o Average Amer. Older in 1960s and much more likely to live in South and West.
o Conservative cause added to “New Right” movement.
o Counter to protests of 1960s cultural.
o Led by Christian groups incl. Moral Majority.
o Against abortion, porn, homosexuality, feminism, affirmative action.
The Election of Ronald Reagan 1980
o Reagan denounced activist gov and “social engineering” of 1960s
o Championed “common man”
o Depicted big gov as villain.
o Drew on ideas of neoconservatives
§ Includes Norman Podhoretz of Commentary and
§ Irving Kristol of The Public Interest.
§ Championed free-market capitalism free from gov restrains.
§ Harshly anti-Soviet positions in foreign policy.
o 1980 Repubs ready to challenge Democrats hold on White House
o Carter inability to control double digit inflation.
o Own democratic had ABC Anybody but Carter movement.
o Edward Kennedy and Carter ran for Democrats.
o Reagan advantage of TV “debate” w/ Carter.
o High interest, inflation, failing economy put president on defensive.
o Independent John Anderson 7% of popular votes.
o Repubs gain control of Senate for 1st time in 25 years.
o Carter farewell address to scale down arms race, promote human rights, protect environment
o Last things signed bill preserving 100 mil acres of Alaska land for national parks, forests, wildlife refuges.
The Reagan Revolution
o Inauguration Day = release of hostages
o 444 days of captivity
o Secretary of interior James Watt
o Product of Sagebrush Rebellion anti-Washington movement to protest federal control over rich mineral and timber resources in western states.
o Attempted to go around EPA to permit oil drilling.
o Forced to resign through ethnic joke.
o Reagan: “The government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.”
o Previously fed spending ^ 18% of GNP to 23%, composition of federal budget shift from defense to entitlement programs incl. social security and medicare
o 4 decades of New Deal and Great Society = countercurrent.
§ California tax revolt 1978 Proposition 13
§ To kill welfare state.
o Federal budget to cut $35 billion mostly in social programs.
o Got support of southern conservative Democrats boll weevils
o Attacked, recovered 12 days.
The Battle of the Budget
o Dismantling of welfare state
o Demonstrated power of presidency.
o Deep tax cuts 25% across the boat reductions over 3 years.
o Support from “boll weevils” enable this.
o 1981 far-reaching tax reforms that lowered individual tax rates, reduced federal estate taxes and created new tax-free savings plans for small investors.
o Supply side economics worked in theory as new investment would boost productivity, foster dramatic economic growth and reduce federal deficit.
o But “Reagan recession” of 1982
o Automobile industry horrible performance
§ Conflict w/ Japanese imports
o Actually anti-inflationary “tight money” policies by Federal Reserve Board in Carter started.
o “Reaganomics”.
o 1980s economy not sound.
o First time in 1900s gap b/w rich and poor increased.
o “yuppies” young urban professionals emerged.
§ = values of materialism and pursuit of wealth.
o 1980s some say massive military expenditures was real foundation of prosperity.
o Against arms frace v. Soviet Union.
o Federal budgest topped $100 billion 1982, gov’s books nearly $200 billion out of balance.
o A lot of borrowing from other nations = interest rates high.
o Bad for US exporters, good for buyers of foreign cars.
o US soon world’s heaviest borrowers.
Reagan Renews the Cold War
o USSR as “focus evil” of the modern world”
o Strategy to expand US military capabilities, could threaten USSR w/ expensive round of Cold War.
o Strategic Defense Initiative
§ Aka Star Wars
§ Battle stations that could fire laser beams and vaporize intercontinental ballistic missiles on liftoff.
§ Scientists considered as impossible goal
· Emphasized defense more than offense
· Upset 40 years of strategic thinking about nuclear weaponry.
§ Constrained congressional funding for SDI.
o USSR and Poland.
o Poland organized into massive union Solidarity, clamped martial law on country.
o Reagan = economic sanctions on Poland and USSR.
§ Resumption of grain embargo on USSR.
o Oligarchs in Kremlin also dying
o Korean passenger airliner blasted from Societ airspace.
o By 1983 all arms-control negotiations broken off.
o Western boycott of Moscow Olympics and USSR and satellite states boycotting of Los Angeles Olympic Games
Troubles Abroad
o Israel strained relationship w/ US
o Invaded Lebanon to suppress guerilla bases
o Reagan sends US troops to Lebanon as part of int’l peacekeeping force.
§ United States Marine barracks
o “Teflon President” b/c Reagan wasn’t hurt.
o Leftist revolution in Nicaragua.
o Anti-American Sandinistas government.
o Reagan sent CIA helped “contra rebels” opposing anti-US government of Nicaragua.
o Dispatched powerful invasion of Grenada to overturn Marxist government.
Round Two for Reagan
o Democrat Walter Mondale VP Congresswomen first ever Geraldine Ferraro
o Foreign policies dominated
o New Soviet leader Gorbachev announced Glasnost “openness” and Prestroika or “restructuring”
§ Openness: Aimed to remove repressive stuffiness of USSR by introducing free speecdh.
§ Restructuring = revive USSR economy by adopting free-market practices.
o Glasnost and Prestroika required that USSR shrink size of military machine and direct energy to civilian economy
o Required Cold War to end.
o USSR to cease intermediate range nuclear forces INF targeted on Western Europe.
o Four Geneva Summit Meetings 1985
o First stopped INF
o 2nd broke down in stalemate
o 3rd signed INF treaty banning all intermediate-range nuclear missiles from Europe.
o 4th Reagan praised Gorbachev.
o Reagan backed Aquino’s overthrow of dictator Marcos in Phillipines
o Lightning air raid against Libya
o US naval vessels to escort oil tankers through Persian Gulf due to Iran-Iraq War.
The Iran-Contra Imbroglio
o Continuing captivity of US hostages seized by Muslim extremists.
o Lebanon troubles
o Left-wing Sandinista gov in Nicaragua.
o Congress refuses to aid contra rebels fighting against Sandinista regime.
o Iran-Contra scandal
o Sells arms to Iranians, uses money to violate congressional ban on military aid to Nicaraguan rebels and aid them.
§ North marine colonel, NSC Poindexter and Secretary of Defense Weinberger convicted, eventually reversed.
§ Weinberger pardoned.
o Reagan emerged as lazy, sometimes sleeped.
o But remained most popular
Reagan’s Economic Legacy
o Major tax reform bills 1981 – 1986
o Revenue hole of $200 billion annual deficits
o $2 trillion added to national debt.
o As debt was financed by foreign lenders, esp. Japanese, guaranteed that future generations of US would have to work harder than parents or lower of standard of paying.
o 1986 Congress pass legislation mandating balanced budget by 1991.
o Ineffective.
o New social spending practically, politically impossible = containment of welfare state.
o Reversal of long-term trend towards distribution of income.
The Religious Right
o Evangelical Christians
o Reverend Jerry Falwell founded Moral Majority
o Against abortion, feminism, spread of gay rights.
o Huge audiences, aggressive advocates of conservative causes.
o Religious rights aka “movement conservatives”.
o Declared themselves pro-life voters, had prayer meetings, right to life movement, protesters in 1980s blocked entrances to abortion clinics
Conservatism in the Courts
o Courts principle instrument in “culture wars”
o Reagan appointed near-majority of all judges.
o Incl. Sandra Day O’Conner women.
o Against affirmative action and abortion.
o Court ruled union rules about job seniority could outweight AA concerns in promotion policies in fire dep.
o Ward’s Cove Packing v. Antonia and Martin v. Wilks = more difficult to prove employer practiced racial discrimination and hiring, easier for white males to argue they were victims of reverse discrimination.
o 1991 partially reversed.
o Roe v. Wade legalized abortion.
o Webster v. Reproductive Health Service did not overturn Roe, but compromised protection of abortion rights.
o Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruled states could restrict access to abortion as long as they did not place “undue burden” on women.
Referendum on Reaganism in 1988
o Lost control of Senate 1986
o New Democratic majority rejected Robert Bork (Reagan’s ultraconservative nominee for Supreme Court)
o Removed unethical behavior in Reagan’s “official family”
o Top EPA officials, Reagan’s secretary of labor, White House aid stepped down.
o Attorney General Edwin Meese under prosecution.
o Economic trouble
o Federal budget deficit and international trade deficit continued to mount
o Falling oil prices = bad for SW econ.
o Loans become useless.
o Damages to S&L institutions.
o Federal assistance required to save Continental Illinois Bank.
o Mergers, buyouts over Wallstreet.
o Increased gap b/w rich and poor
o Black Monday Oct. 19 1987 leading stockmarket went down.
o Democrats wanted to take advantage of this = “Seven Dwarfs”
o Jesse Jackson black candidate, w/ “rainbow coalition” of minorities.
o Gary Hart went out after charges of sexual misconduct.
o Michael Dukakis nomination.
o Repubs nominate George Bush
o Reagan record of tax cuts
o Strong defense policies
o Toughness on crime
George Bush and the End of the Cold War
o Deepest commitment to public service
o Emissary to China, ambassador to UN, director of CIA, VP.
o “kinder, gentler America”
o Tiananmen Square Massacre
o US should condemn, but Bush insisted on maintaining normal relations w/ China.
o Solidarity Movement in Poland toppled communist gov
o Soon communist gov in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and Romania.
o Wall comes down 1989
o Two Germanies unite.
o Symbolic end to Cold War
o Gorbachev’s policies set in motion out of control.
o Military coup attempts to overthrow, w/ help of Yeltsin foils plot, but then dissolves and Soviet Unnion dissolved into component parts into the commonwealth of Independent States.
o Yeltsin dominant leader.
o All new gov relatively free-market economy, democratices.
o Bush spoke hopefully of “new world order” where demo reign and diplomacy supersede weaponry.
o START II accord w/ Yeltsin, both powers to reduce long-=range nuclear arsenals 2/3 within 2 years.
o After USSR disintegrates, nationalistic fervor and ethnic racial hatrest.
o Chechyan massacres.
o Yugoslavia “ethnic cleansing”
o German economy has to absorb backwards economically, physically East.
o US foreign policy left with no direction.
o Expensive orders for military bases and navy attack plans canceled.
o California hard hit where defense plants shut their doors.
o Democracy went forward.
o Nelson Mandela in South Africa
o Free elections in Nicaragua.
The Persian Gulf Crisis
o Bush suppresses dictator Noriega in Panama
o Saddam Hussein to overrun Kuwait for oil
o Iraq needed to pay war bills from Iran-Iraq war.
o US and allies had previously funded Iraq b/c against Iran.
o After attack UNSC condemned invasion, send immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Iraq troops.
o US spearheaded massive int’l military development.
o US soldiers, many women and members of new, post-Vietnam, all volunteer military, to Persian Gulf.
Fighting “Operation Desert Storm”
o US general Schwarzkopf
o Iraq had chemical, bio weapons.
o Saddam ignited oil-well fires
o Schwarzkopf relentlessly bombed, tidal-wave of troops.
o Operation Desert Storm 4 days and much of Iraq’s remaining fighting force quickly destroyed or captured.
o Kuwait liberated
o Welcomed as heroes.
o Failed to dislodge Saddam Hussein from power.
Bush on the Home Front
o “kindler, gentler America” > Americans with Disabilities Act
o prohibiting discrimination against Amer w/ physical or mental disabilities.
o Major water projects bill 1992 reforming distribution of subsidized federal water in West.
§ Interests of environment ahead of agriculture.
o Bush challenged legality of college scholarships targeted for racial minorities
o Threatened to veto civil rights legislation that would make it easier for employees to prove discrimination in hiring and promotion practices.
o Nominated Clarence Thomas
§ Opposed by liberal groups incl. labor, NAACP, National Organization for Women (NOW)
§ Presumed opposition to abortion rights.
o Senate Judiciary Committee concluded w/ divided 7-7 vote and no recommendation.
o Anita Hill charges against Clarence Thomas for sexual harassment.
§ Senate vote roughly made it pass
§ Robert Packwood later to fall victim.
o Conflict over Clarence Thomas suggested social issues that helped 3 Repub victories losing electoral appeal.
o Gender gap = women for democrats more.
o 1992 employment rate exceeded 7%
o 1990 budget agreement incl. $133 bil in new taxes
o so “read my lips, no new taxes”a failure.
o Members of House written “bad checks”
o Movement to impose limits on number of terms.
Bill Clinton: The First Baby-Boomer President
o Problems: economy, widening gender gap.
o Bill Clinton and Al Gore
o Claimed to be a “New Democrat” who was primarily centrist
o Formed Democratic Leadership Council to point towards progrowth, strong defense, anticrime policies.
o To stimulate econ, reform welfare, reform health-care system.
o Republicans George Bush and Danforth Quayle.
o By 1992 voters more concerned about economy.
o “It’s the economy, stupid”.
o Ross Perot stole votes from Bush, attacked problem of federal deficit.
o Strongest independent showing since TR on Bull Moose 1912.
o Clinton
o First baby boomer.
o Democrats majorities in both houses of Congress.
o Moseley-Braun first African American woman elected to US Senate
§ 5 other women in Senate
o Many women in Clinton’s cabinet.
o Attorney general = Reno
o Secretary of health, human services Shalala
o Racial minorities Cisneroes and black ron Brown as secretary of commerce.
o Ginsburg to Supreme Court, another woman.
A False Start for Reform
o Advocate end of ban on gays and lesbians in armed services
o Resulted in “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
o Attempt to fix health-care system
o Hillary Clinton in charge of it
o Very complicated, DOA for Congress.
o Very active for First Lady, but midway after first term sidestepped.
o Clinton deficit-reduction bill 1993
o Federal deficit to lowest level in more than decade
o Brady Bill for gun control and $30 bil anticrime bill.
o Against rising violence
o Muslim attack on World Trade Center 1993
o Oklahoma City Bombings
§ Claim to be b/c of fed standing in Waco and fundamentalist Branch Davidians.
o Due to antigovernment sentiment.
o 23 states restrictions on elected officials.
The Politics of Distrust
o Newt Gingrich offered “Contrast w/ America”
o 1994 every Repub candidate reelected.
o Control of both chambers of federal Congress for first time in 40 years.
o Repub Congress restricted “unfounded mandates”, fed laws that imposed new obligations on state and local gov w/o providing new revenues.
o Clinton reluctantly signed Welfare Reform Bill deep cuts in welfare grants and req. welfare recipients to find employment.
o Restricted welfare benefits for immigrants
o Due to rising anti-immigration.
o To accommodate electorate’s conservative mood.
o Tense confrontation b/w Repub congress and Democratic president
o Fed gov had to sut down for several days 1995.
o Clinton’s Reelection campaign raised a lot of money
o Republican opposition Robert Dole.
o Ross Perot attempted again, less than half votes.
o Republicans remained in control of Congress
Clinton Again
o Promises of far-reaching reform no longer heard.
o Modest goals, though tax revenues by economy produced 1998 balanced federal budget for first time in 30 years.
o Claims political middle ground
o Cali 1996 approved Proposition 209 prohibiting AA preferences in gov and higher education
o Hopwood v. Texas had a similar effect in Texas
o Clinton criticized, but didn’t try to reverse them
§ AA support diminished.
o By 2000 economy longest growth in US history.
o Inflationary pressure remained very low.
o 1997 South East Asia econ crisis
o US surged ahead w/ new Internet business.
o Supported North American Free Trade Agreement.
o Opposition of protectionists in own party, fear to lose jobs to low-wage Mexican workers.
o Clinton > promoted creation of World Trade Organization successor to General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
o Opposition to trade policy
o Campaign finance reform 1996 presidential campaign issue!
o Both parties dependent on vast sums.
o John McCain campaign finance reform centerpiece of bid to presidential nomination.
o Fights against big tobacco and for gun control in Clinton second term.
o Wouldn’t let tobacco companies win immunity from litigation.
o Later hoped lawsuits would force tobacco industry to reimburse fed gov.
o Gun control – Columbine High School shooting.
o Clinton debate against National Rifle Association
Problems Abroad
o Found out that some CIA officials sold secrets to Soviets
o Executions of US agents abroad.
o Peacekeeping mission to Somalia, reinforced US troops there after Somali rebels killed Amers.
o Ethnic violence in Rwanda.
o Haiti democratically elected president Aristide deposed by military coup 1992.
o US troops to return him to presidency.
o Clinton previously wanted to punish China for demo abuses, but too important in economy.
o 2000 China trade bill made China trading partner of US.
o Balkans and Yugoslavians.
o Sent NATO troops.
o NATO expansion to incl. Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic 1997.
o Serbia’s Milsevic unleashes “ethnic cleansing” in Kosovo, NATO air war.
o Eventually stopped it.
o Middle East foreign issues.
o Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasir Arafat agreed on self-rule for Palestinians in Israel.
o Rabin assassinated, Clinton secretary of state Albright to broker permanent settlement.
o Hussein refuse to let UN inspect Iraqi weapons program.
o US Britain air strikes against Iraqi weapons factories.
o US also attack Afghanistan and Sudan for terrorist bombings there.
o Attempts peace at Northern Ireland and Korea, and travel to India and Pakistan to reduce rivalry.
Scandal and Impeachment
o Whitewater Land Corporation Clinton’s rol suspicious.
o Foster Jr. close Clinton associate suicided.
o President’s loose ethics in Primary Colors.
o Scandal w/ Monica Lewinsky
o Lawsuit brought on by Paula Jones when charged that Clinton sexually harassed her.
o Jones case led to windfall of prosecutor Starr originally to investigate Whitewater deal.
o Then Clinton admitted, and passed 2 articles of impeachment: perjury before grand jury and obstruction of justice.
o Prosecutors for Senate trial led by Hyde claimed perjury and obstruction grave issues that nothing less than “rule of law” at stake.
o Majority thought was a low folly, not a high crime.
o 1998 Repubs lose House majority, Gingrich resigns.
o Clinton’s job approval remains high.
o Rehnquist presided over court case.
Clinton’s Legacy
o Protected many lands, public support for health-care improvements in form of “patient’s bill of rights”
o 100,000 more teachers, 50,000 more police officers.
o Repubs wanted big tax cuts, Democrats wanted smaller cuts and new ways to increase Medicare and Social Security = key conflicts for 2000 presidential campaign.
o First term economic growth succeeded.
o Full employment by decade’s end
o Poverty rates down
o Median income new highs
o Social justice and racial harmony alive.
The Bush-Gore Presidential Battle
o Al Gore with Lieberman critic of Clinton during Lewinsky affair.
o Lieberman first Jew nominated to national ticket by major party.
o Green Party Ralph Nader threatened to get votes off environmentalists which would have been off Gore.
o George W. Bush promised to return “2/3” of surplus “to the people”
o Championed school vouchers, allowing individual workers to invest part of payroll taxes in private retirement accounts.
o State of Florida
o Jeb Bush as governor.
o Republican dominated Florida legislatures to name a set of pro-Bush electors
o Court’s 5 most conservative members ruled in Bush’s favor when it was taken to Supreme Court.
o Senate 50 50 b/w Demos and Republicans
o Hillary Clinton first First Lady to run for office, wins Senate seat.
o Relatively peaceful transition, democracy persists.
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