330 likes | 571 Views
America in the 21 st Century. Is the U.S. Master of its own Fate?. 2000. Y2K Crisis doesn’t materialize Dot Com boom ends Global economy a reality Federal government in surplus Hope for Israeli/Palestinian reconciliation. 2000 Election. Bush/Cheney vs Gore/Lieberman
E N D
America in the 21st Century Is the U.S. Master of its own Fate?
2000 • Y2K Crisis doesn’t materialize • Dot Com boom ends • Global economy a reality • Federal government in surplus • Hope for Israeli/Palestinian reconciliation
2000 Election • Bush/Cheney vs Gore/Lieberman • Gore won popular vote by half million votes • Bush won electoral vote after dispute and litigation to the Supreme Court over 537 votes in Florida • Supreme Court Case: Bush v. Gore, decided on a 5-4 vote
Bush II – First Term Agenda • Reordering Clinton foreign policy • By allowing the Israeli Palestinian talks to lapse • Offensives on the “axis of evil” – Iran, Iraq, N. Korea • Rejects Kyoto Treaty on global warming • No Child Left Behind Education Reform • Create tests to measure school effectiveness • Funding not provided to implement completely • Tax Cuts over 10 years • Deficits to be plugged with spending cuts
September 11 • Terrorist attacks on World Trade Center, Pentagon, and possibly White House (4th plane crashes in Pennsylvania) kill 3000 people. • October 2001: War in Afghanistan to remove the Taliban regime which harbored Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden • December 2001: New government installed in Afghanistan; bin Laden escapes • Prisoners brought to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for interrogation and declared “enemy combatants” (Jan 2002).
War on Terror • Greatly increased security concerns in US, particularly in travel: • Airport Security federalized • Restricted entry to U.S. for travelers • Patriot Act (October 2001) • Department of Homeland Security proposed, created with the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and opened in January 2003.
Homeland Security Agencies U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement • Transportation Security Administration • U.S. Customs and Border Protection • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services • United States Secret Service • Federal Law Enforcement Training Center • United States Coast Guard • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Iraq War • Summer 2002: Bush Administration claims that Saddam Hussein had “weapons of mass destruction” and was supporting terrorists • October 2002: Congress provides president with authorization for military action • US proposes U.N. demand Iraq dismantle WMDs; UN Security Council provides authorization for inspections in November 2002
Iraq War • February 2003: Colin Power makes case for military action at UN • UN inspectors request more time, saying they have not found WMDs • March 19, 2003: US and “coalition of the willing” invade Iraq without UN authorization • April 8, 2003: Coalition takes Baghdad and Hussein disappears; April 14: Bush declares was is over
Iraq War • Summer 2003: Continued effort to find WMDs; none found • Insurgency against coalition occupation begins • Fall 2003: US soldiers begin Abu Ghraib prison interrogations to find source of insurgency and WMDs • December 2003: Hussein captured
Iraq War • April 2004: Prisoner abuse photographs from Abu Ghraib Prison broadcast on 60 Minutes • April 2004: Fallujah becomes battle ground between US forces and insurgency after contractors killed
2004 Election Season • John Kerry v. George Bush • Bush cautions that elections in Iraq will calm violence • June 2004: sovereignty transferred • Jan 2005: constitutional election • December 2005: legislative election • Bush wins in November 2004: claims mandate
Bush, Second Term Agenda • Complete mission in Iraq; continued focus on the “axis of evil” • Replace social security system with individual retirement accounts • But…..events again intervene • Hurricane season: Katrina and the destruction of New Orleans (August-September 2005)
2006 Off Year Elections as Mandate on Bush Administration • Democrats propose moderate candidates in states like Virginia • Antiwar movement tackles Democratic supporters of Iraq War: Lieberman targeted in Connecticut • Grass roots organizing by both parties
Wisconsin Turnout is Higher than National Average • Presidential Elections, 1980 – 2004
What next? • How will the Iraq War end? • Who will be the major party candidates for the 2008 presidential election? • How will Democrats run Congress? • How will a Republican President and Democratic Congress function? • And locally….?