American Presidents 2 Teacher

8/13/2019 American Presidents 2 Teacher

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American Presidents1960 – Present

United States History and Government





JFK:

How he got to be President

• Beat Republican candidate RichardNixon in the election of 1960

• First televised presidential debates• First president born in the 20th century

• Appealed to the “new generation” of

Americans



JFK:

Foreign Policy

• Bay of Pigs Invasion – CIA plan to overthrowCastro in Cuba. Embarrassing failure.

• Cuban Missile Crisis – Soviet missiles aimed

at U.S. JFK responds with naval blockade.Closest the Cold War gets to nuclear war

• Alliance for Progress – containment (using $)

in Latin America• Vietnam – Sent first U.S. Troops (advisors).

By 1963, there are 17,000 soldiers there.



JFK:

Domestic Policy: New Frontier

• Space program – committed U.S. tohave a man on the moon by end ofdecade

• Peace Corps – combined foreign anddomestic – sent young Americanvolunteers to work in developing

countries• Civil Rights – under pressure from

growing movement, asked Congressfor a civil rights bill



JFK:

How is he similar to/different than other

presidents?

• Youngest president elected to office

• First Catholic President

• First president to ask for civil rightslegislation

• Jackie Kennedy most popular, visiblefirst lady







LBJ:

How he got to President

• JFK’s Vice President, became Presidentin November 1963 when JFK wasassassinated

• Re-elected in 1964

• Shocks the nation in 1968 by

announcing that he would not run for a2nd term



LBJ:

Foreign Policy

Vietnam becomes “President Johnson’s War”

• Tonkin Gulf Resolution – gives himextra power during war

• Operation Rolling Thunder – escalatesthe war, increases U.S. troops to200,000



LBJ:

Domestic Policy: “Great Society”

• “inherited” JFK’s civil rights action, CivilRights and Voting Rights Act bothpassed

• Created “War on Poverty”

• Project Head Start

• Elementary and Secondary Education Act

• Medicare added to social security

• Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment



LBJ:


Presidents?• Because he was a majority leader in

the Senate, he was more successful in

getting laws passed (civil rights) thanJFK

• Compared with FDR because heincreased the role of government tohelp people, especially minorities and

the poor.



LBJ:

What is ALWAYS on the regents?

• He did the most for civil rights sinceLincoln

• Got the nation more involved inVietnam

• Great Society = anti-poverty

• Great Society (LBJ) compared to theNew Deal (FDR)



Richard M. Nixon (Republican)

1969 - 1974

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Nixon:


• Elected in 1968 after losing the 1960election to JFK



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Nixon:

Domestic Policy

• “New Federalism” – tried to reduce therole of the federal government in socialwelfare. Criticized the “Great Society”

(LBJ)• 26th Amendment – extended the right

to vote to 18 year olds, under criticism

that 18 year olds were drafted to fight• Civil Rights – appointed conservative justices to the Supreme Court. Hewanted to slow down civil rights.

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Nixon:

How is he similar to/ different than other

presidents?

• Changed LBJ’s influence by decreaingthe role of the federal government

• Resigned because of the WatergateScandal

• First president to resign from office

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Nixon:


• Nixon vs. United States and theWatergate Scandal

• Weakened executive privilege

• Example of limited government

• Example of checks and balances

• Nixon’s visit to China decreasestensions between China and the U.S.

• Détente decreases tensions betweenthe USSR and U.S.

G ld R F d (R bli )



Gerald R. Ford (Republican)

1974 - 1977

F d



Ford:


• Ford was Speaker of the House whenNixon’s Vice President Spiro Agnewresigned in 1973. Ford became Nixon’sVice President.

• Ford became the President when Nixonresigned in 1974

• Ford appoints Nelson Rockefeller as hisVice President

F d



Ford:

Domestic Policy

• Nixon’s Pardon – Ford wanted thenation to heal, so he pardons Nixon.Controversial to many Americans.

• Economic Issues – OPEC oil embargo –causes inflation and recession in U.S.

• Rationing established as solution to oilissue

Ford:



Ford:


Presidents?

• First and only President never to winan electoral vote for VP or President

F d



Ford:


• Ford justifies pardoning Nixon becausehe believes it will allow the nation toheal and move on more quickly



Carter:



Carter:


• Former governor of Georgia

• Emphasized HONESTY and American

values• Ford still had negative association with

the Nixon administration

Carter:



Carter:

Foreign Policy

• Panama Canal Treaty (1977) – promised toreturn the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999

• Camp David Accords (1979) – helpednegotiate the 1st peace agreement betweenEgypt and Israel

• Boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games inMoscow – in response to Soviet invasion ofAfghanistan

• Iranian Hostage Crisis (1979) – 53Americans held hostage by conservativeMuslim terrorists. Refused to negotiate andwould not release the prisoners until theinauguration of another president



Carter:



Carter:

How is he similar to/ different than other

Presidents?

• Compared with President WoodrowWilson for his efforts in MORALDIPLOMACY

Carter:



Carter:


• Camp David Accords – attempt toestablish peace in the middle east

• Similarity between Carter and Wilson –both emphasized moral principles inforeign affairs

Ronald Reagan (Republican)



Ronald Reagan (Republican)

1981-1989

Reagan:



Reagan:


• 1980 election vs. Jimmy Carter

• Carter dealing with Iranian Hostage

Crisis, inflation, and energy crisis• Reagan, former California governor

• Promises a “new beginning”

• Reagan won 91% of electoral vote

Reagan:



Reagan:

Foreign Policy

• Tough on communism, USSR is the “evil empire” ended détente in firstterm

• Iran-Contra Affair – Reagan is clearedof wrongdoing, but Colonel OliverNorth and CIA members are

investigated• Reagan and Gorbachev work for arenewal of détente and armsreductions (1985 – 1987)

Reagan:



Reagan:

Domestic Policy

• Supply-side economics (Reaganomics) calledfor tax cuts for wealth individuals andbusinesses, leading to increased investments

and more jobs, goods and services• Tried to balance the budget by decreasing

social welfare and environmental protection

• Refused to cut military budget – wantedmoney for strategic defense initiative (“starwars”)



Reagan:



Reagan:


• Comparing Reagan’s supply sideeconomics with Hoover’s trickle downeconomics

• “star wars” as increased defenseinitiative

George H W Bush 41 (Republican)



George H.W. Bush 41 (Republican)

1989 – 1993



Bush 41: How he got to be President

• Was Ronald Reagan’s Vice President

• Chose Dan Quayle as running mate

• Beat Michael Dukakis in 1988 election



Bush 41: Foreign Policy

• Cold War ends during his presidency

• Persian Gulf War (Jan – Feb 1991) –

Operation Desert Shield created todefend Kuwait against Iraq. BecomesOperation Desert Storm in early 1991when US troops invade Iraq



Bush 41: Domestic Policy

• “Read my lips: no new taxes” broke promiseby 1990 because of an increasing deficit

• Economic recession, rising unemployment

• Savings and Loan scandal – misuse of fundsmeant taxpayers would have to bail out theindustry

• Appointed two Supreme Court justices:David Souter and Clarence Thomas

• Had to deal with urban violence that resultedfrom the Rodney King incident in LA.

Bush 41: How is he similar to/different



Bush 41: How is he similar to/different

than other presidents?

• Associated with the end of the coldwar, but also credited with the PersianGulf War

• Similar to Reagan in economic policy





William Clinton (Democrat) 1993 - 2001





Clinton: Foreign Policy

• War in Bosnia – US helped win anagreement between ethnic groups andsent troops to enforce plan in 1995

• Kosovo – US supported NATO inbombing to force Serbs to withdraw in1998

• NAFTA – signed by U.S., Mexico andCanada in 1992 to break down tradebarriers.



Clinton: Domestic Policy

• Health Care Reform – 1993 plan to ensurehealth care to all Americans. Congressrejected it, saying it was too expensive,complex, and would limit choice

• Scandal and Impeachment – Clinton liedunder oath and to the public about hisrelationship with a white house intern. The

House impeached him in 1998 for perjuryand obstruction of justice. The Senateacquitted him.

• 1990s were longest period of economic

growth in US history.

Clinton: How is he similar to/different than



Clinton: How is he similar to/different than

other presidents?

• Compared with Andrew Johnsonbecause of impeachment

• Compare to Wilson and Carter forefforts at moral diplomacy

Clinton: What is ALWAYS on the



Clinton: What is ALWAYS on the

Regents?

• Purpose of NAFTA is to increase tradebetween the 3 countries

• The result of Clinton and Johnson’simpeachment was that both areimpeached, neither are removed fromoffice.

• Troops in Bosnia and Kosovo, bothbecause of human rights violations

George W. Bush 43 (Republican)



George W. Bush 43 (Republican)

2001 – 2009



“Bush 43”: How he got to be President

• Election of 2000 – Bush v. VicePresident Al Gore. One of the closestelections in history.

• Florida is the key state, vote so close arecount is taken.

• Supreme Court ruled in Bush v. Gore

to end the recount, and Bush winselection

• Gore won the popular vote and Bushwon the electoral vote and presidency



“Bush 43”: Foreign Policy

• After September 11th 2001, most ofBush’s Presidency is focused on foreignpolicy and the “war on terror”

• War in Iraq – in early 2003, US attacksIraq. Bush declares official end to waron May 1, 2003, and defended it by

saying a dictator was overthrown, andHussein would be connected withWMDs. Troops still occupy area.



“Bush 43”: How is he similar to/different



us 3 o s e s a to/d e e t

than other Presidents?

• Tax cut similar to Reagan and Bush 41

• US involvement in Iraq often comparedto Bush 41’s attempts to keep power inthe area.

• 9/11/01 makes Bush’s presidencydifferent than any other in history

“Bush 43”: What is ALWAYS on the



Regents?

• Economy has a greater emphasis onservice industries

• Bush sends troops into Afghanistan aspart of the War on Terror

• War in Iraq justified to eliminateHussein’s rule and existence of WMDs

• Reduction of rights to preservefreedom (Patriot Act, wiretapping)

Barack Obama (Democrat)



( )

2009 – Present

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Official_portrait_of_Barack_Obama.jpg







Obama: Domestic Policy

• Faced the largest economic downturnsince the Great Depression. Stockmarket drops from a high of

$14,164.53 on 10/9/2007 to a decadelow of $6,547 on 3/9/2009.

• Pushed to the passage of universal

healthcare bringing raising coveragefor American citizens from 86% to95%.

Obama: How is he similar to/different



than other Presidents?

• Obama’s handling of the recenteconomic crisis to the Great Depressionand FDR’s New Deal.

• War on Terror not dramatically differentthat Bush 43. Obama increases trooppresence in Afghanistan.

• Iraq still a difficult issue.

• Won the Nobel Peace Prize (T. Roosevelt1906, Wilson 1919 and Carter 2002).

Obama: What is ALWAYS on the



Regents?

• This is a new area, but these are thebest guesses:

• His handling of economic recovery

• Sent additional troops to Afghanistanas part of the War on Terror

• Passage of universal healthcare

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American Presidents 2 Teacher