The Resurgence of Conservatism

The Resurgence of Conservatism Chapter 40: 1980-1992 Chapter 41: 1992-2000

Ronald Reagan’s Presidency (1981-1989) • Election of 1980 • Democratic candidate: Jimmy Carter • Republican candidate: Ronald Reagan • in favor of Roosevelt’s “Common Man” theory • “New Right” led by evangelical Christians concerned about social issues • independent candidate: John Anderson • Reagan won over 51% of the popular vote, Carter 41%, and Anderson 7%

Reagan’s Foreign Policies • Iran Hostage Crisis • Nov. 4, 1979 a mob of anti-American Muslim militants stormed U.S. Embassy in Teheran, Iran and took all occupants hostage. • Captors demanded that the American Authorities ship the exiled shah back to Iran, who had arrived in the U.S. 2 weeks earlier for medical treatment. • On Reagan’s Inauguration Day, January 20, 1981, the Iranians released the hostages after 444 days of captivity • Invasion of Grenada • October 1983, Reagan dispatched heavy-fire-power invasion force to island of Grenada in the Caribbean • military coup had killed prime minister and brought Marxists to power • demonstrated Reagan’s determination to dominate the Caribbean

Reagan’s Foreign Policies Con’ t • Issues in Nicaragua • revolution in 1979 disposed of long-time dictator of Nicaragua • “Sandinistas” : anti-American revolutionaries • Reagan retaliated and accused the Sandinistas of turning their country into a forward base for Soviet and Cuban military • taking photos from spy planes, U.S. administration claimed Nicaraguans were giving weapons to forces in El Salvador • Led to the Iran-Contra Affair • “Teflon President”

Reagan’s Domestic Policies • Reagan vowed to boost American economy by: (Reaganomics) • rolling back government regulations • lowering taxes • balancing the budget • promised that lower taxes would increase government revenue because it would arouse the whole economy • the combination of tax reduction and increases in military spending opened a broad “revenue hole” of $200 billion annual shortages • in 8 years in office, Reagan added nearly $2 trillion to the national debt • Reagan appointed three conservative-minded justices to the U.S. Supreme court, namely Sandra Day O’Conner • Arizona judge sworn in on September 25, 1981 • became the first woman to rise to the high bench

George Bush’s Presidency • Election of 1988 • Republican candidate: Bush whose platform was • Reagan’s tax cuts, strong defense policies, toughness on crime, opposition to abortion, and economic expansion • Vice President: J. Danforth Quayle, senator from Indiana • Democratic Candidate: Michael Dukakis, governor of Massachusetts • Running mate: Lloyd Bentsen, Senator of Texas • Bush won, carrying 40 states

Bush’s Foreign Policy • End of the Cold War • Several regimes collapsed in Europe between 1989 and 1990 including • Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Romania • In December 1989, Berlin Wall torn down • East and West Germany united and formed Democratic nation • Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev started to dissolve the communist govt , giving freedom to many • 1991, Warsaw Pact disbanded • Bush and Gorbachev proclaimed the end of Cold War and birth of “new world order” where democracy and diplomacy would reign • 1991 coup was attempted to throw Gorbachev from power • foiled with help of Boris Yeltsin, pres. of Russian Republic

Bush’s Foreign Policy Con’ t • Dec. 1991, Gorbachev resigned • USSR dissolved into 15 republics, forming the Commonwealth of Independent States • Russia most powerful, but all renounced communism and embraced democracy and free-market economies • 1993, Bush and Yeltsin signed the START II accord, which committed both powers to reduce their long-range nuclear arsenals by 2/3 in the next 10 years

Bush’s Foreign Policy Con’ t • Beginning of Gulf War • Jan. 16, 1991 - U.S. and allies began air campaign against Iraq • bombed targets in Iraq and Kuwait • Iraq responded by firing “Scud” : short-ranged ballistic missiles against military and civilian targets in Israel and Saudi Arabia. Bush convinced these countries not to retaliate • Commander of allies forces was Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf • strategy to soften Iraqis with relentless bombing, then begin war

Bush’s Foreign Policy Con’ t • Saddam Hussein, director of Iraq, threatened to wage the “mother of all battles” • Iraq had chemical and biological weapons including anthrax • Saddam employed ecological warfare: released an oil slick into the Persian Gulf to stop amphibious assault • Operation Desert Storm • began Feb. 23, 1991 and lasted 4 days: “hundred-hour war” • succeeded in driving back Iraq’s armies and liberated Kuwait • nonstop media coverage

Bush’s Foreign Policy Con’ t • Results of Persian Gulf War: • Bush’s approval rating soared, but was criticized for not removing Saddam Hussein from power • A U.N. observer force took place in Iraq • few American casualties • led to U.N. inspections of Iraq and further military action against Saddam in 1998 and 2003

Bush’s Domestic Policies • Bush’s economic policies • Conservatives wanted Bush to continue Reagan's policies but Bush saw that he needed to confront a budget deficit, prosperity that only benefited the wealthy, and problems from Reagan's cuts in govt programs • called for a “kinder, gentler America” and proposed cuts in military spending • in his campaign, Bush pledged, “Read my lips: no new taxes,” a promise he would come to regret

Bush’s Domestic Policies • Bush and Congress • 1990, recession hit. • By 1992, unemployment rate was 7% • federal budget deficit hit $250 billion • in battles with Congress, Bush vetoed 35 pieces of legislation • for this reason, his presidency called “status quo” because not much was done

Bush’s Domestic Policy Con’ t • Bush agreed to budget agreement that included $133 million in new taxes • violated campaign promise of no new taxes and would cost him the 1992 election • 1990, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed • prohibited discrimination against Americans with physical or mental disabilities • passed several laws to protect the environment, including a law that reformed the distribution of subsidized water in the West • 1990, Dept. of Education challenged the legality of college scholarships for minorities

Bush’s Domestic Policy Con’ t • Bush and the Supreme Court • Bush made 2 Supreme Court appointments: David Souter and Clarence Thomas • Thomas was first African American justice to be appointed since the retirement of liberal Thurgood Marshall

Bush’s Domestic Policy Con’ t • Thomas was very conservative and his nomination was opposed by organized labor, the NAACP, and the National Organization for Women (NOW), because he was anti-abortion • Oct. 1991, Anita Hill, law professor a t University of Oklahoma, accused Thomas of sexual harassment • after other females colleagues of Thomas said they witnessed improper behavior, the Senate approved Thomas with a 52-48 vote • result: gender gap developed between the political parties, as women resented the anti-abortion policies of the Republicans

Bill Clinton’s Presidency(1993-2001) • Election of 1992 • Republican candidate: Pres. George Bush • Democratic candidate: Bill Clinton • campaign theme: “It’s the economy, stupid.” • independent candidate: H. Ross Perot • Clinton won with 370 electoral votes to Bush’s 168 and Perot’s none

Clinton’s Foreign Policy • Clinton supported the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) • created in 1993, free trade zone including Mexico, U.S., and Canada • Effects: • changed his own stand in the 1992 election • eliminated the opposition of democratic protectionists, especially labor leaders afraid of losing jobs to Mexicans working for less money • In 1994, Clinton promoted World Trade Organization (WTO) : a global free-trade system

Clinton’s Foreign Policy • Conflicts in Bosnia: • ethnic conflict raged through Bosnia • Washington govt hesitated before committing American troops to a NATO peacekeeping contingent in late 1995 • abandoned when it became clear that were the only force capable of preventing new hostilities

Clinton’s Foreign Policy Con’ t • Air strikes in Serbia • President of Serbia, Milosevic, wants “ethnic cleansing” in Kosovo • in response, NATO forces led by U.S. launched an air war against Serbia • failed to stop ethnic terror and forced Milosevic to accept a NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo

Clinton’s Impeachment • Clinton’s role in the Whitewater Land Corporation prompted federal prosecutor, Kenneth Starr to investigate • Jan. 1998, Clinton blamed for having a sexual affair with a young White House intern, Monica Lewinsky, and then lied about it when testified under oath in a civil law suit. • Law suit brought by Paula Jones who charged that when the president was governor, he had sexually harassed her when she was a state employee • Supreme court permitted case move forward in May 1997

Clinton’s Impeachment • Clinton publicly denied any relationships with “that woman” • after keeping innocence for 8 months, Clinton forced to admit an “inappropriate relationship” • Sept. 1998, Starr presented a report to House of Rep.. Charging Clinton with 11 possible grounds for impeachment, all relating to Lewinsky matter • House Republicans. In December 1998, passed 2 articles of impeachment against the president: • perjury before a grand jury • obstruction of justice • The Senate found Clinton “not guilty” • Not removed from office • 2nd President to be impeached

ELECTION OF 2000 • Democrats nominate Al Gore (VP) and Joseph Lieberman (Senator of Connecticut) • Republicans nominate George W. Bush (son of former president George H.W. Bush) and Richard Cheney ( served in the administrations of Reagan and Bush) • Green Party nominate Ralph Nader

ELECTION OF 2000 • Candidates fought over the moderate and independent vote • Gore’s focus was “working families” • Bush’s focus was “compassionate conservatives” • Gore received over 500,000 more popular votes then Bush • Victory hinged on Florida’s 25 electoral votes

ELECTION 2000 • Democrats asked for a manual recount of the election punch cards after a partial recount gave Bush the lead by 537 votes • The Florida Supreme Court ordered a recount of all the votes • The US Supreme Court overruled them in a split 5-4 decision

BUSH v. GORE • The Court ruled that the varying standards used in Florida’s recount violated the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause • Gore ended the election by accepting the ruling • Final elector results; Bush 271 to Gore 266 • Closest election since 1876

The Resurgence of Conservatism