected president 1992Serves two termsScandal involving Monica Lewinski

House impeached him for lying under oathSenate failed to convict

Oklahoma City BombingFederal Building (169 dead)Timothy McVeigh

Later convicted and executed

Ruby Ridge

Waco

George W. Bush elected president 2000

Serves two termsSeptember 11, 2001

Attack on World Trade CenterPentagon

United States respond by attacking Afghanistan terrorist hideouts

United States invades Iraq

Iraq government defeatedSaddam Hussein executedNew democratic government established

Still a place of violence / fragile peace

Barack Obama president – 2009Nobel Peace Prize

Health Care

Period of grid lock between republicans and democrats as both side blame the other.

Rising deficit

Drops “Don’t ask don’t tell” and allows gays to serve openly in military.

Elderly vs. healthcare and social securityMedicare and medicade

Focus of threat in future

Iran

North Korea

The End