sh Flashcards
Al Gore
Democratic nominee vice president to succeed Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Governor of texas and son of president Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ran for the Green Party, promoted liberal agenda and championed environmental causes
Confusion On Election Night
Al Gore took the lead and was projected to win Florida, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, these states would choose the winner because of their electoral votes. But then, the projection was taken back since it was too close to call. Finally at 2 AM the network stated Bush as the winner of Florida and so he won as president.
Dispute in Florida
Many went to try to secure victory. The Gore campaign wanted recounts in Democratic counties but people who supported Bush opposed it. James Baker, former leader of the Bush team, argued that recounts would raise the possibility of political mischief.
Bill Signed
Bush signed an antiterrorism bill after the 9/11 attack. Allowed the government to detain foreigners suspected of terrorism for seven days without charging them with a crime
Department of Homeland Security
government body set up to coordinate national efforts to combat terrorism
Afghanistan
US coalition began bombing Afghanistan, the Afghan government was keeping Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorist network believed responsible for the 9/11 attack The US successfully broke up the network. Another help was during the Afghanistan elections the first democratic president was chosen which was considered a positive move toward solving the many problems.
War Against Iraq
After the Persian Gulf War, Iraq had agreed to the UN demands to stop the production of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. After the September 11 attacks, Bush alleged that Hussein was supplying terrorists such as al-Qaeda with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and called for renewed arms inspections in Iraq. The inspectors determined that Iraq had not resumed its WMD programs; but Hussein had again not cooperated fully with the inspection process. The United States and Great Britain then ended diplomacy with Iraq and invaded in March 2003. Within a month, Iraq’s forces were defeated and Hussein had gone into hiding. U.S. forces then began an intensive search for WMD in Iraq. No trace of chemical or biological weaponry were found. In December 2003, U.S. forces found and captured Saddam Hussein. The former dictator was handed over to the Iraqis to stand trial for crimes against humanity.
What did Bush concentrate on?
President Bush concentrated on education and the economy. He signed into law an education reform plan entitled No Child Left Behind. This plan called for more accountability by states for students’ success, mandatory achievement testing, and more school options available for parents.
Corporate Scandals
Corporate scandals involving companies like Enron and WorldCom shook the nation.
What was the response to the corporate scandals?
In response, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to oversee the accounting industry and restore investor confidence. Despite these measures, the economy remained sluggish. In 2003, Bush signed a $350 billion tax cut to stimulate the economy and create jobs, although Democrats argued it favored the wealthy.
California Recall Election
Gray Davis was recalled and blamed for the electricity crisis. Arnold Schwarzenegger took over for the remaining term as governor of california and then was re elected for a second term.
2004 Presidential Election +
Second Term Challenges
President Bush was reelected, despite growing public discontent over the Iraq War and the failure to find weapons of mass destruction.
Bush faced criticism for warrantless spying on American citizens, alleged misuse of government agencies, and the response to Hurricane Katrina. Discontent over the Iraq War and these controversies contributed to the Democrats regaining control of Congress in the 2006 midterm elections.
