1. Objective: To examine the Presidential Administrations from the 1980’s to the present.

2. The Conservative Revolution Cartoon courtesy of Mike Shelton
· Conservatives of the 1980’s felt that “big government” was a problem and that the government should limit costly social programs and not interfere too much with business practices.
Cartoon courtesy of Mike Shelton

3. President Ronald Reagan
January 20, 1981
January 20, 1989

4. · Ronald Reagan led the conservative revolution, serving as President from 1980 – 1988.

6. - Reagan’s Economic Plan:
large tax cuts for businesses that were meant to stimulate the economy
(trickle down economics)
- spending cuts to costly social programs

7. Sanders Cartoon-Commentary

8. Mixed Results:
· While the economy grew, the country suffered from a record budget deficit. (Example: $240 billion deficit in 1986)
· The budget deficit was caused by a large increase in military spending, along with massive tax cuts, which made it impossible to create a balanced budget.

9. Assassination attempt, 1981

10. Agent Tim McCarthy took a bullet meant for Reagan

11. Reagan called Russia the “evil empire”

12. An End to the Cold War
· Pres. Reagan increased military spending and pursued a weapons program known as Star Wars that could shoot down missiles from space.
· This helped to destroy the economy of the Soviet Union, as they were unable to match U.S. spending on the military and provide for their citizens at the same time.
Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) logo

14. · Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev began a policy called glasnost, in which he allowed more freedom of speech and the press.
Face to Face: Cold War (0:30)
See how Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev ended the Cold War together by meeting face-to-face.

15. · Gorbachev also signed an arms control treaty, called the INF Treaty, with Pres. Reagan in 1987.
· Eventually, however, Gorbachev was forced to resign in 1991, and the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

17. Wave of Demonstrations
Beginning in September 1989, a wave of huge demonstrations shook Communist regimes across eastern Europe. A massive tide of East German emigrants surged through Czechoslovakia and Hungary to the West.

18. The Wall Came Down
Finally, on the night of November 9, 1989, ordinary Germans poured through the Berlin Wall. The GDR quickly disintegrated, and by the end of 1990, all of East Germany had been incorporated into the wealthy, powerful Federal Republic of Germany.

19. The Fall of the Berlin Wall – News Report from ABC News (2:55)

20. · As a result, fifteen Soviet republics gained their independence.
Post-Soviet states in alphabetical order: 1. Armenia; 2. Azerbaijan; 3. Belarus; 4. Estonia; 5. Georgia; 6. Kazakhstan; 7. Kyrgyzstan; 8. Latvia; 9. Lithuania; 10. Moldova; 11. Russia; 12. Tajikistan; 13. Turkmenistan; 14. Ukraine; 15. Uzbekistan

21. · President Ronald Reagan supported an anti-communist group called the Contras in Nicaragua. Congress disagreed with Pres. Reagan and passed a law banning military aid to the Contras. However, some government officials illegally raised money for the Contras by selling weapons to Iran, in exchange for releasing hostages. This scandal became known as the Iran-Contra Affair.

24. President George H.W. Bush:
· Pres. George H.W. Bush continued Reagan’s policies with his famous promise, “Read my lips. No new taxes.”

25. · However, by 1990, the economy was in a recession, forcing Bush to raise taxes. His approval rating dropped to 49% by 1992.

27. Panama Invasion, 1989
Gen. Noriega of Panama was involved in drug smuggling
Noriega had been a CIA informant
American federal courts indicted Noriega for drug trafficking
Noriega was arrested

28. The Persian Gulf War
On August 2, 1990: Iraq claimed that oil-rich nation of Kuwait was part of Iraq. Then Iraq invaded Kuwait.
On Jan. 16, 1991: The United States and and its allies staged a massive air assault against Iraq
On October 28, 1991: Kuwait was liberated (Operation Desert Storm)

30. President Bill Clinton:
· Pres. Clinton won the election of 1992 on the hopes that he could help the nation’s troubled economy. Clinton went on to win reelection in 1996 as well.

32. “The Past, Present, and (Bright) Future of the Federal Deficit”
· Clinton was known as a moderate, increasing some taxes and reducing spending, resulting in a drop in the federal budget deficit for three years in a row.

33. Economic agenda
Clinton wanted to balance the federal budget and reduce deficits
Clinton wanted higher corporate taxes
A compromise budget was agreed to, with V-P Gore giving the tie-breaking vote

34. · Pres. Clinton named his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, to be in charge of creating a national health care system, a plan that was eventually defeated in Congress for being too costly.

35. Clinton scandals Republicans had been investigating Clinton since 1994
Republicans spent millions of tax dollars pursuing Clinton
The Lewinsky scandal led to Clinton’s impeachment in 1998
Clinton was not found guilty.

36. ÷ = Election of 2000 – The Candidates:
2000 and Beyond
Election of 2000 – The Candidates: ÷ =
Al Gore (D)
Ralph Nader (G)
George W. Bush (R)
· Republican George W. Bush beat Democratic challenger Al Gore in one of the closest elections in American history.

37. · Gore received more of the popular vote, but Bush received more of the electoral votes, winning the election.

38. 2000 Election – Results By State
George W. Bush (R)
Al Gore (D)

39. · The election had been contested to due controversial election results in Florida.

40. Judges against recount Image courtesy of the Chronicle-Tribune
Judges for the recount
William Rehnquist
John Paul Stevens
Sandra Day O’Connor
David Souter
Antonin Scalia
Stephen Breyer
Anthony Kennedy
Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Image courtesy of the Chronicle-Tribune

41. CNN: Flashback to 2000, U.S. presidential election recount (2:10)
Florida election official searching for “hanging chads” on a 2000 Presidential election ballot.

43. 9/11/01:
· On September 11, 2001, the international terrorist group al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, attacked the U.S. in New York City and Washington, D.C.
· With the use of airliners, the World Trade Center in New York City was destroyed, and the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C. was severely damaged.
CNN Video Part I Part II
Fox News: Various 9/11 Videos
South Tower Collapses

44. · Approximately 3,000 Americans lost their lives in these attacks.

46. The Pentagon Building, 9/11/01

47. Invasion of Iraq: In 2003, the U. S
Invasion of Iraq: In 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq, overthrowing and capturing their leader, Saddam Hussein.
Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein
· Pres. Bush stated that the war in Iraq was necessary in order to prevent Hussein from using weapons of mass destruction against the U.S. or our allies in the future.
May 2, 2003, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln

48. Invasion of Afghanistan:
· In response to the attacks of 9/11, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, which had been providing shelter for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

51. Election of 2004: In the 2004 Presidential election, incumbent George W. Bush defeated his Democratic challenger, Senator John Kerry.
John Kerry, delivering his concession speech, Nov. 3, 2004
Victory 2004 Rally October 30, 2004

52. Election of 2006:
In the Congressional elections of 2006, the Democrats won control of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994.
Nancy Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the House in our nation’s history.

54. Politico: 2012 Presidential Election Obama Makes History (3:42)
Election of 2008:
Barack Obama (left) defeated John McCain (below) to become the first African-American president in U.S. history.
Politico: Presidential Election
Obama Makes History (3:42)

55. PRESIDENT OBAMA WON RE-ELECTION IN 2012 RUNNING AGAINST REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY

56. WHAT CHALLENGES HAS PRESIDENT OBAMA FACED IN HIS YEARS IN OFFICE?

57. WHAT CHALLENGES WILL PRESIDENT TRUMP FACE?