AP EXAM REVIEW ! Part VIII

AP EXAM REVIEW!Part VIII

#8The Post War Period and Late Twentieth Century (1945-2000)

Truman and the Beginning of the Cold War (1945-1952) The end of World War II raised two major issues The survival of the combatants With the exception of the U.S., the nations involved in WWII had all seen fighting within their borders, destruction was immense The shape of the new world and what new political alliances would be formed This would become the major source of contention between the world’s two leading political-economic systems: capitalism and communism. The stakes in this power struggle was called the Cold War because there was no actual combat as there is in a “hot war” The U.S. and the Soviet Union emerged as the two new superpowers (Allies during the war, enemies after)

Truman and the Beginning of the Cold War (1945-1952) Truman and Foreign Policy Communism took over Poland, then Hungary and Czechoslovakia 1947, communism threatened Greece and Turkey In a speech before Congress Truman asked Congress for $400 million in aid to the two countries “I believe it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures” This statement, called the TRUMAN DOCTRINE, became the cornerstone of a larger policy called CONTAINMENT The U.S. would not instigate a war with the Soviets, but would come to the defense of countries in danger of Soviet takeover

Truman and the Beginning of the Cold War (1945-1952) Truman and Foreign Policy (cont.) The Marshall Plan (named for Secretary of State George Marshall) Sent more than $12 billion to Europe to help rebuild its cities and economy In return, countries were expected to become American allies The Marshall Plan was offered to Eastern Europe and Soviet Union, but none participated North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mutual defense alliance formed with Europe in 1949 Truman had a tough time convincing Congress that NATO was necessary; REMEMBER: Washington’s farewell address strongly favoring avoiding all foreign entanglements

Truman and the Beginning of the Cold War (1945-1952) Truman and Foreign Policy (cont.) In 1945, Germany had been divided into four sectors England, France, U.S., USSR each controlling one Berlin was divided up into four sectors as well, but was deep in the Soviets German territory Upon learning that the three Western Allies planned to merge their sectors into one country, the Soviets responded by imposing a BLOCKADE on Berlin Truman refused to surrender the city and ordered airlifts (supplied with food and fuel) to keep that portion under Western control The blockade continued for a year until the Soviets gave it up DO NOT confuse the Berlin Blockade with the Berlin Wall Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 during the Kennedy years

Truman and the Beginning of the Cold War (1945-1952) Truman and Foreign Policy cont.) Not long after the U.S. joined NATO, the Soviets detonated their first atomic bomb Fear of invasion led to the creation of the National Security Council (works for the president) and the Central Intelligence Agency (U.S. spy network) As if Europe wasn’t enough of a headache, Truman had to deal with Asia as well Reconstruction of Japan The Chinese Revolution

Truman and the Beginning of the Cold War (1945-1952) Truman and Foreign Policy (cont.) Japan U.S. occupied Japan and its colonial possessions were divided up The U.S. took control of the Pacific Islands and the southern half of Korea USSR took control of the northern half of Korea Under the direction of General Douglas MacArthur, Japan wrote a democratic constitution, demilitarized, and started a remarkable economic revival. The United States was not as successful with China…

Truman and the Beginning of the Cold War (1945-1952) Truman and Foreign Policy China A 20 year civil war broke out Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government vs. Mao Zedong’s Communist regime U.S. sided with Kai-shek (obviously) Despite massive aid from the U.S., the Communists overthrew the Nationalists, whose government was exiled to Taiwan For decades the U.S. refused to recognize the legitimacy of the regime

McCarthyism All of this conflict with communism resurrected anti-communist paranoia, just like it swept America during the Red Scare after WWI Truman, in 1947, ordered investigations of 3 million federal employees in search for “security risks” Alcoholism or homosexuality made them easy targets for blackmail, so they were dismissed without a hearing This atmosphere allowed senator Joseph McCarthy to rise from near anonymity to national fame Joseph McCarthy Claimed to have a list of more than 200 known communists working for the State Department Went on a campaign of innuendo that ruined the lives of thousands of innocent people Industries created lists of those tainted by the charges, called BLACKLISTS

McCarthyism Joseph McCarthy (cont.) Downfall: accused the Army of harboring communists (1954, under the Eisenhower Administration) The Army fought back hard and made McCarthy to look foolish The public turned their back on McCarthy and the era of McCarthyism ended

The Korean War Began when Communist North Korea invaded U.S.-backed South Korea Truman tried a reunification of Korea after some early military successes Under the umbrella of the United Nations, American troops attacked North Korea, provoking China, Korea’s northern neighbor China didn’t like American and South Korean troops on their border China entered the war, pushing U.S. and South Korean troops back to the original North/South Korean border U.S. commander Douglas MacArthur recommended an all-out confrontation with China to overthrow their government and reinstate Chiang Kai-shek

The Korean War Truman thought a war the with world’s biggest country was a bad idea, and decided against MacArthur MacArthur began to publicly criticize the president, so Truman (as commander in chief) fired him for insubordination Due to MacArthur’s popularity at home, this hurt Truman politically The war dragged on another two years, into the Eisenhower administration

The Eisenhower Years (1953-1960) The 1950s Americans believed that their country was the best in the world Communism was evil and had to be stopped A decent job, a home in the suburbs, and access to all the modern conveniences (aka CONSUMERISM) was the “good life” Congress enacted the G.I. BILL OF RIGHTS Provided an allowance for educational and living expenses for returning soldiers and veterans who wished to earn their high school diploma or attend college Civil rights movement built on advances of the 1940s

The Eisenhower Years (1953-1960) Domestic Politics in the ‘50s Eisenhower, a Republican, entered a White House that had been controlled by a Democrat the 20 years He sought to balance the budget, cut federal spending, ease government regulation of business (sound republican?) He wasn’t all that successful Military buildup required the the Cold War prevented Eisenhower from making cuts to the military budget Popularity of remaining New Deal programs made it difficult to cut them He began developing the INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM, partly to make it easier to move soldiers and weapons around the country easier

The Eisenhower Years (1953-1960) Domestic Politics in the ‘50s (cont.) Civil Rights 1954: Supreme Court heard the case Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka, and overturned the “separate but equal” that had been the law of the land since Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 In a 9-0 decision, the Court ruled “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” This great victory didn’t solve the problem, some southern states started to pay tuition for the white students to go private schools, other public schools chose to shut down rather than integrate Montgomery bus boycott Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man (as required by the Jim Crow laws) and was arrested, sparking a boycott Outrage over the arrest, coupled with long-term resentment over unfair treatment, spurred blacks to impose a year-long boycott on the bus system The boycott brought Martin Luther King Jr. to national prominence He was Rosa Park’s church pastor

The Eisenhower Years (1953-1960) Third World Politics WWII resulted in the breakup of Europe’s huge overseas empires In the decades that followed the war’s end, numerous countries in Africa, Asia, and South America broke free of European rule These countries didn’t ally themselves with either of the two major powers, therefor were deemed THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES America and the Soviets sought to bring Third World countries into their spheres of influence for markets and sources of raw materials This proved difficult: Nationalism swept through most Third World nations, and were reluctant to form a long-term alliance U.S.: was feared because of their greed, wealth, and history of racism USSR: feared because of how they dominated Eastern Europe

The Eisenhower Years (1953-1960) The 1960 Presidential Election Eisenhower’s vice president, Richard Nixon, receive the Republican nomination Democrats chose Massachusetts senator John F. Kennedy Both candidates campaigned against the “communist menace” Kennedy won a narrow election In Eisenhower’s final days he warned the nation to beware of a new coalition that had grown up around the Cold War THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX: the combination of military might and the highly profitable arms industries He cautioned this created a powerful alliance whose interests did not correspond to those of the general public Sound like something that happened in Vietnam?

The Turbulent ‘60s The Kennedy administration offered hope to this era His domestic program was called the NEW FRONTIER Promised to conquer poverty, racism, and other contemporary domestic woes It would be as rewarding as the efforts of the pioneers who settled West (hence “New Frontier”) The decade was shaped by two issues The Vietnam War Blacks’ struggle to gain civil rights

The Turbulent ‘60s Kennedy and Foreign Policy Like Truman and Eisenhower, Kennedy perceived the Soviet Union and communism as the major threat to the security of the United States and its way of life Two major events unfolded during Kennedy’s first year in office, heightening American-Soviet tensions (Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis) Bay of Pigs invasion U.S. friendly dictatorship was overthrown by Communist leader Fidel Castro (1959, during the Eisenhower years) Castro signed a trade treaty with the Soviet Union, Eisenhower imposed a trade embargo Cuba turned to the Soviet Union for financial and military aid CIA presented Kennedy with the plan to send Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro, called the Bay of Pigs Huge failure, Kennedy was faced with this embarrassing disaster

The Turbulent ‘60s Kennedy and Foreign Policy (cont.) The Cuban Missile Crisis Soviets erected a wall to divide East and West Berlin (The Berlin Wall) Build to prevent East Germans from leaving the country, came to represent the nature of communism and was also a physical reminder of the impenetrable divide between the two sides of the Cold War 1962, American spy planes detected missile sites in Cuba Kennedy demanded the missiles be removed, and imposed a naval quarantine (basically a blockade) on Cuba to prevent any further weapons shipments from reaching the island Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (Stalin had died in 1953) negotiated a peaceful ending U.S. promised not to invade Cuba and to remove their missiles from Turkey USSR removed the missiles from Cuba

The Turbulent ‘60s Kennedy and Foreign Policy (cont.) The Policy of containment motivated philanthropic programs abroad, such as the PEACE CORPS Peace Corps Provide teachers and specialists in agriculture, health care, transportation, and communications to Third World countries, in the hopes of starting these fledgling communities down the road to American-style progress This was called NATION BUILDING Many countries did not want American-style progress, and resented having it forced upon them

The Turbulent ‘60s Lyndon Johnson’s Social Agenda Helped pass the CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on a person’s race, color, religion, or gender The most comprehensive piece of civil rights legislation enacted in U.S. history, which means, REMEMBER IT FOR THE TEST! This was in the scope of Kennedy’s proposed civil rights act, but he was assassinated before he could push it through Oversaw the establishment of the EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (EEOC) to enforce the employment clause of the Civil Rights Act Signed the VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965, which cracked down on those states that denied blacks the right to vote despite the Fifteenth Amendment

The Turbulent ‘60s Lyndon Johnson’s Social Agenda After a landslide victory in the election of 1964, Johnson expanded his anti-poverty plan Johnson’s WAR ON POVERTY Project Head Start: prepared underprivileged children for early schooling Upward Bound: did the same for high school students Job Corps: trained the unskilled so they could get better jobs Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA): acted as a domestic Peace Corps Legal Services for the Poor: guaranteed legal counsel to those who could not afford their own lawyer Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): increased federal aid to low-income apartment renters, and built more federal housing projects

The Turbulent ‘60s Lyndon Johnson’s Social Agenda Legislation passed during 1965 and 1966 represented the most sweeping change to U.S. government since the New Deal Johnson’s social agenda was termed the “GREAT SOCIETY” Not all were happy though (as usual) Many objected to any increase in government activity The extension of civil rights met with bigoted opposition (especially in the South)

The Turbulent ‘60s The Civil Rights Movement Made a number of substantial gains in the early ‘60s, such as those passed under Johnson’s GREAT SOCIETY program Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Earl Warren, led an extremely liberal court to enforce voting rights and forced states to redraw congressional districts to help minorities. The Court also gave rights to the accused Gideon v. Wainwright: Court ruled that a defendant in a felony trial must be provided a lawyer for free if he or she couldn’t afford one Miranda v. Arizona: Court ruled that, upon arrest, a suspect must be advised of his or her right to remain silent and to consult with a lawyer Resistance to change was strong (state governments, police, white citizens) KKK and other racists bombed black churches and the homes of civil rights activists

The Turbulent ‘60s The Civil Rights Movement (cont.) Martin Luther King Jr.: preached a strategy of nonviolent protest With news reports of each violent event (KKK, etc), the black community began to abandon MLK’s strategy Malcolm X advocated a more aggressive approach Urged blacks to claim their rights by “any means necessary”

The Turbulent ‘60s The New Left, Feminism, and the Counterculture Black Americans weren’t the only ones challenging the status quo in the ‘60s. Young whites, particularly those in college, also rebelled This was against the hypocrisy, complacency, and conformity of the middle-class life In 1962, the STUDENTS FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY (SDS) formed Its leftists political agenda set the tone for other progressive groups on college campuses; these groups came to be known as THE NEW LEFT Ideals were: elimination of poverty and racism, and an end to Cold War politics University of California Berkeley: students of the New Left protested when the university banned civil rights and anti-war demonstrations on campus. These protests grew into the FREE SPEECH MOVEMENT

The Turbulent ‘60s The New Left, Feminism, and the Counterculture (cont.) Feminists fought against discrimination in hiring, pay, college admissions, and financial aid They also fought for control of reproductive rights, a battle that reached the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade Roe v. Wade: enabled a woman to obtain abortions in all 50 states within the first trimester This case continues to play a central role in American politics and society today

The Turbulent ‘60s The New Left, Feminism, and the Counterculture Rebellion against “the establishment” took the form of nonconformity – THE HIPPIES The Hippies grew their hair long, wore tie-dyed shirts, and ripped jeans, and advocated drug use, communal living, and “free love” Their way of life became to be known as the COUNTERCULTURE because of its unconventionality and its total contrast to the mainstream culture Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones were among the biggest moneymakers in the arts The New Left, feminists, and counterculture were the growing left wing of American politics and uniformly opposed American participation in Vietnam

The Turbulent ‘60s American Involvement in Vietnam From the Truman administration until the fall of Soviet Communism in 1991, U.S. foreign policy leaders believed that the U.S. had the right to intervene anywhere in the world to stop the spread of communism Nowhere did this policy fail more miserably than Vietnam Vietnam Japan invaded Vietnam during WWII, ending French control of the country Faced with a common enemy, the Vietnamese helped the Allies defeat Japan After the war, Ho Chi Minh drafted the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence (modeled after the U.S. version) The U.S. didn’t recognize their independence, partly because of America’s alliance with France (which wanted its colony back) and partly because Ho was a communist

The Turbulent ‘60s American Involvement in Vietnam (cont.) The U.S. recognized the government of Bao Dai, which France still controlled Subsequently, Vietnam fought a war for independence against the French, Truman continued to aid the French 1954, all parties met in Geneva, Switzerland and drew up the Geneva Accords, which divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel Communist forces controlled North Vietnam Democratic (so called) forces controlling the South The division was to be temporary, elections would held in two years to reunite the country and determine who would rule The elections never took place The U.S. rallied Britain, France, Thailand, Pakistan, the Philippines, New Zealand, and Australia to form the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO, very much like NATO) to provide for the South’s defense against Communist takeover

The Turbulent ‘60s American Involvement in Vietnam (cont.) The new South Vietnam leader (supported by the U.S.) Ngo Dinh Diem imprisoned political enemies, persecuted Buddhist monks, closed newspapers that criticized the government Many South Vietnamese citizens joined the North’s side, these South Vietnam insurgents were called the VIETCONG Rather than cut its losses, the U.S. continued to support Diem and South economically Committed to containment and nation building, Kennedy increased America’s involvement in Vietnam by sending in military advisors known as the Green Berets 1963: CIA helped the South Vietnam military stage a coup to overthrow Diem’s government Diem and his brother were killed (appalling Kennedy) A few weeks later, Kennedy was assassinated, Johnson took over the war effort

The Turbulent ‘60s American Involvement in Vietnam Upon taking office, Johnson had the opportunity to withdraw American forces. The UN and France would have intervened and set up a coalition government to rule South Vietnam Johnson remained convinced that the U.S. could overwhelm any opposition in the region, and was determined to achieve “total victory” U.S. had reports of the North Vietnamese bombing two American destroyer ships in the Tonkin Gulf Johnson used this to get Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution (AKA the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution) Allowed the president to take any measures he deemed necessary to protect American interests in the region Soon Johnson flooded the region with American troops, and authorized massive Air Force bombing raids into North Vietnam As the military draft claimed more Americans, opposition grew

The Turbulent ‘60s American Involvement in Vietnam (cont.) The Tet Offensive (1968) Named after the Vietnamese holiday celebrating the New Year The North Vietnamese (along with the Vietcong) inflicted tremendous damage on American forces and nearly captured the American embassy in the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon Was a major defeat for the North Vietnamese and Vietcong, but proved to be a turning point for the war The offensive came as a shock to the American public, which had been told by Johnson that the U.S. was winning This offensive showed that the American military had vastly underestimated their opponent The American public believed that it was being lied to and that perhaps this war was not winnable

The Turbulent ‘60s American Involvement in Vietnam (cont.) The My Lai Massacre (1968) American soldiers were becoming more and more frustrated and began to act in unspeakable ways U.S. soldiers abused, tortured, and murdered an estimated 347 or 400 innocent civilians, including women, children, and elderly Vietnamese When the story broke, the American public was outraged Public opinion turned and protests against the war grew angrier and more frequent In response, Johnson announced that he would begin peace negotiations with the North Vietnamese government He was also shocked the nation and announced that he would not run for reelection in 1968

The Turbulent ‘60s The Summer of 1968 and the 1968 Election Johnson withdrew in part because of his association with the Vietnam War (turning many Americans against him) April 1968, a white assassin killed Martin Luther King Jr. The murder ignited black riots in more than 150 towns and cities June 1968, Democratic frontrunner Robert Kennedy (brother of JFK) was assassinated. Kennedy had come to symbolize the last bastion of hope for many Americans These two assassinations convinced many that the peaceful change from within the political system was impossible

The Turbulent ‘60s Democratic Convention The Election of 1968 Republican Convention Rather peaceful convention Handed their nomination to Richard Nixon (who eventually won the election) Young Americans met in Chicago to demonstrate against government policy Police were ordered to break up crowds with tear gas, billy clubs, and rifles Images of policemen in gas masks clubbing American citizens shocked the country The convention chose pro-war vice president Hubert Humphrey over anti-war Eugene McCarthy and refused to condemn the war effort

The Turbulent ‘60s Nixon, “Vietnamization” and Détente Nixon entered office promising to end American involvement in Vietnam, turning the war over the South Vietnamese, a process called “Vietnamization” He soon began withdrawing troops, however he also increased the number and intensity of air strikes American involvement in Vietnam dragged on until 1973, when Secretary of State HENRY KISSINGER completed negotiations for a peace treaty with the North Vietnamese Postscripts to the Vietnam War The negotiated peace crumbled as American troops vacated the country. Shortly after the war ended, Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese and Vietnam was united under Communist rule Congress passed the WAR POWERS ACT to prevent any future president from involving the military in another undeclared war Requires that the president obtain congressional approval for any troop commitment lasting longer than 60 days

The Turbulent ‘60s Nixon, “Vietnamization”, and Détente (cont.) Nixon did have successes with two of the world’s superpower: China and the USSR USSR: Nixon increased trade with the Soviets, and the administration negotiated the first of a number of arms treaties between the two countries China: After a series of secret negotiations, Nixon traveled to Communists China, whose government the U.S. had previously refused to acknowledge Nixon’s trip eased tensions, and his trip opened up trade relations between the two countries Nixon was able to use the Chinese as leverage against the USSR (and vice versa) because although they were both communist, China and the USSR hated each other The Nixon years added two new terms to the vocabulary of foreign policy DÉTENTE: called for countries to respect each other’s differences and cooperate more closely The Nixon Doctrine: announced the U.S. would withdraw from many of its overseas troop commitments, relying on alliances and local governments to check the spread of communism

The Turbulent ‘60s Nixon’s Domestic Policy Nixon could not match his success overseas at home The economy worsened, going through a period of combined recession-inflation (called STAGFLATION) Politically, Americans were divided between the haves and have-nots, the progressives, and the conservatives Confrontations on college campuses heightened political tensions, most notably when national guardsmen shot and killed four protests at KENT STATE UNIVERSITY where protesters were protesting the U.S. decision to invade the Vietcong through neutral Cambodia This became synonymous with the division between the youth and the middle class of America 1972, Nixon won reelection in a landslide although both houses of Congress remained in Democratic control (an indication of the mixed feelings in America)

The Turbulent ‘60s Watergate and Nixon’s Resignation Summer of 1971, two major newspapers published the PENTAGON PAPERS, a top-secret government study of this history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam Covered the period from WWII to 1968, documenting numerous military miscalculations and flat-out lies the government kept from the public ear Even though the documents contained nothing about the Nixon administration, Nixon fought hard to keep them from being published The U.S. was in secret negotiations with North Vietnam, USSR, China at the time, this could destroy their credibility in the meetings Nixon lost his fight, and put together a team of investigators called “PLUMBERS” to prevent any further leaks of classified documents During the 1972 elections, the plumbers sabotaged the campaigns of several Democratic hopefuls and then botched a burglary of Democratic headquarters in the WATERGATE Hotel

The Turbulent ‘60s Watergate and Nixon’s Resignation (cont.) When the plumbers were arrested at the Watergate Hotel, the White House began an all-out effort to cover up the scandal Information was slowly revealed that incriminated the president’s closest advisors. They would resign, most were tried and convicted of felonies Perjury and destruction of evidence were two popular charges At last, it was discovered that Nixon had secretly taped all conversations in the White House, including many concerning Watergate A legal battle ensued, the Senate demanded the tapes, Nixon refused, claiming executive privilege The Supreme Court ordered Nixon to turn the tapes over Rather than face impeachment, Nixon resigned in August 1974 His vice president, Gerald Ford took office and almost immediately granted Nixon a presidential pardon, preventing a trial against Nixon

The 1970s Gerald Ford Ford was chosen to replace Nixon’s first vice president, Spiro Agnew (who resigned). Meaning Ford wasn’t elected with Nixon on the ballot during an election When Ford selected his vice president, Nelson A. Rockefeller, it was the first time that neither the president nor the vice president had been elected by the public Ford’s pardon of Nixon brought the Watergate era to a close, but also cost Ford politically (suspicions rose that Ford and Nixon had struck a deal) Ford’s political fortunes were undermined by a weak economy, and in 1976 he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter

The 1970s Jimmy Carter Carter inherited a weak economy, inflation exceeded 10%, interest rates on loans approached 20% (remember, the % on the loan for my house is 3.0%!!) Most of the nations economic problems resulted from the increased cost of fuel (under the leadership of OPEC, in the Arab nations) Carter increased funding for research into alternative sources of power, created the Department of Energy (still in existence today) Americans saw nuclear power as a solution Opponents argued that nuclear plant failures were potentially catastrophic; their fears were reinforced when a PA plant at THREE MILE ISLAND failed, releasing radioactive materials into the atmosphere

The 1970s Jimmy Carter (cont.) High point was when he personally brokered a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt The conflict dated to the moment of Israel's founding in 1948 He invited the two leaders to CAMP DAVID and brokered an agreement between the two nations Ever since, the U.S. has actively participated in peace negotiations in the region Also had some failures USSR invaded Afghanistan, Carter’s efforts proved powerless in forcing a withdrawal Iran: American hostages were taken in retaliation for America’s decades-long support of the repressive, deposed Shah. Held for over a year, the hostages were not released until after Ronald Reagan took office

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) ***NOTE: according to the College Board’s AP U.S. History webpage THE MULTIPLE CHOICE SECTION MAY INCLUDE A FEW QUESTIONS ON THE PERIOD SINCE 1980, BUT NEITHER THE DBQ NOR THE ESSAY QUESTIONS IN PARTS B AND C DEAL EXLUSIVELY WITH THIS PERIOD

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) The Reagan Candidacy Many Americans had grown tired of the conflicts of the previous decade Reagan saw the nation ready for a major change He presented himself as Carter’s opposite and a Washington “outsider,” not tainted by the events of the two previous decades He was extremely likeable, Reagan won in a landslide

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) Supply-Side Economics Reagan tried to revive the economy by applying the theory of SUPPLY SIDE ECONOMICS Supply-Side Economics: if corporate taxes were reduced, those corporations would earn greater profits. They would then use the profits to buy new equipment and hire more employees This wealth would “TRICKLE DOWN” by creating more jobs and reinvigorating the economy Reagan coupled this with large-scale deregulation, particularly in the areas of banking, industry, and the environment Also lobbied for an across the board tax cut for all Americans Result: the rich got richer, the poor got poorer

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) Military Spending and Budget Deficits Reagan sought to eliminate the federal deficit by decreasing the size of the federal government, this plan was called the NEW FREEDOM The goal: shift governmental power from the national government to the states Reagan suggested that the states take complete responsibility for welfare, food stamps, and other social welfare programs currently funded at the national level In return, the national government would assume the entire cost of Medicaid. Reagan’s goal was never accomplished. The states feared that the shift would greatly increase the cost of the state government, which would require unpopular tax increases on the state level

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) Military Spending and Budget Deficits (cont.) Reagan convinced Congress to greatly increase military spending Funded research into space-based missile field system called THE STRATEGIC DEFENSE INTIATIVE (SDI) Dubbed “Star Wars” by its supporters and detractors Reagan also escalated the arms race with the USSR by pushing for the need for America to develop superior arms Tax cuts, increased military spending, and the failure of Reagan’s New Federalism plan combined to escalate the FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICIT Congress blamed Reagan, and called for a tax increase Reagan blamed Congress for refusing to decrease funding for social welfare programs Neither side budged, the federal deficit reach all time highs under Reagan

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) Foreign Policy Under Reagan Reagan was a full fledged Cold War hawk Supported repressive regimes and right-wing insurgents in El Salvador, Panama, the Philippines, and Mozambique, all because they opposed communism U.S. military led an international invasion of GRENADA to topped a new Communist government there One of Reagan’s top foreign policy priorities was support for a group of Nicaraguan insurgents called “THE CONTRAS” Reports that the Contras were torturing and murdering civilians led Congress to cut off aid, but Reagan was committed to them and opposed to the Sandinistas, who were Communists, that he devised a plan to fund them through other means The government secretly sold weapons to Iran, then used the income to buy guns for the Contras Becamse known as the IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) Foreign Policy Under Reagan (cont.) One of Reagan’s greatest successes in foreign policy came in U.S.-Soviet relations At first the relationship was rocky, Reagan referred to the USSR as the “evil empire” An ensuing arms race further destabilized relations American-Soviet relations were helped when the Soviet Union chose reformer Mikhail Gorbachev to lead the country Gorbachev: best known for his 1980 economic policy of perestroika and his social reforms collectively referred to as glasnost Loosened control of Eastern Europe, increased personal liberties in the Soviet Union, and eventually allowed some forms of free-market commerce in the Communist country Reagan and Gorbachev met frequently and ultimately negotiated a withdrawal of nuclear warheads from Europe

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) George H.W. Bush The election of 1988 convinced many Americans that progressive liberalism was finally destroyed George Bush easily defeated Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis Bush called for a “kinder, gentler America” and was most famously remembered for declaring “Read my lips: no new taxes” The moral majority had spoken: Most Americans settled into a traditional American lifestyle that celebrated values like family and abstinence from sex and drugs (Nancy Reagan urged kids to “Just Say NO!”). “Liberalism” had become the “L-word” and “Feminism” the “F-word”

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) George H.W. Bush (cont.) The most significant events of the Bush Presidency The end of the Cold War (symbolized by the dismantling of the Berlin Wall) The Persian Gulf War 1990: Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq, invaded Iraq’s tiny but oil-rich neighbor of Kuwait Saddam seized Kuwait’s oil fields and threatened the world’s access to Middle East oil, Washington reacted immediately Having learned lessons from Vietnam, Bush built a consensus in Congress and assembled an international coalition against Iraq in the U.N.

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) George H.W. Bush (cont.) OPERATION DESERT STORM Consisted mostly of massive air strikes against strategic Iraqi targets Most Americans watched the war from the safety of their homes on TV as it if were a video game The war ended quickly with few American casualties Iraq was required to submit to U.N. inspectors to insure that there were no WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION or chemical warfare production facilities Saddam Hussein remained in power, a decision many foreign policy experts later came to criticize It appeared that U.S. foreign policy in the post-Cold War era would focus on political stability in the Middle East and defending human rights

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) The Clinton Presidency (1993-2000) William Jefferson Clinton was the first Democrat to be elected president since Jimmy Carter North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Negotiated by the previous Republican administration, Clinton signed it into law in 1993 Eliminated trade barriers among the United States, Mexico, and Canada The Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal The House of Representatives impeached Clinton for perjury, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power Impeachment doesn’t mean you are thrown out of office House starts the impeachment, Senate holds the trial He was acquitted by the Senate “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy pertaining to gays in the U.S. military

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) The 2000 Election According to the Constitution, a candidate must win a majority of the electoral votes to win a presidential election Because of the “winner take all” system regarding the allotment of electoral votes in most states, it is possible for a candidate to win the majority of the popular vote nationwide, but lose the presidency RECALL: this happened in 1824, when Andrew Jackson won the popular vote nationwide but lost the presidency. Also happened in 1876 when Samuel Tilden lost to Rutherford B. Hayes In 2000, it appeared that Al Gore had defeated George W. Bush. Through a series of mishaps with the voting procedure in Florida, the results of the Electoral College were questioned Eventually, the Supreme Court prevented a formal recount of the vote in Florida, and George W. Bush was elected

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush Jr. (1980-2000) African American’s in Politics Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964): prohibited the use of poll taxes, and literacy test measurements that have been used by Southern states to deny African Americans the right to vote Results were dramatic 1960: 20% of eligible African Americans were registered to vote 1971: the number jumped to 62% Reverend Jesse Jackson First African American to run for the Democratic presidential nomination (1984 and 1988) According to the Census Bureau (in 2000) there were 1,540 African American legislators representing 10% of the total number nationwide Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, both secretaries of state Barack Obama, president in 2008

THE END!! GOOD LUCK ON THE EXAM!

AP EXAM REVIEW ! Part VIII