1. Modern Issues

2. Modern Issues: Supreme Court
Supreme Court Impact/Role:
Cv. Rts mvmnt serves as model for achieving equal justice and extend civil rights
Protects individual right enumerated in Constitution and protects rights of privacy
Sup Ct. invalidates legislative and executive actions that exceed authority
Supreme Court membership has changed:
‘New’ Sup Ct. includes women and Minorities:
Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Clarence Thomas

3. Modern Issues: Sandra Day Oconnor/Ruth Bader Ginsburg

4. Modern Issues: Immigration
Immigration – moving from one country to another: recent immigrants come from Asian and Latin American countries
Reasons for immigration: Political Freedom and Economic opportunity
Issues: strain on gov’t services, filling low paying jobs, border issues, pathway to citizenship, bilingual education and increased cultural diversity

5. Modern Issues: Immigration
Contributions: Diversity in music, the arts, and literature
Role in the labor force: Cesar Chavez- organizes migrant workers in Cali
Expanded source of scientists and engineers

6. Modern Issues: Space/Technology
1960s: JFK – promises better effort of space exploration: NASA
John Glenn: 1st American to orbit the Earth
Neil Armstrong: 1st person on the moon – “that’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”
Sally Ride: 1st female astronaut

7. Modern Issues: Technology
Technology Changes daily life
Work: telecommuting (work from home)
Growth of service industry – technology support, software
Change in workforce: Outsourcing/off-shoring
Learning: Distance learning, virtual classrooms (NOVANET)
Playing: gaming industry
Science/Medicine: Dr. Jonas Salk develops Polio Vaccine
Technology connects the world:
Cable TV/24 Hour News: CNN
Personal Computers
Cellular Phones
World Wide Web (internet)

8. Modern Issues: Ronald Reagan
President Reagan and conservative republicans push or advocate for:
Tax cuts, less federal gov’t (states have more responsibilities)
Appointment of judges that practice ‘judicial restraint’- less interpertation
Reduction of federal gov’t and programs
Strengthen American Military

9. Modern Issues: Ronald Reagan

10. Modern Issues: ‘Reagan Revolution’
This conservative nature (tax cuts, less gov’t) extends past his presidency:
George H.W. Bush (dad) continues policies
Bill Clinton election: centrist- liberals move to more conservative policies
Republicans sweep congressional and state elections throughout the 1990s
Election of George W. Bush (son)

11. Modern Issues: Governing
Hot issues: economy – 1990s- Gov’t promotes full employment and low inflation through:
Federal Reserve: monetary ($) policies that control supply of money and credit to expand or contract economic growth
President and Congress: attempt to regulate economy through taxation and gov’t spending

12. Modern Issues: Post Cold War Policies
Goals of US: connect to rest of world
Foreign Aid: assist other countries in pursuit of democratic gov’ts
Humanitarian Aid: assist people in peril because of natural disasters and misfortune
Human Rights: assist people that are opprosed by dictator rule, gov’t policies

13. Modern Issues: G.H.W. Bush (Dad)
Oversees the collapse of communism in eastern europe:
Reunification of Germany
Collapse of Yugoslavia
Break up of Soviet States
Persian Gulf War:
1st women serve in combat role
Operation Desert Storm: end Iraqi occupation of Kuwait

14. Modern Issues: George HW Bush (Dad)

15. Modern Issues: Bill Clinton
North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): open trade between Mexico, Canada and US
Full diplomatic relations with Vietnam
Helps force end of apartheid (segregation) in South Africa
NATO action in Yugoslavia

16. Modern Issues: Bill Clinton

17. Modern Issues: George W. Bush (son)
Terrorist Attacks: 9/11/2001- NYC bombing of World Trade Center by Al-Qeda
US responds:
War in Afghanistan/Iraq
Heightened security: Patriot Act – gives gov’t access to more personal info

18. Modern Issues: George W. Bush (Son)