1. Confronting Global and National Dilemmas
James A. Henretta
Eric Hinderaker
Rebecca Edwards
Robert O. Self
America’s History Eighth Edition America: A Concise History Sixth Edition
CHAPTER 31
Confronting Global and National Dilemmas
1989 to the Present
Copyright © 2014 by Bedford/St. Martin’s

2. 1. Describe this photo—what is the setting and the subject
1. Describe this photo—what is the setting and the subject? (Answer: This is a photograph of a wind farm—many wind turbines erected in a hilly area to collect wind energy—in the West.)
2. What does this photo reveal about how the United States has begun to respond to the challenges posed by its reliance on oil and the prospect of climate change? (Answer: Photo shows how some governments and entrepreneurs have begun to harness alternative energy sources. Wind energy reduces American oil consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, providing a solution for both oil shortages and climate change.)
3. What does this photo suggest about who stands to benefit from alternative energy? (Answer: Photo demonstrates the amount of land necessary to support a wind farm, and also the resources and expertise necessary to construct a large number of wind turbines. Everyone will benefit from the energy harnessed by wind farms, but those with the land and economic resources to build them and sell the power they generate will benefit even more.)

3. I. America in the Global Economy
A. The Rise of the European Union and China
1. Europe – Nations of Western Europe formed the European Union (EU) in 1992 and moved toward the creation of a single federal state (similar to U.S.); by the end of the 1990s, the EU included more than 20 countries and 450 million people; introduced a single currency, the euro, in 2002.
2. China – Between 2000 and 2008, China quadrupled its gross domestic product; embraced capitalism by producing inexpensive products for consumer markets; relationship with China negatively impacted manufacturing in the U.S. by providing inexpensive products manufactured in China instead of American-made products for sale in U.S.
I. America in the Global Economy

7. I. America in the Global Economy
B. An Era of Globalization
1. International Organizations and Corporations – The Group of Seven (leading capitalist industrial nations) joined together to better manage global economic policy; Russia joined in 1997, creating the Group of Eight (G8): U.S., Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, and Russia; in 1993, the U.S., Canada, and Mexico signed the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to create a free-trade zone covering all of North America; corporations sought cheap labor (“outsourcing”) in Mexico, Eastern Europe, and Asia (ex: Nike manufacturing in Vietnam and China).
2. Financial Deregulation – U.S. and Britain called for deregulation of banks, brokerage houses, investment firms, and financial markets; led to high profits but a more fragile economy.
I. America in the Global Economy 7

9. I. America in the Global Economy
C. Revolutions in Technology
1. Digitization – Personal computers, smartphones, cell phones, and other digital devices changed the world and altered work, leisure, and access to knowledge in stunning ways that enhanced globalization.
2. World Wide Web – Use of personal computers increased with the introduction of the World Wide Web; by 1980s, was spreading to universities, businesses, and general public; by 2011, 78 percent of all Americans used the Internet; e-commerce transactions generated nearly $500 billion in 2010; the Web proved instantly democratic, providing ordinary people with easy access to knowledge.
I. America in the Global Economy

11. II. Politics and Partisanship in a New Era
A. An Increasingly Plural Society
1. New Immigrants – The U.S. population grew from 203 million in 1970 to 280 million in 2000; immigrants accounted for approximately 28 million of this increase (with 25 million from Latin America and East Asia); Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 had created opportunity for immigrants to enter country more easily; in addition, 700,000 refugees came to U.S. from Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) after the Vietnam War.
2. Multiculturalism and Its Critics – “Illegal aliens” became a topic of debate as conservatives (ex: Patrick Buchanan) warned Americans of an “invasion” of illegal aliens from Mexico; initiatives began in states with large immigrant populations to make English the official language (ex: CA); debates arose over affirmative action (ex: CA and MI) and bilingual education (ex: CA).
II. Politics and Partisanship in a New Era

14. II. Politics and Partisanship in a New Era
B. Clashes over “Family Values”
1. Abortion – Debate continued between “prolife” (claiming rights for the unborn fetus) and “prochoice” (claiming rights for the pregnant woman); fundamentalist Protestants led antiabortion movement by the 1980s; state laws required limitations on public funding for abortions, parental notification for minors wanting an abortion, and mandated waiting periods.
2. Gay Rights – By the 1990s, many cities and states had bans on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation; Human Rights Campaign (HRC) focused on full marriage equality: a legal recognition of same-sex marriage that was on par with opposite-sex marriages; in 1998, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed states to refuse to recognize gay marriage or civil unions formed in other jurisdictions.
3. Culture Wars and the Supreme Court – Divisive cases came before the Court: Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989) allowed state governments to limit funding for abortion; Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992) upheld a law requiring a twenty-four-hour waiting period prior to an abortion.
II. Politics and Partisanship in a New Era 14

15. II. Politics and Partisanship in a New Era
C. The Clinton Presidency, 1993–2001
1. New Democrats and Public Policy – Clinton won 43 percent of vote in 1992; was a self-proclaimed New Democrat with a middle-of-the-road stand on divisive issues; effort to enact national health care failed in 1994, leaving 15 percent of Americans without health coverage; by 1998, balanced federal budget achieved with reduction in the federal debt.
2. The Republican Resurgence – The midterm election of 1994 went poorly for Democrats, and Republicans gained fifty-two seats in the House; Clinton moved to the right by avoiding expansive social-welfare proposals for the remainder of his presidency; in August 1996, the government abolished Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).
3. Clinton’s Impeachment – Clinton’s second term unraveled when a sex scandal emerged; Clinton denied a sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky, a former White House intern; Republicans wanted an impeachment, which was narrowly achieved in the House but failed in the Senate.
II. Politics and Partisanship in a New Era

17. II. Politics and Partisanship in a New Era
D. Post-Cold War Foreign Policy (Debate over whether to admit former Soviet-bloc nations to NATO including Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia; twelve new nations were admitted by 2010.)
1. The Breakup of Yugoslavia – Dissolution of Yugoslavia led to war and a ruthless campaign of “ethnic cleansing,” led by Slobodan Milosevic, an uncompromising Serbian nationalist; NATO intervened; by 2008, the former Yugoslavia was seven independent nations.
2. America and the Middle East – Radical Islamic movements grew in post-Cold War Middle East; Muslim nations were angry about a long list of grievances, including the ruthless colonialism by British and French in early decades of twentieth century, and U.S. support for Israel and for the Iranian shah during revolution; radical fundamentalists were fanatically opposed to Western imperialism and consumer culture; opposed U.S. presence in Saudi Arabia; in 1993, radical Muslims bombed World Trade Center in NYC, killed six people, and injured 1,000+; in 1998, terrorists used truck bombs to blow up U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and they bombed the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000; Clinton ordered air strikes against Al Qaeda (led by Osama bin Laden) in Afghanistan; threat remained.
II. Politics and Partisanship in a New Era 17

19. III. Into a New Century
A. The Ascendance of George W. Bush (Vice President Al Gore won 50.9 million votes to Bush’s 50.4 million; Bush held electoral college, 271 to 267; hand recounts were demanded in several counties of Florida, which resulted in a month of debate and turmoil; in Bush v. Gore, the Supreme Court upheld the victory for Bush.)
1. Tax Cuts – Bush’s Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2001 cut income tax rates, extended income credit for the poor, and marked the estate tax to be phased out by 2010; additional cuts followed in 2003; federal expenditures increased 33 percent by 2006; national debt stood at over $8 trillion by 2007.
2. September 11, 2001 – Nineteen Islamic terrorists hijacked four commercial jets; two were flown into New York City’s World Trade Center, destroying its twin towers and killing over 2,900 people; a third plane crashed into the Pentagon; the fourth, presumably headed for the White House or the U.S. Capitol, crashed in a Pennsylvania field when passengers fought back and thwarted the hijackers; Bush proclaimed a “war on terror”; U.S. began military campaign against bin Laden’s forces in Afghanistan.
III. Into a New Century

20. III. Into a New Century A. The Ascendance of George W. Bush (cont.)
3. The Invasion of Iraq – Post-9/11 Bush increased the power of domestic surveillance with the USA PATRIOT Act; focused on “an axis of evil”: Iran, North Korea, and Iraq; believed that Iraqi people would abandon Saddam Hussein and embrace democracy; administration went to the UN to force Hussein to allow weapons inspections; U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003; damaged relations with U.S. allies France, Germany, Mexico, and Canada; Britain supported U.S. effort; regime collapsed, but long-term consequences loomed as Shiites and Sunnis fought each other.
4. The 2004 Election – Bush was challenged by Senator John Kerry (D-MA), Vietnam veteran and war hero that was criticized for his post-service participation in Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW); Kerry as a three-term senator had a length record that was easily mined for hard-to-explain votes; Republicans tagged him as a “flip-flopper.”
III. Into a New Century

22. III. Into a New Century
B. Violence Abroad and Economic Collapse at Home
1. Crisis management – Hurricane Katrina (2005) led to the devastation of New Orleans and surrounding communities; war in Iraq became increasingly unpopular in 2006–2007; 2008 saw significant decline in the U.S. economy, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost half its value in less than a year; unemployment rose to 10 percent as housing prices plummeted.
2. The 2008 election – Campaign of Barack Hussein Obama against Senator John McCain (R-AZ) took place amidst the Bush administration’s efforts to “bail out” the financial industry; Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (October 2008) dedicated $700 billion to rescuing many of the nation’s largest banks and brokerage houses.
III. Into a New Century

23. III. Into a New Century C. The Obama Presidency
1. “Remaking America” – plan to deal with the nation’s challenges at home and abroad; used “first hundred days” to lay out an ambitious agenda: an economic stimulus package; plans to draw down the war in Iraq and refocus efforts in Afghanistan; reform of the nation’s health insurance system; and new federal laws to regulate Wall Street; Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (economic stimulus), Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protect Act (laws regulating financial industry), and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; 2010 midterm elections put Republicans in control of House of Representatives; in 2011, Obama repealed the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy; in 2009, Obama appointed the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor; in 2010, he appointed Elena Kagan.
III. Into a New Century

24. III. Into a New Century C. The Obama Presidency
2. War and Instability in the Middle East – In 2010, Obama began to draw down troops in Iraq, and last convoy of U.S. soldiers departed in late 2011; ordered a “surge” of 30,000 troops for war in Afghanistan, with a pledge to withdraw all U.S. troops by 2014; in late 2010, a series of multicountry demonstrations and protests, dubbed the Arab Spring, toppled some autocratic rulers in the Middle East; in May 2011, U.S. Special Forces found and killed Osama bin Laden; Obama was criticized for controversial use of “drone” strikes to assassinate Al Qaeda leaders and other U.S. enemies in the region.
3. Climate Change – U.S. government struggled to develop policies to address and mitigate climate change.
4. Electoral Shifts – Obama appeared to benefit from an electoral shift in a liberal direction; nevertheless, he has been unable to generate political momentum for the kind of legislative advances achieved by Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s or Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s.
III. Into a New Century