Search for Solutions

1
Search for Solutions

• 1976-1992

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The Election of 1976

• Republican candidate Gerald R. Ford
• Ford faced a tough challenge in the primary. Many
  Republicans supported Ronald Reagan.
• Ford was viewed as an easy going guy with high
  integrity, but his intellectual capabilities were
  questioned.
• Democrat candidate James Earl Jimmy Carter
• Former GA gov. No exp. in federal govt.

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The Election of 1976

• Carter won the election 297-241
• Carter received support from the industrial
  Northeast, South, and African Americans
• Carter was the first President from the Deep
  South since 1848 (thats before the Civil War)

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Carters challenges

• Carter thought America was too dependent on
  foreign oil (Where have we heard this
  before?!?!?)
• Many Middle Eastern countries belonged to the
  OPEC Cartel.
• OPEC set higher oil prices.
• Higher oil prices lead to higher prices on
  consumer goods

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Carters challenges

• Carter convinced Congress to create the
  Department of Energy
• In order to conserve oil, Carter promoted the use
  of coal and renewable resources such as solar
  (where have we heard this before!?!?)
• Carter wanted Americans to join together in
  fighting rising consumption

6
Carters challenges

• Carter asked Americans to make cuts on their own.
  However, many Americans questioned the importance
  since they were voluntary.
• When Carter tried tougher approaches, Congress
  rejected them

7
Carters challenges

• Carter didnt have the best relationship with his
  Democratic Congress
• This was caused by his refusal to play politics
• Carter refused to pass pork barrel legislation
• Expensive spending programs that were not very
  important and helped only a few people
• Rising gas prices helped contribute to double
  digit inflation
• By 1980, it cost twice as much to buy something
  compared to 10 years prior.

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Carters foreign policy

• Carter had a fairly clear foreign policy approach
• Carter helped give the Panama Canal back to
  Panama
• Carter condemned the Soviets for imprisoning
  people who protested the government
• Carter helped strike a peace deal between Israel
  and Egypt

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Iran crisis of 1979

• The US had supported the Shah of Iran for years.
• The Shah brought Western technology and reforms
  to his people
• The Shah was overthrown via riots
• The country was then lead by the religious leader
  Ayatollah Khomeini

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Iran crisis of 1979

• In Nov. 1979, militants stormed the US embassy in
  Tehran and took over 50 Americans hostage.
• Carter pushed for a diplomatic approach to
  freeing the hostages.

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Election of 1980

• The Iran crisis of 1979 became a key issue in the
  1980 election.
• Carter fought off a challenge in the primary from
  Ted Kennedy
• The Republicans selected Ronald Reagan as their
  candidate.
• Republicans argued for lower taxes and smaller
  government

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Election of 1980

• Reagan selected George H. W. Bush as his running
  mate
• Reagan questioned Carters leadership and the
  countrys economy.
• Reagan won the election 489-49
• The GOP took control of the Senate and reduced
  the Democratic control of the House.
• The Iranian hostages were released upon Reagans
  inauguration.

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The Reagan administration

• Reagans economic approach was called
  Reaganomics
• Reagan cut federal spending on programs such as
  Medicare, food stamps, and education.
• Reagan put a freeze on the hiring of federal
  employees.
• Reagan cut taxes on businesses and individuals

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The Reagan administration

• Reagan adjusted tax brackets to allow people to
  make more money without being taxed more.
• Reagans ideas were faced with opposition
• His ability to communicate and sense of humor
  helped him get his ideas passed.
• In 1981, he was shot and wounded. This helped him
  gain support

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The Reagan administration

• When Reagans aides told him business was going
  as usual, he responded by saying What makes you
  think Id be happy about that?

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Results of Reaganomics

• In 1982, the US faced a severe recession. By the
  end of the year, 10 of Americans were jobless.
• Businesses were going bankrupt, farms were
  foreclosing, and factories were shutting their
  doors.

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Results of Reaganomics

• By 1983, the economy started turning around
  (maybe because Mr. Roth was born that year).
• The Federal Reserve cut interest rates.
• Tax cuts started putting more money into the
  hands of people.
• Sales shot up
• By the end of Reagans 2nd term, unemployment was
  at 5.5. A 14 year low

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Election of 1984

• Reagan ran against Walter Mondale (D) who
  selected Geraldine Ferraro (R) as his VP.
• Ferraro was the first woman from a major party to
  run for this office.
• Reagan won 525-13, the biggest victory in US
  history

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Reagans military and foreign policy

• Reagan announced a new program called the
  Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). It was
  nicknamed Star Wars.
• SDI was designed to intercept and destroy nuclear
  ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles).
• Opponents feared this would frighten the Soviets
  and heat up the Cold War.
• The B-2 stealth bomber was also
• developed under Reagan

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Reagans military and foreign policy

• Reagans military spending helped increase the
  national deficit.
• Reagan treated the Soviet Union as an Evil
  Empire
• Reagan kept pressure on the Soviets.
• He asked the Soviets to tear down the Berlin
  Wall.
• He signed a treaty with the Soviets removing
  weapons from Europe.

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Iran-Contra Scandal

• Several of Reagans security aides had schemed to
  sell weapons to the Iranians to win the release
  of the hostages in the Middle East
• They then diverted the profits to Nicaraguan
  guerillas called Contras who were fighting to
  topple the government.
• This was in violation of a Congressional bans on
  such financing

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Iran-Contra Scandal

• The investigation cleared Reagan of direct
  blame/involvement. However, it blamed Reagan for
  allowing his aides to take such actions without
  his knowledge.

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Election of 1988

• Republican George H. W. Bush
• Democrat Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis.
• Bush ran on the phrase Read my lips. No new
  taxes.
• Dukakis appeared soft.
• Bush won 426-112.

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Ending the Cold War

• In 1989, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia,
  Bulgaria, Romania, and East Germany overthrew
  their Communist governments, forcing democratic
  elections.
• Crowds tore down the Berlin Wall.

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The end of the Cold War

• In 1991, Gorbachev stepped down as general
  secretary
• Without communism holding everything together,
  the Soviet states began to break off.
• On December 25, 1991, Gorbachev formally
  resigned, making the end of the Soviet Union.

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Persian Gulf War

• In 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.
• The United Nations authorized military action to
  restore Kuwaits independence.
• Operation Desert Storm started in 1991. The
  United States started military action against
  Iraq.
• After a month of bombing, it took General
  Schwarzkopf 100 hours to crash Iraqs army.

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Chapter 26 1992-whenever this book was published

• In 1992, the 27th Amendment was passed.
• This limited Congress in giving themselves pay
  raises.

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1992 Election

• George Bush ran for the Republicans
• Former Arkansas gov. William Jefferson Clinton
  won the primary for the Democrats
• Clinton ran on the phrase of Its the economy
  stupid
• Texas H. Ross Perot ran an
• independent campaign

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1992 Election

• Ross Perot had a strong showing. People liked
  that he wasnt with one of the major parties.
• He received 19 of the popular vote.
• Clinton ended up winning the election 370-168.
• The popular vote went as follows
• Clinton 43.7 million
• Bush 38.1 million
• Perot 19.2 million

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The Clinton administration

• Clinton claimed to be a New Democrat,
  representing a more moderate part of the party.
• He embraced middle-class practices such as
  playing music, jogging, and eating at fast good
  places.

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The Clinton administration

• One of Clintons campaign promises was to cut
  taxes for the middle class. However, when he saw
  the deficit, he left the idea of tax cuts and
  supported tax increases to raise more revenue.
• Clinton faced gridlock in Congress. This was in
  part to the Dems being split on the size of
  government.

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The Clinton administration

• Clinton wanted a health care system to provide
  health care to those Americans without any
  insurance.
• He name Hillary Clinton to head up the job of
  finding a solution.
• Clintons health care program required employers
  to carry much of the burden for health care.

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The Clinton administration

• Many small businesses opposed Clintons health
  care plan as they feared they wouldnt be able to
  afford it.
• The insurance industry also opposed the plan.
• The GOP opposed the plan as well.

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The Clinton administration

• Conservative talk radio hosts (Rush Limbaugh)
  attacked Clintons plan as well as criticized
  Clinton, hurting his popularity.
• Clinton also had to deal with ethic issues.
• Clinton was investigated for his involvement for
  Whitewater. This was a land development project
  that had gone south.

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1994 Election

• Mounting complaints about Clinton lead to the GOP
  gaining control of the House and Senate.
• This was the first time in
• 40 years.
• Newt Gingrich became
• the Speaker of the House.

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1994 Election

• A key to the GOP victory was the Contract with
  America
• This proposed lower taxes, higher restrictions on
  immigration, limits on Congressional terms, a
  balanced budget, and line-item veto.
• Line-item veto gives the President the right to
  cut out select parts of a spending bill.

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Conflict in the Balkans

• Fighting broke out in Bosnia where Bosnian Serbs
  wanted to retain ties with Serbia
• Serbia, under their leader Solbodan Milosevic,
  began ethnic cleansing.
• NATO forces went in to try and help solve the
  situation.

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Conflict in the Balkans

• Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic requested
  the diplomatic services of Jimmy Carter
• Carter managed to arrange a shaky truce as war
  broke out again in 95.
• In 96, talks took place in Dayton, OH and helped
  establish a peace.

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Clinton foreign policy

• During the Six Day War in 67, Israel took
  control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
  These areas were strongly populated by
  Palestinian Arabs.
• In 87, these Palestinians began uprising.
• In 93, Clinton helped Israeli Prime Minister
  Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation
  Organization leader Yasir Arafat reach a peach
  agreement.

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NAFTA

• In 1993, the United States agreed to the North
  American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
• NAFTA lifted all tariffs between the United
  States, Canada, and Mexico.

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Election of 1996

• Republican Senator Bob Dole won a tough primary.
• Pat Buchanon and Steve Forbes challenged Dole.
• Ross Perot was on the scene again
• Many hoped Colin Powell would join the race.

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Election of 1996

• Clintons campaign pointed out Clintons results.
• The passing of the Brady Act (ban of assault
  weapons) showed he was strong on crime.
• A strong economy with 10.5 million new jobs
  helped Clinton.
• Clinton became the first Dem to be elected to a
  second term since FDR.

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Concerns of Clintons second term

• The environment became a big issue.
• Concern stepped up after the Exxon Valdez crashed
  into Alaska and spilled a bunch of oil.
• Acid rain was a concern
• Clinton pushed to reduce land, water, and air
  pollution.
• Emissions of CO2 were to be reduce to sub 1990
  levels by 2012.

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Concerns of Clintons second term

• The spread of AIDS became a concern.
• The government worked to educate Americans about
  AIDS.
• Drug use was on the rise.
• Clinton launched a war on the sale of drugs
• Illegal aliens were a concern (where have we
  heard this?!?!?)