1. The Conservative Resurgence and the Challenges of the 21st Century
PERIOD 9: PRESENT
The Conservative Resurgence and the Challenges of the 21st Century

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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  democracy, free market economy

6. 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

7. 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

8. Panamanian invasion Since 40s- US intervention tied to CONTAINMENT
Dec 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.

9. Persian gulf war Bush hope for “new world order”
Peace, democracy
August 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

11. Domestic issues

12. 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”

13. 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