Resurgence of Conservatism 1980 2000 PAGEANT CHAPTER 41

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Resurgence of Conservatism 1980 - 2000 PAGEANT CHAPTER 41

Resurgence of Conservatism 1980 - 2000 PAGEANT CHAPTER 41

1. Reagan and the New Conservatism The Election of 1980 Jimmy Carter (D) vs.

1. Reagan and the New Conservatism The Election of 1980 Jimmy Carter (D) vs. Ronald Reagan (R) Reagan defeats the unpopular incumbent Carter in 1980 Though Republican, Reagan was a big admirer of Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt How did Reagan compare with his early political hero? Similarities: Both supported the “common man” of the U. S. Differences: He felt the Democratic party had made the gov’t too large, showed favoritism to minorities, and become arrogant as a party.

2. The Reagan Revolution Reagan devoted himself to repairing the faltering economy that couldn’t

2. The Reagan Revolution Reagan devoted himself to repairing the faltering economy that couldn’t be fixed by President Carter His target: entitlement programs Social Security Medicare Unemployment Welfare All these programs were a result of Roosevelt’s New Deal and Johnson’s Great Society, and though created under good intentions, were growing at a rapid pace and were growing out of control 1) Reagan made major cuts to the programs 2) The problem: the programs were being taken advantage of, with many citizens not paying bills so they could extend their benefits

President Ronald Reagan

President Ronald Reagan

2 b. Reagan Revolution Reagan called his domestic economic program “supply-side” economics, or “Reaganomics”

2 b. Reagan Revolution Reagan called his domestic economic program “supply-side” economics, or “Reaganomics” How did it affect the economy? 1) Welfare programs – Reagan made major cuts; up to $35 billion 2) Taxes – Taxes were cut 25% across the board, meaning people were making more money to pour back into the economy and revive it 3) Military expenditure – Reagan poured 2 trillion dollars into military spending in order to stay ahead of the USSR

3. Reagan Renews the Cold War Reagan was majorly anti-communist His huge military expenditures

3. Reagan Renews the Cold War Reagan was majorly anti-communist His huge military expenditures even included development of a high-tech defensive shield using space satellites called Star Wars Reagan wanted to go leagues ahead of the Soviets in advanced technology Election of 1984 Reagan wins easy re-election in 1984 over Democrat Walter Mondale and his running mate Geraldine Ferraro He then began building a relationship with Russian leader Mikail Gorbachev By this time, communism is beginning to fail in Eastern Europe and Gorbachev is open to some democratic ideas to fix things “glastnost” – Russian word that means “openness”, would be the name to characterize Gorbachev’s policies Reagan’s presidency would see the crumbling of the Soviet Union

3. Reagan Renews the Cold War Reagan’s anti-communist zeal did have its backlashes 1986

3. Reagan Renews the Cold War Reagan’s anti-communist zeal did have its backlashes 1986 -87 – Reagan is facing two international issues FIRST - Nicaragua, a Central American country, is involved in a civil war between anti-communist forces (called Contras) and communist forces (Sadinistas) Think Korea and Vietnam…this is the same thing SECOND – In the Middle Eastern nation of Lebanon, a group of Americans had been taken hostage by Iranian Muslim extremists These two events leads to Reagan’s administration becoming connected to a scandal: the Iran Contra Affair

3. Reagan Renews the Cold War So here’s the story: Reagan wants to send

3. Reagan Renews the Cold War So here’s the story: Reagan wants to send money to the Contras in Nicaragua, but Congress says no But two men in Reagan’s staff take it on themselves to find another way to get the money Oliver North and John Poindexter These two men arranged to sell weapons to Iran in exchange for the hostages in Lebanon and money…money they would give to the Contras in Nicaragua The U. S. NEVER negotiates with terrorists Reagan claimed he had no idea it happened and no evidence linked him to the Iran-Contra Affair Criminal charges were brought against North and Poindexter It would be one of the few blemishes on Reagan’s presidency

4. Reagan’s Legacy How do the author’s summarize Reagan’s economic legacy? 1) Budget deficits

4. Reagan’s Legacy How do the author’s summarize Reagan’s economic legacy? 1) Budget deficits and national debt - Though the economy did well during his presidency, his tax cuts and military spending hurt the U. S. in the long run 2) Containment of the welfare state – Reagan’s greatest success was slowing and containing the growth of welfare programs 3) Income gap – Under Reagan, the rich got richer, however the poor got poorer and the middle class got squeezed between the two

4. Reagan’s Legacy Religion played a key role in the growing strength of Conservatism

4. Reagan’s Legacy Religion played a key role in the growing strength of Conservatism in America during the 80 s Reverend Jerry Falwell and his Moral Majority showed how powerful religion could be in politics Falwell’s show preached against sexual promiscuity, abortion, feminism, and the spread of gay rights Falwell began the trend of “televangelists”, TV preachers who would reach huge audiences and collect millions of dollars Reagan also appointed the first female Supreme Court justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, who would carry out his conservative agenda in the Court. This became evident with the Supreme Court case Webster v. Reproductive Health Services This case was a shot to Roe v. Wade, as it placed restrictions on abortion rights Reagan’s legacy of Conservatism was ensured to continue into the 1990 s when his Vice-President, George H. W. Bush runs after Reagan’s retirement and defeats Democrat Michael Dukakis in the Election of 1988

President George Herbert Walker Bush

President George Herbert Walker Bush

5. The End of the Cold War In the 1980 s, the speed of

5. The End of the Cold War In the 1980 s, the speed of the fall of communism in Eastern Europe was astounding China, however, is able to hold on to communism while at the same time introducing some democratic and capitalistic reforms China enforced its communist regime, even violently, as shown in the infamous massacre at Tiananmen Square in 1989 The Chinese army opens fire on unarmed democratic student protesters Despite this, communism continues to fall in other countries The Berlin Wall in East Germany falls Then Germany re-unifies itself and becomes democratic The Soviet Union officially disintegrates in 1991 after the resignation of Mikail Gorbachev

5. The End of the Cold War Effects of the Cold War: 1) Future

5. The End of the Cold War Effects of the Cold War: 1) Future of Democracy – Democracy marches forward in triumph 2) Ethnic conflicts – Though free from communism, ethnic conflicts would resume in Eastern Europe 3) U. S. Foreign Policy – would change dramatically without the U. S. ’s great Soviet rival 4) U. S. Economy – would have difficulties ahead due to the massive defense spending during the Cold War

6. Persian Gulf War Iraq 1990 Dictator Saddam Hussein tries to take over the

6. Persian Gulf War Iraq 1990 Dictator Saddam Hussein tries to take over the oil-rich country of Kuwait With Russia now cooperating with the U. S. more fully, the United Nations approved economic sanctions then military action against Iraq The United States led the military action by assembling a multi-national force under General “Stormin’ Norman” Schwarzkopf Operation Desert Storm Iraqi forces are defeated but Hussein is never ousted from power and the Middle East remains unstable

7. Bush to Clinton President Bush turns heads with the nomination of Clarence Thomas,

7. Bush to Clinton President Bush turns heads with the nomination of Clarence Thomas, a conservative African-American, to the Supreme Court Thomas was successful in his early years as a justice but was marred by a scandal involved sexual harassment allegations by attorney Anita Hill Bush was a popular president until the economy hit stagnation and the budget deficits remained high The Election of 1992 Incumbent Bush faced a challenge from a young, energetic, and popular culture-friendly Democratic candidate Bill Clinton of Arkansas Clinton defeats Bush and third-party candidate Ross Perot and becomes the 42 nd President

8. Clinton’s Diverse Domestic Agenda During Clinton’s presidency, the U. S. had some 37

8. Clinton’s Diverse Domestic Agenda During Clinton’s presidency, the U. S. had some 37 million citizens with no healthcare Clinton wants to change this He tries to attack the problem with a major healthcare reform package spearheaded by the First Lady, Hillary Clinton It fails and is never passed by Congress Clinton’s early years as president were a struggle against a Republicanmajority Congress led by conservative House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his Contract with America The contract was a group of ideas and reforms that Gingrich promised would be done by the Republican Party after Reagan’s presidency With minimal Congressional support, Clinton passes the Welfare Reform Bill of 1996 Reduced welfare benefits and created incentives for recipients to train for jobs and find employment

8. Clinton’s Diverse Domestic Agenda Election of 1996 Clinton easily defeats Republican candidate Robert

8. Clinton’s Diverse Domestic Agenda Election of 1996 Clinton easily defeats Republican candidate Robert Dole Economic performance was strong, and Clinton was popular Clinton pushes the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the creation of the World Trade Organization There was some resistance to these trends at the Seattle WTO meeting Clinton is president during the solidification of a global economy It is also during his presidency that the U. S. government began putting pressure on tobacco companies to pay for the staggering healthcare costs caused by smoking The National Rifle Association would also make headlines in battles with liberals over the easy availability of handguns in the U. S.

8. Clinton’s Diverse Domestic Agenda The accessibility of weapons to American citizens becomes an

8. Clinton’s Diverse Domestic Agenda The accessibility of weapons to American citizens becomes an increasingly serious topic of debate due to tragic events Columbine High School shooting April 20 th, 1999 Two senior high school students enter the school and murder 12 students and 1 teacher and injure 21 more before committing suicide The deadliest high school shooting in U. S. history This brought new topics to American society that many felt should be addressed The 2 nd Amendment, gun control, violence in video games / on the internet

9. Clinton to Bush II Scandal to Clinton’s personal conduct followed him despite his

9. Clinton to Bush II Scandal to Clinton’s personal conduct followed him despite his successes as president Investigation into shady land dealings (Whitewater Scandal) The worst would involve prosecutor Kenneth Starr catching the president in a lie about a sexual affair with an intern, Monica Lewinski The Republican majority in Congress saw an opportunity and brought forth impeachment charges against Clinton for perjury and obstruction Clinton becomes the 2 nd president in history to be impeached He escapes removal from office and is able to leave still fairly popular in 2000

9. Clinton to Bush II The Election of 2000 Republican George W. Bush vs.

9. Clinton to Bush II The Election of 2000 Republican George W. Bush vs. Democrat Al Gore Bush was the son of George H. W. Bush and Gore was Clinton’s VP This is the closest election in U. S. History Gore wins the popular vote but… Bush wins the electoral college and the presidency after the Supreme Court ruled on disputed ballots in the state of Florida

President Bill Clinton

President Bill Clinton

President George W. Bush

President George W. Bush