CLINTON, G. W. BUSH & OBAMA1993 - PRESENT

General Social Changes

The “graying of America” as the baby boom generation becomes senior citizens

Increased legal and illegal immigration has increased cultural diversity and bilingual education, but has also put a strain on government services and created border control issues

Economic Change

Many companies have “outsourced” jobs to other countries

The Congress continues to make fiscal policy decisions, but the Federal Reserve makes the monetary policy decisions

Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

He cut spending and increased taxes in order to balance the budget.

Clinton left office with a federal budget surplus

NAFTA (trade agreement between the U.S, Canada, and Mexico)

During Clinton’s term, the U.S. lifted economic sanctions against South Africa when apartheid ended Apartheid was a system of racial segregation enforced

by the government of South Africa between 1948 and 1994.

NATO peacekeeping/humanitarian mission in the former Yugoslavia (March – June, 1999)

NATO air strikes The bombing of Yugoslavia was intended to keep the

Yugoslav army from repeating the atrocities committed in Bosnia.F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela

Clinton Brady Handgun bill passed

required federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the U.S.

named after James Brady who was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. during an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan

Clinton appointed Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2nd woman) to the U.S. Supreme Court

Health Care Clinton sought to implement a national health care

insurance program but failed in his efforts His wife, current Sec. of State Hillary Clinton, led the

health care reform task force making her one of the most politically active First Ladies in U.S. history

Jim Brady and Pres. Clinton

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Clinton’s Scandals Clinton’s presidency was plagued by

scandals

“Whitewater”- controversy surrounding a failed real estate business investment

“Travelgate” - an ethics controversy that resulted after seven employees of the White House Travel Office were fired and were replaced by Clinton supporters

“Filegate” - controversy surrounding White

House requests to gain improper access to FBI security-clearance documents. It was alleged that many of the files were

those of prominent Republicans

Monica Lewinsky Affair

Scandal regarding the extramarital relationship between Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky (22).

Led to Clinton’s impeachment by the U.S. House of Representatives on charges of perjury

U.S. Senate did not remove Clinton from office and acquitted him of all charges

Election of 2000 VP Gore won the

popular vote Florida’s electoral

votes were contested

The Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore denied a recount

Bush won with 271 electoral votes to Gore’s 266

September 11, 2001

September 11, 2001 4 planes were hijacked by terrorists.

2 planes crashed into the World Trade Center Towers in NYC

1 plane crashed into the Pentagon 1 plane’s hijackers were overcome

by passengers and crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Approximately 3000 people were killed

Terrorist group al-Qaeda, and its leader Osama bin Laden, were responsible for the attacks

George W. Bush (2001-2009) Bush’s presidency was greatly

influenced by the events of 9/11○ Congress declared war against

Iraq and Afghanistan, to seek out terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attacks

○ Saddam Hussein was removed from power in Iraq but no weapons of mass destruction were ever found

○ The Patriot Act was passed in 2001 to allow the government to detain foreigners suspected of terrorism without charging them with a crime

○ .

George W. Bush at Ground Zero, Sept. 14, 2001

The Great Recession of 2007

Caused by overspeculation in the housing market

Resulted in a stock market decline, soaring gas prices, & a tightening of credit

Election of 2008 The economic crisis

& Obama’s grass-roots campaign fueled a resounding win in both the popular & electoral vote

America’s first African American president

Domestic Policies Fair Pay Act for Women American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

(2009) was designed to save & create jobs during the recession

Affordable Care Act (2010) aimed to extend affordable health insurance to 45 million uninsured Americans

The annual deficit and national debt soared The rise of the Tea Party in Congress

(2010) led to gridlock

Social Change through rulings of the Supreme

Court The Roberts Court further scaled back affirmative action, removed a provision of the Voting Rights Act, upheld campaign contributions as free speech, upheld gun rights, and struck down the Defense of Marriage Act

Foreign Policy U.S. troop surge in

Afghanistan in 2009 U.S. support for the Arab

Spring in 2010 U.S. troops in Iraq were

withdrawn in 2011 Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin

Laden was captured and killed in 2011