1980’s – Present

Lecture Notes

Liberalism and Conservatism

• Liberalism:– Government should

regulate economy to protect people from power of business and wealthy elites

– Government should play a more active role in ensuring equality of opportunity

• Conservatism:– Government regulations

harm a “free market”– Oppose taxes and

government programs that they feel come at the expense of freedom

The Election of 1980

• Ronald Reagan (R) defeated Jimmy Carter (D) in a landslide

• Reagan was a strong communicator, former actor, and ex-California governor

• Support came from conservatives, moderate Democrats

Campaign Commercials -1980

• What persuasive techniques do you see in these campaign videos? – What is Reagan’s message to the American

people?– What is Carter’s message to the American people?

New Conservatism

• Newfound focus on “traditional values”– religious right

• “Big government” programs of the past were scaled down and/or eliminated

• “Free market utopians” urged removal of business regulations

Reaganomics

• Economic Recovery and Tax Act of 1981 reduced income tax rates by 25%– Mostly benefitted upper class,

cut government income by $747 billion

– Billions shifted from domestic to military programs

• Environmental and business regulations were lifted– Corporate mergers flourished,

stock market rose

Crisis for Organized Labor

• Reagan took a “pro-business” stance in dealings with unions– Professional Air Traffic Controllers fired for violating a

no-strike clause

• Labor union membership declined, wages declined

• Manufacturing jobs disappeared, personal bankruptcies skyrocketed

Poverty Amid Prosperity

• Reagan’s policies benefitted the upper class at the expense of the lower class– Richest 1% saw wealth grow from 31% to 37%– Cities were hit hard by federal funding cuts– Middle class declined, home ownership fell– Corporate downsizing led to lay offs in late 1980s– Poverty climbed from 11% to 15%– Women’s wages still fell far behind men’s– Homelessness tripled during the decade

An Acquisitive Society

• White collar workers prospered during the Reagan years

• “Yuppies” symbolized materialistic greed and consumerism of the day– Young Urban Professionals

Foreign Policy Adventures

• Though Reagan avoided major war, conflicts arose in many “hot spots”– Administration approved plan to arm Contras in

Nicaragua– Bush authorized expansion of “war on drugs” to

Panama (Manuel Noriega)– Middle Eastern intervention failed (Lebanon/Israel

conflict)

The Iran-Contra Affair

• U.S. began secretly selling weapons to Iran in 1985 in an attempt to secure release of American hostages– “Arms for Hostages” violated

embargo against Iran

• Money from arms sales was funneled to Nicaraguan Contras.– Anti-Communist rebels

• Reagan initially acted unaware, eventually accepted responsibility.

Election of 1988

• Vice President George H.W. Bush (R) defeated Michael Dukakis (D)

• Bush would attempt to continue in Reagan’s footsteps, but faced issues with growing deficits

George Bush

• Americans with Disabilities Act: – This law banned

discrimination in employment against people with disabilities.

– It also required employers to make “reasonable accommodation” to help disabled employees.

The Clinton Presidency (pgs. 1006-1012)

1. How did voter dissatisfaction affect the 1992 Presidential race?

2. Why do politicians (liberal and conservative) find it difficult to cut entitlement programs?

3. In terms of foreign policy, why do you think US troops were unable to complete their mission in Somalia?

4. Judging from the events of Clinton’s first term as president, would you characterize the US in the 1990s as politically liberal, conservative or somewhere in the middle? Give specific examples to support your argument.

1992 Election • Two factors helped Clinton

overcome Bush’s early lead. 1. Recession that began in 1990.2. The third-party candidacy of

Ross Perot • Balance the budget, pay off national

debt• Most of Perot’s supporters, however,

were conservatives who otherwise might have voted for Bush.

• Clinton received only 43 percent of the popular vote—the lowest percentage for a winning presidential candidate since 1912.

Clinton Economics • Clinton’s support for welfare reform, coupled with an

improving economy, boosted his popularity as president

• Republicans and Democrats worked together to craft a tax-cut bill and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. – Demonstrated that Republicans and Democrats could

cooperate on important issues

• In 1998, the federal budget did not just balance. It ran its first surplus in nearly 30 years. A budget surplus occurs when the government takes in more money than it spends. – Product of the Internet boom

Clinton Scandal & Impeachment • The primary charge was that he had illegally profited from an

investment in an Arkansas real estate development called Whitewater. Accusations also surfaced of his having had numerous affairs while he was governor of Arkansas. – In May 1994, a former Arkansas state employee filed a lawsuit accusing Clinton

of sexual harassment.

• Attorney General Janet Reno appointed lawyer Kenneth Starr to investigate the Whitewater claims. In January 1998, Starr also obtained evidence that Clinton had engaged in an affair with a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, which contradicted Clinton’s sworn testimony in the Arkansas sexual harassment case. In September, Starr submitted to Congress a report that recommended that Clinton be impeached. 1. Perjury2. Obstructed justice by lying under oath

Surviving the Trial

• Needed 67 senators to remove Clinton from office (2/3 majority)– 50 Republicans (obstruction of justice)– 45 Republicans (perjury)– 0 Democrats

• Clinton not only survived the scandal but also ended his presidency with a remarkably high 65 percent approval rating. – What about the Vice President?

Election background

• November 7, 2000– Democrat Al Gore wins

clear popular vote– No clear winner from

electoral college

• Florida becomes the key state– 25 electoral votes– Less than ½% difference

between candidates – Recount

Terrorism

• Terrorism had been a growing threat to the U.S.– World Trade Center bombed in

1993, killing six– Bombings at U.S. embassies in

Kenya and Tanzania killed over 200 (1998)

– U.S.S. Cole bombed in Yemen (2000)

• Attacks were connected to Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network

September 11, 2001

• 4 planes were hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists– 2 flew into the World Trade

Center in New York City– 1 flew into the Pentagon in

Washington D.C.– 1 went down in

Pennsylvania (White House? Capital Building?)

• Foreign Policy will now be changed forever.

Heightened Security

• Congress passed the Patriot Act in response to the Sep. 11th attacks– authorized wiretapping, access of

computer records, etc.– increased suspicion of Muslims

• Greater security measures were taken at airports, government buildings, public events

• Department of Homeland Security formed in 2002

War in Iraq 2003-2011• Key Issues:

– Weapons of mass destruction?– Al Qaeda connection?

• Stage One:– Traditional war March-April 2003– Remove Saddam Hussein from

power• Parliamentary democracy

• Stage Two– Long term U.S. led occupation– Violent response from insurgents – Major spike in U.S. and civilian

casualties

Controversy

1. Helping or creating more problems?

2. False reasons for war?

3. Fighting terrorists vs. fighting countries?– Where are the terrorists from?