1. Conservatism
-switch from “public action to private interest”
-less federal gov’t action and entitlement programs ----more community action
-New Right, Conservative Coalition, Moral Majority
-rise of conservative Republicans Ronald Reagan and George Bush

2. 1980 Election
-1979 Carter “Crisis of Confidence” Speech
”Are You better off than fours years ago?”
-Great Communicator

3. Reaganomics
-cutting government spending
-lowering of taxes to promote business
-supply-side economics
-”trickle down economics”
-economy began to respond to policies
-great deficit spending however lead to tax increases and debt

4. Cold Warrior
-Reagan had been a hardliner against communism
-refers to USSR as the “Evil Empire”
-increased military spending
Star Wars or SDI
-increase in nuclear arsenal
-Soviet system starts to decline by late 80’s

5. Cold Warrior
-Reagan had been a hardliner against communism
-refers to USSR as the “Evil Empire”
-increased military spending
Star Wars or SDI
-increase in nuclear arsenal
-Soviet system starts to decline by late 80’s

6. Domestic Issues
-Reagan and Bush appoint conservative Justices
-Chief Justice William Rehnquist
-deregulation of the economy lowered prices in some industries and increased competition, but created some scandals
-Savings and Loan Bailouts

7. Foreign Intervention
-Iran-Contra Scandal---weapons secretly sold to Iran in exchange for money to be given to anti-communism Contras of Nicaragua
-Grenada---effort to prevent communist rule
-Panama---arrest of General Noriega to stop flow of illegal drugs

8. Social Issues
-AIDS
-Abortion
-Drug Abuse
Just Say No
-Graying of America
-baby boomers

9. Educational Issues
-”A Nation at Risk”
--educational debate about reform-
-School voucher debate
-educational testing programs

10. Birth of Modern Era
--Apple Computer
--Microsoft
--Space Shuttles

11. Birth of Modern Era
--Apple Computer
--Microsoft
--Space Shuttles

12. Modern Life
--MTV
--Rap Music
-”Me Generation”

13. George Bush
-George Bush won the 1988 election
-strong foreign policy background (CIA) and former VP
-makes mistake with “Read my Lips, no new taxes”
-policies suffer because of poor economy
-gridlock in government appears

14. Cold War
-Soviets withdraw some troops in late 80’s
-Democracy movements begin in Europe
-Nov Berlin Wall is destroyed
Germany reunites
-Yugoslavia breaks apart and fighting begins
China experiences democratic protests
1989 Tiananmen Square

15. Lone Superpower
-Mikhail Gorbachev comes to power, Soviet economy is horrible
-Glasnost
-Perestroika
-1991 coup attempted
Boris Yeltsin
-14 Republics of USSR begin to separate
-Nuclear concerns

16. Desert War
-George Bush’s Presidency
-Iraq invades Kuwait
Saddam Hussein
-Operation Desert Shield
-Operation Desert Storm
Colin Powell
Norman Schwarzkopf

17. Post-War
-Highest Presidential Approval Rating
-successful war
-low casualties
-1992 Recession
-poor economy leads to unfavorable opinions