Conservative 1980s Chapter 40

Essential Question? What ended the Cold War?

New Right Conservative coalition of evangelical Christians, Republicans, and economically fiscal Democrats. Anti: abortion, feminism, homosexual, affirmative action, big government. Pro: tax cuts, deregulation. Result of the 1960s counterculture. Force behind Reagan and Bush Sr.

1980 Election Democrats: Run President Carter Negatives: Iran Hostage Crisis, inflation. Republicans: Former actor, governor Ronald Reagan. Hard line Cold Warrior Support of New Right Great public speaker Reagan wins 489 to 49

1980 Election

President Reagan Timeline 1981: Iran hostages released Reaganomics Sandra O’Conner 1st female on Supreme Court US aids anti-communists in Central America 1982: Recession 1983: SDI introduced Lebanon Greneda 1984: Reagan reelected 1985: Gorbachev gains power in USSR 1986: Iran-Contra

First Year Inauguration Day: Hostages released Took aim at entitlement programs (welfare, housing, Social Security) Pursued “smaller government” Survived a gunshot, back at the White House in 12 days.

Reaganomics Tax cuts + deregulation + lower government spending Wanted to stimulate economy and lower deficit. Also known as “Supply-Side” economics. 1982: US economy hits worst recession since GD. Economy quickly recovered, but a gap began to develop between rich and poor. Rich (yuppies) became fabulously wealthy; middle class didn’t notice a change; poor got poorer. The economic prosperity of the 80s really relied on military spending.

Cold War Reagan actually increased the debt by funding massive military projects. Called Soviets “evil” Fight the Cold War by outspending the USSR in the arms race. Proposes the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars): Space based nuclear missile deterrence. Reagan new that this would be massively expensive, but he also know that the USSR could not afford to do it. Reagan also imposed trade embargoes with the USSR that economically devastated them. With their backs to the wall, the USSR could fight, or negotiate.

Star Wars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDY47AfF_lw&feature=related

Troubles Abroad Israel invaded Lebanon in 1983; a civil war in Lebanon left the nation in chaos. US sent Marines to try and restore peace, but a suicide bomber killed 200+. US withdrew, Reagan not politically harmed. Communist “Sandistas” had taken over Nicaragua and threatened to take over El Salvador. Reagan supplied the “Contras” in El Salvador with $, guns, and military advisors.

Grenada Tiny Caribbean island that experienced a communist coup in 1983. Evoking the Monroe Doctrine, and Roosevelt Corollary, Reagan sent a massive military force to Grenada to restore Democracy.

1984 Election Republicans re-nominate Reagan. Democrats run former VP Walter Mondale. Mondale picks 1st female VP candidate Geraldine Ferraro. Reagan cruises to victory: 525 to 13.

Glasnost and Perestroika USSR’s new leader Mikhail Gorbachev was determined to restructure (perestroika) the Soviet economy and work toward better relations with the US (Glasnost). Reagan and Gorbachev met 4 times, signing the INF treaty which eliminated nuclear missiles in Europe. Effectively ended the Cold War

Iran-Contra Iran held many Americans hostage after the Lebanese civil war. Reagan also sought more aid for the Contras fighting communism in El Salvador, but Congress would not give him the $. The White House agreed to sell Iran guns if they freed their hostages. The $ from the guns would go to aid the Contras in CA. All of this was done without the knowledge of Congress. Congress investigated, but no evidence was turned up to prove that Reagan knew about the deal. Regan’s legacy has been tarnished by Iran-Contra. Opponents say he “may” not have known about it, but he should have.

Reaganomics: The Lesson Reagan had deregulated businesses and cut taxes, which stimulated the economy. He had grossly failed to balance the budget, adding $2 trillion in debt. Reagan did set the standard of cutting social spending, which would continue for 20 years after he left office.

Conservative Supreme Court Reagan appointed 3 conservative judges. Sandra Day O’Conner became the 1st female justice. The SC struck down affirmative action rules and also allowed for new restrictions on abortion.

1988 Election Democrats hoped to take advantage of Iran-Contra in the 88 election. Also, a minor economic crisis with the banks and Wall Street threatened Republicans. Democrats nominate Michael Dukakis. Republicans nominate VP George Bush Sr. Bush wins 426 to 111. Bush victory means continuation of Reagan’s policies.

President Bush, Sr. Timeline 1989: Tiananmen Square Massacre Berlin Wall Falls Eastern European revolts against communism 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait Germany reunites Americans with Disabilities Act 1991: Persian Gulf War Clarence Thomas appointed to SC USSR dissolves 1992: 27th Amendment

Tiananmen Square Chinese protesters gather in Tiananmen Square to push for democracy. Chinese government brutally crushed and massacred the protesters. US and world condemned, but did nothing to help because China had become a major trading partner. Communism would continue in the world’s largest nation.

Cold War Ends 1989: Communist regimes in Eastern Europe began to fall to peaceful protests. Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and East Germany became democratic without resistance from the USSR. Germans tore down the Berlin Wall and reunited in 1990. The USSR was in its last days of communism, thanks to Gorbachev’s changes. An unsuccessful military coup was halted, and the USSR broke up into 15 separate nations, all embracing democracy and capitalism. Questions about the USSR’s nuclear arsenal were clarified when the new nation of Russia agreed to limit it’s weapons in the START II treaty.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

Europe

Lessons of the Cold War -Containment worked, very slowly, but effective. The military spending by the US had helped the economy. The Cold War was the only extended period of internationlist policies by US. Would we revert to isolationism? The communist regime in Nicaragua also folded in favor of democracy. Although not communist, the South African government ended decades of Apartheid (segregation) and Nelson Mandela became their new president.

Persian Gulf War 1990: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded tiny Kuwait. Hussein sought oil, and had larger plans of overrunning Israel in the future. Iraq had been a former ally of the US because we had a common enemy, Iran. For years the US had supplied Iraq with $ and guns. The UN told Hussein that he had until January to leave, he didn’t. 28 nations sent troops to the Gulf, when the deadline expired, they attacked Iraq with full force. The war lasted only 4 days before Hussein agreed to a cease-fire. With Iraq out of Kuwait the mission had been accomplished. Hussein would stay in power because the war’s goal was not to remove him, simply to liberate Kuwait.

Swift Justice

Domestic Bush Americans with Disabilities Act: prohibited discrimination of disabled. Bush nominated the 2nd AA justice, Clarence Thomas. Unlike most AAs, Thomas was very conservative. His nomination was complicated by charges of sexual misconduct. Bush had campaigned on a platform that didn’t raise taxes. He eventually relinquished to try to cut into the deficit. Voters would not forget his false promises in 1992.