The United States In Today’s World Chapter 34

William Jefferson Clinton -Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas became the first member of the baby-boom generation to win the presidency at age 46. -Vowed to fix the nations weak economy and to lead the Democratic party in a more moderate direction. -Embraced both liberal and conservative policies.

Crime and Terrorism 1993-Terrorists try to topple World Trade Center towers in NYC, by exploding a bomb in the parking garage. April 1999 Columbine Shooting 1995-A blast destroyed the Oklahoma City Federal Office Building, killing 168 men, women, & children. Timothy McVeigh was found guilty and was executed in 2001.

Impeachment of a President Clinton was accused of improperly using money from a land development deal to fund his reelection as Governor. He also was charged with lying under oath about having an improper relationship with a young White House intern. Brought up on impeachment charges of perjury and obstruction of justice by the House of Representatives. Found not guilty by the Senate.

2000 Election George W. Bush vs. Al Gore One of the closest elections in history. Would take over a month to decide a winner. The winner of Florida would win the election. Al Gore wins the popular vote across the nation, but Bush wins the electoral vote. Lots of voting irregularities reported in Florida, Gore wants manual recount, Republicans block it and take it to the Supreme Court. SC decides to stop the recounts, Bush is then declared the President. *A relatively small number of votes can determine an election’s outcome

9/11 On the morning of September 11, 2001, two airliners crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in NYC, a third crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and a fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. About 3000 people were killed in the attacks.

War against Afghanistan In October 2001 U.S. and collation forces begin bombing of Afghanistan, the home of the al-Qaeda terrorist network led by Osama bin Laden. Afghanistan was ruled by a strict Islamic regime called the Taliban. Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan on May 2nd, 2011 by a team of Navy SEALs. (SEAL Team 6)

War in Iraq In 2003, Bush expanded the war on terrorism to Iraq. He feared that Saddam Hussein was supplying Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) to terrorists. Hussein refused to allow inspections or give up power, U.S. and British forces invaded Iraq in March of 2003. No WMDs were found. Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006. The United States pulled its last troops out of Iraq in Dec. 2011

The Internet In 1994, Vice President Al Gore began to oversee the government’s participation in developing the “information superhighway”. Private businesses would build the superhighway, but the government would keep access democratic and protect privacy and property rights. By 2000 – 97 million Americans used the Internet regularly.

Urban Flight The movement of Americans from the cities to the suburbs that took place from the end of WWII through the 1980s. Left for space, privacy, security, schools. The decline in population led to a decline in local taxes. In the 2000s we see some major cities begin to increase in population once again. Gentrification: people returning to live in the inner cities; mainly young people who prefer the action of the city.