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U.S. History II - The United States Since 1980 - Document preview page 1

U.S. History II - The United States Since 1980 - Page 1

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U.S. History II - The United States Since 1980

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U.S. History II - The United States Since 1980 - Page 1 preview imageStudy GuideU.S. History II–The United States Since 19801.From Vice President to President: George H.W. Bush•Republican candidate:Vice President George H.W. Bush with running mate Dan Quayle•Democratic candidate:Michael Dukakis, Governor of Massachusetts•Bush usednegative campaigning, attacking Dukakis as soft on crime and questioningpatriotism•Voter turnout:Less than 50%—lowest in U.S. history•Result:Bush won decisively1.1Domestic ChallengesSavings and Loan Crisis•Deregulation in the 1980s allowed S&Ls to make risky investments•Hundreds of S&Ls failed; taxpayers paid$300–$500 billionto bail them out•Resolution Trust Corporation (1989)sold off failed banks and assetsBudget and Taxes•Bush famously promised:“No new taxes”•Faced with high national debt (~$3 trillion) and deficit, heraised taxesin 1990 after acompromise with Congress•Result: attempted to reduce deficit by ~$400 billion by 1995Recession and Social Problems•Recession begansummer 1990oUnemployment ~7%o25 million Americans out of work at some point in 1991oPoverty rose by 2 million
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U.S. History II - The United States Since 1980 - Page 2 preview imageStudy Guide•Bush’s economic plans included middle-class tax cuts, help for first-time homebuyers, andlower capital gains taxes, but cametoo late•Social issues persisted: homelessness, teen pregnancy, drug addiction, and ineffectivewaron drugs•Health care problems worsened: 30+ million Americans uninsured; slow response toAIDSepidemic1.2Foreign PolicyEnd of the Cold War•1989–1991:Collapse of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary,Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania)•Berlin Wall fell (1989); Germany reunited•Soviet Union dissolved (1991); Baltic states (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania) gainedindependence•Led to nuclear weapons reduction agreements and reduced U.S. NATO commitmentsOther Global Issues•Tiananmen Square (1989):China’s violent crackdown on student protests worsened U.S.-China relations•Panama (1989):Bush ordered invasion to remove Manuel Noriega; Noriega captured andimprisonedPersian Gulf War (1990–1991)•Iraq invaded Kuwait (Aug 1990)•U.S. led international coalition(Operation Desert Shield → Desert Storm)•Air campaign beganJan 17, 1991; ground warFeb 23–28, 1991•Iraq defeated, Kuwait freed; Saddam Hussein remained in power•Issues left unresolved: Iraq’s WMD programs, treatment of Kurds and Shiites
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U.S. History II - The United States Since 1980 - Page 3 preview imageStudy Guide1.3Big Picture•Bush’s presidency was defined by:oForeign policy successes:End of the Cold War, victory in Persian Gulf WaroDomestic struggles:Recession, S&L crisis, rising social problems, unpopular taxincrease•His foreign policy experience contrasted with difficulties managing domestic economic issues2.The Clinton Years2.1The Clinton Years (1993–2001)—Summary and Key PointsBill Clinton’s presidency was shaped byeconomic growth,domestic reforms,foreign policyinvolvement, andpersonal scandals.2.2Election of 1992•Republican:Incumbent George H.W. Bush and VP Dan Quayle•Democrat:Governor Bill Clinton (Arkansas) and Senator Al Gore•Third-party:H. Ross Perot—focused on the economy, took 19% of the popular vote•Results:Clinton won370–168 electoral votes•Platform:Job creation, environmental protection, and health care reform2.3Domestic PolicyHealth Care and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”•Early attempts athealth care reformfailed; Hillary Clinton led the task force•Military policy compromise:“Don’t ask, don’t tell”regarding gay service membersTrade Policy•NAFTA (1993):Free trade among U.S., Canada, and Mexico
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U.S. History II - The United States Since 1980 - Page 4 preview imageStudy Guide•Concerns from labor(jobs moving to Mexico) and environmentalists addressed inamendments•GATT (1994):Reduced global trade barriersEconomic Policy•1994 midterms:Republicans gained Congress; Newt Gingrich led theContract withAmerica•Clinton took moderate stances and emphasizeddeficit reduction•Welfare Reform Act (1996):Block grants to states, work/training requirements•Economy: Budget went from$290B deficit (1992) → $80B surplus (1999); unemploymentfell to ~4%2.4Scandals and Impeachment•Whitewater investigation:Real estate dealings, later expanded to other allegations•Monica Lewinsky affair:Clinton impeached by House (perjury, obstruction of justice)•Senate trial:Acquitted; remained in office•Despite scandals,public approval remained high2.5Foreign PolicyGlobal Role•U.S. assole superpower after Cold War•Focused ontrade, economic aid, andmultilateral cooperation(UN, NATO)Haiti•Forced military regime to step down, restored elected president Jean-Bertrand AristideIraq•Enforced UN sanctions; limited military action against Saddam Hussein and Iraqi Kurds
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U.S. History II - The United States Since 1980 - Page 5 preview imageStudy GuideBalkans•Bosnia-Herzegovina:U.S. aircraft supported UN operations; peacekeepers sent post-Dayton Accords (1995)•Kosovo (1998):Led NATO air campaign against Serbian forces to stop ethnic cleansingIsrael-Palestinian Conflict•Oslo Accords (1993):Mutual recognition, self-rule in Gaza and Jericho•1995–2000:Attempted further peace negotiations, including Camp David 2000 summit—ultimately unsuccessful2.6Terrorism•Foreign:o1993 World Trade Center bombing (NYC)o1996 Khobar Towers bombing (Saudi Arabia)o1998 U.S. embassy bombings (Kenya, Tanzania)o2000 USS Cole bombing (Yemen)oTargets linked to Osama bin Laden/al Qaeda; Clinton authorized strikes inAfghanistan and Sudan•Domestic:o1995 Oklahoma City bombing byTimothy McVeigh, killing 168 and injuring hundredsKey Takeaways1.Domestic success:Economic growth, deficit reduction, welfare reform, NAFTA/GATT tradepolicies2.Foreign policy:Humanitarian intervention in Balkans and Haiti, global peacekeeping, andcounter-terrorism3.Challenges:Personal scandals, impeachment, terrorism threats, ongoing Middle East conflict4.Legacy:First Democratic president reelected since FDR, maintained high approval ratingsdespite controversies, oversaw strong economy and expansion of U.S. global influenceClinton’s presidency is often seen as abalance of political skill, economic prosperity, and foreignpolicy engagement, yetmarred by personal and political scandals.
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Document Details

University
Texas A&M University
Course
U.S. History II
Subject
History

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