The George W. Bush Presidency Chapter 20, Section 4

An Election Controversy ●2000 Election o Al Gore (D) o George W. Bush (R) o Ralph Nader (Green Party) ●Tight race o Gore appeared dull and cold, Bush often mispronounced words o Voted mostly by party affiliation

●At first, both candidates fell short of the 270 electoral votes needed. ●Issue surrounded Florida’s votes. o Popular votes so close that state law mandated a recount. o Some argued voter fraud, accidentally marked the wrong candidate, and miscalculated votes

o Supreme Court stepped in (Gore v. Bush)  ruled the recount unconstitutional  Bush was given the electoral votes because he had the lead in popular votes when the recount was suspended

Think-Pair-Share Should we get rid of the Electoral College?

Bush Launches an Ambitious Agenda ●No Child Left Behind: held schools accountable for performance through mandated sanctions against schools not reaching federal performance standards ●Tax cuts which increased federal budget deficits.

The United States Is Attacked ●September 11, 2001: Attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and another airplane was brought down in Pennsylvania. o First time since Pearl Harbor that the U.S. has been attacked by an external enemy o More than 3,000 Americans killed

“T oday, our fellow citizens, our way of life, and our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts … Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror… These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed… Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” -President George H. W. Bush, September 11, 2001

America’s War On Terrorism ●Quickly determined that Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network behind attacks o bombed the WTC in 1993 killing six and wounding over one thousand people o Believed to be hiding in Afghanistan under control of the Taliban (Islamic fundamentalists)  Bush demanded the Taliban turn over bin Laden (refused) ●sent troops into Afghanistan and took over Taliban control (bin Laden escaped)

Osama bin Laden Found (May 2011) Zero Dark Thirty

●Patriot Act: gave law enforcement broader powers to monitor suspected terrorists o Does this violate civil liberties? ●Department of Homeland Security: created to coordinate domestic security measures among federal, state, and local authorities

●Many people believed Saddam Hussein was stockpiling nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons (Weapons of Mass Destruction) o defied UN inspectors ●Operation Iraqi Freedom (March 2003): American and British forces invade Iraq o quickly captured Baghdad (and eventually Hussein)  Hussein was sentenced and executed in 2006

Bush Administration Chalk Talk

Bush’s Second Term ●Hurricane Katrina (2005) hit the Gulf Coast (destroyed much of New Orleans) o Government response VERY slow (very unorganized)

Superdome (New Orleans) - As many as 20,000 refugees stuck for days with little food and access to fresh water, no air conditioning, leaky roof, deaths and crimes committed.

●Bush’s approval rating dropped o Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan o Possible spread of nuclear weapons o Continuing threat of terrorists o Immigration problems o Rise in oil prices o Economic troubles

The 2008 Election ●Barack Obama (D) v. John McCain (R) ●Obama became first African American president o Large voter turnout (large population of young voters) o Economy still struggling

Banking Crisis ●“The Great Recession” (2007 to 2009-ish) o Risky bank loans and a general decline in the value of American homes (housing bubble)  Many banking and investment firms filed for bankruptcy or were bought out o Unemployment rates increased o Drop in the stockmarket o Rise in poverty levels