Class 26: America in a Globalizing World - Challenges and Promises

Question 1

Americans with Disabilities Act

Answer 1

• Bush departed, in part, from Reagan’s policy against government interference and regulations
• CLEAN AIR ACT OF 1990 – approved by Bush
• Strongest and most comprehensive environmental law in history
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – 1990
• Which just turned 32 years old
• Banned discrimination against the disabled
• Required private businesses and public facilities to be accessible to the disabled

Question 2

Persian Gulf War

Answer 2

• August 1990 Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invades the small country of Kuwait
• His troops were advancing to Saudi Arabia –threatening largest oil reserves
• Bush orders massive military mobilization
• Soviet Union supported UN embargo of Iraqi oil and authorized force if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991
• When UN deadline passed Bush asked Congress to approve war
• January 17th – US bombs Iraq and then storms into Kuwait to force Iraq out
• March 1st – Bush declared victory but Hussein stayed in power
• Americans applauded Bush and he was quite popular as result

Question 3

Clinton Impeachment

Answer 3

• Impropriety had plagued Clinton from his first day in office
• There was the Whitewater Land deal in Arkansas involving the Clintons
• Charges of sexual misconduct as Governor existed that surfaced in his first run
• In January 1998 – independent prosecutor Kenneth Starr – began an investigation of Clinton’s relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky
• Charge was that Clinton had sexual relations with her and then lied about it to federal grand jury
• In December 1998 – Republican House of Representatives voted to impeach Clinton on perjury and obstruction of justice. 2nd impeachment of a President
• Trial went to the Senate where 2/3 vote needed for conviction on charges was not obtained.

Question 4

NAFTA

Answer 4

• To advance globalization and the United States economy Clinton advanced free trade
• In 1993 he won approval of NAFTA
• Eliminated all tariffs and trade barriers between US, Canada and Mexico
• Democrats felt there would be loss of jobs to Mexico and opposed NAFTA
• BUT Republican support assured its passage
• Trump has called it “the worst trade agreement ever” and vowed to repeal it or change it which he did

Question 5

Bush v Gore

Answer 5

• George W. Bush, Governor of Texas
• Al Gore, VP and former Senator
• Many predicted Gore would win because of the thriving economy
• Surpassed Bush by more than ½ million votes
• Florida decided the election
• Bush won Florida by 537 votes
• Democrats wanted hand count done because of machine errors in several heavily Democratic counties
• There were probably thousands of unrecorded Gore votes
• The problem of the “hanging chad”
• Democrats wanted ballots hand counted
• Republicans went to court to stop hand counts
• Florida had a Republican Secretary of State that swung election to Bush
• No result for weeks as case went to Supreme Court
• Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 to prevent further recounts – partisanship vote
• Gore conceded to Bush on December 13, 2000
• Was this a rigged election or what?

Question 6

Read my lips: no new taxes

Answer 6

• This was a pledge that Bush made at the Republican Convention in 1988
• He had to satisfy the base of conservative republicans
• He vetoed 36 bills
• Included those that extended unemployment benefits
• Raising taxes
• Mandating family and medical leave for workers
• This lead to stalemate in government at the Federal level
• Individual states stepped in to fill the divide and gap
• Some states passed laws for family leave
• Some states passed laws for higher minimum wages

Question 7

9/11

Answer 7

• September 11, 2001 began as a beautiful day in this country
• Soon became one of the most tragic days in history
• The homeland was attacked
• 2 planes crashed into the WTC/New York
• 3rd plane hit the Pentagon in D.C.
• 4th plane crashed near Pittsburgh
• Changed everything!

Question 8

USA Patriot Act

Answer 8

• Expanded stands for: “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act” of 2001
• Signed into law October 26, 2001 by Bush
• Expanded the reach of the federal government to investigate individuals and businesses without previously required procedures (court orders, etc.)
• Parts of the act have been determined to be unconstitutional

Question 9

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Answer 9

• March 19, 2003 Bush addresses the nation that we are going into Iraq because they have “Weapons of Mass Destruction”
• Goal was to remove Saddam Hussein from power
• Saddam Hussein was captured
• No Weapons of Mass Destruction were ever found
• US in Iraq until Obama comes to office and withdraws troops