Introducton to American History

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Chapter 31: Reagan’s America

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Learning Objectives

Assess the policies of the Reagan administration.

Evaluate the Reagan administration’s defense and Cold War policies.

Explain the Reagan Doctrine and how it translated into American policies in Latin America.

Explain the Iran-Contra Affair and the violations of the Constitution and Congressional statutes by the Reagan Administration.

Assess the collapse of Communism and the Soviet Union, and describe its impact on American foreign policy. Was the end of the Cold War more influenced by Ronald Reagan or Mikhail Gorbachev?

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Learning Objectives (Continued)

Discuss the electoral victory of George H.W. Bush in 1988. What factors hindered his campaign? What factors contributed to his victory?

Evaluate the American military action in the Persian Gulf War. Was Bush’s attack on the fleeing Iraqi Army justified and ethical?

Explain the reasons that President Bush opposed an invasion of Iraq for the purposes of ousting Saddam Hussein from power. Did Bush make the right choice?

Discuss the American roles in the Shiite and Kurdish rebellions that followed the Persian Gulf War.

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Learning Objectives (Continued)

Discuss the domestic policies of George H.W. Bush, including environmental protection and the Americans with Disabilities Act. How did Bush’s approach differ from Reagan’s?

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31.1 The First Couple

An unusual presidential couple

Both were former movie stars.

Reagan was the oldest President and the first ‘divorced’ one.

He attended Eureka College and worked as a sportscaster, actor, and President of Screen Actor’s Guild.

A delusional movie fan shot President Reagan on day 69 of his presidency.

Nancy consulted astrologers.

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31.2a Reaganomics

Reagan believed that the wealthy should pay less and promoted cutting taxes to increase revenue.

George Bush labeled Reaganomics “Voo Doo Economics.”

Reagan popularized idea that government was the source of many economic and social problems, yet he doubled military spending.

Deficit spending

Severe Recession 1982-1983

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31.2b The Air Traffic Controllers’ Strike

PATCO was one of the only unions to support Reagan.

Air traffic controllers wanted 40 percent pay increase and reduction in their work week.

President Raegan fired them all after they went on strike.

This sent a chilling message to labor

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31.2c Shaping the Supreme Court

His appointment of Sandra Day O’Connor was one of Reagan’s most popular decisions.

O’Connor decision would grow in stature over the years.

Justice O’Connor often functioned as the swing vote.

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31.2d Robert Bork Appointment

Bork was a staunch conservative, and he disagreed with what he viewed as “judicial activism.”

Bork was voted down in the Senate.

Republicans charged that Democrats voted down Bork for political reasons.

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31.2e The Great Crash

“Black Monday”

Stocks dropped 22.6 percent.

Some blamed Reagan’s deficits and deregulation.

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31.2f Economic Inequality

Economic inequality increased dramatically in the 1980s.

Wealthiest 5 percent of Americans were receiving 21 percent of all income.

Americans could no longer expect that their children would be better off than the parents were.

The US had the highest poverty rate among the industrialized democracies.

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31.2g Deregulation and its Consequences

Pace of deregulation accelerated under President Reagan.

Without regulation business made more money.

Corruption flourished in unregulated industries.

The savings and loan industry collapsed because of corrupt loans and payoffs.

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31.3a A New Cold War?

Reagan viewed the Soviet Union as “Evil Empire,” and he was dedicated to fighting Communism everywhere.

He supported the SDI “Star Wars” missile defense program.

Reagan Doctrine: The US was to aid “freedom fighters.”

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31.3b The Middle East

Ronald Reagan and the Middle East

Lebanese Civil War

Bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut killed 63

Truck bombing of the US marine compound killed 241.

Reagan was forced to redeploy forces off shore.

Reagan ordered an invasion of Grenada.

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31.3c The Americas

Reagan was concerned about the spread of Communism in Latin America.

Reagan was particularly concerned about El Salvador.

Reagan armed the right-wing dictator Jose Napoleon Duarte, against leftist rebels.

Nicaragua was also a concern

Legitimate government was led by Marxist Sandinistas.

Those opposed to the Sandinistas formed a guerilla group known as the Contras.

Reagan agreed to arm the Contra rebels.

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31.4a AIDS

A devastating disease, which—early on—was almost always fatal

The Surgeon General was prevented from informing the public so as to placate the “religious right.”

Conservative pundits fanned AIDS hysteria.

Coop finally released a report on AIDS in Oct. 1986.

Basketball star Magic Johnson announced that he was HIV positive.

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31.4b The Election of 1984

Reagan was decisively reelected.

Reagan rode the economic recovery to victory over Walter Mondale with “Morning in America” campaign.

Geraldine Ferraro was first woman nominated for vice president by a major political party.

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31.5a The Iran-Contra Scandal

Reagan termed Contras as “freedom fighters” without an in-depth investigation.

Congress denied aid to Contras.

Profits were made from the sale of arms to Iran in violation of a Congressional ban.

Arms were sold to Iran in exchange for release of hostages.

Colonel Oliver North, on the National Security Council staff, conceived an idea.

Profits would be given to Contras in Nicaragua.

This would get around the 1984 law banning any support for them.

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31.5a The Iran-Contra Scandal (Continued)

Manuel Noriega provided planes to fly arms to Central America.

Reagan at first admitted that he ordered the arms to the Contras, but then claimed that he couldn’t remember.

Congressional Committee to investigate the Iran-Contra Affair was stacked with Reagan supporters.

Iran-Contra hearings led to indictments of six advisors who were later pardoned by G.H. Bush.

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31.5b Reagan and Gorbachev

1985: Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union and proclaimed a policy of glasnost (openness) and of perestroika (economic liberalization).

He realized his nation faced huge economic problems and an environmental crisis.

The two leaders met at Geneva, and Gorbachev had a more complex understanding of the issues than Reagan.

Reykjavik meeting stalemated over Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).

INF Treaty was signed in 1987 because Russians did not believe Star Wars could work.

Gorbachev spoke at UN in 1988.

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31.5c Immigration Reform

By the mid-1980s, there was growing concern about the influx of immigrants.

In 1986, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which was meant to slow down the flow of illegal immigrants.

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31.5d Reagan’s Legacy

Reagan was one of the most conservative presidents since 1945.

Reagan convinced Americans that government was the problem.

Deregulation led to banks’ failures and S&L bailouts.

Doubling of military spending combined with tax cuts to triple the National Debt.

“Teflon President” began to show his age.

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31.6 Election of 1988

Vice President Bush defeated Bob Dole for the Republican nomination.

With low polling numbers among women, Bush chose the youthful Dan Quayle as his running mate.

Democrats nominated Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts.

Quale proved to be a liability due to his frequent gaffes.

Republican Willie Horton ads harmed the Dukakis campaign.

Bush won election by a solid majority.

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31.7a Foreign Policy

Shortly after Bush’s inauguration, the world order began to change in profound ways.

Chinese students held pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square.

Bush halted all contact with China after it brutally repressed democracy movement.

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31.7b The Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe

Gorbachev’s reforms ushered the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989.

The weak economy was due to years of command economy inefficiency.

Soviet military spending during the Reagan era had essentially bankrupted the treasury.

Poland’s Solidarity Union forced negotiations with the Soviet Union.

Communists granted free elections, which they lost.

Other communist governments in Eastern Europe followed Poland’s lead in bloodless revolution.

Romanians assassinated their communist leader Nikolai Ceaucescu.

1989: Germans tore down the Berlin Wall.

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31.7c The Collapse of the USSR

Nationalist movements began to emerge in Soviet states.

Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania declared independence.

Gorbachev did not put down revolts militarily, and the military staged a coup against Gorbachev.

Boris Yeltsin led the Soviet army in a reverse coup.

The Commonwealth of Independent States was formed, and the Soviet Union was dissolved.

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31.7d Operation Just Cause

Operation Just Cause was the operation to oust Panamanian president Manuel Noriega.

1988: Noriega was indicted in Florida for drug trafficking.

Noriega lost election but refused to vacate office.

Noriega had political opponents beaten.

Four off-duty U.S. servicemen were beaten, one a personal friend of President Bush.

Dec. 20, 1989: Operation Just Cause began.

US Marines landed in Panama and arrested President Manuel Noriega for drug trafficking.

This violated international law.

January 3,1990: Noriega surrendered.

Because of the invasion, 23 US soldiers and 4,000 civilian deaths occurred.

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31.7e Persian Gulf War

Conflict between Iran and Iraq drew the US into a long-term problem.

Iraq lost 400,000 people in war with Iran in 1980s.

Kuwait produced more than its OPEC quotas while demanding loan payment from Iraq.

Shatt al-Arab waterway blocked by sunken ships.

Saddam believed he had the approval of US Ambassador April Glaspie to invade Kuwait.

Saddam invaded Kuwait.

The UN condemned Saddam’s invasion.

Bush demanded Iraq’s withdrawal and began the military buildup known as “Desert Shield.

The US launched a 42-day bombing campaign.

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31.7e Persian Gulf War (Continued)

Iraq launched SCUDS on Israel.

Iraq announced acceptance of Soviet Peace proposal on Feb. 23.

The US launched a 100-hour ground war.

The US attack on the fleeing Iraqi army was condemned in Arab media.

The UN demanded that Iraq provide information on WMDs.

The US allowed Saddam to put down Shiite and Kurdish rebellions using helicopters in no-fly zone.

January 1993: Saddam announced acceptance of UN WMD inspections.

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31.8 Domestic Issues

Bush was not the flag-bearer for the Reagan legacy.

Bush used the veto 36 times to block liberal legislation.

Bush, the “Environmental President,” signed Clean Air Act.

Rodney King riots in Los Angeles were the largest and most costly in American history.

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31.8a The Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990.

Prohibited discrimination against the handicapped in employment

Mandated that many types of buildings and facilities must contain provisions for disabled access

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31.8b An Eruption of Rage in Los Angeles

The beating of a black man, Rodney King, was captured on video.

White police officers who beat King were acquitted.

Rioting erupted in the city’s black neighborhoods, killing 53 people and injuring 2,300.

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31.8c The Clarence Thomas Nomination

Thurgood Marshall stepped down from the Supreme Court in 1991.

Clarence Thomas, an extreme conservative and an African American, was nominated.

Anita Hill raised character issues concerning Thomas’ interest in pornography.

Despite later evidence that Hill had told the truth, the Senate approved Thomas’ appointment by a narrow majority, 52-48.

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31.8d The Year of the Woman

In 1992, an unprecedented number of women ran for office, and an unprecedented number won.

Ann Richards was elected governor of Texas in 1990.

The number of women in Congress increased.

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31.8e Elements of a One-Term Presidency

Bush was popular during the short Gulf War, but still faced problems.

The nation entered a recession following the Gulf War.

Bush called for tax increases, although he had earlier promised there would be none.

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Introducton to American History

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