PERIOD 9 (3-5%)

JIMMY CARTER

JIMMY CARTER PRESIDENCY

• Inflation
• High unemployment
• Soaring energy costs
• Iranian embargo
• Push for conservation
• Iranian Hostage Crisis

IRANIAN HOSTAGE CRISIS

• Carter gives the Shah cancer treatment in New York
• Iran wants him dead
• Student rebel group led by Ayatollah storms embassy in Iran and take 53 staffers hostage
• Demand release of Shah

OPERATION EAGLE CLAW

• In April 1980, Carter ordered a secret military rescue operation
• As three helicopters approached the embassy, two malfunctioned and one collided with a cargo plane.
• Remains a symbol of the decline in U.S prestige in the world arena and supports the claim that Carter's presidency was a failed one.

RELEASE OF HOSTAGES

• Carter secured release
• Iran waited until Reagan was president to release hostages.
• Reagan credited for release.
• Hostages were in custody for 444 days

ROE V. WADE

• Legalized abortion
• A win for women's rights
• Inspired a rise in conservatism (pro-life)

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMEMT

• Called for equality on basis of sex
• Phyllis Schlafly campaigned against it and succeeded.
• The ERA was killed three votes short of passage.

RONALD REAGAN

RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENCY

• 1980 election was won in a landslide (489-39)
• This is due to the rise of conservatism during Carter's term

REAGAN SHOT

• Two months into his presidency, Reagan shot by John Hinkley, Jr.
• Motive: to impress Jodie Foster
• Reagan survived and his approval rating remained at an impressive 73%.

THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION...

• cut tax rates by 25%
• Cut social spending
• Had goal of better balanced budget by 1984
• Vowed to decrease the size of the government ("government is the problem")

REAGNAOMICS

• Based on supply-side economics
• Supply-sliders favored cuts in taxes and federal spending to encourage investors and entrepreneurs.
• Tax cuts for the rich would be used to improve economy

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CONGRESS REACTION

• Passed Economic Recovery Tax Act (1981) which cut taxes by $747 billion by 1986.
• Then passed Omnibus Reconciliation Act (1981) which cut 200 social and cultural spending by $136 billion by 1983

REAGAN & MILITARY SPENDING

• The Reagan Administration increased military spending by over 50% during his two terms in office.
• Reagan believed that with tensions rising with the Soviet Union, it was necessary.

STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE (SDI)

• Reagan wanted a space based system that shot down nuclear weapons with laser beams before they reached the U.S.
• Shot down because of the enormous expense and lack of innovation to do so.
• Dubbed "Star Wars"

REAGAN'S FOREIGN POLICY

NICARAGUA

• Sandinistas were Anti-American revolutionaries who overthrew government.
• A group called Contras wanted to overthrow Sandinistas

NICARAGUA & IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR

• US aided Contras
• US sold weapons to Iran and diverted that money to the Contras
• However, Congress prohibited aid to Contras.
• Reagan was against negotiating with terrorists (Iran)
• Reagan says he knew nothing about it, but it tarnished his reputation.

REAGAN REELECTED

• Walter Mondale was Former Vice President and Senator (D-MN)
• Reagan & Bush demolished Mondale and Ferraro 525-13
• Largest electoral vote landslide in history

RECESSION & NATIONAL DEBT

• In 1982, the worst recession since Great Depression occurred
• Reagan's goal to balance budget by 1984 became infeasible
• Black Monday: October 1987, the Dow dropped 500 points

MORAL MAJORITY

• Televangelism is the rise in Evangelical TV programming in the 70s & 80s.
• Key People: Jim & Tammy Bakker, Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggert, and Pat Robertson delivered sermons that translated into political action.
• Preached against contraceptives, abortion, feminism, and gay rights.

CONSERVATIVE COURTS

• Sandra Day O'Connor appointed the first female SCOTUS Justice.
• Many thought she would support abortion and ERA initiatives due to her gender.
• Webster v. Reproductive Health Service placed some restriction on abortion due to "right to life" movement.

REAGAN OVERVIEW

• Improved American morale
• Improved economy
• Helped end the Cold War due to work with Gorbachev and the demand of the fall of Berlin Wall

REAGAN OVERVIEW

• Homelessness increased during his terms
• Rich got richer and the poor got poorer
• Lost credibility after Iran-Contra Affair.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH

BUSH PRESIDENCY

• Fall of Eastern Bloc (1989)
• Fall of Berlin Wall (1989)
• Persian Gulf War (1991)
• Soviet Union Collapses (1991)
• End of Cold War (1991)
• Invasion of Panama

BUSH ELECTED

• 1988
• Beat Mike Dukakis 426-111

FALL OF EASTERN BLOC

• Polish Solidarity Party: a non-violent, anti-communist movement that contributed to fall of Communism
• Berlin Wall falls in November 1989

PERSIAN GULF WAR/OPERATION DESERT STORM

• Saddam Hussein and Iraqi forces invade and annex Kuwait.
• US and allies intervene and drive out Iraqi forces.
• Resulted in 149 U.S casualties
• Lasted 6 mos. (Aug 1990-Feb 1991)

DOMESTIC POLICY

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

• Prohibited discrimination of individuals with physical & mental disabilities
• This led to the creation of handicap parking, ramps, transportation, bathrooms, etc.

CLARENCE THOMAS

• Bush appoints for Supreme Court justice
• Anita Hill claims that he sexually harassed her
• Confirmed; still serves today.

NO NEW TAXES

• Bush swore that he wouldn't implement any new taxes
• Contradicted himself and approval rating dropped to below 50%

BILL CLINTON

ELECTION OF 1992

• Clinton/Gore vs. Bush/Quayle
• Clinton wins 370-168
• Bush ends 12-year Republican reign

CLINTON PRESIDENCY

• Tough on crime and defense spending
• Health Care Initiative
• 1994 Congressional
• Clinton & Somalia, Haiti
• Arab-Israeli Crisis

DOMESTIC POLICY

DOMESTIC ISSIES

• Crime rates lowered
• Oklahoma City Bombing (1995) killed 168
• Columbine: 12 students killed; 23 injured. Brought attention to gun control.

FEMINISM ON CAPITOL HILL

• Clinton appoints Janet Reno as Attorney General
• Clinton appoints Ruth Bader Ginsburg as SCOTUS justice.
• Ended ban on homosexuals in military

1994 CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION

• Newt Gingrich wrote Contract of America
• Outlined Republican agenda in Congress
• Rep. Party gains majority in House and Senate

FOREIGN POLICY

FOREIGN ISSUES

• Sent troops to Haiti to end militant government
• Sends troops to Somalia to create safe environment for humanitarians; 18 Americans killed

TRADE

• World Trade Organization hoped to promote free trade around the world
• NAFTA signed into effect in 1994; free trade in N.A.

ELECTION OF 1996

• Clinton defeats Senate Maj. Leader Bob Dole
• 379-159

HOUSE OF AFFAIRS

• Billary accused of using money from real estate deal to fund Arkansas Gov. race
• Lied under oath about sexual affair with intern Monica Lewinsky
• Don't know why...both of them are unattractive
• Impeached but not removed from office

GEORGE W. BUSH

ELECTION OF 2000

• Gore vs. Bush
• Election was so close that every vote mattered in Florida (271-266)
• Supreme Court case declared Bush winner

BUSH PRESIDENCY

• 9/11
• Iraq/Afghanistan
• Education
• Pushed amendment to ban gay marriage

9/11

• Al Qaeda responsible, led by Bin Laden
• Patriot Act allowed surveillance of emails and phone calls of suspected immigrants

WAR IN IRAQ

• Bush thought Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
• Iraq kicked out weapon inspectors

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

• Mandated sanctions against schools that failed to meet federal performance standards

ENVIRONMENTAL OPPOSITION

• Cut federal spending for a stem cell research program
• Withdrew American support for Kyoto Treaty

BARACK OBAMA

OBAMA PRESIDENCY

• 1st black president
• Osama Bin Laden
• Economy crash
• Affordable Care Act
• Election of 2012

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