Post by djxkorean on Aug 31, 2009 18:23:15 GMT -8
41st President George H.W. Bush
I. Election (1988()
A. Republicans: nominated George Herbert Walker Bush
1. Entered presidency hoping to continue Reaganism politics
2. Used short, hard-hitting TV commercials, showed Dukakis as soft on crime and not strong on patriotism
3. PlatformL nation’s peace and prosperity, Unemployment at a 14-yr low, arms talks due to Reagan military; pledged not to raise taxes and create 30mil+ jobs
B. Democrats: nominates Governor Michael Dukakis
C. Bush overwhelmingly wins the electoral college votes, but Congress remains Democratic
II. Bush 41’s Administration
A. George Bush tried to distance himself from scandals of Reagan regime
1. Appointed two Hispanics, two women, and an African-American to his Cabinet
B. Bush focused on two important government agencies
1. HUD: originally scandal-ridden, former NY Congressman Jack Kemp took over leadership; promised new “war on poverty”
a. “you cannot balance the budget off the backs of the poor”
2. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): led by William Reiglly, presidency of World Wildlife Fund
C. Ethics in Government
1. Senate refuses President’s Sec. of Def. nomination: close ties to military-industrial complex + drinking + womanizing = unethical appointee
2. Main ethical issues
a. former legislators and gov’t agency officials reaping large fees for lobbying recent colleagues on behalf of special interest
b. Weak laws governing campaign spending for the presidency
D. Supreme Court Appointments
1. Two opportunities to fill Supreme Court vacancies
a. First in 1990 – David H. Souter easily wins Senate confirmations
2. In 1991, Thurgood Marshall, only African-American on Court, retired
a. As head of NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Marshall persuaded S.C. to strike down segregation numerous times
i. Most crucial victory: Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
3. Clarence Thomas nominated by Bush when Marshall retired
a. Strong, conservative views in the federal Court of Appeals
b. Allegations of sexual harassment against Thomas by a former staff assistant = nat’lly televised hearings + Clarence Thomas denies any wrongdoing
c. Senate narrowly voted for confirmation: backlash against perceived injustice = 4 more women in US Senate (1992)
E. America: What Went Wrong?
1. 1992: two investigative journalists for The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote series of articles (later book)
2. Explored plight of American middle class and drew the conclusions:
a. During past generation, Congress and presidents changed rules of American economy to “favor privileged, power, and influential”
b. Middle class taxable income ($20,000 - $50,000) likely to see drop in standard of living in coming years: “end of American dream”
c. Causes: tolerant view of inflated expense accounts to tolerant view of soaring national debt
i. real beneficiaries not new businesses (would create jobs), but corporate raiders (outsource, close companies, etc.(
d. Valuable manufacturing jobs outsourced, most of which were high-paying jobs
3. While takeover sharks and attorneys reaped millions, millions of middle-class employees thrown out of work
a. forced into lower-paying jobs, part-time employment, premature retirement, or unemployment; lost all or parts of pensions and health benefits
4. Black and Hispanic workers hardest hit in finding new employment: w/o higher education, only low-paying, low-skill jobs
a. declining standard of living, less disposable income, etc.
5. 1980s seen as decade of extreme greed and selfishness: Americans looking for a change in November 1992
III. Environmental Runs Amok
A. Environmental fights back: protests loudly against enviro pollution in 1988
1. March 1988: scientists report that natural ozone shield protecting world from harmful rays is declining significantly
a. cause: human-made chemicals
2. dramatic summer drought: attention on greenhouse gases – general warming of temperatures on Earth
a. cause: increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels
b. global heat trap = cut down in world food supply and flood coastlines
c. Kyoto Protocol (1997) first to address the problem
3. Hospital waste floated ashore on beaches along the East Coast, Lake Michigan and Lake Erie: Hazardous waste, some needles infected with AIDS
4. Pollution of coastal waters: make fish inedible
5. Acid rain: destroy forests, lakes, and buildings throughout the US
a. cause: sulfer-dioxide from Midwestern power plants and nitrogen-oxides from auto exhausts
6. Abuse of environmental = increase in number and force of natural disasters
7. Soviet bloc: large stretched of ecological wasteland created in crash industrialization
8. Third World countries accept that development cannot be sustained without protecting natural resources
B. EPA Unleashed
1. William Reilly appointed by EPA administer early action: EPA enforces antipollution laws (Clean Air and Water Act, etc.)
2. June 1989: Bush announces proposals to fight air pollution
a. act on long-delayed devastation of acid rain: cut 10million tons of sulfur dioxide a year + 2million tons of nitrous oxide = by yr. 2000
b. fight urban smog: asked Congress to tighten standards for automobile emissions
c. Tough clean air bill gave home and abroad clear signal about Americans’ willingness to tackle an expensive controversial issue: environmentalism required world cooperation to fight pollution
3. EPA announced gradual ban on cancer-causing asbestos and moved against toxic material in crop sprays
a. Fought against Dept. of Energy’s request to exempt nation’s largest nuclear-weapons plant from federal water-pollution standards
C. Hurricane Andrew (August 1992)
1. Hurricane Andrew rips through southeastern US: left hundreds of thousands of people homes and dependant upon federal aid for food, water, and shelter
2. There were delays in delivering aid to the storm victims despite preparations a week in advance
a. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), created 1979, received much criticism for delays
i. FEMA’s job is to provide single point of accountability for federal gov’ts disaster response
IV. Domestic Policy and Events
A. Healthcare Coverage
1. President-Elect Bush and congressional leaders pledged to address problem of health care
a. 37 million w/o health insurance in 1989 + 53 million underinsured
b. Fully half of non/under-insured were people living in poverty
c. At issue was extent to which cost should be borne by gov’t, business, and those uninsured able to pay something
2. Nothing significantly done: healthcare costs and number of people without healthcare coverage kept risin
B. Scandal at HUD
1. Former top officials at Dept. of Housing and Urban Devlpt. (HUD), Reagan appointees, were involved in unethical if not illegal activities
a. “milked” low-income housing rehabilitation program by selling their services as “consultants” to developers
b. Develops seeking valuable contracts influenced Samuel Pierce (Housing Secretary) and key aides
c. $5.7 million in “consulting fees” to just 20 people who lobbied officials of HUD to approve low-income housing projects
C. Saving the Savings and Loans
1. Savings and load associations (S&Ls) created because of need for group of banks to finance mortgages
a. During 1980s, 400+ S&Ls became insolvent: thrift institutions plunged into high-risk low-security investments
b. Many suffered from hard times in Southwest or had incompetent or dishonest managers/owners
2. Aug. 1989: Bush signed monumental bailout bill for S&L industry
a. investors now required to put up more of their money in order to receive deposit insurance
i. until then, insurance provided by Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation
b. new regulators are Treasury Dept. and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp
c. 70% of S&L’s loans go toward housing and housing-related investments
d. In return, $159 billion to help the S&Ls that went insolvent or threatened to go insolvent
3. Resolution Trust Corp. managed the assets and liabilities of institutions that became insolvent 1989 – 1992
a. FDIC handle any S&L failures after Aug. 1992
D. War on Drugs
1. Sept 1989: President Bush announces new antidrug strategy (implemented by William Bennet)
a. report: devastating impact of drug abuse and inner-city crack cocaine was nation’s biggest and most immediate narcotics problem
b. report: many different approaches needed and overreliance on any single element would fail (ie. enormous concentration on drug-law enforcement)
2. Critics call for more support for prevention, education, and treatment
3. Studies suggested that half of 6mill. Americans with serious drug problems might benefit from treatment
a. However, programs in 1989 enrolled fewer than 1 million
E. Los Angeles Riots
1. March 1991: LA police officers arrest Rodney g. King after high speed car chase: amateur video of King being beaten by the officers
a. Demonstrated white police brutality against a black man: four officers acquitted in April 1992
b. Acquittal led to widespread riots ($1billion in property damages and 50+ lives lost)
c. Second federal trial found two officers had deprived Rodney King of his civil rights
2. In NYC, Mayor David Dinkins kept Big Apple calm at that time
a. later blamed for inaction when three days of uncontrolled rioting by blacks in Brooklyn neighborhood
V. Central America
A. Peace in Nicaragua
1. US involvement in Nicaragua after WWII: long supported dictatorship of Somoza family; Reagan aided Contra rebels illegally
2. In Aug 1989: presidents of 5 Central American countries agreed workable plan to demobilize Contras and end 8yr Nicaraguan civil war
a. disbanded rebel camps in southern Honduras after stationing int’l monitors to oversee compliance and deter cross-border raiding
3. Violetta Chamorro helped heal civil war wounds: won stunning election victory over Sandinistas (1990)
a. as new President of Nicaragua, worked with Sandinista head of nation’s military to disarm Contra by promising free land to farm
b. enemies: economic problems (ex. severe inflation, serious strikes, and land=hungry groups taking over properties)
c. sheer nat’l exhaustion and fear of renewed war kept Chamorro’s gov’t together
B. Panama and Noriega
1. US interests in Panama: strategic importance of Panama Canal
a. two treaties signed in 1977: recognized Panama’s sovereignty, created system of bilateral management, and gave Panama full ownership by 1999
b. Panama’s share of canal profits and responsibilities for canal operation defense increased
c. Neutrality after 1999 of canal also guaranteed
2. Omar Torrijos governed as dictator since 1969 (military commander)
a. After his death in 1988, Panama’s president could not remove Defense Forces leader General Manuel Noriega (indicted for drug trafficking in US)
i. Noriega kicks out Panama President and replaces it with Nat’l Assembly
3. US sanctions and attempted military coup failed to bring down Noriega: US troops invaded Panama
a. largest military operation since Vietnam War, causing Noreiga to flee to the Vatican Embassy
b. Noriega surrenders to US military authorities on Jan 3, 1990, tried in US convicted of charges and sent to prison
VI. End of Cold War
A. Major change in Soviet-American relations during Mikhail Gorbachev’s leadership
1. presided over dissolution of Communist system in USSR, brought freedom to oppressed people, and lifted threat of nuclear war
a. began reforms in 1985 and forced to resign from office Dec. 1991
2. Gorbachev abandoned Breshnev Doctrine: asserted Moscow’s right to use military force to keep communist gov’ts in power
B. Byproduct of Gorbachev’s policies = collapse of Communist regimes in 1989 and 1990
1. popular upheaveals lead to est. of noncommunist political parties, free elections, and first genuinely democratic gov’ts in 4 decades
2. Oct 1990: German Democratic Republic abolished and the Berlin Wall is torn down
a. Berlin wall had been symbol of communist oppression for 40 years
C. 1991: Warsaw Pact disbanded: Cold War reponse to NATO
1. Both Bush and Gorbachev proclaimed end of Cold War and birth of “new world order”
2. Cold War ended because Soviet Union ceased to be a superpower and bipoloar organization of int’l power system gave way to multipolar world
a. US is now the dominant and only global superpower
D. Gorbachev nearly ousted in coup weeks after Bush and Gorbachev signed strategic arms reduction treaty
1. Gorbachev returned to power briefly, when Soviet Union dissolved into loose confederation of indpt republics (Commonwealth of Indpt. States) (Dec 1991)
2. President Bush recognized the new nations
3. remnants of Soviet gov’t taken over by Russia, successor state to the USSR
E. Spring of 1992: Bush and Russian President Yeltsin agreed to substantial cuts in nuclear weapons
1. in exchange, Russia received bilateral investment treaty, removal of Cold War trade barriers, and quick congressional approval of Russian economic aid package
F. May 1994: US and Russia stopped targeting their nuclear missiles at each other
VII. The Middle East
I. Election (1988()
A. Republicans: nominated George Herbert Walker Bush
1. Entered presidency hoping to continue Reaganism politics
2. Used short, hard-hitting TV commercials, showed Dukakis as soft on crime and not strong on patriotism
3. PlatformL nation’s peace and prosperity, Unemployment at a 14-yr low, arms talks due to Reagan military; pledged not to raise taxes and create 30mil+ jobs
B. Democrats: nominates Governor Michael Dukakis
C. Bush overwhelmingly wins the electoral college votes, but Congress remains Democratic
II. Bush 41’s Administration
A. George Bush tried to distance himself from scandals of Reagan regime
1. Appointed two Hispanics, two women, and an African-American to his Cabinet
B. Bush focused on two important government agencies
1. HUD: originally scandal-ridden, former NY Congressman Jack Kemp took over leadership; promised new “war on poverty”
a. “you cannot balance the budget off the backs of the poor”
2. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): led by William Reiglly, presidency of World Wildlife Fund
C. Ethics in Government
1. Senate refuses President’s Sec. of Def. nomination: close ties to military-industrial complex + drinking + womanizing = unethical appointee
2. Main ethical issues
a. former legislators and gov’t agency officials reaping large fees for lobbying recent colleagues on behalf of special interest
b. Weak laws governing campaign spending for the presidency
D. Supreme Court Appointments
1. Two opportunities to fill Supreme Court vacancies
a. First in 1990 – David H. Souter easily wins Senate confirmations
2. In 1991, Thurgood Marshall, only African-American on Court, retired
a. As head of NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Marshall persuaded S.C. to strike down segregation numerous times
i. Most crucial victory: Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
3. Clarence Thomas nominated by Bush when Marshall retired
a. Strong, conservative views in the federal Court of Appeals
b. Allegations of sexual harassment against Thomas by a former staff assistant = nat’lly televised hearings + Clarence Thomas denies any wrongdoing
c. Senate narrowly voted for confirmation: backlash against perceived injustice = 4 more women in US Senate (1992)
E. America: What Went Wrong?
1. 1992: two investigative journalists for The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote series of articles (later book)
2. Explored plight of American middle class and drew the conclusions:
a. During past generation, Congress and presidents changed rules of American economy to “favor privileged, power, and influential”
b. Middle class taxable income ($20,000 - $50,000) likely to see drop in standard of living in coming years: “end of American dream”
c. Causes: tolerant view of inflated expense accounts to tolerant view of soaring national debt
i. real beneficiaries not new businesses (would create jobs), but corporate raiders (outsource, close companies, etc.(
d. Valuable manufacturing jobs outsourced, most of which were high-paying jobs
3. While takeover sharks and attorneys reaped millions, millions of middle-class employees thrown out of work
a. forced into lower-paying jobs, part-time employment, premature retirement, or unemployment; lost all or parts of pensions and health benefits
4. Black and Hispanic workers hardest hit in finding new employment: w/o higher education, only low-paying, low-skill jobs
a. declining standard of living, less disposable income, etc.
5. 1980s seen as decade of extreme greed and selfishness: Americans looking for a change in November 1992
III. Environmental Runs Amok
A. Environmental fights back: protests loudly against enviro pollution in 1988
1. March 1988: scientists report that natural ozone shield protecting world from harmful rays is declining significantly
a. cause: human-made chemicals
2. dramatic summer drought: attention on greenhouse gases – general warming of temperatures on Earth
a. cause: increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide released by burning fossil fuels
b. global heat trap = cut down in world food supply and flood coastlines
c. Kyoto Protocol (1997) first to address the problem
3. Hospital waste floated ashore on beaches along the East Coast, Lake Michigan and Lake Erie: Hazardous waste, some needles infected with AIDS
4. Pollution of coastal waters: make fish inedible
5. Acid rain: destroy forests, lakes, and buildings throughout the US
a. cause: sulfer-dioxide from Midwestern power plants and nitrogen-oxides from auto exhausts
6. Abuse of environmental = increase in number and force of natural disasters
7. Soviet bloc: large stretched of ecological wasteland created in crash industrialization
8. Third World countries accept that development cannot be sustained without protecting natural resources
B. EPA Unleashed
1. William Reilly appointed by EPA administer early action: EPA enforces antipollution laws (Clean Air and Water Act, etc.)
2. June 1989: Bush announces proposals to fight air pollution
a. act on long-delayed devastation of acid rain: cut 10million tons of sulfur dioxide a year + 2million tons of nitrous oxide = by yr. 2000
b. fight urban smog: asked Congress to tighten standards for automobile emissions
c. Tough clean air bill gave home and abroad clear signal about Americans’ willingness to tackle an expensive controversial issue: environmentalism required world cooperation to fight pollution
3. EPA announced gradual ban on cancer-causing asbestos and moved against toxic material in crop sprays
a. Fought against Dept. of Energy’s request to exempt nation’s largest nuclear-weapons plant from federal water-pollution standards
C. Hurricane Andrew (August 1992)
1. Hurricane Andrew rips through southeastern US: left hundreds of thousands of people homes and dependant upon federal aid for food, water, and shelter
2. There were delays in delivering aid to the storm victims despite preparations a week in advance
a. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), created 1979, received much criticism for delays
i. FEMA’s job is to provide single point of accountability for federal gov’ts disaster response
IV. Domestic Policy and Events
A. Healthcare Coverage
1. President-Elect Bush and congressional leaders pledged to address problem of health care
a. 37 million w/o health insurance in 1989 + 53 million underinsured
b. Fully half of non/under-insured were people living in poverty
c. At issue was extent to which cost should be borne by gov’t, business, and those uninsured able to pay something
2. Nothing significantly done: healthcare costs and number of people without healthcare coverage kept risin
B. Scandal at HUD
1. Former top officials at Dept. of Housing and Urban Devlpt. (HUD), Reagan appointees, were involved in unethical if not illegal activities
a. “milked” low-income housing rehabilitation program by selling their services as “consultants” to developers
b. Develops seeking valuable contracts influenced Samuel Pierce (Housing Secretary) and key aides
c. $5.7 million in “consulting fees” to just 20 people who lobbied officials of HUD to approve low-income housing projects
C. Saving the Savings and Loans
1. Savings and load associations (S&Ls) created because of need for group of banks to finance mortgages
a. During 1980s, 400+ S&Ls became insolvent: thrift institutions plunged into high-risk low-security investments
b. Many suffered from hard times in Southwest or had incompetent or dishonest managers/owners
2. Aug. 1989: Bush signed monumental bailout bill for S&L industry
a. investors now required to put up more of their money in order to receive deposit insurance
i. until then, insurance provided by Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation
b. new regulators are Treasury Dept. and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp
c. 70% of S&L’s loans go toward housing and housing-related investments
d. In return, $159 billion to help the S&Ls that went insolvent or threatened to go insolvent
3. Resolution Trust Corp. managed the assets and liabilities of institutions that became insolvent 1989 – 1992
a. FDIC handle any S&L failures after Aug. 1992
D. War on Drugs
1. Sept 1989: President Bush announces new antidrug strategy (implemented by William Bennet)
a. report: devastating impact of drug abuse and inner-city crack cocaine was nation’s biggest and most immediate narcotics problem
b. report: many different approaches needed and overreliance on any single element would fail (ie. enormous concentration on drug-law enforcement)
2. Critics call for more support for prevention, education, and treatment
3. Studies suggested that half of 6mill. Americans with serious drug problems might benefit from treatment
a. However, programs in 1989 enrolled fewer than 1 million
E. Los Angeles Riots
1. March 1991: LA police officers arrest Rodney g. King after high speed car chase: amateur video of King being beaten by the officers
a. Demonstrated white police brutality against a black man: four officers acquitted in April 1992
b. Acquittal led to widespread riots ($1billion in property damages and 50+ lives lost)
c. Second federal trial found two officers had deprived Rodney King of his civil rights
2. In NYC, Mayor David Dinkins kept Big Apple calm at that time
a. later blamed for inaction when three days of uncontrolled rioting by blacks in Brooklyn neighborhood
V. Central America
A. Peace in Nicaragua
1. US involvement in Nicaragua after WWII: long supported dictatorship of Somoza family; Reagan aided Contra rebels illegally
2. In Aug 1989: presidents of 5 Central American countries agreed workable plan to demobilize Contras and end 8yr Nicaraguan civil war
a. disbanded rebel camps in southern Honduras after stationing int’l monitors to oversee compliance and deter cross-border raiding
3. Violetta Chamorro helped heal civil war wounds: won stunning election victory over Sandinistas (1990)
a. as new President of Nicaragua, worked with Sandinista head of nation’s military to disarm Contra by promising free land to farm
b. enemies: economic problems (ex. severe inflation, serious strikes, and land=hungry groups taking over properties)
c. sheer nat’l exhaustion and fear of renewed war kept Chamorro’s gov’t together
B. Panama and Noriega
1. US interests in Panama: strategic importance of Panama Canal
a. two treaties signed in 1977: recognized Panama’s sovereignty, created system of bilateral management, and gave Panama full ownership by 1999
b. Panama’s share of canal profits and responsibilities for canal operation defense increased
c. Neutrality after 1999 of canal also guaranteed
2. Omar Torrijos governed as dictator since 1969 (military commander)
a. After his death in 1988, Panama’s president could not remove Defense Forces leader General Manuel Noriega (indicted for drug trafficking in US)
i. Noriega kicks out Panama President and replaces it with Nat’l Assembly
3. US sanctions and attempted military coup failed to bring down Noriega: US troops invaded Panama
a. largest military operation since Vietnam War, causing Noreiga to flee to the Vatican Embassy
b. Noriega surrenders to US military authorities on Jan 3, 1990, tried in US convicted of charges and sent to prison
VI. End of Cold War
A. Major change in Soviet-American relations during Mikhail Gorbachev’s leadership
1. presided over dissolution of Communist system in USSR, brought freedom to oppressed people, and lifted threat of nuclear war
a. began reforms in 1985 and forced to resign from office Dec. 1991
2. Gorbachev abandoned Breshnev Doctrine: asserted Moscow’s right to use military force to keep communist gov’ts in power
B. Byproduct of Gorbachev’s policies = collapse of Communist regimes in 1989 and 1990
1. popular upheaveals lead to est. of noncommunist political parties, free elections, and first genuinely democratic gov’ts in 4 decades
2. Oct 1990: German Democratic Republic abolished and the Berlin Wall is torn down
a. Berlin wall had been symbol of communist oppression for 40 years
C. 1991: Warsaw Pact disbanded: Cold War reponse to NATO
1. Both Bush and Gorbachev proclaimed end of Cold War and birth of “new world order”
2. Cold War ended because Soviet Union ceased to be a superpower and bipoloar organization of int’l power system gave way to multipolar world
a. US is now the dominant and only global superpower
D. Gorbachev nearly ousted in coup weeks after Bush and Gorbachev signed strategic arms reduction treaty
1. Gorbachev returned to power briefly, when Soviet Union dissolved into loose confederation of indpt republics (Commonwealth of Indpt. States) (Dec 1991)
2. President Bush recognized the new nations
3. remnants of Soviet gov’t taken over by Russia, successor state to the USSR
E. Spring of 1992: Bush and Russian President Yeltsin agreed to substantial cuts in nuclear weapons
1. in exchange, Russia received bilateral investment treaty, removal of Cold War trade barriers, and quick congressional approval of Russian economic aid package
F. May 1994: US and Russia stopped targeting their nuclear missiles at each other
VII. The Middle East