The Conservative Resurgence and the Challenges of the 21st Century PERIOD 9: 1980 - PRESENT The Conservative Resurgence and the Challenges of the 21st Century

The End of the Cold War George h.w. bush

The Election of 1988 86  Dem. control of Senate + Iran Contra scandal, Reagan deficits  Dem victory (Michael Dukakis) HWB/Quayle vs. Dukakis/Lloyd Bentsen Duk soft on crime, weak on defense “Read my lips- no new taxes.”  Republican victory 90  Larger Dem. Control of Congress = mixed signals  gridlock

Foreign Affairs Tiananmen Square (Beijing) Eastern Europe 4/89- prodemocracy student demonstration for Freedom (TV) Pro-democracy mvmt China  tanks, troops  end of democratic movement Eastern Europe Gorb declaration that no more armed support to Comm. govs of E.  fall of Comm. regimes 89- Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania Protests in E. German  Fall of Berlin Wall (Nov.), comm. forced out Unification in 1990

Breakup of the soviet union From E. Europe  Baltic Desire for self-determination, nationalism Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania independent Communist hard-liners  coup to overthrow Gorb…. FAILS Dec. 91- Dissolution of Soviet Union by remaining republics Gorb. = leader with no country Russian Republic = Boris Yeltsin + 9 former Soviet republics  Commonwealth of Independent States Yeltsin disband Communist party in Russia  attempts @ democracy, free market economy

End of the cold war End with agreements to dismantle nuclear weapons Bush & Yeltsin 1991- Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I)- 10k each 1992- START II- 3k each US economic aid to Russian economy

End of Cold War still sees caution from US No celebration of “victory” Fear of civil wars, violence in former Soviet Union Ex: Yugoslavia Disintegrate in 1991 Civil War in Bosnia- Herzegovinia 1992 Questions of US need for defense spending, military bases

Panamanian invasion Since 40s- US intervention tied to CONTAINMENT Dec. 1989- troops into Panama Removal of autocrat Gen. Manuel Noriega Why? Stop Noriega from using Panama as drug pipeline to US Troops remain until Jan. 31, 1990 elections, more credible gov.

Persian gulf war Bush hope for “new world order” Peace, democracy August 1990- Hussein (Iraq) order invasion of Kuwait (oil) = threat to Western oil sources in SA, Persian Gulf  coalition of UN members pressure Hussein to withdraw (embargo) Congress OK military campaign to roll back Iraq aggression January 1991= Operation Desert Storm 500k troops + 28 other nations 5 weeks of air strikes  invasion by Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf 100 hrs of ground fighting  Iraqi defeat No attempt to remove Hussein from power

Domestic issues

Problems at home Successful foreign policy, domestic issues plagued presidency Clarence Thomas into Supreme Court Replace Marshall Thomas conservative, charges of sexual harassment  disapproval by African Americans, women Campaign on building “kinder, gentler America,” being “education president” did not come to fruition Big success = Americans With Disabilities Act (1990)- no discrimination vs. those with physical/mental disabilities (hiring, transport, public accom) Recession  cuts in federal programs Not much done for those left behind by “Reagan Revolution”

Taxes & the economy Gov. intervention to save weak savings and loan institutions (S&Ls), pay insured depositors for lost funds Public outcry Use of tax money, $250 billion Deficits at $250 billion/year 1990- Bush accept Dem. Congress plan for $133 billion in new taxes Violation of campaign pledge Raised taxes on top income earners, increase of excise taxes (alcohol, gas, cigs, luxury cars/yachts) 1990 recession = end of Reagan prosperity Unemployment up, avg. family income down