■ Essential QuestionEssential Question:
–To what extent did the Clinton & Bush years deviate from the Reagan era?
■ Warm-Up QuestionWarm-Up Question
–What is the difference between the “New Left” & “New Right”?
The Presidency of Bill Clinton
Clinton Video
Bill Clinton: “A New Democrat”■ Bill Clinton represented a new
group of Democrats who hoped to reclaim lost “Reagan Democrats”
■ His agenda as president included:–To reduce the size of the gov’t –To balance the federal budget–To reform welfare & extend
healthcare to all Americans–To promote economic growth
Domestic Policy under Clinton■ Clinton attempted a bold plan to
offer universal health coverage–The bill’s defeat allowed for
sweeping victories in the 1994 midterms for Republicans
–Repubs, led by Newt Gingrich, offered a “Contract with America”
■ Clinton undercut their agenda by reducing the size of the gov’t & planning for a balanced budget
A return to Reagan-style tax cuts, increased military spending, & limited role of gov’t
“The era of big gov’t is over”—Clinton
Foreign Policy under Clinton■ Clinton encouraged free trade:
–Clinton signed North American North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (initiated under Bush) which reduced trade barriers among USA, Mexico, & Canada
–General Agreement on Tariffs & General Agreement on Tariffs & TradeTrade cut tariffs & the World World Trade OrgTrade Org helped settle trade disputes among 117 nations
Foreign Policy under Clinton■ U.S. international peacekeeping:
–From 1993-1995, U.S. troops were sent to Somalia to offer food & restore order to civil war
–In 1999, the U.S. & UN sent troops to Bosnia (in the former Yugoslavia) to stop Serbian ethnic cleansing
Slobodan Milosevic
Upheaval in the 1990s■ Clinton presided during an
economic boom, but anxiety was prevalent throughout the decade:
–Los Angeles race riots (1992)
–Terrorism at the World Trade Center (1993) & Murrah Federal Center in Oklahoma City (1995)
–Clinton scandals: Whitewater & Monica Lewinsky
The Presidency of George W. Bush
Bush Video
George W. Bush ■ The election of 2000 was the
closest since Nixon-Kennedy in 1960 & the only dispute election since Tilden-Hayes in 1876:–“Hanging” or “dimpled” chads in
Florida–The Supreme Court ruled in
Bush v Gore (2000) to stop the recount & declare Bush the winner of the election
Results of the 2000 Election by Voting Precinct
Key Events in the Bush Presidency■ Key events in the Bush years:
–Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by fundamentalist Al Qaeda led to the invasion of Afghanistan & the hunt for Osama bin Laden
–Bush’s declaration of an “Axis of Evil” in North Korea, Iran, & Iraq
–The invasion of Iraq in 2003 to remove Saddam Hussein
War on Terrorism (7.33)
Global Terrorist Strikes, 1998-2007
The Obama Administration & Current Events Discussion
will occur after the
APUSH Exam on May 8th
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