1

CONTEMPORARY AMERICA

1963 - 2014

2

Vocabulary

1. Gradual – slow; not immediate2. Resign – to leave your job (by choice)3. Impeach – to find guilty of a crime while holding

political office (government job)4. Pardon – to legally forgive someone for a crime5. Recession – slow period in economy; not as bad

as a depression.6. Fundamentalist – “old school” believe holy books

are the word of god (bible, koran, etc.)7. Deficit – Spending more than you make in a one-

year period.

3

Recent Presidents

• Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969) D• Richard Nixon (1969-1974) R• Gerald Ford (1974-1977) R• Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) D• Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) R• George Bush (1989-1993) R• William (Bill) Clinton (1993-2001) D• George W. Bush (2001-2009) R• Barack Obama (2009-Present) D

4

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

• Became President When JFK was assassinated• Signed the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act

into law (ending legal discrimination against minority groups)

• Fought against poverty through the “Great Society” A group of programs similar to the New Deal which tried to help the poor.– Economic opportunity Act (most programs geared

towards poor youth)– Established Medicare and Medicaid – programs

assisting the poor with the costs of medical bills.

5

• Increased number of troops fighting in Vietnam through the Tonkin Gulf Resolution

• Supported Immigration Act of 1965 - ended years of racial discrimination in America’s immigration laws

6

Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

• Called for gradual end to Vietnam War and “Vietnamization” handing over the fighting in Vietnam to the Vietnamese

• Vietnam War protests increased during his presidency as Americans became angry at the war.

• Pentagon Papers – secret documents showing Johnson had lied to the American people about Vietnam (increased anti-war feelings)

• Nixon responded to anti-war feelings: All US troops out of Vietnam by March 1973)

• Nixon was able to increase cooperation with China and Soviet Union and decreased tension between the U.S. and both nations.

7

• There was evidence that he knew about a Republican break-in to the Democratic Party headquarters in Washington DC.

• The scandal was known as Watergate (the hotel where the break-in occurred)

• Nixon probably would have been impeached, but instead chose to resign in 1974.

8

Gerald Ford (1974-1977)

• Became President When Nixon resigned

• Pardoned Nixon (this made him very unpopular)

• Not a lot of accomplishments because congress was controlled by the other party (dem)

9

Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)

• Helped Israel and Egypt sign a peace treaty (The Camp David Accords) which helped reduce Middle East tension

• Placed a tax on gas guzzling cars through the National Energy Act.

• The nation suffered through an economic recession in 1979

• His insistence that the Soviet Union must honor civil rights (voting, free speech, etc) led to tension with USSR.

10

• In 1979 there was an Iranian Revolution (fundamentalist Muslims took over Iran)

• Iranian Hostage Crisis: New Iranian government took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

11

Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

• Reformed entitlements (government programs to help the poor and elderly) by cutting many programs.

• Promoted “trickle down” (supply side) economics through massive tax cuts

• Trickle down: if a business or wealthy person has more money, they will grow their business and hire more workers, everyone wins (it doesn’t always work though)

12

• Also boosted military spending through the Strategic Defense Initiative

• Promoted deregulation of the economy (less rules for business and banks to follow)

• Slow to deal with growing HIV/AIDS crisis.

13

George Bush (1989-1993)

• First President to deal with a non-communist Russia after the end of the cold war.

• Operation Desert Storm (helping kick Iraqi army out of Kuwait) 1991.

• He campaigned not to raise taxes but broke this promise to pay for rising war costs and other government programs.

14

Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

• Tried and failed to get all Americans health care coverage.

• Reformed the welfare system to avoid corruption and abuse.

• Successfully balanced the budget of the United States.

• Supported free trade in North America (North American Free Trade Agreement)– led to increased trading with Canada and Mexico, but

cost some U.S. jobs in the process.

15

• Was impeached (found guilty of a crime) for lying under oath about an affair with white house intern Monica Lewinsky.

• Was not removed from office for this offense.

16

George W. Bush (2001-2009)

• Terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001• America was attacked by Al Qaeda (a

fundamentalist Muslim group) based in Afghanistan.

• War on Terror begins.• Afghanistan (2001-present)• Iraq (2003-2013)• Gave large tax cuts to all Americans – leads to

budget deficit (Gov. was spending more than it made)

17

• USA Patriot Act - Domestic war on terror included tapping of phones and emails sometimes without a warrant – controversial, continues into Obama Presidency.

• Supported Comprehensive Immigration reform, but had no support from other Republicans – Bill never passed congress

• Supported a law to help banks and auto industry after recession of 2009 (Called an economic Stimulus)

18

Barack Obama (2009-Present)

• First African-American President• Continued domestic war on terrorism of

Bush Presidency – phone/email taps.• Continued stimulus -assistance to banks,

and auto industry began by Bush Presidency.

• Supported raising taxes on millionaires to help balance budget.

• Ended war in Iraq in 2013 (promises to end war in Afghanistan by end of 2014)

19

• Signed a law hiring workers to build bridges and roads; one way out of the recession of 2009.

• Signed Affordable Care Act into law. The law is designed to make sure all Americans have health insurance.

• First President to support marriage equality – the right of any two consenting adults to marry.