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    America in The 1980s and 1990s

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    okcalvin
    The document summarizes major political and economic events in America from the 1980s through the early 2000s. It discusses Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s, including his economic policies and confrontation with the Soviet Union. It also covers the presidencies of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, including key domestic issues and foreign conflicts like the Gulf War and Kosovo intervention. Economic trends and social changes like immigration and urbanization are also summarized.

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    America in The 1980s and 1990s

    Uploaded by

    okcalvin
    156 views27 pages
    The document summarizes major political and economic events in America from the 1980s through the early 2000s. It discusses Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s, including his economic policies and confrontation with the Soviet Union. It also covers the presidencies of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, including key domestic issues and foreign conflicts like the Gulf War and Kosovo intervention. Economic trends and social changes like immigration and urbanization are also summarized.

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    1980s and 1990s

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    The document summarizes major political and economic events in America from the 1980s through the early 2000s. It discusses Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s, including his economic policies and confrontation with the Soviet Union. It also covers the presidencies of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, including key domestic issues and foreign conflicts like the Gulf War and Kosovo intervention. Economic trends and social changes like immigration and urbanization are also summarized.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    156 views27 pages

    America in The 1980s and 1990s

    Uploaded by

    okcalvin
    The document summarizes major political and economic events in America from the 1980s through the early 2000s. It discusses Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s, including his economic policies and confrontation with the Soviet Union. It also covers the presidencies of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, including key domestic issues and foreign conflicts like the Gulf War and Kosovo intervention. Economic trends and social changes like immigration and urbanization are also summarized.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 27

    America in the 1980s and 1990s

    President Ronald Reagan


     “Are you better off today than you were four years
    ago?”
     Reagan appeals to diverse factions of Republican
    party, as well as Southern Democrats, working class
     1980--Republicans win presidency, majority in
    Senate
    Supply-Side Economics
     Reagan’s premise: cut spending to encourage private
    investment
     Similar approach used by John F. Kennedy
     Reagan cuts over three years
     Federal spending by more than $40 billion
     Taxes by 25%

     Economic recovery, but increasing deficit


     1983--federal budget deficit $200 billion
     Drop in unemployment
     Increasing gap between rich and poor
    Facing the “Evil Empire”
     Reagan: Soviet Union the "focus of evil in the
    modern world"
     Russians build up nuclear arsenal
     1985--Mikhail Gorbachev assumes power in Russia
     1985-88--Reagan-Gorbachev summits
     1987--destroyintermediate range missiles
     “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
    Election of 1988
     Republican George Bush defeats Democrat Michael
    Dukakis
     Bush television ads attack Dukakis as soft on crime,
    unpatriotic
     “Kindler, gentler nation”
     “Read my lips, no new taxes”
     Republicans lose seats in Congress

     Bush faces economic recession, ballooning federal


    deficit; raises taxes
    Persian Gulf War
     August, 1990--Iraq occupies Kuwait
     January, 1991--Operation Desert Storm
     Stated purpose: defend American way of life
     “Precision bombing” misses target 1 out of 3

     Outcome of Desert Storm


     February 24--Iraqi force collapses
     Bush’s approval hits 90%
     Estimated 1 million Iraqi deaths as a direct result of a
    decade of economic sanctions
    Shifting Population
     1980--majority shifts to the South and West
     Climate
     Jobs in defense industry
     1990--Los Angeles second-largest city

     Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965


    stimulates immigration
     1970-1990--14 million legal immigrants, especially from
    Latin America and Asia
     1986--approximately 4 million illegal immigrants, about
    200,000 per year
    Melting Pot or Multiethnic Diversity?
     Melting pot ideal waning
     Various metaphors of enduring difference existing
    in harmony on the rise
    Economic Woes
     1990--economy in recession
     Increase in unemployment
     Decline in Gross Domestic Product
     Lower wages

     No permanent middle-class gains since 1973


     Requires more hours, more family members working
     1992--gradual recovery begins
    Election of 1992
     Bush’s weaknesses
     Increasingdeficit
     Economic recession
     Democrat Clinton runs on promise to revitalize
    economy
     “New Democrat”
     Downplays importance of foreign affairs

     Independent Perot runs on promise to cut the deficit


    Clinton Agenda
     1993--Democrats split over NAFTA
     Clintonargues free trade would create jobs
     Labor fears cheap labor in Latin America
     Clinton health care reform defeated
     1994--Republicans win both houses of Congress
    with “Contract with America”
     Republican Congress enacts only 4 minor parts of
    Contract with America
     House Speaker Newt Gingrich loses popularity
    Triangulation
     Clinton distances himself from conservative
    Republicans and liberal Democrats
     Clinton signs welfare reform bill to capture center
     Clinton mounts television advertising campaign to
    attack Republican cuts
     Defeats Republican Bob Dole
     Stress education, health care to win women and
    minorities
    Attack on Serbia
     1998--Claims of Serbian “ethnic cleansing” against
    Albanians in Kosovo
     March, 1999—Clinton orders air strikes against
    Serbian infrastructure
     May, 1999—60% of Serb electrical capacity destroyed
     June 10, 1999—Serbs agree to evacuate all ground forces
    from Kosovo
     7000 tons of explosives dropped, 1000 civilians killed

     “Smart bombs” off-target over 25% of the time


    Another Perspective on Serbia
     “As Slavs flee the protracted violence, Kosovo is
    becoming what ethnic Albanian nationalists have been
    demanding for years, and especially strongly since
    the bloody rioting by ethnic Albanians in Pristina in
    1981 - an ''ethnically pure'' Albanian region, a
    “Republic of Kosovo” in all but name… The hope is
    that something will be done then to exert the rule of
    law in Kosovo while drawing ethnic Albanians back
    into Yugoslavia's mainstream. “
     New York Times, Nov. 1, 1987
    Realignment of Hawks and Doves
     Attacks on Serbia  Attacks on Serbia
    supported by: Opposed by:
     Bob Dole  Pat Buchannan
     Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
     Alexander Cockburn
     Jon McCain (R-AZ) (The Nation)
     Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
     Charles Colson

     Alan Keyes

     Garry Wills
    1990s Economy
     1990s mark the longest sustained period of economic
    growth in American History
     Federal budget transformed from deficit to surplus
     Republicans argue for tax cuts
     Democrats argue for shoring up federal programs

     NAFTA
     420,000 jobs sent to Mexico
     Wages in Mexico drop 27% in real dollars

     U.S. trade deficit increases by $39 million


    Terrorism at home
     Ruby Ridge, Idaho, 1992—Federal agents shoot and
    kill survivalist mother and son
     Waco, Texas, 1993—standoff at Branch Davidian
    compound ends in death of 75
     Oklahoma City, 1995—Timothy McVeigh explodes
    truck bomb at Murrah federal building
     1996—the Unabomber, Theodore Kaczynski
    captured in Montana
     1999—Violent protest at World Trade Organization
    meeting in Seattle
    “It depends on what your definition of
    is is….”
     After repeated denials, President Clinton admits to sexual
    relationship with intern Monica Lewinski
     Special prosecutor reports 11 possible impeachment charges
    to Congress; public sentiment for /against impeachment.
     House votes to impeach Clinton (similar to grand jury
    indictment);
     2/3 Senate vote required for conviction on charges;
    Republicans press ahead but unable to win simple majority
     Clinton’s presidency badly damaged
    A Divided Nation 2000
     Dominant trends of election year 2000
     Economic boom favors Democrats
     Disappointment with Clinton’s failings favors
    Republicans
     The Candidates
     Republican George W. Bush calls for limiting
    government and relying on the market
     Democrat Al Gore calls for expanded federal role in
    education and health care
    Election of 2000
     Extremely close race ends up hanging on disputed
    Florida vote
     Gore leads in popular vote (eventually 500,000) and
    Electoral College (267)
     Florida’s 25 electoral votes would bring Bush total to
    271
     Gore calls for recount of Florida vote
     December 12, 2000—U.S. Supreme Court ends
    recount efforts with ruling in Bush’s favor
    Voting Patterns in 2000 Election
    Birthrate, 1820-2000
    Death Rate, 1900-2000
    Life Expectancy, 1900-2000
    Urban/Rural Population, 1750-1900
    Women in the Labor Force, 1890-1990

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