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America in the 1980’s. Reagan to Bush Disco to Techno Yuppies to Slackers. Ronald Reagan. 40th President of the United States. A former Hollywood actor . He had been a two term Governor of the state of California. Ran for President with the promise to make “ your life better ”
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America in the 1980’s Reagan to Bush Disco to Techno Yuppies to Slackers
Ronald Reagan • 40th President of the United States. • A former Hollywood actor. • He had been a two term Governor of the state of California. • Ran for President with the promise to make “your life better” • Asked people if they were better off today than they were four years ago….if the answer was no, then it was time for a change. • Elected by an overwhelming majority! • Promoted a positive message through weekly Saturday afternoon radio addresses.
The Reagan Revolution • Reagan launches an economic recovery program known as “supply side” economics. (Same as Hoover!) • He argued that tax cuts would put more money in businessmen’s pockets. • Then, that would trickle down to the consumer…because businesses would have more money to invest, hire more employees and the effects of the situation would “trickle down” to the consumer. • October 1981 - Reagan initiates a tax cut. 5% in 1981 and 10% in 1982 and 1983. • 1986- he simplified the tax system so that all people paid the same % of taxes within the same tax bracket. • Deregulation - 2nd part of his plan. Eliminated the barriers put up by the Progressives at the turn of the Century and allowed free expansion of American business
Military buildup • Reagan had called the USSR the “evil empire”. • The US spent $1.5 trillion on defense in a 5 year period. • Millions of dollars in new programs. • Stealth bombers, nuclear submarines, and military hardware built under Reagan. • SDI - Strategic Defense Initiative. • Reagan’s Star Wars plan. • It would put a satellite into space around the Earth that could shoot down Nuclear weapons before they reached their targets. • Reagan wanted to make sure the world was safe for Democracy.
Reagan’s 2nd Term Highlights • Olympic Games (1984) - American Patriotism at it’s highest point. Success of Athletes restores pride in America and carries over into Ad campaigns and marketing of new products. • America wins 174 Gold, Silver & Bronze medals! (No Russians!) • Supreme Court - 1st Woman, Sandra Day O’Connor appointed to the Court by Reagan. • Challenger - Destroyed 73 seconds into liftoff in January of 1986. • Iran - Contra - information discovered that the US Govt was giving $1 million per day to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua to overthrow that countries Government. • S&L Scandal - because of deregulation in 1st Term, many banks made bad investments in shady land deals and holding companies. Congress had to bail them out with $250 billion in loans!
George Bush • 41st President of the United States. • Reagan’s VP, former director of the CIA. • He lacked the charisma of Reagan and was somewhat out of place. • He wanted to continue the Reagan legacy but with his own stamp on it! • 1988 - ran against Michael Dukakis for the Presidency. • Dukakis led in the polls at one point by 17 points! • Bush went on the Offensive. • Portrays Dukakis as soft on crime. • Willie Horton case - helped Dukakis to lose the election.
Foreign Policy Success • “Perestroika” - USSR had a new leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, who promoted a new program of “openness” between the USA and USSR. • Bush capitalized on this opportunity and warmed up to new relations between the two countries. • Berlin Wall - Communists let the wall be torn down in 1989 and eventually the two German nations became one. • Gulf War I - Saddam Hussein had invaded nearby Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in 1990. The US sent in troops and weapons to restore order and push Hussein back into Iraq. • US finished the War in only 42 days! Cost the lives of 240 American soldiers.
Election of 1992 • Bush had promised “no new taxes” in 1988, yet had raised taxes during his first term. • Two men vie for the Democratic Nomination: Bill Clinton, Governor of Arkansas and Al Gore, Senator from TN. • Clinton had been elected Governor at the age of 32 in 1978. He was reelected after being defeated in the 1980 election and served through the late 1980’s. • Al Gore had been a reporter in Vietnam for Stars and Stripes and then ran for election in his father’s Senate seat in the 1980’s. He called himself the environmental candidate. • Clinton won the nomination and chose Gore as his running mate. • Ross Perot entered the race as a Third Party candidate after he organized volunteers to get his name on the ballot
Campaign of 1992 • Issues: • National Debt – grew from $1 trillion to $4 trillion in the Reagan/Bush era (12 yrs) • Government continued to deficit spend throughout the 80’s and 90’s • 1990 alone: • $1,252,850,000 spent • $1,031,462,000 collected in taxes! • Instead of raising taxes to cover costs, Government simply borrowed the money! • Independent Ross Perot may have been a little bit strange, but he made people think about where our money was going!
Bill Clinton • 42nd President of the United States. • Wins election because he focused on the economy. • “It’s the economy stupid!” • Clinton used the power of the Government to get the economy going again. • Much of his belief system based on JFK, his hero! • Clinton won the election because Perot’s candidacy drew voters away from Bush. • Clinton wins the White House and the Democrats win the majority of seats in Congress. • Frequent patronage of McDonald’s was often the target of jokes and embarrassment!
Clinton Presidency • Clinton allowed the US military to adopt a “Don’t ask don’t tell” policy with relation to Gays in the military. • Helped to create more than 22 million new jobs • Homeownership rate increase from 64.0% to 67.5% • Lowest unemployment rates in 30 years • Higher incomes at all levels of society. • Largest budget deficit in American history converted to the largest surplus • Lowest government spending as a percentage of GDP since 1974 • Higher stock ownership by families than ever before
Clinton Presidency • Restored America’s faith in the global marketplace. • America comes out of the recession of 91-92. • Clinton takes credit for the successes. • Truth is, America rebounds because of previous administrations policies in some cases. • His staff suffers though many scandals. • Clinton comes within a couple of votes of Impeachment for lying under oath!
Clinton Impeachment • Dec. 19, 1998 • House charged him with two articles of impeachment • Charges: Perjury & Obstruction of Justice • Arose from an investigation by Kenneth Starr • Clinton denied having a sexual relationship with a former Arkansas Government employee, Paula Jones. He actually had! • Impeachment Trial : Jan 7, 1999 – February 12 • Perjury: 45 for and 55 against • Obstruction of Justice: 50 for and 50 against • Clinton was disbarred from practicing law by the state of Arkansas as well as the US Supreme Court as a result of his impeachment!
George W. Bush • 43rd President of the United States. • Elected in 2000 in the closest Presidential election in history. • Election was not actually decided until December after a recount of votes from the state of Florida. • Only the 2nd time that the son of a former President was elected as the President of the United States. • Supreme Court decided to halt the recounts in Florida. • Bush v. Gore • 1st time they decided an election.
Problems for GW Bush • Election of 2000 – Divided the Country almost equally in their support of a candidate. • Bush v. Gore (2000) Supreme Court Case to order the state of Florida to certify election returns. • Economy – economic downslide caused by failure of dotcom growth industries of the 90’s. • War with Iraq – Bush went to war in Iraq after false intelligence reports from Great Britain and the United States indicate Iraq had WMD. • Questions – many people do not like the President’s leadership style. His hard charging, ask questions later mentality turns people off!
