Transcript Completing the 20th Century

Completing
th
the 20
Century
In the present crisis,
government is not the
solution to our
problems; government
is the problem.
-President Ronald Regan,
Inaugural Address,
January 20, 1981
Main Ideas
• The Presidencies of Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and
Clinton
• Rise of Conservatism
• Foreign and domestic policies of the 1970s, 80s and
90s
• The Cold War ends
• Economic, Social, and political trends of the 1980s and
90s
• 1990s prosperity (technological revolution) and bitter
partisan politics
• Globalization (impact and consequences)
Gerald Ford in the White House
President Ford
• Before Nixon chose him to replace Vice
President Agnew in 1973, Ford had served
in Congress for years as the Republican
minority leader of the House
• In the first months in office, Ford granted
Nixon a full and unconditional pardon for
any crime that he might have committed
• The pardon was extremely controversialcritics claimed he had made a “corrupt
bargain” with Nixon, while Ford maintained
the need to end the “national nightmare”
Investigating the CIA
Salvador Guillermo Allende
Gossens was a Chilean
physician and politician, known
as the first Marxist to become
president of a Latin American
country through open elections
• During Ford’s presidency, the
Democratic Congress continued to
investigate abuses in the executive
branch-especially the CIA
• This intelligence agency was accused of
engineering the assassination of foreign
leaders (Chile president Salvador
Allende)
• Ford appointed former Texas
Congressman George H. Bush to reform
the agency
Failure of U.S. Policy in Southwest Asia
South Vietnamese
refugees arrive on a U.S.
Navy vessel during
Operation Frequent Wind
• President Ford was unable to get additional funds
from Congress to help the South Vietnamese who
were facing strong attacks from Communist
Forces
• The Fall of Saigon in April 1975 united the nation
of Vietnam under the rule of the Communist
government in Hanoi
• About 150,000 Vietnamese who supported the
United States were evacuated, however, the
United States suffered a blow to its prestige
overseas and confidence at home
• In that same year of 1975, the U.S. supported
government in Cambodia fell to Communist
forces which led to the conducted genocide of an
estimated 1 million people
The Economy and Election 1976
Presidential election
results map. Blue
denotes states won by
Carter/Mondale, Red
denotes those won by
Ford/Dole.
• Ford’s chief concern was bringing inflation
down and under control-led the WIN buttons
campaign (Whip Inflation Now)
• Inflation continued along with unemployment
(9%) as the economy sank into a recession
• After the bicentennial celebration marking the
United States’ birthday, Americans were ready
for a change
• The election of 1976 featured Gerald Ford
after a bitter fight against Ronald Regan for
the Republican nomination and the emergence
of the Democrat Jimmy Carter
• The election was close, 287 electoral votes to
241 in favor of Carter (Ford’s pardon of Nixon
certainly hurt his chances)
Jimmy Carter’s Presidency
President Carter
• The informal style of Jimmy Carter signaled
an effort to end the imperial presidency
Foreign Policy:
-the hallmark of Carter’s foreign policy was
human rights
-Carter appointed Andrew Young to serve as
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
-Young championed the cause of human rights
by denouncing oppression in South Africa
and Zimbabwe
-In Latin America, President Carter cut off trade
with Chile and Argentina over human right
violations
Carter’s Foreign Policy
Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter and
Anwar Sadat at Camp David, 1978
Panama Canal:
-The Carter administration attempted to
correct inequities in the Panama
Canal Treaty of 1903 (would
gradually turn over canal to Panama)
-Opponents of Carter in the 1980
election would use slogans like “give
away” to attack his foreign policy
Camp David Accords:
-in 1978, President Carter arranged a
peace settlement between Israel and
Egypt (Egypt in 1979 became the
first Arab state to recognize Israel)
Iran and the Hostage Crisis
American Hostage
Barry Rosen
• In 1979, Islamic fundamentalists in Iran led by
the Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the shah’s
government
• With the Ayatollah in control, oil supplies
worldwide dropped causing long gas lines and
shortages in the U.S,
• In November of 1979, Iranian militants seized
control of the American embassy in Teheran
and held 50 staff members prisoners
• In April of 1980, Carter approved a rescue
mission that failed when the helicopters
crashed in the Iranian desert (the hostages
remained in Iran until Regan took office)
Cold War
(1970s)
Mujahideen fighters in Kunar
Province of Afghanistan in 1987
• President Carter attempted to continue the
Nixon-Ford policy of détente with China
and the Soviet Union
• In 1979, the U.S. ended its official
recognition of the Nationalist Chinese
government of Taiwan and completed an
official exchange of ambassadors with China
• Détente with China led to the U.S. and
Soviet Union signing SALT II treaty, which
limited the size of each superpower’s
nuclear delivery system (Senate never
ratified treaty)
• In December of 1979, the Soviet Union
invaded Afghanistan and the U.S. responded
by placing an embargo on grain exports and
high technology, and boycotting the 1980
Olympics in Moscow
Domestic Policy: Inflation
• At home during Carter’s administration, the biggest issue was
inflation (reached a rate of 13%)
• As businesses and consumers struggled to afford the higher
interest rates, Federal Reserve Board Paul Volcker pushed
interest rates to 20% hoping to quickly end inflation
• These rates hurt the automobile and construction industries
which laid off thousands of workers
• Inflation hit the middle class with high tax rates and social
programs cost the government billions of dollars (federal
deficit was $60 billion in 1980)
• Americans were coming to the realization that their standard of
living was on the decline
Loss of Popularity
President Carter addressed the
nation and called for shared
sacrifice in his “national malaise”
speech
• Intelligence, effort, and integrity were
not enough to get Jimmy Carter
through the Iranian hostage crisis and
worsening economic crisis
• In 1979, in what the press dubbed
Carter’s “national malaise” speech,
Carter blamed the problems of the
U.S. on a “moral and spiritual crisis”
of the American people
• By the election year of 1980, Carter’s
approval rating hit 23% and he was
vulnerable to Democrat and
Republican attacks
American Society in Transition
• Social changes in the 1970s were of potentially even greater
significance than politics
• By the end of the decade:
(1) The fastest growing region of the nation was the South and the
West
(2) Growing conservative and older
(3) The fastest growing age group was senior citizens over 65
• By the 1990s:
(1) Minority groups made up 25% of the population
(2) The Census Bureau predicted that, by 2050, as much as half of
the population will be either Hispanic American, African
American, and Asian American
Growth of Immigration
A U.S. green card, a document
confirming permanent resident
status for eligible immigrants,
including refugees, political
asylum seekers, familysponsored migrants,
employment-based workers and
diversity immigrants (DV).
• Before the 1960s, most immigrants to
the U.S. came from Europe and Canada
• By the 1980s, 47% of immigrants came
from Latin America, 37% from Asia, and
less than 13% from Europe and Canada
• The Immigration Act of 1965 ended the
quota system that favored Europe and
thereby opened the U.S. to immigrants
from all parts of the world!
Demands For Minority Rights
Chavez speaking at a 1974 United
Farm Workers rally in Delano,
California
Hispanic Americans:
• In 1966 Cesar Chavez and Dolores
Huerta merged their new unions to
form the United Farm Workers
Organizing Committee
• Chavez believed in non-violence in
dealing with California’s large fruit and
vegetable companies (Ex.
Boycotts/Fast)
• In the 1960’s the Chicano Movement
took off, “Brown Power” and the
“Brown Berets” demanded Spanish
speaking classes and Chicano studies
programs at universities (Bilingual ED.
Demands For Minority Rights
continued…
National United Peoples
Party Flag (Partido Nacional
de La Raza Unida)
• During the 1960’s eight Hispanic
Americans served in the House of
Representatives
• In the 1940’s and 1950’s the League of
United Latin American Citizens fought in
the courts for school desegregation and
government funding
• In the 1970’s La Raza Unida ( Mexican
Americans United) ran Mexican
Candidates in many local elections
• In 1963 the more radical Alianza Federal
de Mercedes seized a Texas courthouse
Demands For Minority Rights continued…
Flag of the
American Indian
Movement
Native Americans:
• Native Americans suffered the highest
unemployment rates, alcoholism, infant mortality
rates and suicides
• In 1954 Native Americans had to deal with the
government’s Termination Policy
• In 1961 reps from 61 tribes drafted the Declaration
of Indian Purpose
• In 1968 LBJ established the National Council on
Indian Opportunity
• In 1968 the AIM (American Indian Movement) was
formed to demand lands, burial grounds, fishing/
timber rights, and a respect of their culture (George
Mitchell and Dennis Banks)
Demands For Minority Rights continued…
The Trail of Broken Treaties was
a cross-country protest in the
United States by American Indian
and First Nations organizations
that took place in the autumn of
1972. It was designed to bring
attention to American Indian
issues, such as treaty rights, living
standards, and inadequate housing
• In 1972, AIM leader Russell Meads
organized “The Trail of Broken Treaties”
march on DC ( Occupied the BIA building)
• In 1973, the AIM led 200 Sioux to occupy
Wounded Knee, SD where a massacre of
Sioux had occurred in 1890
• After negotiations a shootout with the FBI
left 2 dead, and many wounded
• Congress passed the Indian SelfDetermination Act of 1975 that gave
reservations and tribal lands greater control
over internal programs, education, gaming,
and law enforcement
Demands For Minority Rights continued…
President Reagan signs the billl that
officially apologizes and pays
reparations to Japanese Intern in an
official ceremony. Left to right:
Hawaii Sen. Spark Matsunaga,
California Rep. Norman Mineta,
Hawaii Rep. Pat Saiki, California
Sen. Pete Wilson, Alaska Rep. Don
Young, California Rep. Bob Matsui,
California Rep. Bill Lowery, and
JACL President Harry Kajihara
Asian American:
• In 1968 the Asian American Political
Alliance (AAPA) was founded at
Berkley which unified Chinese,
Japanese, Korean and Filipino activists
• Protested the Vietnam War and racism
directed at Asians
• 1969 “Shut it Down” strikes at Berkley
• “Yellow Power” Conference to learn of
Asian American history and destiny
• 1968 San Francisco’s Chinatown
Grievances (Housing and Medicine)
• Japanese American Citizens League
(JCAL) brought forth the issue of
internment
Demands For Minority Rights continued…
The May 1959 issue of
the Mattachine Review,
an American homophile
magazine
Gay Liberation Movement:
• In the 1950’s the Mattachine Society and the
Daughters of Bilitis were campaigning to
reduce discrimination towards G/L
• 1960’s The Society for Individual Rights was
founded in Greenwich Village/SF
• June ,1969 the Stonewall Inn Riot in NYC
pitted aggressive police against bar patrons
“Gay Power” appeared
• After Stonewall the Gay Liberation Front
(GLF) was formed (Gay Pride Marches)
• In 1975 the Gov. ended its ban on employment
of G/L
The Environmental Movement
Exxon Valdez was an oil
tanker that gained notoriety
after running aground in
Prince William Sound spilling
hundreds of thousands of
barrels of crude oil in Alaska.
• The participation of 20 million citizens in the
first Earth Day in 1970 reflected the nation’s
growing concerns over pollution and the
destruction of the natural environment
• Massive oil spills around the world in the late
20th century, such as the Exxon Valdez tanker
accident near Alaska in 1989, reinforced fears
of human error and modern technology
• Public opinion turned against building
additional nuclear power plants after the
accident at the Three Miles Island power
plant in Pennsylvania (1979) and the deadly
explosion of the Chernobyl plant in the Soviet
Union (1986)
Protective Legislation
• Conservationists demanded laws that would protect against
pollution and destruction of the environment
• In 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air Act and created the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• In 1972, the Clean Water Act was passed to protect the
nations waterways
• In 1980, the Superfund was created to clean up toxic dumps,
such as the Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York
• The protest movements by diverse groups in America led to a
conservative reaction by many Americans-a powerful force in
politics in the 1980s and 90s
The Conservative Resurgence
Buckley with President
Ronald Reagan at Reagan's
birthday celebration, 1986
• The policies of Nixon and Ford with the
political commentary of William F.
Buckley Jr. and economist Milton
Friedman gave evidence of a shift to the
right in the 1970s
• A loose coalition of economic and political
conservatives, religious fundamentalists,
and political action committees (PACs)
became a potent force
• By 1980, various activists took the lead in
establishing a conservative agenda for the
nation which included the causes of
lowering taxes, improved morals, and
reduction of affirmative action
Leading
Issues
Taxpayer’s Revolt:
-In 1978, California voters passed Proposition 13 the cut
property taxes
-Nationally, conservatives promoted economist Arthur
Laffer’s belief that tax cuts would promote economic
growth
-Two Republicans, Jack Kemp and William Roth proposed
legislation to reduce federal taxes by 30%-basis of
Regan’s tax cuts
Moral Crisis:
Jerry Lamon Falwell,
Sr.
-Moral decay was a weekly theme for televangelists like
Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts and Jim Bakker
-Evangelist Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority to
finance campaigns to unset liberal members of
Congress
-These religious fundamentalists wanted a return to prayer
in school, the teaching of creationism, and the reversal
of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion
Leading Issues continued…
Poster for rally urging that
affirmative action be upheld
in Bakke, October 1977
Reverse Discrimination:
• In 1965, President Johnson committed the
U.S. government to a policy of affirmative
action to ensure women and minorities had
access to jobs, education, and promotions
• Suffering through years of recession and
stagflation in the 1970s, white males blamed
their troubles on the “reverse discrimination”
imposed by the government
• The Supreme Court ruled in their favor in the
landmark case of Regents of the University of
California v. Bakke (1978) by deciding that
college admissions could not be based on race
alone
Ronald Reagan and the Election of 1980
Presidential election results
map. Red denotes states won
by Reagan/Bush, Blue
denotes those won by
Carter/Mondale
• Ronald Reagan was a well-known TV and
movie actor who gained fame among
Republicans as an effective political speaker
• He was elected governor of California and
nearly won the Republican party’s nomination
against Ford in 1976
• In the election of 1980, Reagan attacked
Carter’s “Big Government policies” and loss of
prestige abroad
• Reagan also pointed out the “misery index” of
28 (rate of inflation added to the rate of
unemployment) and asked Americans- Are you
better off now than you were four years ago?
• Reagan took 51% of the popular vote and almost
91% of the electoral votes
Significance of the Election
President Reagan
Vice-President Bush
• Reagan’s election broke up a key element
of the New Deal coalition by taking over
50% of the blue-collar vote
• For the first time since 1954, the
Republicans gained control of the Senate
by defeating 11 liberal Democrats targeted
by the Moral Majority
• The Republicans also gained 33 seats in
the House
• Political analysts market the 1980 election
as the end of a half century of Democratic
dominance of Congress
The Reagan Revolution
The hostages disembark Freedom One,
an Air Force VC-137 Stratoliner aircraft,
upon their arrival at the base
• On the very day that Reagan was
inaugurated, the Iranians released the 52
American hostages
• Two months later, the president survived
a serious gunshot wound from an
assassination attempt
• Reagan handled the crisis with such
humor and charm that he emerged from
his ordeal as an even more popular
leader
• Reagan pledged that his administration
would lower taxes, reduce government
spending on welfare, build up the U.S.
armed forces, and create a more
conservative federal court
Supply-Side Economics (Reaganomics)
• The Reagan administration advocated
supply-side economics, arguing that tax
cuts reduced government spending would
increase investment by the private sector
(more jobs, production, and prosperity)
• This approach contrasted with the
Keynesian economics long favored by
Democrats which relied on the
government spending to boost consumer
income and demand
• The supply-side theory reminded critics of
the “trickle-down” economics of the 1920s
in which the wealthy prospered and some
of their increase profits benefited the
middle class and poor
Based on trickle-down theory, the
idea is that with a lower tax
burden and increased investment,
business can produce (or supply)
more, increasing employment
and worker pay. (It did not
work!)
Federal Tax Reduction/Spending Cuts
The Economic Recovery Tax Act
of 1981 was a federal law enacted
in the United States in 1981. It
was an act "to amend the Internal
Revenue Code of 1954 to
encourage economic growth
through reductions in individual
income tax rates, the expensing of
depreciable property, incentives
for small businesses, and
incentives for savings, and for
other purposes.”
• The Congress passed most of the tax cuts that
Reagan asked for, including a 25% decrease
in personal income taxes over three years
• Cuts in the corporate income, capital gains,
and gift and inheritance taxes meant that a
large share of the tax relief went to upperincome taxpayers
• With the help of conservative southern
Democrats, the Republicans cut over $40
billion from domestic programs such as food
stamps, student loans, and mass transportation
• These savings were offset by a dramatic
increase in military spending
Recession and Recovery
• In 1982, the nation suffered the worst recession since the 1930s
• Banks failed and unemployment reached 11%, however, the
recession along with a fall in oil prices reduced the double-digit
inflation rate of the late 1970s to less than 4%
• As the policies of Reaganomics took hold, the economy
rebounded and entered a recovery in 1983
• The recovery only widened the income gap between rich and
poor
• Upper-class groups and “yuppies” (young urban professionals)
enjoyed higher incomes and material benefits while the
standard of living for the middle class remained stagnant or
declined
Deregulation
• Following up on the promise of “getting
government off the backs of the people,” the
Reagan administration reduced federal
regulations on business and industry
• Restrictions were eased on savings and loan
institutions, mergers and takeovers by large
corporations, and environmental protection
• Regulations on emissions and auto safety
were relaxed to help the struggling American
auto industry
• Secretary of the Interior James Watt opened
federal lands for increased coal and timber
production and offshore waters for oil drilling
In 1995, Watt was indicted on
25 counts of felony perjury
and obstruction of justice by a
federal grand jury, accusing
him of making false
statements to a grand jury
investigating influence
peddling at the Department of
Housing and Urban
Development, which he had
lobbied in the mid-to-late
1980s
Labor Unions
On August 3, 1981, during a press
conference regarding the PATCO
strike, President Reagan stated:
"They are in violation of the law and
if they do not report for work within
48 hours they have forfeited their
jobs and will be terminated."
• Despite being a former president of
the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan took
a tough stand against unions
• Reagan fired thousands of striking
federal air traffic controllers for
violating their contract and decertified
their union PATCO
• Antiunion policies along with the loss
of manufacturing jobs hastened the
decline of union membership from
over 30% in 1962 to only 12% in the
late 1990s
Social Issues
Considered a federalist and a
moderate conservative, O'Connor
tended to approach each case
narrowly without arguing for
sweeping precedents. She most
frequently sided with the court's
conservative bloc, although in the
latter years of her tenure, she was
regarded as having the swing
opinion in many cases.
• President Reagan followed through on
his pledge to appoint conservative judges
to the Supreme Court by nominating
Sandra Day O’Conner (first woman on
the Court), Antonin Scalia and Anthony
Kennedy
• Led by a new chief justice, William
Rehnquist, the Supreme Court scaled
back affirmative action in hiring and
promotions and limited Roe v. Wade by
allowing states to impose certain
restrictions on abortion (example: minors
had to notify parents before abortion)
• Other issues such as AIDS very virtually
ignored in the early 1980s
The Election of 1984
Presidential election results
map. Red denotes states won
by Reagan/Bush (49), Blue
denotes those won by
Mondale/Ferraro (1+D.C.).
• The return of prosperity restored
confidence in the Reagan administration
and the Republican party strongly rallied
behind the incumbent
• The Democrat party featured Jesse
Jackson, an African American politician,
who made a strong run for the presidency
by seeking the support of minority groups
(Rainbow Coalition)
• The Democratic majority nominated
Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro
(first woman to run for vice president)
• Reagan easily defeated the liberal
Mondale, taking every state except
Minnesota
Budget
and Trade
Deficits
President Ronald Reagan and Vice
President George H. W. Bush at the
1984 Republican National
Convention in Dallas, Texas
• By the mid-1980s, Reagan’s tax cuts combined
with large increases in military spending were
creating federal deficits of over $200 billion a
year
• Over the course of Reagan’s two terms as
president, the national debt tripled from about
$900 billion to almost $2.7 trillion
• The tax cuts which were designed to stimulate
investment instead encouraged consumptionespecially foreign-made luxury and consumer
items
• As a result, the U.S. trade deficit reached a
staggering $150 billion a year
• The cumulative trade imbalance of $1 trillion
during the 1980s contributed to a dramatic
increase in foreign ownership of U.S. real estate
and industry
• In 1985, for the first time since the WWI era, the
U.S. became a debtor nation
Impact of Reaganomics
• Reagan’s two terms reduced restrictions on a freemarket economy and left more money in the hands of
investors and higher income
• Reagan’s policies also succeeded in containing the
growth of the New Deal-Great Society welfare state
• The Reagan years were also known for soaring federal
deficits and these years changed the political debate
from asking what new government programs might be
needed to what government programs to cut and by
how much
Foreign Policy During the Reagan Years
1984 artist's concept of a generic
laser-equipped satellite firing on
another
• Reagan started his presidency determined
to restore the military might and
superpower prestige of the U.S.
• He called the Soviet Union “the evil
empire”
• Reagan increased spending for defense
and aid to anticommunist forces in Latin
America
1. Spent billions to build new weapons (B-1
Bomber)
2. Created SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative)
“Star Wars”
3. Increased defense budget from $171
billion in 1981 to over $300 billion in
1985
Central America/Caribbean
ARDE Frente Sur Contras in 1987
• In the Americas, Reagan supported “friendly”
right wing dictators to keep communism out
• The U.S. also worked to overthrow Marxist
regimes such as the Sandinistas that had taken
over in Nicaragua (1979)
• The U.S. passed large amounts of military aid to
the “contras” in Nicaragua (Democrats opposed
the policy and passed the Boland Amendment
prohibiting further aid)
• In El Salvador, Reagan’s administration spent $5
billion to support the Salvadoran government
against leftist guerrillas
• In October 1983, Reagan sent marines into
Grenada to prevent a pro-Cuban regime from
taking over the government (reestablished a
friendly government)
Iran-Contra Affair
• Reagan’s efforts to aid the Nicaraguan contras involved him in
a serious blunder and scandal
• Since 1980, Iran and Iraq had been engaged in a bloody war.
Reagan’s aides came up with a plan that was kept secret from
the American people
1. U.S. would sell U.S. antitank and antiaircraft missiles to
Iran’s government for its help in freeing the Americans held
hostage by a radical Arab group
2. In 1986, another Reagan staff member wanted to use profits
from the sale of arms to fund contras in Nicaragua
3. Reagan denied involvement; Americans viewed him as
uniformed and easily manipulated by his advisors
Lebanon, Israel, and the PLO
• Reagan’s administration suffered a series of
setbacks in the Middle East
1.
2.
A smoke cloud rises
from the rubble of the
bombed barracks at
Beirut International
Airport (BIA).
3.
4.
5.
6.
In 1982, Israel invaded southern Lebanon to stop the PLO
terrorists from raiding Israel
The U.S. was involved by providing peacekeeping forces
in Lebanon to end a bloody civil war
In April of 1983, an Arab suicide squad bombed the U.S
embassy in Beirut (63 people killed)
A few months later, another Arab terrorist drove a bombfilled truck into the U.S. Marines barracks (killed 241
servicemen)
Reagan pulled U.S. forces out of Lebanon
Secretary of States George Schultz pushed for a peace
settlement by setting up a homeland for the PLO in the
West Bank territories (PLO leader Yassir Arafat agreed in
1988 to recognize Israel)
Improved U.S. – Soviet Relations
Gorbachev addressing the
United Nations General
Assembly in December 1988.
During the speech he
dramatically announced deep
unilateral cuts in Soviet
military forces in Eastern
Europe
• The Cold War intensified in the early
1980s as a result of both Reagan’s arms
buildup and the Soviet deployment of a
large number of missiles against NATO
countries
• In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev attempted to
change domestic Soviet politics: Two
major reforms
(1) glasnost: openness; end of political
repression
(2) perestroika: restructure of Soviet
economy (introduced some free-market
practices)
Improved U.S. – Soviet Relations
continued…
Gorbachev in one-on-one discussions with Reagan
• In 1987, Gorbachev and
Reagan agreed to remove and
destroy all intermediate-range
missiles (the INF agreement)
• In 1988, Gorbachev pulled
Soviet troops out from
Afghanistan and put
diplomatic pressure on Iran
and Iraq to end their war
• Relations were improving!
Assessing Reagan’s Policy
• The Reagan administration would claim its
military buildup forced the Soviet Union to
concede defeat
• Others would give credit to George Kennan’s
containment policies and Gorbachev’s
initiatives
• Reagan’s second term came to a close in 1988he was the first president since Eisenhower to
complete two terms in the White House
President George H. Bush and
the End of the Cold War
Chief Justice William Rehnquist administering
the oath of office to Bush during Inaugural
ceremonies at the United States Capitol, January
20, 1989
• The Cold War had threatened
the very existence of the planet
and of humankind, yet it gave
clear purpose and structure to
U.S. foreign policy
• What would be the U.S. role in
the world after the Cold War?
• G.H. Bush, a former
ambassador to the UN and
director of the CIA, became the
first president to define the
U.S.’s role in this new era
The Election
of 1988
The 1988 presidential electoral
votes by state
• The Democrats regained control of the
Senate in 1986 and hoped the scandals
(Iran-Contra) of Reagan’s administration
would lead to a Democrat victory in the
election
• The Democrats nominated Michael
Dukakis, governor of Massachusetts
• The Republicans nominated former
Reagan’s Vice President George H. Bush
• Bush ran on the Democrats being soft on
crime and weak on national defense
• He also promised Americans “no new
taxes”
• Republicans won the White House and the
Democrats won both the House and Senate
in Congress
The Collapse of Soviet Communism
and the Soviet Union
• The first years of the Bush administration were dominated by
dramatic changes in the Communist world:
Tiananmen Square:
-prodemocracy student demonstrations are violently put down by
Chinese tanks
Eastern Europe:
-Gorbachev declared that he would no longer support various
Communist governments in Eastern Europe with Soviet troops
-Starting with Poland in 1989 with the election of Lech Walesa,
communists parties in Hungary, Czech, Bulgaria, and Romania
fell
-The Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and East and West Germany were
reunited in October of 1990
The Collapse of Soviet Communism
and the Soviet Union
Breakup of the Soviet Union:
-In 1990, the Soviet Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania declared
their independence
-After a failed coup against Gorbachev by Communist hardliners, the remaining
republics dissolved the Soviet Union in 1991 leaving Gorbachev a leader with
no country
-Boris Yeltsin, president of the Russian Republic, joined with nine former Soviet
republics to form the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) or Russian
Federation
End of the Cold War:
-START I: reduced nuclear warheads to under 10,000
-START II: reduced nuclear warheads to under 3,000
Instead of celebrating the end of the Cold War, Americans grew concerned about
the outbreak of civil wars and violence in the former Soviet Union (Bosnia)
Invasion of Panama
Bush speaks on the telephone regarding
Operation Just Cause with General Brent
Scowcroft and Chief of Staff John H. Sununu,
1989
• In December of 1989, US troops
were used for a different purpose
• Bush ordered the invasion of
Panama (“Operation Just Cause”)
to remove the autocratic General
Manuel Noriega
• The alleged purpose of the
invasion was to stop Noriega
from using his nation as a drug
pipeline to the US
• American troops remained until
elections established a more
creditable government
Persian
Gulf War
President Bush visited American
troops in Saudi Arabia on
Thanksgiving Day, 1990
• President Bush’s hopes for a “new world
order” of peace and democracy were
challenged in August of 1990 by Iraq’s
dictator Saddam Hussein
• Iraq invaded its oil rich neighbor Kuwait and
threatened Western oil sources in Saudi
Arabia and the Persian Gulf
• President Bush built a coalition of UN
members to pressure Saddam to withdraw
from Kuwait (Desert Shield)
• Bush later won congressional approval for a
military campaign to roll back Iraq’s act of
aggression
• In January of 1991 Desert Storm was
launched and after 100 hours Iraq was forced
to concede defeat (Bush’s approval rating hit
nearly 90%)
Domestic
Problems
Clarence Thomas being
sworn in by Byron White,
as wife Virginia Lamp
Thomas looks on
• President Bush’s political future looked secure
based on his foreign policy success, however his
domestic problems dogged his administration
Nomination of Clarence Thomas:
- The president’s choice to replace the retiring
Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court with
Clarence Thomas proved extremely
controversial (Thomas was accused of sexual
harassment)
Taxes and the Economy:
-the Savings and Loans institutions were bailed out
by the government at a cost of 250 billion
-the federal budget deficits of 250 billion a year
added over a trillion to the national debt during
the Bush presidency
Domestic Problems continued…
Read my lips-NO NEW TAXES:
- Republican voters were disappointed when Bush agreed to the Democratic
Congress’s proposed 133 billion in new taxes (31% top income tax rate,
federal excise taxes on beer/wine/cigarettes/gas and luxury cars and boats)
- Most damaging was a recession starting in 1990 resulting in increased
unemployment and a decreased average family income
Political Inertia:
-Bush began his presidency calling for “a kinder, gentler America” and declaring
himself the “education president”
-He signed into law the Americans With Disabilities Act prohibiting
discrimination against citizens with physical and mental disabilities in
transportation, hiring, and public accommodation
-In the midst of recession, Bush advocated for cuts in federal programs-a
growing number of Americans were left behind by the Reagan Revolution
The Clinton Years, 1993-2001:
Prosperity and Partisanship
President Bill Clinton
• During the last years of the 20th
century, the U.S. enjoyed a period
of unrivaled economic growth and
technological innovation
• The end of the Cold War allowed
Americans to focus more on
economic and domestic issues
• Politics became more divided,
bitter, and scandal-driven
Anti-Incumbent Mood
• A stagnant economy, huge budget deficits, and political
deadlock fueled a growing disillusionment with government
(especially Washington DC)
• The movement to impose term limits on elected officials
gained popularity on the state level
• The Supreme Court ruled in U.S. Term Limits Inc. v. Thorton
that states could not limit the tenure of federal lawmakers
without a constitutional amendment
• Another reflection of Americans’ disillusionment with
Washington politics was the ratification of the 27th
Amendment (prohibited members of Congress from raising
their own salaries)
The Election
of 1992
Presidential election results map.
Red denotes states won by
Bush/Quayle, Blue denotes those
won by Clinton/Gore
• As expected, G.H. Bush was nominated
by the Republicans for a second term
• The Democrats selected Bill Clinton
because he proved to be articulate and
energetic- he was a moderate “New
Democrat” who was focused on economic
issues
• Ross Perot, a Texas billionaire, entered
the race for president as an independent
• He appealed to millions of Americans
with his anti-Washington and anti-deficit
rhetoric ( On election day he captured
20% of the popular vote)
• Results: Clinton captured the White
House with 43% of the popular vote
(Democrats again won control of both
houses of Congress)
The Election of 1992 continued…
Carol Elizabeth Moseley
Braun is an American
politician and lawyer who
represented Illinois in the
United States Senate from
1993 to 1999.
• Clinton and his running mate, Senator
Al Gore, did well in the South and
recaptured the majority of the elderly
and blue-collar workers from the
Republicans
• In addition, the Democrats again won
control of both houses of Congress
• Among its 66 minority members and 48
women was Carol Moseley-Braun of
Illinois, the first African American
woman to be elected to the Senate
Clinton’s First Term (1993-1997
Bill Clinton made health care reform
one of the highest priorities of his
administration. He asked the First
Lady to chair the Task Force on
National Health Care Reform
• The early years of Bill Clinton’s
presidency were marked by
controversies:
1. Cabinet nominations
2. Scandals in the White House travel
office
3. Connection to the failed Whitewater real
estate deal in Arkansas
Setbacks:
During the first two years, the Republicans
(through filibustering) killed the
president’s economic stimulus package,
campaign-finance reform, environmental
bills, and health reform (Hillary Care)
Clinton’s Early Accomplishments
• The Democratic Congress started out 1993 by passing the
Family and Medical Leave Act and the “motor-voter” law that
enabled citizens to register to vote as they received their
driver’s licenses
• The Brady Handgun Bill mandated a five-day waiting period
to purchase a weapon
• In 1994, Congress enacted Clinton’s Anti-Crime Bill which
provided 30 billion dollars in funding for more police
protection and crime-prevention programs
• Congressed also passed a deficit-reduction budget that
included 255 billion in spending cuts and 241 billion in tax
increases
Clinton’s Early Accomplishments
continued…
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce credits
NAFTA with increasing US trade in
goods and services with Canada and
Mexico from $337 billion in 1993 to
$1.2 trillion in 2011, while the AFL-CIO
Union blames the agreement for sending
700,000 American manufacturing jobs to
Mexico over that time.
• Furthermore, in the budget was the
president’s requests for increased
appropriations for education and job
training
• Clinton also won passage of NAFTA
(North American Free Trade
Agreement which set up a free-trade
zone with Canada and Mexico
• Despite these accomplishments,
Clinton appeared to waffle on issues
and seemed too eager to compromise
• Critics often called the president
“Slick Willie”
Republicans Take Over Congress
A co-author and architect of the "Contract with America",
Gingrich was a major leader in the Republican victory in the
1994 congressional election. In 1995, Time named him "Man
of the Year" for "his role in ending the four-decades-long
Democratic majority in the House". While he was House
speaker, the House enacted welfare reform, passed a capital
gains tax cut in 1997, and in 1998 passed the first balanced
budget since 1969.
• In the midterm elections of
1994, the Republicans took
both houses of Congress for the
first time since 1954
• Republicans benefited from the
perception that the Democratic
Congress was inept and
dedicated to increasing federal
taxes and federal regulations
• President Clinton adjusted to
his party’s defeat by declaring
“The era of big government is
over”
Zealous Reformers
Daily News cover with
editorial cartoon by Ed
Murawinski depicting Gingrich
as an infant throwing a tantrum
• Newt Gingrich, a newly elected Speaker of
the House, led Republicans in an attack on
federal programs and spending outlined in
their campaign manifesto, “Contract with
America”
• The confrontation with President Clinton
and the Republicans led to two shutdowns
of the federal government in late 1995
• Antigovernment reformers were seen as
unpopular, especially after the bombing of
a federal building in Oklahoma City by
militia movement extremists
• The bombing claimed the lives of 169,
including many women and children
Balanced Budget
• In the 1996 election, Congress and the president compromised
on:
1. a budget that left Medicare and Social Security benefits intact
2. limited welfare benefits to five years under the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act
3. set some curbs on immigrants
4. increased the minimum wage
5. and balanced the budget
• The spending cuts and tax increases along with record
economic growth eliminated the deficit in federal spending in
1998 and produced the first surplus since 1969
The Election of 1996
Presidential election results
map. Red denotes states won
by Dole/Kemp, Blue denotes
those won by Clinton/Gore
• The Republicans ran Senator Bob Dole
(Kansas) against Clinton
• Dole campaigned on a 15% tax cut that
never gained traction with the voters
• Character attacks and massive campaign
spending by both sides did little to bring
more people to the polls (turnout dropped
below 50%)
• The Clinton-Gore ticket won the election
(first Democrat since FDR to win
consecutive terms)
• The Republicans retained both houses of
Congress
Clinton’s Second Term:
Prosperity and Poisonous Politics
• During President Clinton’s second term (1997-2001) the U.S.
1. Enjoyed the longest peacetime economic expansion in its
history
2. Annual growth rates of 4%
3. Technological innovations in computers, the Internet, and
wireless communications fueled increased national prosperity
(“e”- or electronic commerce)
4. Low U.S. inflation rates of 2-3%
5. Investor gains in the stock market
6. Unemployment fell from 7.5% in 1992 to 3.9% in 2000
7. Average and lower-income Americans experienced the first
gains in real income since 1973
Issues of Surplus
• The prosperity of the late 1990s shifted the debate in
Washington to what to do with the federal
government’s surplus revenues
-Republicans wanted tax cuts (estates and capital gains)
-Democrats wanted social programs (tax credits for
families with children and for higher education
expenses)
• Republicans pressed for more tax cuts while the
Democrats wanted to support Social Security, expand
Medicare, and reduce the national debt
Investigation and Impeachment
Monica Lewinsky is an American
woman with whom United States
President Bill Clinton admitted to
having had an "inappropriate
relationship“ while she worked at
the White House in 1995 and 1996.
The affair and its repercussions,
which included the Clinton
impeachment, became known as the
Lewinsky scandal.
• The President, his wife Hillary, and some
of their associates were under
investigation by Congress (never charged)
for a Whitewater real estate deal, the
firings of White House staff
(“Travelgate”), and the political use of the
FBI files (“Filegate”)
• However, independent prosecutor Kenneth
Starr charged that the President lied about
alleged sexual harassment while governor
of Arkansas and lied about a relationship
with a young woman who had served as a
White House intern
Impeachment
Floor proceedings of the U.S. Senate during
the impeachment trial of President Bill
Clinton in 1999, Chief Justice William
Rehnquist presiding. House managers are
seated beside the quarter-circular tables on
the left and the president's personal counsel
on the right
• In December of 1998, the House
voted to impeach the president
on two counts-perjury and
obstruction of justice
• Members of both parties
condemned Clinton’s actions but
public opinion did not support
impeachment
• Impeachment charges did not
hold up in the Senate, yet the
Republicans did damage
Clinton’s reputation
Foreign Policy
Madeleine Albright a Czech-born
American politician and diplomat.
She is the first woman to have
become the United States Secretary
of State. She was nominated by U.S.
President Bill Clinton on December
5, 1996, and was unanimously
confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of
99–0. She was sworn in on January
23, 1997.
• The end of the Cold War exposed
dozens of long-standing ethnic,
religious, and cultural conflicts in a
world of 190 nations
• Clinton’s first Secretary of State
Warren Christopher conducted lowkey foreign policy
• In 1997, Madeleine Albright became
the first woman to serve as secretary
of state
• She proved more assertive in the use
of American power-however, the
question still remained about the role
of the U.S.
• How would the U.S. use its military
power for peacekeeping in foreign
nations’ internal conflicts
Peacekeeping
The Battle of Mogadishu, more commonly
referred to as Black Hawk Down was part of
Operation Gothic Serpent and was fought on 3
and 4 October 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia,
between forces of the United States and
Somali militiamen loyal to the selfproclaimed president-to-be Mohamed Farrah
Aidid who had support from armed civilian
fighters.
• The first deaths of U.S. forces in
humanitarian missions during
Clinton’s administration came in
the civil war in Somalia in 1993
• In 1994, President Clinton sent
20,000 troops to Haiti to restore
its elected president JeanBertrand Aristide
• The U.S. also helped in
negotiating an end of British rule
and armed conflict in Northern
Ireland in 1998
Europe
Putin taking presidential
oath beside former
president Yeltsin, May 2000
• Under President Boris Yeltsin, Russia struggled
with attempted economic reforms and rampant
corruption
• In 2000 his elected successor Vladimir Putin
had to deal with
1. Russia’s broken down space program
2. Accidental sinking of a nuclear submarine
3. Economic issues
• U.S. and Russian relations were further
strained
1. with Russia’s brutal repression of the civil war
in Chechnya
2. the admittance in 1999 of the Czech Republic,
Hungary, and Poland to NATO
3. Russia’s support of Serbia in the Balkan wars
of the 1990s
Europe continued…
• Serbian dictator Solobodan Milosevic carried out a series of
armed conflicts to suppress independence movements in the
former Yugoslav provinces of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and
Kosovo
• Hundreds of thousands of members of ethnic and religious
minorities were killed in a process that was labeled “ethnic
cleansing”
• A combination of diplomacy, bombing, and troops from NATO
countries stopped the bloodshed in Bosnia in 1995 and Kosovo
in 1999
• The Serbian people removed Milosevic from power in a 2000
national election and an international tribunal tried him for the
crime of genocide
Asia
Da Nang, Vietnam (July 28,
2004) – Vietnamese military
officials watch as USS Curtis
Wilbur (DDG 54) prepares to
moor in the Vietnamese port of
Da Nang
• Nuclear proliferation became a growing
concern in the 1990s when North Korea
stepped up its nuclear reactor and missile
program and India and Pakistan tested
nuclear weapons for the first time in 1998
• In 1995, after 20 years from the fall of
Saigon to the Communists, the U.S.
established diplomatic relations and
encouraged reform in China
• The Clinton administration signed trade
agreements with China hoping to improve
diplomatic relations
• However, their were still concerns of
human rights, labor unions, and the
threats to the independent island nation of
Taiwan
Middle East
• Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s continued defiance of UN
weapons inspectors led to the suspension of all inspections in
1998
• President Clinton responded with a series of air strikes, yet
Hussein stayed in power
• The U.S. continued to assist the Israeli-Palestinian peace
process which resulted in the return of home rule to the
Palestinians in the Gaza strip and parts of the West Bank
• In addition, a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan in 1994
was signed with King Hussein
• The peace process broke down a year later with the
assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin in 1995
• Renewed violence in Israel also provoked a new round of antiAmerican sentiment in the Islamic world
Globalization
• The surging increase in trade, communications, and the
movement of capital around the world during this era were key
parts of globalization
• Globalization promoted the development of global and
regional economic organizations
• The WTO or World Trade Organization was established in
1994 to oversee trade agreements, enforce trade rules, and
settle disputes
• The powerful International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the
World Bank made loans to and supervised the economic
policies of poorer nations with debt problems
• The European Union (EU) became a unified market of 15
nations, 12 of which adopted a single currency (euro) in 2002
Globalization •
continued…
G7 finance ministers at the 2008 meeting
The Group of Seven (G-7), the world’s
largest industrial powers (Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, the United
Kingdom, and the United States)
controlled two-thirds of the world’s wealth
• China and India continued to enjoy rapid
development
• The growing gap between rich and poor
nations of the world caused tensionsespecially over the debts poor nations
owed to powerful banks and the richest
nations
• Workers and unions in the richest nations
often resented globalization because they
lost their jobs to cheaper labor markets in
the developing world
Timeline
•
•
•
•
•
•
-
1974 - Presidential impeachment hearings
- U.S. v. Nixon
- President Nixon resigns presidency; Gerald Ford becomes thirty-eighth president
- Ford pardons Nixon
-Oil shortages due to embargo and OPEC
1975- Oil price controls ended
- Government of South Vietnam surrenders to the North Vietnamese
1976 - Bicentennial Year
- Supreme Court upholds busing in Boston to achieve integration
- Jimmy Carter elected thirty-ninth president of the United States
1977 - Carter opens presidency by granting a pardon to draft evaders and proposing a large government spending
program to reduce unemployment
- Clean Air Bill
1978 - California tax cut (Proposition 13) approved by voters
- Bakke v. University of California
- Camp David meetings (Israel-Egypt peace talks) and accord
1979 - U.S.-China diplomatic recognition finalized
Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty
Three-Mile Island nuclear plant accident
Iranian students seize U.S. embassy in Teheran and take employees hostage
Timeline
•
•
•
•
•
•
1980 - Inflation continues as consumer prices rise 13.3 percent
- Attempt to rescue Iranian hostages fails
-Ronald Reagan elected fortieth president
1981 - Inflation continues as consumer prices rise 12.4 percent
- Reagan supply-side economic plan reduces taxes, cuts welfare benefits, and increases spending for
defense
- AIDS identified
1982 - Inflation rate slows as unemployment reaches post-World War II record
- Equal Rights Amendment to Constitution (ERA) defeated
- U.S. troops ordered to Lebanon due to civil war between Israel and PLO
- START talks open
- Reagan introduces Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI or "Star Wars")
1983 - U.S. troops invade Grenada
- Terrorists bomb U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 237
- Congress passes bill to reform Social Security System
- Unemployment rate goes over 10 percent
1984 - Ronald Reagan and George Bush overwhelmingly reelected, defeating Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro
(Democrat, NY), first woman vice presidential Candidate for a major party
1985 - Gramm/Rudman Act (balanced budget)
- Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of Soviet Union and introduces reforms (glasnost and
peristroika); summit meeting in Geneva between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan
- S & L (savings and loan) failures upset economy
Timeline
•
•
•
•
•
1986 - Challenger space shuttle explodes
- Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in Soviet Union - Iran-Contra affair revealed
1987 - Iran-Contra congressional hearings
- Stock Market collapses with over 500-point loss on the Dow Jones in one day
- INF Treaty signed
- Congress approves S & L bailouts program
- Clean Water Act passed over Reagan's veto
1988 - George H. W. Bush (Bush 41-Republican) elected forty-first president
- Anti-Drug Act passed (fourth act in six years)
- Peace accord signed in Nicaragua and Sandinistas are voted out of office 1989
- Fall of Berlin Wall
- United States invades Panama to seize accused drug dealer General Noriega
1990 - Second Earth Day celebration heightens environmental concerns
- Iraq invades Kuwait-Bush organizes anti-Iraq coalition in United Nations (Operation Desert Shield)
- Non-Communist governments established in all of Eastern Europe
- Cold War ends
- Americans with Disabilities Act
1991 - Kuwait freed and Iraq invaded by UN coalition led by United States (OperationDesert Storm); fighting ends
with armistice and Saddam Hussein still in control
- Economic downturn continues and country goes into a major recession
- Soviet Union breaks up-replaced by Commonwealth of Independent States
- Slovenia and Croatia separate from Yugoslavia
Timeline
•
•
•
•
1991 continued…Clarence Thomas approved as judge of United States Supreme Court in spite of charges of sexual
harassment
- Cambodian Peace Accords; El Salvador Peace Pact; Afghanistan Peace Agreement; Namibia
Accord-all arranged through United Nations with U.S.-Russian cooperation
-Last U.S. hostages freed in Lebanon
- Rust v. Sullivan Supreme Court decision upholds Roe v. Wade
1992 - UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Conference)
- Legislative stalemate as President Bush continues to veto Democratic legislation; recession worsens
- Rodney King case followed by riots in Los Angeles
- Bill Clinton (Democrat) elected forty-second president of the United States with Al Gore as vice
president
1993 - NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) approved
- Israel-PLO Oslo Peace Accords signed
- Whitewater investigation begins
- Yugoslavia Civil War spreads to Bosnia
- South Africa ends apartheid and adopts a multiracial constitution
- Davidian cult attacked by FBI at Waco, Texas - health care reform fails
1994 - GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) approved
- Jordan-Israel sign peace treaty
- Brady Bill (arms registration) passed
- Republicans gain control of Senate and House of Representatives in mid-term election: Republican
Contract with America
- Federal Reserve raises interest rates five times to curb inflation and slow economic recovery
Timeline
•
•
1995 - Newt Gingrich elected Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Oklahoma City Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombed; Timothy McVeigh and Terry
Nichols later found guilty
- Welfare Reform Bill "ends welfare as we know it"
- Dayton Accords signed; commitment of U.S. troops to peacekeeping in Bosnia
- Clinton and congressional disagreements over budget lead to government shutdowns in November
and December; public supports Clinton stance; budget finally passed in January 1996
- Beginning of Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton affair
1996 - Telecommunications Overhaul Bill
- Romer v. Evans (gay rights)
- Late Term Abortion Bill vetoed
- Antiterrorism Bill
- Health Insurance Portability Bill
- Illegal Immigration Bill
- Line Item Veto Bill
- Clinton-Gore (Democrat) reelected with 49.2% of the vote over Bob Dole-Jack Kemp
(Republican) and Ross Perot (Reform)
Timeline
•
•
1997 - "Politics of self destruction" dominate political life in Washington
- Balanced budget by 2002 plan approved
- Arab-Israel talks at impasse; civil war in Zaire; Northern Ireland peace talks
- Dow Jones drops 554.26 points, largest one day drop, yet ends year up 22.6
percent as U.S. economy continues to boom
1998 - House of Representatives impeaches President Clinton
- First budget surplus in 30 years; Clinton calls for surplus to be used for
Social Security; Republicans call for tax cuts
- Dow Jones drops 20 percent in August but ends year up 16.1 percent
- NATO expansion approved; Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland to join
- Line Item Veto Act of 1996 declared unconstitutional
- Internal Revenue Service Reform Bill
- India and Pakistan explode atomic bombs
- United States and Britain bomb Iraq; UN arms inspection teams withdraw
Timeline
•
•
1999 - Senate holds impeachment trial; Clinton cleared on all charges
- NATO bombs Yugoslavia (Serbia and Kosovo); peace agreement reached; NATO
sends in troops
- Murphy v. U.P.S. (limits Americans with Disabilities Act)
- Senate rejects Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
2000 - Y2K arrives with few computer problems
- U.S.-China Trade Agreement
- George W. Bush (Bush 43) (Republican) elected forty-third president of the United
States with Dick Cheney as vice president, defeating Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman
(Democrat) in closest election in U.S. history; Gore wins popular vote-Bush wins
Electoral College vote
- Bush v. Gore settles disputed Florida presidential vote
- Dow Jones drops 6.2 percent as bull market ends