Presidents and Their Impact. 1. Analyze the political and economic transformations which occurred as...

Presidents and Their Impact

1. Analyze the political and economic transformations which occurred as a result of industrialization from the late 19th century to the present with some evidence of understanding the principles of democracy and capitalism.

2. Trace the social movements for labor rights, racial equality, gender equality, and civil rights from the 19th century to the present.

3. Describe the philosophical and political trends which have influenced American society since 1876. Critique the historiography.

Lecture 10: Presidents and Their ImpactIntroduction – Student Outcomes

4. Evaluate the effects of the frontier and westward movement upon those who played a major role in it, from the Native Americans and Chicanos who were displaced, to the settlers themselves, and to the effects on the environment.

5. Appraise the role that immigration has played in the history the United States since 1876, explaining how government regulations and popular support have changed up until the present.


6. Evaluate U.S. foreign policy and its role in the world since the 1800's, explaining why the U.S. became involved in the wars and conflicts of the 20th and in the beginning of the 21st centuries.

7. Compare and contrast the causes and impact of American economic growth and recessions, especially focusing on the 1929 Great Depression and the 2007 recession.

8. Explain the dynamics that caused major sociocultural and political shifts in the 1960-70s era.


9. Trace the changing dynamics of the American population and its impact on class, family life, urbanization, and basic values.

10. Examine the importance of popular culture and technology in the lives of all Americans, tracing this growth since the 1870s.

11. Analyze the role of the United States in globalization and post-Cold War multipolarism.

12. Discuss the problems and promises of the United States in the 21st century.


Lecture 10: Presidents and Their ImpactIntroduction

A. Kennedy and Johnson B. Nixon and Watergate C. Carter and the Iranian RevolutionD. Reagan Revolution and the End of the Cold War E. Bill Clinton F. George W. Bush and the Two Wars G. Barack Obama

• The Election of 1960 was one of the closest presidential elections in history with John Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon by a popular margin of 100,000 votes out of more than 68 million• During the campaign, Kennedy charged that under

Eisenhower and the Republicans the nation had fallen behind the Soviet Union in the Cold War, both militarily and economically, and that as president he would "get America moving again."

Lecture 10: Presidents and Their ImpactA. Kennedy and Johnson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1960

http://www.nndb.com/people/113/000024041/



• Nixon responded that, if elected, he would continue the "peace and prosperity" that President Eisenhower had brought the nation in the 1950s• Nixon also argued that with the nation engaged in

the Cold War with the Soviets, that Kennedy was too young and inexperienced to be trusted with the presidency• In the first televised presidential debates in history,

Kennedy gained a slight edge on Nixon• Kennedy went on to win the election


http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=nixon+kennedy+debate+video&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBVR#view=detail&mid=7EFD1AB8276AFCBC00D27EFD1AB8276AFCBC00D2

• Kennedy came to the presidency determined to focus on the Cold War• In his inaugural address Kennedy announced:

“The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans who would pay any price, bear any burden to assure the survival and success of liberty”

• Kennedy asked Americans to move beyond their complacent focus on consumerism:

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what can you do for your country”


Video


http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=kennedy+inaugural+address&FORM=HDRSC3#view=detail&mid=17966033D809B2E2394B17966033D809B2E2394B

• Kennedy would only serve three years and his domestic accomplishments were modest• Kennedy would also experience limited success in

the Cold War struggle:• He established the Peace Corps which sent

American volunteers into developing nations• Kennedy also implemented his

Alliance for Progress, a form of a Marshall Plan for Latin America but it met with limited success


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Corps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Corps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_for_Progress

• In 1961 Kennedy also announced that America would land a man on the moon – a mission that many thought was impossible was actually accomplished in 1969• Perhaps Kennedy’s great accomplishment was

avoiding a nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis• The details of this crisis have previously been

discussed


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis

• Kennedy was reluctant to add civil rights to his agenda• Kennedy even approved J Edgar Hoover’s request

to wiretap Martin Luther King, Jr.’s telephone• However, the televised struggle of Blacks in

Birmingham forced Kennedy to act• In June, 1963, Kennedy asked Congress to enact

civil rights legislation


• On November 22, 1963 Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald – Video • Oswald’s own death two days later would leave a

cloud conspiracy theories that still reappear from time to time – Video • The assassination and funeral would be fixed in the

memories of millions of American – Video • Upon Kennedy’s death Lyndon B Johnson became

President




http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Zapruder+Film+High+Quality&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBVR#view=detail&mid=4758A737EEF875B16E704758A737EEF875B16E70

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=shooting+of+oswald&qs=AS&sk=&FORM=QBVR&pq=shooting%20of%20osw&sc=7-15&sp=1&qs=AS&sk=#view=detail&mid=BB7457E3BA67670428BFBB7457E3BA67670428BF

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Kennedy+Funeral+1963&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBVR#view=detail&mid=DB831C7195894B80D8E0DB831C7195894B80D8E0


• Ironically, Johnson was far more interested in domestic reform than foreign policy• An adept politician, after the assassination of

Kennedy, Johnson easily won approval of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibited racial discrimination in employment and also banned discrimination on the basis of sex• Johnson was aware of the implications of the

legislation and remarked:“I think we delivered the South to the Republican Party”


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964

• However, obstacles to Blacks voting in the South still were not yet addressed• In the summer of 1964 a coalition of civil rights

groups launched a voter registration drive in Mississippi – Freedom Summer• Civil rights workers were met with violence with

twenty-five workers murdered by 1965• Black activists hoped to win support for their

efforts to win the right to vote at the 1964 Democratic Convention but were deeply disappointed


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Summer

• In the Election of 1964 the Republicans nominated Barry Goldwater, a conservative Senator from Arizona• Living up to the Democratic image of an extremist

who threatened not to only end the world through nuclear war but also to the programs of the New Deal such as Social Security, Goldwater was easily defeated by Johnson, 43 million to 27 million• In 1965 King renewed the push for voter

registration in the South





• The Poll Tax prohibited with the adoption of the Twenty-fourth Amendment in 1964 but Martin Luther King, Jr. continued to push for voter registration in the South• Johnson responded to King’s campaign for voting

rights by supporting Congress’ Voting Rights Act of 1965• Having addressed the Civil Rights Movement and

having won an election mandate, Johnson turned his focus to a program known as the Great Society – introducing Medicaid and Medicare; and funds for education and urban development


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fourth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Rights_Act_of_1965

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Society

• An important part of the Great Society was the War on Poverty which focused not on direct aid but delegated control of the programs to local control which often resulted in conflicts with local governments• Unfortunately, the War in Vietnam would come to

dominate Johnson’s attention and his effort to end poverty in America• By 1968 more than half-million troops were in

Vietnam and later that year the Tet Offensive would demonstrate that claims the war was being won were false – see Lecture #8


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Poverty

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tet_Offensive

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tet_Offensive

• After reporting on the Tet Offensive, CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite announced to America his belief that the war in Vietnam could not be won – Video• Faced by protests within the Democratic Party and

growing disapproval of the war, Johnson announced in 1968 he would not seek reelection – Video



http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=walter+cronkite+vietnam&qs=VA&form=QBVR&pq=walter+cronkite&sc=8-15&sp=7&sk=VA6#view=detail&mid=645D7D3CA58233A6C867645D7D3CA58233A6C867

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Johnson+reelection+1968&qs=n&form=QBVR&pq=johnson+reelection+1968&sc=0-19&sp=-1&sk=#view=detail&mid=A590AE31E86B12C35D66A590AE31E86B12C35D66

• In the Election of 1968 the Democrats nominated Vice-president Hubert Humphrey and the Republicans turned to Richard Nixon, who had been defeated by John Kennedy in 1960• Nixon was able to ride a backlash to the antiwar

movement and the civil rights movements to win the presidency• Nixon’s primary interest was foreign affairs and he

had no wish to struggle with Congress so he accepted and even expanded elements of the Great Society

Lecture 10: Presidents and Their ImpactB. Nixon and Watergate



• Nixon called his domestic program the New Federalism which provided block grant to the states rather than federally administered social welfare programs• Nixon also created a number of federal regulatory

agencies:• EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)• OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Agency)• NTSV (National Transportation Safety Board)• Nixon also supported other environmental

legislation:• The Endangered Species Act (1973)• The Clean Air Act was expanded (1970)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Federalism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Federalism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agency

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agency

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_Safety_and_Health_Act

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Transportation_Safety_Board



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Air_Act_(United_States)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Air_Act_(United_States)

• In the Election of 1968 the Democrats nominated Vice-president Hubert Humphrey and the Republicans turned to Richard Nixon, who had been defeated by John Kennedy in 1960• Nixon was able to ride a backlash to the antiwar

movement and the civil rights movements to win the presidency• Nixon’s primary interest was foreign affairs and he

had no wish to struggle with Congress so he accepted and even expanded elements of the Great Society




• The one issue that plagued Nixon was Vietnam• When he attempted to cut the North Vietnam’s

supply lines to the South by invading Cambodia in 1970 it destabilized the government which led to the seizure of power by the Khmer Rouge• The protests against the war increased and

climaxed with the shooting of students at Kent State in 1970• By 1973 he was able to negotiate the

Paris Peace Accords which called for the withdrawal of American troops but left the current government in South Vietnam until it collapsed in 1975


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodian_Campaign

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings



• The final tragedy for Nixon would be the Watergate Scandal in 1972 when former members of Nixon’s election committee were caught in a burglary of the Democratic Party national headquarters• As it began to emerge that the White House was

involved in the burglary it was also discovered that Nixon had secretly recorded White House meetings• After holding extensive hearings, the House

Judiciary Committee in August 1974 voted to recommend the impeachment of Nixon – Video


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=watergate+hearings+video&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBVR#view=detail&mid=21B08C1E9ADEA43C6C9A21B08C1E9ADEA43C6C9A

• Faced with impeachment, Nixon became the only president to resign• Gerald Ford, appointed Vice-President after

Spiro Agnew resigned after facing charges of corruption, became President and immediately pardoned Nixon• Ford would have no success addressing the

nation’s economic problems – by 1975 the unemployment rate reached 10 percent• The one success of Ford’s administration was the

Helsinki Accords (1975) with the Soviets that finalized Europe’s post-war boundaries




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki_Accords

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki_Accords

• In the Election of 1976 the Democratic candidate was Jimmy Carter and the Republicans nominated Gerald Ford• Carter was a former governor of Georgia who

portrayed himself as an “outsider”• Carter was also a devout Christian who promised

the electorate: “I’ll never lie to you”• In a close election, Carter defeated Ford• Carter’s most pressing issue was the nation’s

stagflation – inflation and high unemployment

Lecture 10: Presidents and Their ImpactC. Carter and the Iranian Revolution




• Carter believed the major challenge was inflation and cut spending on domestic programs• He also supported the Federal Reserve’s decision

to continue to raise interest rates until inflation was brought under control• To many Americans Carter seemed to be leading

America into decline• Carter’s approach to foreign affairs was idealistic

and made human rights the center of American foreign policy


• In 1978 Carter cutoff aid to the Argentine military dictatorship • In 1979 he brokered the Camp David Accords

between Egypt and Israel• Carter also supported the Torrijos–Carter Treaties

which transferred the Panama Canal back to Panama in 2000• Carter’s greatest challenges was the 1979

Iranian Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini who established an Islamic Republic


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_David_Accords

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrijos%E2%80%93Carter_Treaties

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrijos%E2%80%93Carter_Treaties

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution


• The revolution in Iran marked the beginning of Islamic Fundamentalism• When Carter allowed the deposed shah to seek

medical treatment in the U.S., the Islamic radicals seized the American embassy and fifty-three American hostages – Video • When a complicated attempt to free the hostages

failed many Americans were convinced that America was declining under Carter’s leadership – Video


http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=iranian+hostage+crisis&FORM=HDRSC3#view=detail&mid=BB60B2362AED9665F80CBB60B2362AED9665F80C

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=1980+Iranian+Hostage+Rescue+Attempt&FORM=RESTAB#view=detail&mid=A02F882E1768A41BD27EA02F882E1768A41BD27E

• America’s relations with the Soviet Union were strained when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1980• Carter embargoed grain exports to the Soviet

Union and organized a boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games• Returning to a Cold War strategy, Carter provided

arms to the Muslim Fundamentalists who were later emerge as the Taliban


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Summer_Olympics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban

• The disappointments of the Carter Administration created an opportunity for political conservatives• One of the more influential groups to emerge

were the Neoconservatives who argued that the sixties had led to a decline in moral standards and respect for authority• The Neoconservatives believed that no matter

how well intentioned the government’s social programs, undermined the work ethic and encouraged single motherhood


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism

• The Neoconservatives warned against détente with the Soviet Union• The politically conservative base would expand

with the growth of religious fundamentalism, sometimes referred to as the Fourth Great Awakening• The Evangelical Christians were alienated from

America’s growing immorality and trivializing of religion• They opposed the ban on school prayer, legalized

abortion, and gay rights


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Great_Awakening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Great_Awakening

• The growing influence of the religious fundamentalists can clearly be seen in the defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) that called for equality for both sexes• The ERA passed Congress with little debate but the

religious right protested that it undermined the family by discrediting the role of wife and homemaker• The religious right demonstrated its power by

defeating an amendment that most polls showed was favored by a majority of Americans


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_Rights_Amendment

• The most bitter controversy was the debate over abortion which was legalized by the Roe v Wade decision in 1973• The anti-abortion movement did succeed in

getting Congress in 1976 to prohibit funding for abortions under Medicaid• By the early 1990’s abortion foes turned to

violence and bombed medical clinics and killed doctors performing abortions• In many areas it became more difficult for women

to have an abortion


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade

• As the nation continued to face stagnation the conservative argument that government regulation of business raised costs and eliminated jobs• Increasingly conservatives focused on cutting taxes

to increase business profits and to eliminate government welfare programs• In the Election of 1980 Ronald Reagan would win

the Republican nomination and appeal to the growing conservative discontent

Lecture 10: Presidents and Their ImpactD. Reagan Revolution and the End of the Cold War




• Reagan easily won the election with 489 electoral votes to Carter’s 49 votes• Reagan’s election represented a new conservative

coalition of Sunbelt suburbanites and urban working-class whites:• Anti-government crusaders• Cold Warriors• Libertarians• Religious Fundamentalists


• Reagan promised to free the country from the special interests: unions and racial minorities• Reagan was adept at adopting the language of

patriotism to support his economic program• He defined freedom as the ability to keep what

you make rather than paying taxes• By 1986 the top tax rate had been reduced from

70 percent to 28 percent• Reagan’s economic program was known as

Reaganomics relied upon low taxes and reduced regulation to stimulate the economy


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaganomics

• Reagan believed lower taxes would encourage Americans to work harder because they would keep more of their income• As the economy expanded, tax receipts would

increase despite lower tax rates• In reality, the national debt tripled to $2.7 trillion

under Reagan• Reagan encouraged hostility to organized labor, in

1981 he replaced 13,000 striking air traffic controllers


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Air_Traffic_Controllers_Organization_(1968)#August_1981_strike

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Air_Traffic_Controllers_Organization_(1968)#August_1981_strike

• During the Reagan administration the rate on inequality increased dramatically with the richest 1 percent owning 40 percent of the wealth• While Reagan reduced support for food stamps,

school lunches, and low-income housing but he left intact much of the New Deal reforms such as Social Security• Reagan did nothing to end abortion and he

actually appointed the first female Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor




• The social conservatives experienced some success:• In Bowers v Hardwick (1986) the Supreme Court

upheld the right of states to criminalize homosexual acts• Nancy Reagan championed the “Just Say No”

campaign to combat growing drug use


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowers_v._Hardwick

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowers_v._Hardwick

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Say_No

• Reagan renewed the Cold War, calling the Soviet Union an “evil empire”• He launched the largest peacetime military

expansion in American history in including his Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars) to intercept enemy missiles• Widely viewed movies such as, The Day After

(1983), depicting life after a nuclear war, heightened American concerns over a nuclear war – Video


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+day+after+movie&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBVR#view=detail&mid=0E8C99AFBEF102D601210E8C99AFBEF102D60121

• Although Reagan was willing to use the military to defend American interest he would increasing rely upon foreign aid and special operations• In 1982 the U.S. intervened in the

Lebanese civil war but withdrew after 241 Marines were killed by a suicide bomber – Video• In 1983 Reagan authorized the invasion of tiny

island of Grenada to overthrow a pro-Cuban government – Video


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombing

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=attack+on+marine+barracks+lebanon&FORM=HDRSC3#view=detail&mid=65B36C4BAF0D6C0062E165B36C4BAF0D6C0062E1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Grenada

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=grenada+invasion&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBVR#view=detail&mid=46DE9A0428348B796B4646DE9A0428348B796B46

• Viewing international relations from the perspective of the Cold War, Reagan would send aid to military dictatorships in Chile and South Africa• Believing that communism was a threat to Central

America, Reagan also sent aid to El Salvador and Guatemala• The effort to combat communism in Central

America would result in the Iran-Contra Affair and charges that Reagan was abusing presidential power


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Contra_affair

• In 1984 Congress prohibited military aid to the rebels fighting the leftist government of Nicaragua• In 1985 Reagan secretly authorized the sales of

arms to Iran to try to win the release of American hostages held by Islamic groups• William Casey, head of the CIA, took the funds

from the sale of arms to Iran to fund arms for the Contras – an act prohibited by Congress• After a middle eastern newspaper leaked the story

of the arms sales Congress began an official investigation in 1987



• Eleven members of Reagan’s administration pleaded guilty or were convicted of perjury or obstruction of justice:• Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of Defense, was

indicted on two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice on June 16, 1992 but Weinberger received a pardon from George H. W. Bush on December 24, 1992, before he was tried• William Casey, Head of the CIA, was thought to

have conceived the plan but was stricken ill and died hours before he was to testify before Congress



• Robert C. McFarlane, National Security Adviser (1983-85), convicted of withholding evidence, but after a plea bargain was given only two years of probation and pardoned by President George H. W. Bush• Elliott Abrams, Assistant Secretary of State,

convicted of withholding evidence, but after a plea bargain was given only two years probation and pardoned by President George H. W. Bush• Alan D. Fiers, Chief of the CIA's Central American

Task Force, convicted of withholding evidence and sentenced to one year probation and pardoned by President George H. W. Bush





• Clair George, Chief of Covert Ops-CIA, convicted on two charges of perjury, but pardoned by President George H. W. Bush before sentencing• Oliver North, member of the National Security

Council convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity, obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and destruction of documents, but the ruling was overturned since he had been granted immunity• Fawn Hall, Oliver North's secretary, was given

immunity from prosecution on charges of conspiracy and destroying documents in exchange for her testimony




• Jonathan Scott Royster, Liaison to Oliver North, was given immunity from prosecution on charges of conspiracy and destroying documents in exchange for his testimony• National Security Advisor (1985-86) John

Poindexter was convicted of five counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, perjury, defrauding the government, and the alteration and destruction of evidence but Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that overturned these convictions




• Duane Clarridge, an ex-CIA senior official, he was indicted in November 1991 on seven counts of perjury and false statements relating to a November 1985 shipment to Iran but pardoned before trial by President George H. W. Bush• Richard V. Secord, ex-major general in the Air

Force who organized the Iran arms sales and Contra aid, pleaded guilty in November 1989 to making false statements to Congress and was sentenced to two years of probation




• Reagan denied any knowledge of the illegal activities which led some to charge that he had lost control of his own administration• Given Reagan’s avowed anticommunism, he

shocked the world by taking steps to end the Cold War• The premiere of the Soviet Union was Mikhail

Gorbachev who realized communism must be reformed if the Soviet Union was to survive• Most importantly, Gorbachev realized the Soviets

could not win the arms race against the Americans




• Reagan and Gorbachev meet in Iceland in 1986 and shortly after that meeting an arms limitation treaty was successfully negotiated which eliminated all intermediate range nuclear weapons• In 1988 the Soviets began to withdraw from

Afghanistan


• It is a challenge to evaluate Reagan’s legacy:• He supported big business and attacked

organized labor which placed greater financial burdens on middle and lower income families• Reagan encouraged and promoted family values• Reagan’s anti-communism led his administration

into a constitutional crisis• Reagan established closed a close relationship

with Mikhail Gorbachev and took steps to end the Cold War


• For the Election of 1988 the Republicans nominated George H. Bush and the Democrats nominated Michael Dukakis• The Election of 1988 revealed the growing

strength of conservatism with George H. Bush winning with 54 percent of the vote• Bush’s victory made it clear that the Democrats

needed an alternative to their traditional liberalism






• The first international challenge for Bush was the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989• When a student led democracy movement

emerged and occupied historical Tiananmen Square the government responded with martial law• To enforce martial the Chinese military brutally

attacked the students• Estimates of deaths range from 400 to 800

protestors and approximately 50 soldiers


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989

• Bush’s presidency would see the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 • When pro-democracy protests spread across

Eastern Europe, Gorbachev refused to intervene, with the Berlin Wall falling in November, 1989• In 1990 the Baltic Republics of Estonia, Latvia, and

Lithuania declared their independence from the Soviet Union• When some of the Soviet military leaders tried to

seize power from Gorbachev in 1991, Boris Yeltsin led the popular movement that defeated the military


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_Soviet_Union


• When some of the Soviet military leaders tried to seize power from Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin led the popular movement that defeated the military• Gorbachev then resigned, ending communist rule

and the Soviet Union ceased to exist• Yeltsin would become head of the Russian

Republic


• The sudden collapse of the Soviet Union meant the end of a bi-polar world and the beginning of American unilateralism• One of the first examples of American

unilateralism Bush’s 1989 invasion of Panama to overthrow the Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega• The Defense Department reported 23 Americans

killed, with an estimated 500 Panamanian deaths• The invasion was condemned by the U.N. as a

violation of international law




• A more serious challenge for Bush was Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990• Saddam Hussein had actually been supported by

the U.S. during its war against Iran• In the case of Kuwait, Bush resisted demands for

the U.S. to unilaterally intervene and negotiated a forty nation U.N. coalition• In February 1991 Operation Desert Storm was

launched and quickly overwhelmed the Iraqi military and liberated Kuwait



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War

• The campaign left Hussein in power and the U.S. continued its military presence in Saudi Arabia• Many Islamic Fundamentalist such as

Osama Bin Laden were outraged by the continued presence of Americans in Saudi Arabia• Two different visions of America’s role in the world

emerged after the Gulf War• Unilateralism – America will act on its own to

protect its national interests•Multilateralism – America will act with other

nations to protect the national interests



• Despite Bush’s success in foreign affairs, the Election of 1992 would turn on the nation’s economic problems• The Democrats nominated Bill Clinton who

combined social liberalism with some elements of the conservative agenda such as reducing government bureaucracy and ending the abuses of welfare• A charismatic campaigner, Clinton blamed the

nation’s economic problems on deindustrialization and the rising income inequality

Lecture 10: Presidents and Their ImpactE. Bill Clinton



• Bush’s refusal to renounce the attacks of social conservatives on feminism, abortion rights, and gays led many social moderates to believe that Bush was intolerant• Clinton would win the election by a wide margin• Clinton began is administration by turning away

from the social conservatism of the previous Republican administrations• He appointed women and Blacks to the cabinet

and Supreme Court – including Janet Reno and Ruth Bader Ginsburg




• Clinton raised taxes on the wealthy and expanded the Earned Income Tax Credit – a cash payment for low-income workers• Clinton also advocated for free trade and won

congressional approval in 1993 for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that created a free-trade zone for Canada, Mexico and the U.S.• The first two years of Clinton administration were

not viewed favorably by many and the Republicans won control of Congress in 1994


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earned_income_tax_credit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Free_Trade_Agreement

• Led by Newt Gingrich, the Republicans proposed a “Contract with America” which called for a reduction in government, cut taxes, overhaul welfare, and reduce economic and environmental regulations• Deadlocked with Clinton, Congress voted to

shutdown government in 1995• Clinton rejected the most extreme Republican

proposals but adopted moderate versions of these• Most notable of Clinton’s new policy was the

abolition of Aid to Families with Children



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_with_America

• Clinton political strategy was known as “triangulation” which embraced the most popular Republican positions, leaving the Republicans with extreme positions that alienated many Americans, while also supporting free-trade that alienated traditional working-class Democrats• In the Election of 1996 Clinton would easily defeat

the Republican nominee, Bob Dole




• While wishing to focus on domestic issues, Clinton faced many foreign policy challenges• The most troubling foreign policy issue was the

Balkans where Yugoslavia disintegrated into competing ethnic states• The Bosnian War began in 1992 when Serbs in

Bosnia began ethnic cleansing against the Muslims and Croats• Eventually NATO would respond with air strikes

against the Serbians and later with peacekeepers• Peace would come in 1995 with the

Dayton Peace Agreement


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnian_War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayton_Agreement

• Events in Somalia would reinforce Clinton’s reluctance to become involved in foreign interventions• In the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu American Army

Rangers attempted to arrest two warlords but several helicopters were shot down – Video • During the battle to rescue the survivors eighteen

Americans were killed and as many as a 1,000 Somali’s killed• The high cost of this humanitarian mission increased

Clinton’s reluctance for military intervention


http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=blackhawk+down&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBVR#view=detail&mid=F8254F10AF2907489BA0F8254F10AF2907489BA0

• As a result, Clinton and the world did not intervene to stop the ethnic cleansing in Rwanda in 1994 which resulted in at least 500,000 deaths


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide

• Perhaps Clinton’s greatest success was the economy which expanded dramatically during the his administration with unemployment falling below 4 percent• At the same time inflation remained in check

because of stable oil prices, weak unions, and globalization• Clinton even reversed the budget deficits of the

Reagan and Bush


• Contributing to the robust American economy was the revolution in computer technology with the emergence of companies like Apple and Microsoft• Symbolic of the growing importance of computer

technology in American life is the popular movie Independence Day which depicts the earth being saved from alien invaders by a computer virus – Video • However, on April 14, 2000 the stock market

crashed with prices declining for three straight years


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=independence+day+trailer&go=Submit+Query&qs=bs&form=QBVR#view=detail&mid=BE3252E2C3747D0EA936BE3252E2C3747D0EA936

• One of the troubling aspects of the New Economy was rising inequality• One method of measuring income inequality is an

economic model known as the Gini Index which shows a dramatic increase in income inequality in the United States starting in the 1970’s


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficient

• The Clinton administration would end in crisis with his impeachment trial in December 1998 for obstruction of justice regarding his testimony about his sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky• After hearing the charges and evidence, the

Senate acquitted Clinton with less than half of the Senators voting for conviction


• In the Election of 2000 the Democrats nominated Vice-President Al Gore and the Republicans nominated George H. Bush’s son, George W. Bush• The results of the election were extremely close

with Al Gore winning the popular vote by 540,000 votes but the Electoral College results depended the results of the disputed Florida election with Bush winning by a few hundred votes• The Florida Supreme Court called for a recount

Lecture 10: Presidents and Their ImpactF. George W. Bush




• Republicans challenged the recount in the U.S. Supreme Court which in Bush v Gore ruled that the recount was to stop and allowed Bush to be declared the winner in Florida• Traditionally, the U.S. Supreme Court had refused

to interpret state election laws• The Election of 2000 revealed not only deep

divisions within the country, particularly between urban centers and racial minorities, and the white dominated rural areas but also questioned the democratic nature of the nation’s government


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_v._Gore

• The Electoral College system did not award the presidency to the candidate with the most popular votes – democracy?• The nation leading the world in technology could

not provide a reliable system for counting votes• With more than $1.5 billion being spent on the

election the question of the influence of money in determining the results of an election was raised• Major issues were not discussed in the campaign• Barely 50 percent of the population voted


• Bush pursued a conservative agenda, although he favored a solution to the immigration issue• To implement “supply-side” economics, Bush

enacted the largest tax cut in American history with most of the cuts directed towards the wealthiest Americans• Bush also opened up Alaska’s National Wildlife

Refuge to oil drilling• In foreign affairs Bush advocated unilateralism• Bush even announced plans to implement

Reagan’s Star Wars missile defense system


• Bush also repudiated the International Criminal Court fearing it would be used to prosecute Americans• Bush also repudiated the Kyoto Protocol to combat

global warming• The economy fell into recession soon after Bush’s

inauguration• Much of the economic loss was caused by the

acceleration of deindustrialization – General Motors once employed 600,000 but by 2005 its workforce was 86,000


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Court

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol

• Bush’s answer to the nation’s economic problems was another round of tax cuts geared to reducing the tax burden on the wealthy• Federal budget deficits quickly began to grow• While the GNP grew at 4.2 percent in 2004, the

real income of the average American family continued to decline


• In the Election of 2004 the Democrats nominated John Kerry, an antiwar war veteran• In another close election, Bush won the popular

vote by 2 percent and thirty-four electoral votes• After reelection Bush called for the reform of

Social Security that would allow workers to establish individual retirement plans but his reform was rejected by Congress• Bush’s greatest domestic challenge proved to be

hurricane Katrina which flooded New Orleans




• The response to the disaster of Katrina revealed the Federal Government’s inability to deal with a national emergency• One of the consequences of Katrina was the

revelation that New Orleans had become a segregated city with more than 30 percent of its citizens living in poverty• Katrina also disrupted oil production in the Gulf of

Mexico which further strained the economy


• Immigrants reform continued to be an issue with the House in 2006 passing a bill making it a felony to be in the country illegally and a crime to aid illegal immigrants• The House measure triggered massive protest

demonstrations which led to its rejection by the Senate• By 2007 it was clear that the issue of illegal

immigration was stalemated and continues to be stalemated today


• The most significant event in the Bush administration, and one of the most important in American history, was the 9/11 attack which killed more than 3,000 – Video • Al Qaeda succeeded in hijacking four passenger

airliners; crashing two into the twin towers of New York Trade Center; one into Pentagon; with the fourth airliner crashing into an open field as the passengers struggled with the hijackers


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=9/11+&FORM=HDRSC3#view=detail&mid=38C61C162BDF52042EF538C61C162BDF52042EF5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qaeda

• Bush benefited from the release of patriotism and support for the government• Returning to traditional appeals to defend

freedom, Bush announced that terrorists “Hate our freedoms, our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to assemble and disagree with each other”

• Bush made no mention of the other freedoms identified by FDR – freedom from want and freedom from fear


• Bush went on to explain that Al Qaeda attacked because they “hate freedom” but overlooked Bin Laden’s argument that the American presence in Saudi Arabia was corrupting traditional Islamic values• Bush then announced what has become known as

the Bush Doctrine that justified any necessary measure in the “war on terrorism”• When the government of Afghanistan refused to

surrender Bin Laden, Bush launched operation Enduring Freedom which over turned the Taliban government but did not find Bin Laden


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_Doctrine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Enduring_Freedom

• Bush went on to identify other nations as supporters of terrorism and called for the ending of their governments – the Axis of Evil: North Korea, Iran, and Iraq• Bush overlooked the fact that Iran and Iraq were

and continue to be bitter enemies• In 2002 the Bush Administration released it

National Security Strategy which called for a war not only against terrorists but tyrants throughout the world


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_of_evil

http://nssarchive.us/?page_id=32

http://nssarchive.us/?page_id=32

• Most importantly, for the first time in American history, Bush declared the right to wage preemptive war – the right to attack a nation even before it launched hostilities toward the U.S.• Some worried that the War on Terrorism was

repeating many of the mistakes of the Cold War with its support for undemocratic governments like Pakistan and the former Soviet Central Asian Republics


• The first target on Bush’s list of tyrants was Saddam Hussein of Iraq because it possessed weapons of mass destruction that were a threat to the United States• Bush’s advisers proposed removing Hussein from

power by the us of massive air power and a small ground force that would be welcomed by most Iraqis


• Despite a strong anti-war opposition in America and the belief of many world leaders that an American attack was a violation in international law (the UN refused to sanction the attack), Bush attacked Iraq in March 2003 – the 2003 Iraq War • American forces quickly overwhelmed the Iraqi

military and eventually Hussein would be captured, tried, and executed• Iraqis responded to the Americans not with

gratitude but when on to chaotically loot stores and museums and caches of weapons – Video


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/losing-iraq/

• Despite Bush’s misspoken claim of “Mission Accomplished,” Americans now faced an armed Iraqi uprising with too few troops• By 2006 more than 3,000 Americans had died in

Iraq and most polls indicated that Americans believed the war in Iraq was a mistake• Further fueling opposition to the war was the

announcement that the U.S. was not bound by the Geneva Conventions regarding war and the treatment of prisoners


• The most shocking case of abuse was the torture of prisoners in the Abu Ghraib Prison• The decision to use torture was approved at the

highest levels of the government including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez• However, only the low-level soldiers serving in Abu

Ghraib were punished for these abuses


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse



• One of the most controversial measures of the Bush term was the Patriot Act of 2001, a large and complex act intended to strengthen national security through a variety programs, including the surveillance of private communications even when there is no suspicion of criminal activity


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act

• The Bush administration also witnessed the greatest economic decline since the 1929 Great Depression – the Great Recession of 2007• The economic crisis was the result of public policies

that encouraged economic speculation and excessive consumer spending• The Federal Reserve had kept interest rates low to

combat the recession of 2000 and these low interest rates enabled Americans to borrow money to purchase homes• When housing prices rose dramatically and families

used lines of credit to purchase consumer goods


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Recession

• Wall Street bankers were repackaging and selling home mortgages as investment securities• Insurance companies such as AIG insured these

securities against default and credit rating agencies gave these risky securities their highest-ratings• The Federal Reserve and other agencies were

leaving regulation to the free market• When home prices began to fall in 2007 and

interest rates began to readjust, many homeowners were forced to default on the their mortgages


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_International_Group

• Banks found themselves with billions of dollars of worthless investments• By 2008 and the nation was in a financial crisis as

banks stopped making loans and the Dow Jones fell from 14,000 to 8,000• With the value of stocks and homes falling,

Americans stopped spending• In addition, many manufacturing jobs had moved

overseas which resulted in a large loss of jobs


• By the end of 2009 the GNP had declined 6 percent and 2.5 million Americans lost their jobs• American were quickly losing confidence in their

government and institutions• At first the Bush Administration was willing to leave

it to the free market to resolve the crisis• When Lehman Brothers failed in 2008 it was feared

that other financial institutions would soon fail• Reluctantly, Congress passed the

Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to fund a $700 billion bailout of the nation’s financial firms


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_of_Lehman_Brothers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troubled_Asset_Relief_Program

• The Great Recession also revealed the limits of America’s social welfare programs• The Clinton Administration had all but abolished

welfare and few states had the resources to help the poor, particularly children• By 2012 only one in five poor children received and

cash aid


• In the Election of 2008 there was a spirited campaign between Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination• Obama effectively used internet technology to

mobilize supporters and win the nomination• The Republicans nominated John McCain who

attempted to broaden his support by nominating Sarah Palin for Vice-President• Palin proved to be a poor choice because her

speeches revealed a lack of familiarity with domestic and foreign policy issues








•McCain was also challenged by Bush’s unpopularity and the financial crisis of 2008• Even though Obama won only 43 percent of the

white vote, he won the election with a 53 percent majority and dominated the electoral vote• The most significant reform of Obama’s

administration was the Affordable Care Act (2010) that almost all Americans to purchase health insurance• The measure was deeply opposed by Republicans

with every Republican in Congress voting against it


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act

• Another measure strongly opposed by the Republicans was the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010)• The recession and weak recovery were not helped

by economic structural problems in the economy•Manufacturing employment continued to decline

and when the recovery picked up steam, the fastest growing jobs were in the low-skilled areas• Income inequality continued to grow


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodd%E2%80%93Frank_Wall_Street_Reform_and_Consumer_Protection_Act

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodd%E2%80%93Frank_Wall_Street_Reform_and_Consumer_Protection_Act

• In foreign policy Obama made few changes from the Bush administration with the last American troops were withdrawn from Iraq in 2011• The most dramatic event was the killing of

Osama bin Laden by Navy Seals in 2011• America today still lives in a dangerous and

unstable world• America’s leadership of the world with its vision of

free trade and market economies would be challenged by many nations and non-governmental organizations and religions



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