Gio­ 838­839 ­ Richard Nixon was recently impeached, leaving Gerald R. Ford to inherit unenviable circumstances ­ Ford pardons Nixon, which lowered his popularity immensely ­ Ford achieved diplomatic success with the Soviet Union, and had Israel return land to Egypt ­ Many people didn’t like Ford conciliating with Communists ­ Jimmy Carter emerges for the Democrats, and based his campaign off of distrust for the government ­ Carter was an awful president, and had no vision or direction for the government, and Congress never passed his ambitious plans ­ Inflation and interest rates increased Ayatollah Ruhollah: ​
a zealous religious leader for revolutionary Iran that made any sort of normal relations impossible. He opposed efforts to modernize and Westernize Iran. He came into power as a result of radical Islamists opposing modernization of Iran, which produced a very powerful revolutionary movement. Resulted in the shah fleeing, and Iran taking the American Embassy hostage. Bill Clinton: ​
in the election of 1992, many leading Democrats declined to run due to President H.W. Bush’s popularity. Bill Clinton emerged as the front runner, and he was a five­term governor of Arkansas. He ended up winning the election, largely in part of Independent Ross Perot draining votes from Bush. He was also involved in a scandal with Monica Lewinsky, although he never actually engaged in sexual intercourse with her. Camp David Accords: ​
Jimmy Carter’s greatest diplomatic achievement, getting Egypt and Israel to sign a treaty. He invited the president of Egypt and the Prime Minister of Israel to Camp David to sort things out. A formal peace treaty was signed between the two nations. Even though this did not establish peace between Egypt and Israel, it set the basic framework for it to be possible. It represented significant progress in the Arab nations vs. Israel dispute. 1­3 1) How did his pardon of Richard Nixon affect Gerald Ford's political standing Gerald Ford’s absolute pardoning of Nixon caused him to lose lots of popularity, for many believed that Nixon should be punished for the crimes he and his staff committed. 2) ​
What economic challenges did Ford face? How did he respond? Ford had to deal with the recession of 1974 and the energy crisis. He encouraged rugged individualism and signed into law income tax rebates to boost the economy. 3) ​
How did Jimmy Carter's background and personality shape the tone of his presidency and people's reaction to him? Jimmy Carter was from Georgia, and ran his campaign based off of honesty, piety, and skepticism of the federal government. Many people saw him as weak, which was exemplified in him not being able to get back American hostages in Iran. Jack­ 840­841 Human Rights and National Interest ­Among Carter’s campaign promises was a pledge to build a new basis for American foreign policy, one in which the defense of “human rights” would replace the pursuit of “selfish interests.” ­Carter’s greatest achievement was arranging a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel ­Carter announced agreement on a framework for an Egyptian­Israeli peace treaty on September 17, 1978 ­Carter tried to improve relations with China and the Soviet Union and to complete a new arms agreement. Year of the Hostages ­During the Iranian Revolution, on November 4, an armed group of militants invaded the American embassy in Teheran, seized the diplomats and military personnel inside, and demanded the return of the shah to Iran in exchange for their freedom. Fifty­three Americans remained hostages in the embassy for over a year ­This helped to lower Carter’s approval rating and made him look weak George H.W. Bush­ ​
Bush Elected President in 1988. Successfully developed international affairs and supported domestic issues. The broad popularity George H. W. Bush enjoyed during his first three years in office was partly a result of his subdued, unthreatening public image. Gerald Ford­​
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Gerald Ford had to try to rebuild confidence in government after the Watergate scandals and to restore economic prosperity in the midst of difficult domestic and international conditions. He failed to curve inflation but had success in arms control with Russia. Glasnost­ ​
It means openness. Gorbachev used it to as a way to transform Soviet politics. This allowed the US to interact with Russia more. 4) What economic and energy­related problems did Carter face? During Carter’s last two years in office, oil prices rose at well over a 10 percent annual rate. He worked on unemployment but inflation soared when he was in office. 5) What general principle formed the basis of Carter's approach to foreign policy? Among Carter’s most frequent campaign promises was a pledge to build a new basis for American foreign policy, one in which the defense of “human rights” would replace the pursuit of “selfish interests.” 6) How did Carter manage to facilitate the Camp David accords, which led to peace between Egypt and Israel? Carter invited Sadat and Begin to a summit conference at Camp David in September 1978. On September 17, Carter announced agreement on a framework for an Egyptian­Israeli peace treaty. The sunbelt and its politics ­the sunbelt: southeast (Florida), southwest (Texas), and California ­pop. of sunbelt exceeded the N and E, so populist traditions in south now had more influence ­populists in opposition to growth of government ­Sagebrush Rebellion: west opposed to environmental laws and restriction on development ­The politics of religion: growth of evangelical Christianity: believed in personal conversion by communication with God Iran­Contra Scandal​
: The hearings of illegal activities in the White House after they conceded that they sold weapons to the revolutionary government of Iran. The White House did so to try to get back Americans held hostage by Islamic radical groups. ­This was one of the many scandals brought to the public during Reagan's presidency. However, the Iran­Contra Scandal was the most damaging to his image out of all of the scandals. Jimmy Carter:​
Ran for president representing Americans suspicious of entrenched bureaucracies and complacent public officials. He became president at a time when the nation was facing great difficulty. ­he spent his time as president trying to help the problems of energy and the economy. He raised public spending and cut federal taxes to get more people employed. Mikhail Gorbachev​
: Became leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, and used his power to end the Soviet Union. He shied the USSR openness and reform, introducing capitalist views to it. ­Gorbachev created a better relationship between the USSR and the U.S. This is shown when both nations signed a treaty Eli instinct American and Soviet intermediate­range nuclear forces from Europe. 7.) What led to the Iranian hostage crisis? What political effects did it have on the Carter administration? How was the crisis resolved? ­The Shah being kicked out of Iran by a militant revolutionary force led to the crisis. This damaged Carters already low standing with the public. 8.) How did the Carter administration react to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan? ­The Carter administration saw it as the greatest threat to world peace since World War II. The Carter administration imposed a series of economic sanctions on the Soviets, and even canceled their participation in the olympics in Moscow. 9.) Where is the "Sunbelt"? What were the political implications of its rise? ­The sunbelt is in the southeast, the southwest, and California. The implications of its rise were its rising population and its populist views. Marco­ ​
Pgs. 844­845 The "New Right" ● A powerful group of conservatives that denounced abortion, pornography, homosexuality, feminism, and affirmative action. Ronald Reagan ● Grew up left but after his second marriage to his ultra­conservative wife he converted to the right ● Became a corporate spokesman for General Electric ○ Gathered a big following with powerful speeches in defense of individual freedom and private enterprise ● He won the first of terms as California governor Gerald Ford ● Played an important role in the rise of the right ○
Destroyed the equilibrium that allowed the moderate wing and right wing to coexist ● He appointed a liberal, Nelson Rockerfeller as Vice President ○ This offended many conservatives ● He barely won when Reagan challenged him at the Republican primaries in 1976 ○ Only barely by dropping Rockerfeller from the ticket The Tax Revolt ● This was equally as important to the success of the New Right ● The first major revolt occured under the leadership of Howard Jarvis ○ A conservative activist in California ○ Launched this citizens' tax revolt in California with Proposition 13 Proposition 13 ● a referendum question on the state ballot rolling back property tax rates ● Similiar tax revolts broke out in other states ● This helped solve the struggle to stop and reverse the growth of the federal government ● Also helped the right deminish the government's power to expand and launch new programs ○ Without irritating voters that supported certain programs ○ Very contraversial elements ● Resentment rose naturally as no one liked to pay taxes ○ In the process they gained depth in their voter pool Campaign of 1980 ● Democratic Party ○ Jimmy Carter was in the lowest popularity standings going in than that of any president in history ○ Senator Kennedy challenged him in the primaries ■ Brother of John and Robert Kennedy ○ Carter wins the confrontation but enters the fall campaign weak ● Republican Party ○ They rally around Reagan ■ He promised substantial tax cuts ■ Called for restoration of American strength and pride ○ He benefitted from the frustration of Carter's campaign and inability to solve the Iranian hostage crisis, as well as, more than a decade of national and international disappointments Election Day ● Reagan swept to victory ● Republican Party gained control for the first time since 1952 ● Democratic Party retained majority in the House ● With Reagan's inauguration the Iranian hostages were released in exchange for both billions of assets frozen in American banks by Carter's administration Vocabulary Terms Neo­Conservatives ● During the turmoil in the 1960s, they had become alarmed by what they considered to be the dangerous and destructive radicalism that they believed was destabilizing American life. ● They were sympathetic to the demands of capitalists, but their principal concern was to reaffirm Western democratic, anti­communist values and commitments. ● Some intellectuals went on to become important figures in the battle against multiculturalism and “political correctness” within academia. New Right ● A group of powerful conservatives that denounced abortion, pornography, homosexuality, feminism, and affirmative action. ● They took over the Republican Party through Reagan and his successes, especially during his campaign. Perestroika ● One of Gorbachev's initiatives to transform Soviet politics. ● It's an effort to restructure the rigid and unproductive Soviet economy by introducing such elements of capitalism as private ownership and the profit motive. Study Questions 10) Describe the basis of Christian evangelicalism. How could it lead to both social liberalism, as in Jimmy Carter, and cultural conservatism, as in Jerry Falwell? Evangelical Christians were those which experience an immediate personal relationship with Jesus Christ, often through a rebirth. It focuses on a more personal, rather than literal, interpretation of the bible. This form of interpreting the bible could easily lead to these forms of living and set of values because it's non­structured and open. 11) What were the elements of the New Right movement? How did it come to have such influence in the Republican Party? Why did the New Right disapprove of President Ford? The New Right movement was against abortion, pornography, homosexuality, feminism, and affirmative action. The influence on the Republican Party was had through Ronald Reagan and his campaign success. The New Right hated Gerald Ford because he appointed a liberal, Rockerfeller as Vice Presdident. 12) To what extent was the tax revolt of the 1970s and 1980s as much an attack on government programs as on taxes? How did the tax cut activists avoid specific confrontations with supporters of key programs? It was an attack on government programs through the administration of Proposition 13. It helped stop and reduce he growth of the federal government and helped the Right draw power from the government and deminuate their power to expand and create new programs. Members of the right separated the issue of taxes from the issue of what taxes supported. That helped them achieve some of the most controversial elements of the conservative agenda without openly antagonizing the millions of voters who supported specific programs. Cade­ 846­847 ­ “The Reagan Revolution” ­ Reagan coalition: corporate elites and “neo­conservatives” ­ Reagan appealed to corporate elites who favored free market capitalism ­ “Neo­conservatives” were intellectuals who opposed multiculturalism and “political correctness” within academia. ­ Deregulation: Reagan reduced the role of government by getting it “out of the way” which he promised would ensure economic revival. ­ After a minor recession, the economy bounced back rapidly. Inflation and unemployment remained low through most of the decade. Reagan Doctrine: ​
Reagan supported all opponents of communism anywhere in the world, even if they didn’t have a direct connection to the Soviet Union. Symbolized a new American involvement in the Third World. America sent troops to third world countries such as Grenada to oust an anti­American Marxist regime. America also supervised an evacuation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization from Lebanon, which eventually led to the deaths of 241 Marines in a Beirut bombing. Reaganomics: ​
Reagan’s promise to restore the economy to health. It was a bold experiment also known as “supply side” economics. Believed that the bad economy was due to the excessive taxation on the rich, which left adequate capital available to investors to stimulate growth. The solution was to reduce taxes and give generous benefits to corporations and wealthy individuals to encourage new investments. The goal of this program was also to make a significant reduction of the federal budget. Ronald Reagan: ​
the most potent symbol of a powerful grassroots conservative movement that was concerned with cultural questions such as religion and sexuality. He was a former actor, and later one of the greatest presidents of the United States. He was very popular in the United States which played an important part in his success, and he was president for an impressive economic revival. He was also known for his diplomatic communication with the Soviet Union. 13­15 13) ​
Why did Ronald Reagan win such a decisive victory in 1980? What happened in the congressional races? The American people no longer believed Carter was fit to be president since he could not free the hostages, and Reagan promised to free them. Regan also promised to restore American "strength" and "pride." Regan won by a landslide (489 electoral votes over Carter's 49), and one other contender got only a few votes. 14) ​
How did the nation react to the release of the Iranian hostages? The nation was obviously very pleased with the release of the students after 444 days. Jimmy Carter took the blame as being a “defect elected by defective people” (Denver Post). The nation was very engaged with the release of the hostages. 15) ​
What personal factors helped make Reagan politically effective at balancing various conservative factions? Ronald Reagan was originally an actor from Hollywood and had a very strong, confident charisma. This allowed people to trust him easier, and helped him communicate with a wide audience. Logan­848­849 ● Reagan supported an assertive opposition to communism to return American pride and prestige ● SDI (strategic Defense Initiative) became known as Star Wars would make use of lasers and satellites to shield the US against soviets ● The world wanted a nuclear freeze where both superpowers would halt atomic weapons ● Reagan Doctrine: The US supported any opponent of communism whether it was linked to the soviets or not ● This time was marked by an increase of terrorism, as third world countries relied on violence to advance their political ideologies ● Election of 1894 had the first woman to run on a ticket ● Reagan won a decisive victory Ross Perot­ ​
A Texas billionaire who ran independently in the election of 1992, adding controversial to the running for Bill Clinton. He tapped popular resentment of the federal bureaucracy and promised tough, uncompromising leadership. He gained strong support until he faced scrutiny and then withdrew from the race. Saddam Hussein­ ​
The militaristic leader of Iraq. He claimed to annex Kuwait but was met with opposition from America and other countries who wanted to deny the terrorists an ample supply of oil and wealth. The Persian Gulf War that ensued between Iraq and the various countries crippled Hussein’s rule but still left him in charge, with weaker forces. Sagebrush Rebellion­ ​
Emerged in the west in the late 1970’s and mobilized conservative opposition to environmental laws and restrictions on development. They planned to portray the west as a victim of government control. They complained about the large amounts of land that the government owned in the west and demanded that it be open for development. 16­18 Theo­850­852 “America and the Waning of of the Cold War” ● Stalemate war with Afghanistan had disastrous effect upon Soviet economy. Emergence of Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 as Soviet leader and surprising world politics leader. ● The Fall of the Soviet Union: Gorbachev transformed soviet politics with two dramatic new initiatives. ​
Glasnost (​
openness): getting rid of repressive soviet organizations. Perestroika ​
(reform): introduced capitalism into Soviet economy. ● At this time, South Africa gov repeals apartheid laws and legalizes African National Conference (Nelson Mandela gets out of jail) ● After an unsuccessful coup by hard­line Russian communists, communist party legitimacy loses hold in Russia and Gorbachev etc is forced to resign ● Reagan and Gorbachev: treaty signed for elimination of arms in Europe ●
The fading of the Reagan Revolution: savings and loan conspiracies. Biggest scandal: Reagan administration sold weapons to Iran to secure release of American prisoners. (Iran­Contra scandal) ● The Election of 1988: Democratic Party strong in 1986 and Michael Dukakis is presidential candidate. Republican candidate George H. W. Bush staged a relentless attack on Dukakis creating the term for his supporters: “liberal”. ● President Bush Sr. Administration had success with foreign relations but trouble with deficit at home, leads to recession of 1990 Tiananmen Square​
: Anti­communist protesters who instead wanted democratization assembled in Tiananmen Square in Beijing but were shut down by military sent by rigid officers of the Chinese Government. Unknown number of demonstrators died. Sig: Stopped protesters temporarily, but not the whole movement to westernize China. Sunbelt: ​
a term coined by political analyst Kevin Phillips. Th sunbelt included the southeast and southwest whose populations grew rapidly during this time. Sig: the sunbelt’s political influence helped promote progressive politics. Strong opposition to increased government, and regulations and restrictions such as 55 mph law were examples. Strategic Defense: (initiative) ​
also known as SDI, it was a new defense system proposed by Reagan that promised to block missiles etc using lasers and satellites. It was known as “Star Wars” to some. Sig: SDI created a sense of safety from a possible nuclear fallout, but it also created unrealistic expectations for protection. 19). Why did the federal budget experience massive deficits? Ow effective was the Reagan administration in countering the deficit? A: government money was spent on “entitlement” programs. These included social security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The dramatic costs of health care hit hard during this time. The Reagan administration was also responsible for tax cuts which contributed to the deficit. A massive increase in military spending also increased deficit. The Reagan administration made the deficit worse. 20). What stance toward the Soviets and communism in general constituted the so­called Reagan Doctrine? How did the doctrine play out in Grenada and elsewhere in Latin America? A: Reagan Doctrine supported anyone who was against communism, no matter what other problems they possibly had. They wanted to spread influence to all areas, especially countries with even a small amount of connections to Russia, so 3rd world countries became a focus. In October of 1982, American troops landed in Grenada to oust anti­American Marxist government. This government had shown connections with Moscow. They also did the same in Nicaragua. 21). What did the attack on the U.S. military barracks in Beirut and other terrorist incidents against Americans and other westerners reveal about a new worldwide danger? How did Ronald Reagan react to these episodes? A: In Third World Countries, It showed how powerless groups could use terrorism to get power and political. It also showed that in this new era, terrorists could pose a significant threat to any 1st world country. A series of attacks in the 1980s showed the power of terrorists, as they attacked airplanes, cruise ships and other commercial and diplomatic posts. They also took many hostages, further terrifying the Western World. Reagan and the U.S. Gov. Managed to work together to help the crisis instead of pointing fingers after the huge casualties of Beirut. Morton­853­854 “The First Gulf War” ● The collapse of the Soviet Union (1989­1991) made the US the only Superpower. ○ This allows us to stop using our resources to fight communism and instead protect our economic interests ○ For example we invade Panama, replacing Manuel Noriega with a more friendly, democratically­elected regime ● Invasion of Kuwait ○ Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, moves to annex its oil­rich neighbor, Kuwait ○ The Bush administration leads a UN trade embargo of Iraq. The Embargo had the support of just about everyone, even the USSR and most Arab nations. ○ Iraq continues to entrench itself in Kuwait, so a force of 690,000 US and allied(British, French, Egyptian, Saudi) troops gathered on the Kuwait Border with Saudi Arabia. ○ UN approves military action against Iraq so on January 16 1991 a massive bombardment of Iraqi forces in Kuwait and military installations in Iraq begins. ○ A ground campaign begins February 23 and the Persian Gulf War ends February 28, with 141 UN Coalition fatalities and more than 100,000 Iraqi Casualties. ○ Effects: ■ Saddam Hussein, as ruthless as ever, remained in power ■ Kuwait remained independent, and kept its oil ■ Middle Eastern Muslims grow more incensed against America’s interference ● Election of ‘92 ○ Bush got rather popular with the Gulf War, but quickly lost much popularity after his administration did nothing to combat a growing recession. ○ Bill Clinton, a Governor of Arkansas, emerged as a Democratic Frontrunner, while Ross Perot, a Texas Billionaire who appealed to people by taking advantage of popular resentment of Government Bureaucracy, ran as an independent. ○ In the end Clinton won with 380 Electoral College votes and 43% of the popular vote to Bush’s 168 Electoral College votes and 38% of the popular vote. Perot won 19% of the popular vote, but no electoral college votes. 22)​
Was the election of 1984 more a personal victory for Ronald Reagan or the mark of a new Republican era? It was more of a victory for Reagan, who won all but two states, however his party did not have as much success, as democrats held firm control of the House and Senate. 23)​
Describe the process by which the Soviet Bloc and the Soviet Union itself ceased to exist. What emerged in its place? The Soviet Union had been greatly weakened by its costly invasion of Afghanistan (nearly comparable to what happened to the US in Vietnam). In addition, economic troubles were abound in nearly all Soviet Nations. So along comes Gorbachev who introduces two major ideas: Glasnost(openness, a dismantling of repressive Soviet Policies), and Perestroika(Reform, introducing capitalist elements like private ownership into the Soviet Union). Gorbachev was focused mainly on The Soviet Union itself, and couldn’t afford to police the Soviet Bloc, and as a result most Eastern Europeans overthrew their Communist Governments in 1989. In August of 1991, after a failed coup attempt against Gorbachev hurt the legitimacy of the Government Gorbachev resigned while Soviet republics declared Independence, and the Soviet Union’s Government collapsed. 24)​
How did Ronald Reagan react to Mikhail Gorbachev? What concrete agreement resulted? Reagan was at first skeptical of Gorbachev’s desire for reform, but soon came to embrace it as genuine. In a meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, they agreed to greatly reduce their country’s nuclear arsenals. They also agreed to eliminate American and Soviet medium­range forces in Europe 25)​
Describe the Iran­Contra scandal. What was its political impact? The Reagan administration revealed that it had sold weapons to the revolutionary Iranian Government in an unsuccessful attempt to secure the release of several Americans held by extremist muslim groups in the Middle East. The money made from the sale of the weapons was then illegally used to fund Contras(pro­american) Rebels in Nicaragua. An investigation of the Reagan Administration revealed a number of Illegal covert actions taken by the Reagan Administration. 26)​
What main campaign strategy did George Bush use to come from behind and defeat Michael Dukakis? What happened in the congressional elections? Bush aggressively attacked Dukakis, associating him with a number of unpopular liberal social and political stances. Bush won, but Democrats kept a strong Majority in both the House and Senate. 27)​
What budgetary and economic problems dominated domestic concerns during the Bush presidency? How did the budget package in 1990 violate Bush's campaign pledge? His administration inherited a lot of debt and a growing federal deficit. Bush had promised he’d decrease the deficit, however he’d also promised he wouldn’t raise taxes. However, he broke that second promise, approving an increase in taxes in an effort to lower the deficit. 28)​
What precipitated the Gulf War? What were the long­term outcomes after the relatively easy victory? Iraq invaded Kuwait, their oil rich neighbor, an action which precipitated the Gulf War. The aggressive intervention by the UN led to a great increase in Anti­American sentiment among middle eastern muslims. 29)​
Why did Bill Clinton win the presidency in 1992? Clinton took advantage of public disapproval of Bush’s reaction to the early 90’s recession.