General Social Changes The “graying of America” as the baby boom generation becomes senior...
Transcript of General Social Changes The “graying of America” as the baby boom generation becomes senior...
CLINTON, G. W. BUSH & OBAMA1993 - PRESENT
General Social Changes
The “graying of America” as the baby boom generation becomes senior citizens
Increased legal and illegal immigration has increased cultural diversity and bilingual education, but has also put a strain on government services and created border control issues
Economic Change
Many companies have “outsourced” jobs to other countries
The Congress continues to make fiscal policy decisions, but the Federal Reserve makes the monetary policy decisions
Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
He cut spending and increased taxes in order to balance the budget.
Clinton left office with a federal budget surplus
NAFTA (trade agreement between the U.S, Canada, and Mexico)
During Clinton’s term, the U.S. lifted economic sanctions against South Africa when apartheid ended Apartheid was a system of racial segregation enforced
by the government of South Africa between 1948 and 1994.
NATO peacekeeping/humanitarian mission in the former Yugoslavia (March – June, 1999)
NATO air strikes The bombing of Yugoslavia was intended to keep the
Yugoslav army from repeating the atrocities committed in Bosnia.F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela
Clinton Brady Handgun bill passed
required federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the U.S.
named after James Brady who was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan
Clinton appointed Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2nd woman) to the U.S. Supreme Court
Health Care Clinton sought to implement a national health care
insurance program but failed in his efforts His wife, current Sec. of State Hillary Clinton, led the
health care reform task force making her one of the most politically active First Ladies in U.S. history
Jim Brady and Pres. Clinton
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Clinton’s Scandals Clinton’s presidency was plagued by
scandals
“Whitewater”- controversy surrounding a failed real estate business investment
“Travelgate” - an ethics controversy that resulted after seven employees of the White House Travel Office were fired and were replaced by Clinton supporters
“Filegate” - controversy surrounding White
House requests to gain improper access to FBI security-clearance documents. It was alleged that many of the files were
those of prominent Republicans
Monica Lewinsky Affair
Scandal regarding the extramarital relationship between Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky (22).
Led to Clinton’s impeachment by the U.S. House of Representatives on charges of perjury
U.S. Senate did not remove Clinton from office and acquitted him of all charges
Election of 2000 VP Gore won the
popular vote Florida’s electoral
votes were contested
The Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore denied a recount
Bush won with 271 electoral votes to Gore’s 266
September 11, 2001
September 11, 2001 4 planes were hijacked by terrorists.
2 planes crashed into the World Trade Center Towers in NYC
1 plane crashed into the Pentagon 1 plane’s hijackers were overcome
by passengers and crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Approximately 3000 people were killed
Terrorist group al-Qaeda, and its leader Osama bin Laden, were responsible for the attacks
George W. Bush (2001-2009) Bush’s presidency was greatly
influenced by the events of 9/11○ Congress declared war against
Iraq and Afghanistan, to seek out terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attacks
○ Saddam Hussein was removed from power in Iraq but no weapons of mass destruction were ever found
○ The Patriot Act was passed in 2001 to allow the government to detain foreigners suspected of terrorism without charging them with a crime
○ .
George W. Bush at Ground Zero, Sept. 14, 2001
The Great Recession of 2007
Caused by overspeculation in the housing market
Resulted in a stock market decline, soaring gas prices, & a tightening of credit
Election of 2008 The economic crisis
& Obama’s grass-roots campaign fueled a resounding win in both the popular & electoral vote
America’s first African American president
Domestic Policies Fair Pay Act for Women American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(2009) was designed to save & create jobs during the recession
Affordable Care Act (2010) aimed to extend affordable health insurance to 45 million uninsured Americans
The annual deficit and national debt soared The rise of the Tea Party in Congress
(2010) led to gridlock
Social Change through rulings of the Supreme
Court The Roberts Court further scaled back affirmative action, removed a provision of the Voting Rights Act, upheld campaign contributions as free speech, upheld gun rights, and struck down the Defense of Marriage Act
Foreign Policy U.S. troop surge in
Afghanistan in 2009 U.S. support for the Arab
Spring in 2010 U.S. troops in Iraq were
withdrawn in 2011 Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin
Laden was captured and killed in 2011