1) What core beliefs guided Ronald Reagan s presidency?

Transcription

1 Focus Questions and Presidencies of Chapter 30 1) What core beliefs guided Ronald Reagan s presidency? What core beliefs guided Ronald Reagan s Presidency? Lauded American individualism and the free- enterprise system. Reagan s New Deal meant individualism, smaller government, lower taxes and untrammeled free enterprise. Support for Traditional values Very patriotic = call for military strength and praise of America No heavy taxes = wonders of productivity = Stimulation of business growth, which would increase tax revenues Reagan has little sympathy for organized labor so it means that their importance weakens a little Conservatism means everything else will become slightly more conservative Anti- Soviet rhetoric means international involvement to prevent further spread of Communism in Latin America and the Middle East Ronald Reagan s Presidency A. Ideology 1. Very avid Cold Warrior; boosted military spending, took a more aggressive stance toward Russia. 2. Supported Conservative values Believed in a less powerful central government Known for being extremely patriotic; often times would express America s greatness 3. Reagan s confidence combined with his values soothed the psyche of a nation traumatized by Vietnam and Watergate. B. Reaganomics 1. Reagan s economic plan was founded on the belief that the free enterprise system could be very effective if freed from regulations and heavy taxes. 2. He proposed a 30 percent tax cut in income taxes over three years. (Congress later voted on 25 percent) Reagan suggested that lower tax rates would stimulate and encourage business investments 3. Strongly against organized labor When PATCO members went on strike, Reagan, acting on conservative beliefs, invoked the 1948 Taft-Hartley law against strikes and ordered them back to work. When the employees defied it, Reagan fired them and barred them from federal government jobs. C. Achievements

2 1. Appointed Sandra O Connor as the first female Supreme Court justice; won much praise for this decision 2. Insisted on going to Russia to have talks with Soviet Premier Gorbachev; eased Cold War tensions dramatically. 3. Reagan s steadfast anticommunism hastened the collapse of the Soviet Union and America s Cold War victory. D. The Iran-Contra Scandal 1. In 1985, the U.S. shipped, via Israel, 508 A-T missiles to Iran, America s avowed enemy. 2. An investigative panel blamed Reagan s chief of staff, Donald Regan, who eventually resigned. 3. Finally, the revelation came that Oliver North, an NSC aid in the White House, had secretly diverted profits from the Iran weapons sales to Nicaraguan contras despite Congressional bans on such aid. George H.W. Bush s Presidency George H.W. Bush was elected president in He served in WWII and was a Texas oil businessman, Congressman, UN ambassador, CIA director, and vice president to president. Running mate Dan Quayle from Indiana As Bush took office the Soviet Union collapsed and in July 1991 Bush and Gorbachev signed a treaty reducing their nuclear arsenals In August 1991 die-hard communists in Russia tried to overthrow Gorbachev but the coup ended in failure When in 1990 Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait lead by Saddam Hussein, then with Iraq unwilling to cooperate, on January 16, 1991 U.S. bombers pounded Iraqi troops and command centers Then on February 23, 1991 thousands of American troops attacked Iraq The Persian Gulf War o Iraq was supported by the U.S. in the past but now they oppose them for their own economic interests o Kuwait was an important nation because they produced oil o Proved America would use force to pursue their interests Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 barred discrimination against disabled Americans Collapse of the Savings and Loan industry because as recession hit many of their investments went bad Federal deficit mounted as more recession struck unemployment rose, retail sales slumped, housing starts fell, and ranks of Americans living in poverty was increasing alarmingly especially in urban areas

3 Environmental worries increased exponentially during Bush s presidency as well after the Exxon Valdez wreck in Alaska s Prince William Sound, closer watch on air and other pollutants and greenhouse gasses Stricter Clean Air Act 1990 Bush and the Supreme Court nominated David Souter and Clarence Thomas in hopes to play racial politics and help make the Supreme Court more right, and it seemed to uphold its intention over the next few years by implementing more conservative action. 2) What were George H.W. Bush s principal achievements and failures as president? George H. W. Bush proved a decisive president on international affairs, but his domestic record was less impressive. His decision to intervene in the Persian Gulf War bolstered American confidence in pride. We ve kicked the Vietnam syndrome once and for all, he said. The war showed that Americans were ready to use force to pursue international interests. As for Bush s domestic record, a rare but important achievement came with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which barred discrimination against disabled persons in hiring and education. However, his domestic record was more unsuccessful than it was successful. For example, Bush s retreat from his no new taxes slogan angered many voters. Another mishap was the S&L bailout. Since the Bush administration insured S&L deposits, a program was set up in 1989 to repay S&L investors and sell hundreds of foreclosed office buildings. Because of this bailout, the Gulf War, and Medicare payments, the national deficit reached almost $300 billion. Clinton s Presidency NAFTA (1993) [North American Free Trade Agreement] Failed health- care reform plan Dayton Accords lead to a cease- fire in Bosnia Welfare Reform Act (1996) o Replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children with block grants to states to develop their own programs o Restricted recipients to 2 continuous years, 5 years in total Battled for regulation of tobacco industry

4 Sex scandal- - impeached by House of Representatives; charges dropped by Senate Oslo Accords (1994) o Attempted to achieve peace between Israel and Palestinian Liberation Organization o Signed in 1994, but later failed 3) What domestic policy issues, political events, and economic trends most influenced Bill Clinton s presidency? There was a lot of controversial opposition to many issues, for example, abortion. This caused Clinton to choose the middle ground. He also stressed middle class concerns, environmental protection, and supported the woman s movement. There was a high budget deficit that needed to be reduced, so he proposed spending more money on the military, increased taxes, and programs to create jobs. What also shaped his presidency was reform in crime and welfare. Clinton focused on decreasing the amount of violence by banning assault rifles and increasing funds for jails and police officers. For welfare, he made it stricter so that people wouldn t rely solely on welfare and pass the dependence on to future generations. In public health, Clinton regulated the tobacco industry more so that it would have less negative effects on the people. Clinton s presidency was largely influenced by most things related to the individual benefit of people, and the pulling out of he recession. 4) How did the Clinton administration respond to political and economic developments abroad? The Clinton administration responded with diplomacy, negotiations, military force, and also acted in a way that the United States would benefit from trade. When there was a purge against Muslims and Croats in Serbia, the U.S. and NATO launched air strikes against Bosnian Serb targets. When Israel and Palestine were at conflict with each other, they signed an agreement to end some of the conflict as Clinton presided. For the economy, it was more important to have strong trade relations with countries like China than it was to worry about its government. Clinton pressed other countries to have economic reform because if they started to fail, the United States would start to fail as well.

5 5) What economic trends, technological innovations, and cultural trends shaped American life in the 1990s? Economy Globalization Falling unemployment Low inflation Federal budget surplus 1992 to 2000: unemployment falls from 7.5% to 4% Only 13.5% of labor force unionized in 2000 NAFTA treaty (1993) Technology Personal computers The internet Revolution in information technology Culture Economic boom led to a rise in affluence and consumption Individualism Escapist mass culture: Titanic, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Survivor AIDS epidemic Violence: American Beauty, The Sopranos o Columbine shootings o O.J. Simpson trial o Matthew Shepard s death o Oklahoma City bombing