Unit 13: Modern America – Completed Notes
Modern America: Key SOL Info
Name: ______________________
Block ______________
Date: ________________
Six Big Topics Today
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
I.
Immigration
Technology
Reagan’s Conservative Revolution
US Foreign Policy Since Ronald Reagan
Economics
Terrorism
Immigration:
Immigration has increased American diversity in all parts of society. Most
recent immigrants are from Asia and Latin America. (This is the third big
phase of immigration – remember the first two?)
A. Reason for immigration (these have been the same over time…)
1. Economic opportunity
2. Political Freedom
B. Issues related to immigration (positive and negative)
1. Bilingual education (ESL) – what to require? How to fund it?
2. Strain on government services
3. Border issues (should there be a wall to stop illegal crossings?)
4. Citizenship (should there be a “path” to citizenship for people who
have lived in the US for a long time or came as children, even if they
are undocumented?)
5. Low paying jobs: just like in the industrialization age (1880’s-1900),
there are concerns that immigrants “take” jobs from citizens
6. Cultural Diversity
C. Contributions of immigrants
1. Music, Art, & LIterature
2. Contributions in Science and Engineering (businesses “recruit”
immigrants with certain needed skills)
3. Filling jobs in areas of need
What impact has immigration had in Sterling, VA?
II.
Technology
A.
Space
1. President Kennedy promised in 1960 that the US would be the first
country to send a man to the moon
2. John Glenn was the 1st American to orbit the earth (Russians were 1st)
3. Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the moon – he said,
"That's one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind.”
4. Space Shuttle - the first reusable space vehicle (we don’t use these
anymore – they became out of date and there were several disasters – the
Challenger explosion on takeoff in 1986 and another a few years ago on
landing). NASA astronauts hitch a ride with the Russians or on a private
rocket to get to the international space station.
5. Sally Ride was the first female astronaut.
B. Communications
1. Satellite - Military, entertainment and Global Positioning System (GPS)
2. Internet and cell phones; robotics in manufacturing and medicine
C. Changes due to technology
1. Telecommuting: working from home via technology
2. Online courses (distance learning)
3. Growth of the service industries
4. Breakthroughs in medical research: scans (MRI), nanotechnology
5. Economic changes: Outsourcing and off-shoring– when a business
sends all or part of its operations (usually unskilled labor) overseas
because labor is cheaper in developing countries (where was your shirt
made?)
III.
Reagan's Conservative Revolution (1980-1988)
Reagan wanted to redefine federalism (The relationship between the national
government and the state governments)
A. Wanted a smaller national gov't (the federal govt) to give more power to the
state govts
B. Deregulation -- Less government rules or interference, especially in business
(more laissez-faire)
C. Tax cuts and “Reaganomics” or the Trickle-down effect (leave more money in
the hands of the wealthy and businesses and they will invest it and expand
economic opportunities for everyone – economists disagree on how well this
works to help those at the bottom of the economic ladder – finding the right
balance is tricky)
D. Appointed conservative Supreme Court judges who believed in “judicial
restraint” - (that judges should not make public policy – the legislative and
executive branch do that).
What examples can you think of in US History where Judges (like the Supreme Court)
made public policy? (examples, Brown vs Board of Education – made integration the
national policy; current gay marriage cases are likely to set national policy, instead of
Congress or referendums)
E. Strengthening of the American military . All other federal programs received
less money. What did this help the US do? Win the Cold War, but massive
cuts in social programs were controversial.
F. Reagan Revolution continues through the election of the first Pres. Bush, then
a moderate Democrat Bill Clinton, then conservative Republican George W.
Bush. Congress has also gotten progressively more conservative (ex, the Tea
Party movement and the candidates it supports today in the House of
Representatives)
IV.
US Foreign Policy Since Ronald Reagan
A. Post-Cold War foreign policy goals and policies:
1. Foreign Aid (including military aid to allies like Israel and Egypt)
2. Humanitarian aid
3. Support for Human Rights
B. Foreign Policy under Pres. George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)
1. Reunification of Germany
2. Collapse of Yugoslavia
3. Breakup of the USSR
4. Operation Desert Storm – the (first) Persian Gulf War
1. To push Saddam Hussain out of Kuwait after he invaded it
2. First war where women served in combat roles
C. Foreign Policy under Pres. William J., Clinton
1. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the US,
Canada and Mexico – made trade easier, some say it led to more
outsourcing and off-shoring
2. Opened full diplomatic relations with Vietnam (took from end of
Vietnam War in 1975 to the mid-1990’s to establish relations with
communist Vietnam – now we are trading partners)
3. Lifted economic sanctions against South Africa after the end of
apartheid (legal racial segregation)
4. Led NATO military actions in Yugoslavia
D. Foreign Policy under President George W. Bush (2001-2009)
1. Terrorist attacks: 9/11
2. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
V.
Economics – Since the New Deal the government has interfered more w/ the
economy.
A. Government looks at measures of how well the economy is doing, such as
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and exchange rates. Its goals are full
employment and low inflation
B. The gov't. can influence the economy through the Federal Reserve (the
national bank -- which controls the money supply), taxes, and spending.
VI.
Terrorism - US reaction to 9/11 and other attacks
A. Domestically: The Patriot Act Limited individual rights to have more security
(NSA “spying” or collecting data domestically)
B. Internationally: Wars in Afghanistan & Iraq, Broader CIA involvement
including drone attacks in countries like Pakistan and Yemen
What rights have you already given up to be more secure?
Are there other rights you would be willing to give up to be more secure?