1. Election of 2000
-Al Gore
-George W. Bush
-very close election
-Bush wins electoral vote but Gore wins popular vote
-Florida votes disputed
-Supreme Court rules first Florida results as final because no set standard of judging votes can be set.

2. America Changes
-September 11, 2001
-Terrorists attack the World Trade Center, Pentagon
-Four planes are hijacked and used as weapons
-Osama Bin Laden leads the Al Qaeda terrorist group which carried out the attacks
-War in Afghanistan
-Homeland Security Concerns- Patriot Act

3. Post 9/11 America -Bush tax cuts
-Stock Market has bounced back from recession
-Interest Rates have been at lowest level in years
-No Child Left Behind Act
-Faith Based Initiatives
-Medicare Prescription Medicines
-Chief Justice John Roberts appointed as conservative Judicial leader

4. America in Crisis
--Corporate scandals
-War on Terrorism
-Homeland Security
-Patriot Act
-Iraq
-Debates over the war effort
-Continued Budget Deficits
-Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath

5. Election of 2008
-George Bush completed two terms as President
-Republicans nominate John McCain
-Democrats have major battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
-Obama wins the Democratic nomination by a narrow margin and then the Presidential election

6. New Precedent
-Barack Obama becomes the first minority to become President
-Elections sets a new standard for the spending of money in a political campaign
-The presidential race also saw a huge rise in the use of internet campaigning.
-Hillary Clinton became the Secretary of State in the new administration

7. Economic Plans
-Obama’s presidency faces intense economic struggles
-Meltdown of the stockmarket
-Financial bailouts of the banking, insurance, and automobile industries.
-bleak predictions of record deficits

8. Outlook for the Future
-”Green technologies”
-Global efforts against terrorism
-Dependence on foreign oil
-Future of government regulation of industry