Society and Culture at the End of the Twentieth Century Flashcards
Combined social liberalism and elements of conservatism
Supported abortian rights, gay rights, affirmative action
Pledged to reduce government bureaucracy and end welfare
New Democrat
and Bill Clinton
Internal campaign slogan for the Clinton campaign
Intended to keep the campaign focused on important domestic issue
“It’s the Economy, Stupid”
Bush (41) campaign promise that he broke while trying to get a deal with the Democrats
Many conservatives never forgave him
“No New Taxes”
Texas billionaire who entered the 1992 campaign as a third party candidate
Demonstrated widespread dissatisfaction with both parties
Popularity faded but still received 19% of the popular vote
Ross Perot
Clinton won 43% of popular vote and 370 electoral
Bush won 38% of popular vote and 168 electoral
Perot won 19% of popular vote
Election of 1992
Clinton policy that changed the military’s strict ban on gays
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
Provision to income tax that raised more than 4 million above the poverty line
Earned Income Tax Credit
Law that Clinton signed defining marriage as “one man and one woman”
Prevented gay spouses from receiving federal spousal benefits
Defense of Marriage Act
Republicans gained control of the House and Senate
Newt Gingrich mastermined the campaign and became Speaker of the House
Election of 1994
Predge by Republicans who gained control of the House and Senate
…curtail the scope of government
…cut back on taxes and regulation
…overhaul the welfare system
…end affirmative action
“Contract with America”
Deregulated broadcasting and telephone companies
Gave digital frequency to broadcasters without charge
Telecommunications Act of 1996
Ended “welfare as we know it” by abolishing the Aid to Families with Dependent Children Act
Replaced with block grants to states
Limits how long familes could receive payments
Welfare recipients plummeted
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
Clinton political strategy to embrace the most popular Republican ideas leaving his opponents with only extreme and unpopular positions
“triangulation”
1990s saw the dawn of the “new economy”
These devices would create great efficiencies and transform American life
By 2000, almost half of American households owned at least one
Computer Revolution
Major areas of computer and software development
Silicon Valley
Seatle
Austin
First developed to provide a redundant network for the military
Expanded the flow and speed of communication
Disrupted many industries
Internet
New companies based around the Internet
Stock prices experienced a bubble in from 1996 to 1999
NASDAQ fell more than 80% between 2000 and 2002
“Dot Com”
Retreat of government rules that left few to guard the publics interest
Congress and executive implemented on industry by industry basis including:
energy, telecommunications, financial services
Deregulation
Energy company that engaged in fraudulent financial reporting
Leaders Kenneth Lay and Jeff Skilling convicted of fraud
Enron
Allowed the formation of “superbanks” that combined commercial and investment banks
Banks lated commited misdeeds or made bad decisions
Government and public taxpayers bailed out because they were “too big to fail”
Repeal of Glass-Steagall
Resulted from…
…average income of top one-fifth rising by 38%
…average income of bottom one-fifth falling by 12%
…ongoing movement of manufacturing jobs overseas
…
Rising Economic Inequality
Represented 50% of all new immigrants from 1965 to 2000
Came from Mexico, Central and South America, Caribbean Islands like Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico
Lagged behind in education
Latinon Immigrants
About 35% of all immigrants from 1965 to 2000
Acheived remarkable success in education
Mediam income of $66,000 surpassed that of whites
Came from Korea, India, Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, China
Asian-American Immigrants
Acheived near enquality in the white workplace
Unemployment double that of whites
Two-thirds of children born out of wedlock
Immigrants from Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia
African-Americans
Supreme Court barred black workers from suing for damages
Law only prohibited discrimination at the signing of a contract
Patterson v. McLean Credit Union
Result of rising urban crime and judicial system bias against rehabilitation
Drug addiction treated as a crime and not a disease
Spread of Imprisonment
Struggling communities saw prison as a source of jobs
200 new prisons built between 1990 and 2008
Prison-Industrial Complex
Beat by four Los Angeles police officers after traffic stop
Jury found the police officers not guilty
Triggered deadliest urban uprising since 1863
52 people died and $1b in property damage
Rodney King
Celebration of group differences and demands for recognition
Spread of academic programs dealing with groups: Black Studies, Latino Studies, Women’s Studies
Multiculturalism
Denied illegal immigrants access to welfare, education, services
Federal judge barred implementation
Proposition 187
Major political force led by Pat Robertson
Launched crusades against gay rights, abortion, secularism
Christian Coalition
Re-affirmed woman’s right to obtain an abortion
Allowed states to enact mandatory waiting periods
Overturned requirement that husbands be given notification
Casey v. Planned Parenthood
Shady real-estate deal that involved both Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton
Whitewater
White House intern who had an affair with President Clinton
Led to lengthy report detailing Clinton’s sexual exploits
House voted to impeach Clinton
Senate tried and did not reach majority
Monica Lewinsky
Special Prosecuter investigating Clinton
Kenneth Starr
Contest between George Bush and Al Gore
Very tight popular vote
Electoral vote hinged on outcome of Florida
Supreme Court halted recount
Bush became president
Election of 2000
Surpreme Court overturned decision of Florida Supreme Court and ruled that the recount was unconstitutional
Justified decision by insisting that “equal protection” required all ballots to be counted using a single standard
Bush v. Gore
