Gerald Ford and White House
• Pardoning of Nixon
– “Corrupt Bargain” with Nixon
– Appointed George H. Bush to CIA
• Failure of US Policy in Southeast
Asia
– Fall of Saigon (Video)
– Genocide in Cambodia
– Future of Southeast Asia
• Economy
– Bicentennial celebration
Jimmy Carter
• Born October 1, 1924
• Foreign Policy
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Human Rights Diplomacy
Panama Canal
Camp David Accords
Iran Hostage Crisis
Cold War
• Domestic Policy
– Dealing with inflation
– Adjustment after WWII
The Rise of Conservatism
• Barry Goldwater marked a resurgence of conservatism
• Steady shift away from liberalism of the sixties
• By 1980:
– Economic and political conservatives, Religious fundamentalists, Political
action committees (PAC)
• Groups are opposed to:
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Big government
New Deal liberalism
Gun control
Feminism
Gay rights
Welfare
Affirmative action
Sexual permissiveness
Abortion
Drug use
• Responsible for undermining family and religious values, work ethic, and
national security
Leading Issues in 1980
• Lower taxes, improved morals, reduced emphasis
on affirmative action
• Taxpayers’ revolt
– Proposition 13
– Legislation to reduce federal taxes
• Moral Revival
– Televangelists
– Moral Majority
• “Reverse discrimination”
– Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
Election of 1980
• Broke a half century of Democratic dominance
• Rep gain control of Senate
• 33 seat in the House
First days in office
Ronald Reagan and the rise of
Conservatism
• Born 1911, Died 2004
• Supply-Side Economics
– Federal tax reduction
– Spending Cuts
• Deregulation
• Labor Unions
• Recession and Recovery
– 1983
• Social Issues
– Sandra Day O’Connor
Re-election in 1984
• Restored Public Confidence
• Impact of Reaganomics
– National debt 900B to 2.7T
– Tax cut = increased foreignmade luxuries
– Leave more money in high
hands
– Changes the issues
Renewing the Cold War
• Military buildup
– B-1 bomber
– Strategic Defense
Initiative (SDI)
– “Star Wars”
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Central America
Grenada
Iran-contra affair
Secret selling of
missiles to Iran
George H. Bush
• Born June 12, 1924
• Election – “Read my lips – no new taxes”
Collapse of the Soviet Union
• Collapse of Soviet
Communism
– Tiananmen Square
– Eastern Europe
– Breakup
– End of the Cold War
• START I
• START II
Domestic Problems
• Nomination of Clarence Thomas
• Taxes and the economy
– 250 billion per year
• Political inertia
– Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
The Clinton Years
• Anti-Incumbent Mood
– Stagnant economy
– 27th amendment
• Election
Bill Clinton and Prosperity
• Setbacks
– Republican filibuster
• Early Accomplishments
– Family and Medical Leave
Act
– Brady Handgun Bill
– Clinton’s Anti-Crime Bill
– NAFTA
• Republican Take Over
– Reformers
– Balanced Budget
Second Term
• Issues of the Surplus
– Projected 4.6 Trillion over first 10 years
• Investigation and impeachment
– Under investigation early on
– Travelgate
– Filegate
• Impeachment
– 2 counts (perjury and obstruction of justice)