Title: President%20George%20H.W.%20Bush
1 President George H.W. Bush
- Ch. 32, Section 2, pg. 928
2Presidential Election of 1988
- Ronald Reagan had already served two terms, so
George H.W. Bush (his Vice-President) is the
Republican nominee. - George H. W. Bush defeats Democrat candidate
Michael Dukakis.
3START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)
- In 1990, George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev
agreed, along with other European leaders, to
destroy tanks and other nuclear weapons that were
positioned in Europe. - Why important? It was the first time that two
nuclear powers agreed to destroy existing nuclear
weapons.
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5Collapse of Soviet Union
- Because of glasnost, Soviet citizens began to
express their dissatisfaction. - Thousands marched through Moscow in February
1990. - The citizens were calling for democracy instead
of communism. - Some parts of the Soviet Union republics were
trying to break free and form their own
independent nations.
6Collapse of the Soviet Union
- MAJOR EVENTS
- Berlin Wall is torn down on November 9, 1989.
(East and West Germany united) - Gorbachev is overthrown by communist military
leaders taken prisoner. - Gorbachev is freed by republics and Boris Yeltsin
declares 15 republics free and independent from
the Soviet Union. - Group of republics become known as Russia and
the Communist Party is outlawed. - December 25, 1991
7People crossing the Berlin Wall East Germany
meets West
8A New War - Persian Gulf War
- On August 2, 1990, the dictator of Iraq Saddam
Hussein invaded Kuwait a small country that was
rich with oil. - President George H.W. Bush was scared Saddam
Hussein would also try to invade other Middle
Eastern countries and we needed to protect our
oil interests. - President Bush sent military troops into Kuwait
in what we call Operation Desert Shield to try to
push Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait.
9Saddam Hussein the dictator of Iraq
10Kuwait
11Operation Desert Storm
- Saddam Hussein refused to remove his troops from
Kuwait, so on January 16, 1991, we launches
several laser-guided missiles and thousands of
tons of bombs on Iraq. - After six weeks, we launched a second attack
using ground forces. - Saddam Husseins troops finally left Kuwait.
12Presidential Election of 1992
- President George H.W. Bushs approval rating was
90 after the success of Operation Desert Storm. - However, the American economy was in shambles.
This was due to the federal debt that had gotten
much higher due to Reagans 8 years as President.
People wanted government help, and he refused to
increase government spending. - BILL CLINTON VS. GEORGE H.W. BUSH
- (Clinton wins as he promises to restore the
nations economy)
13President Bill Clinton
- Chapter 32, Section 3, pg. 936
14Bill Clinton vs. George H.W. Bush(and Ross Perot)
- Clinton 43 of the vote
- Bush 38 of the vote
- Perot 19 of the vote
- The Presidential Election of 1992 marks the first
time that a third-party (independent) candidate
gained so many votes. Many blame Perot for
stealing votes from Bill Clintons followers.
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16Dealing with the economy
- President Bill Clinton proposed the following
- 1) reduce the budget deficit
- 2) cut government spending
- 3) raise taxes on middle and upper-class
- 4) tax credits for lower-class poor
17Healthcare Reform Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Both Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton wanted to
provide health care for every American. - First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, put in charge
of healthcare reform. - The plan failed as it was rejected by the
majority Republican congress.
18Clinton wins a Second Term Presidential
Election of 1996
- Clinton defeated Republican candidate Bob Dole in
the election of 1996. - Clinton won because of the booming American
economy. - The GDP (gross domestic product) was growing at a
rate of 4 per year, and the American people were
happy. - GDP the value of all the goods and services
produced in a nation in a year.
19Scandal erupts
- In early 1998, a scandal emerged involving a
personal relationship between President Bill
Clinton and a White House intern named Monica
Lewinsky.
20Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton together.
21Impeachment
- Impeach make a formal accusation against a
public official (possibly removing them from
office). - Bill Clinton was impeached by Congress in 1998 on
the following counts - 1) perjury lying under oath
- 2) obstruction of justice trying to conceal
information during the investigation.
22Impeachment Trial
- On February 12, 1999, U.S. Senators voted on
whether or not to remove Bill Clinton from the
office of President. - Votes on perjury charge
- 45 guilty
- 55 not guilty
- Votes on obstruction of justice charge-
- 50 guilty
- 50 not guilty
- President Bill Clinton was never removed from
office and was acquitted of all charges.
23Presidential Election of 2000-the closest
election in U.S. History
George W. Bush vs. Al Gore
271 vs. 266 (very close margin)