1990’s and Early 2000’s: Daddy Bush, Clinton and Son Bush

 Election of 1988 –George H. Bush (R)  Platform –No raise in taxes (Broke pledge in 1990)  Increase top income tax rate to 31% and raised excise tax –Strong nat’l defense  Americans will question $ spent on military b/c Cold War over  White middle class votes  Not much domestic policy –Cut federal programs –Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) prohibit discrimination against citizens with physical and mental disabilities in hiring, transportation and housing  Democrats control Congress

 Tiananmen Square (1989) –Pro democracy students demo. for freedom –Govt crushed the protest with tanks and machine gunners killings 100s  Fall of Communism ( ) –Gorbachev  Glasnost openness  Perestroika restructure econ. using free market practices  No longer support govt in E Europe with army –Poland Solidarity Movement (1989), others follow –Berlin Wall falls Germany reunited 1990  Panama Invasion (1989) –Censored by world organizations b/c

World Scene  START I (1991) Bush and Gorbachev –Reduce number of nuclear warheads to under 10,000 for each side  START II (1992) Bush and Yeltsin –Reduce nuclear weapons to just over 3,000 each –Economic assistance to Russia  Persian Gulf War (1990) –Iraq’s dictator – Saddam Hussein invades oil rich Kuwait  threatens Western oil resources –Bush and UN pressure Hussein to withdraw –Congress approves military action  1991 Operation Desert Storm –Revival of Islamic extremism (new U.S threat)

Clinton’s Presidency  American public tired of foreign policy  Election of 1992 –Clinton- moderate “New Democrat”  Focused on domestic economic issues: jobs, education, healthcare –Perot – independent candidate  20% popular vote best 3 rd party showing since TR’s Progressive Party

Clinton’s First Term  Democrats control Congress  Republicans in Congress block healthcare reform, economic stimulus package  Democrats in Congress and Clinton gain –Brandy Handgun bill- 5 day waiting period for purchase of gun – Anti-Crime Bill - funding for police protection and crime prevention programs –deficit reduction budget ($255 bill in spending cuts and $241 bill in tax increase) –signed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)- created free trade zone with Canada and Mexico –“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” couldn’t end ban on gays in military. Enact policy of not inquire.  Republicans control Congress (1944) –Newt Gingrich – Speaker of House –Gridlock over budget. Fed gov’t. shutdown twice –Welfare limited to five years  Budget balanced; deficit surplus by 1998  Bombing of fed. building in Oklahoma City (1995) –169 dead  Clinton supports World Trade Organization (WTO)1994 –International economic org.  Humanitarian Missions –Somalia and Black Hawk helicopters (1993) –End military rule in Haiti (1994)

Clinton’s Second Term  Clinton wins election of 1996 (incumbent)  Major economic expansion in peacetime! –Technological advancements: computers, Internet, wireless  Unemployment rate record low, even for minorities  Congress and President fight over what surplus means –Congress wanted tax cuts –President wants expansion in federal programs  Impeachment (1998) –Perjury and obstruct justice, b/c lied about relations –Not removed from office  First female Secretary of State (1997) –Madeleine Albright  Humanitarian Missions –End Serbs “ethnic cleansing” in Bosnia (1995) and Kosovo (1999)

George W Bush  Election of 2000 –Bush vs Gore –Gore won popular vote not electoral vote  Florida recount issue- –Supreme Court ruled against recount  Domestic Policy –Roe v Wade –Tax cuts  $1.35 trillion tax cut over 10 yrs.  Those at highest and lowest brackets benefit most –Recession of 2001  Unemployment 6%  Recession + tax cuts + increase defense spending turned surplus from Clinton into deficit by 2003  Fraud and corruption in big business fuels problems (i.e Enron)  War on Terrorism –9/11 –Invade Afghanistan –Homeland Security –Iraq War

Changing American Society  In 2002, 3 rd most populous nation  In 2000, Hispanics largest minority group  Longer life expectancy (baby boomers grow old) –Leads to concerns: healthcare, prescriptions, social security,  Decline in nuclear family  Growing concentration of wealth among richest Americans