1. America in the 21 st Century Is the U.S. Master of its own Fate?

2. 2000 Y2K Crisis doesn’t materialize Dot Com boom ends Global economy a reality Federal government in surplus Hope for Israeli/Palestinian reconciliation

3. 2000 Election Bush/Cheney vs Gore/Lieberman –Gore won popular vote by half million votes –Bush won electoral vote after dispute and litigation to the Supreme Court over 537 votes in Florida –Supreme Court Case: Bush v. Gore, decided on a 5-4 vote

4. Bush II – First Term Agenda Reordering Clinton foreign policy –By allowing the Israeli Palestinian talks to lapse –Offensives on the “axis of evil” – Iran, Iraq, N. Korea –Rejects Kyoto Treaty on global warming No Child Left Behind Education Reform –Create tests to measure school effectiveness –Funding not provided to implement completely Tax Cuts over 10 years –Deficits to be plugged with spending cuts

5. September 11 Terrorist attacks on World Trade Center, Pentagon, and possibly White House (4 th plane crashes in Pennsylvania) kill 3000 people. October 2001: War in Afghanistan to remove the Taliban regime which harbored Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden December 2001: New government installed in Afghanistan; bin Laden escapes Prisoners brought to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for interrogation and declared “enemy combatants” (Jan 2002).

6. War on Terror Greatly increased security concerns in US, particularly in travel: –Airport Security federalized Restricted entry to U.S. for travelers Patriot Act (October 2001) Department of Homeland Security proposed, created with the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and opened in January 2003.

7. Homeland Security Agencies U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Transportation Security Administration U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services United States Secret Service Federal Law Enforcement Training Center United States Coast Guard Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

8. Homeland Security Advisory System

9. Iraq War Summer 2002: Bush Administration claims that Saddam Hussein had “weapons of mass destruction” and was supporting terrorists October 2002: Congress provides president with authorization for military action US proposes U.N. demand Iraq dismantle WMDs; UN Security Council provides authorization for inspections in November 2002

10. Iraq War February 2003: Colin Power makes case for military action at UN UN inspectors request more time, saying they have not found WMDs March 19, 2003: US and “coalition of the willing” invade Iraq without UN authorization April 8, 2003: Coalition takes Baghdad and Hussein disappears; April 14: Bush declares was is over

11. May 2, 2003: Bush declares “Mission Accomplished”

12. Iraq War Summer 2003: Continued effort to find WMDs; none found Insurgency against coalition occupation begins Fall 2003: US soldiers begin Abu Ghraib prison interrogations to find source of insurgency and WMDs December 2003: Hussein captured

13. Iraq War April 2004: Prisoner abuse photographs from Abu Ghraib Prison broadcast on 60 Minutes April 2004: Fallujah becomes battle ground between US forces and insurgency after contractors killed

14. Fallujah violence

16. 2004 Election Season John Kerry v. George Bush Bush cautions that elections in Iraq will calm violence –June 2004: sovereignty transferred –Jan 2005: constitutional election –December 2005: legislative election Bush wins in November 2004: claims mandate

17. Bush, Second Term Agenda Complete mission in Iraq; continued focus on the “axis of evil” Replace social security system with individual retirement accounts But…..events again intervene Hurricane season: Katrina and the destruction of New Orleans (August- September 2005)

18. Hurricane Katrina

19. New Orleans and Matairie, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina

20. Gulfport, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina

21. War in Iraq continues…

23. US Deaths in Iraq

24. US Deaths in Iraq: Trend

25. 2006 Off Year Elections as Mandate on Bush Administration Democrats propose moderate candidates in states like Virginia Antiwar movement tackles Democratic supporters of Iraq War: Lieberman targeted in Connecticut Grass roots organizing by both parties

26. Electoral Turnout

27. The Strength of Party Turnout

28. Wisconsin Turnout is Higher than National Average Presidential Elections, 1980 – 2004

29. Voter Turnout, U.S. and Wisconsin, 1980-2006

30. What next? How will the Iraq War end? Who will be the major party candidates for the 2008 presidential election? How will Democrats run Congress? How will a Republican President and Democratic Congress function? And locally….?

31. Turnout, Off Year and Presidential, US and WI