Modern Era Notes- Unit 10

Nixon travels to

China

• High point of Nixon’s presidency – Eases Cold War tensions by recognizing Chinese government, allowing for US-Chinese trade, and supporting tourism

Watergate Scandal• Nixon accused of

ordering a break-in at the Watergate hotel to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee

• Tried to COVER IT UP!

• Nixon resigns because of the scandal

• Many citizens to lose faith in the government

• Pardoned by Ford (Read Upfront Article Feb 5, 2007)

Time Out - Review Nixon

1.Why did President Nixon believe it was important to “open China?”

2.What were the effects of Watergate?3.How do people view the federal

government now?4.Describe Gerald Ford’s presidency - was

it successful? Explain why or why not.

Roe v. Wade 1973Ruling that abortions are legal in the US • decision made as part of privacy laws• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q5AgCzPIuA

University of California v Bakke

• Supreme Court case that abolished racial quotas in university admissions, BUT, allowed race, gender, or socioeconomic status (affirmative action) to serve as a tie breaker

• Read Upfront Article - “Race”

Time Out - review SCOTUS

5. What are civil liberties and civil rights?6. What is the Roe v. Wade decision?7. What is affirmative action?8. What is the Bakke decision?

Camp David Accords

• PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST! Israel and Egypt sign peace agreements

Iranian Revolution

• 1979 revolution that transformed country from monarchy under the Shah (who was pro-America) to a republic under Ayatollah Khomeini… establishes Islamic Republic (political and religious authority)

• Read Upfront Article

Over-throw the

Shah!

Iranian Hostage Crisis 1979-1981

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w918Eh3fij0

Time Out - Review Carter9. What two countries were part of the Camp David Accords?

10. What was Jimmy Carter’s goal in mediating the Camp David Accords?

11. What was the Iranian Revolution?12. How did the US respond to the revolution?13. Why were hostages taken during the Iranian Hostage Crisis?

14. When did the Iranian Hostage Crisis end? (give an event, not a year)

Day 2Tuesday

Reaganomics!1981-1989

• During the campaign of 1980, Ronald Reagan announced a recipe to fix the nation's economic mess. He claimed an high tax burdens, excessive government regulation, and massive social spending programs hurt growth. Reagan proposed a phased 30% tax cut for upper income levels. The economic theory behind the wisdom of such a plan was called SUPPLY-SIDE or TRICKLE-DOWN ECONOMICS.

• Tax relief for the rich would enable them to spend and invest more money that they had saved from paying taxes. This new spending would stimulate the economy and create new jobs. Reagan believed that a tax cut of this nature would ultimately generate even more revenue for the federal government. The Congress was not as sure as Reagan, but they did approve a 25% cut during Reagan's first term.

• The results of this plan were mixed. This sparked a deep recession in 1981 and 1982. The high interest rates caused the value of the dollar to rise on the international market, making American goods more expensive abroad. As a result, exports decreased while imports increased. Eventually, the economy stabilized in 1983, and the remaining years of Reagan's administration showed national growth.

• The defense industry boomed as well. Massive government contracts were awarded to defense firms to upgrade the nation's military. Reagan even proposed a space-based missile defense system called the STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE, or Start Wars.

• Ronald Reagan's increased spending and accompanying tax cuts resulted in dramatic budget deficits (shortages) during the 1980s. A deficit occurs when spending exceeds revenues in any year. Tax cuts plus increased military spending cost the federal government trillions of dollars. Reagan advocated paying for these expenses by cutting government programs. In the end, Congress approved his tax and defense plans, but refused to cut any welfare programs, such as Social Security. The results were skyrocketing deficits.

• The national debt tripled from one to three trillion dollars during the REAGAN YEARS. The President and conservatives in Congress cried for a balanced budget amendment, but no one had the discipline to propose or enact a balanced budget. The growth that Americans enjoyed during the 1980s came at a huge price for the generations to follow.

Reagan Era - Reaganomics Economic idea of “trickle-down” • Step 1: give tax breaks to the wealthy • Step 2: the wealthy will invest their $$ into businesses• Step 3: those businesses will hire more people • Step 4: those people have more $$, & will spend it • Step 5: the economy grows

Reagan - Iran-Contra Scandal• US sold weapons to Anti-Ayatollah group in Iran in

exchange for $ and hostages in Lebanon (ILLEGAL due to arms ban with Iran)

• US used $ to fund Contras (Anti Communist rebels in Nicaragua/drug dealers) after Congress voted to deny funding (ILLEGAL because Congress said no!)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZNukeWdWnM

Collapse of the Soviet Union: COLD WAR ENDS!

• Berlin Wall Falls 1989: Ronald Reagan credited with diplomatic negotiations with Gorbachev

• Independence movement for countries that were part of the USSR - 1991

Time Out - Review Reagan & Bush I

15. Describe how Reaganomics was going to help the economy?

16. Describe the Iran-contra scandal. 17. When did the Soviet Union collapse? (give an event, AND a year)

Clinton and Congress: A Bad Marriage

•Republicans controlled Congress the majority of time Democratic Clinton was in office

•Partisanship = the two parties in Government are arguing

•Difficult to pass legislation

NAFTA

The North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed into existence on January 1st, 1994. It is cooperation between Mexico, The United States, and Canada that removes tariffs between the three. It also addresses labor and environmental concerns that help promote the betterment of the states involved. The organization does not have any true hierarchy but is simply an agreement to eliminate tariffs. All three state benefit from this agreement, even though Mexico benefits the most since it is a less developed country and has the least money to pay tariffs. The disadvantage of this agreement is that it limits the free trade within a state. NAFTA challenges local diversity because it eliminates economic barriers, which allow corporations to outsource resources. This can be seen through Mexicans driving Hondas or living in American-style suburbs.

http://www.dhs.gov/news/2011/12/06/fact-sheet-beyond-border-united-states-%E2%80%93-canada-economic-relationship

Clinton’s Impeachment• Reading Upfront Article (Feb 16, 2009) • Impeached and charged with perjury

(lying under oath), but was acquitted (found not guilty) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUDppdVXeMw

Time Out - Review Clinton

18. Explain the relationship between Congress and President Clinton.

19. What is the goal of NAFTA?20. Define impeachment. 21. What was Clinton accused of? (what law was he breaking?)

22. What was the outcome of the Clinton impeachment trial?

2000 Election (Bush vs. Gore)

• Bush won Electoral College vote, Gore won popular vote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9H3gvnN468

Sept. 11th, 2001 http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/04/01/wonder-list-skype-venice-orig.cnn/video/playlists/stories-worth-watching/

War on Terror• Within a month of the

attacks of 9/11/01 the U.S. and their allies invaded Afghanistan, who was thought to be hiding the people responsible for the terrorist attacks.

Overthrow of the Taliban• Taliban

– Fundamentalist Muslim political group protecting Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorist network in Afghanistan

• March 2002, the Taliban was removed from power

• May 2011, Osama bin Laden killed

• http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2011/05/02/exp.sot.obama.bin.laden.cnn

Involvement in Iraq & Afghanistan

Read Upfront Article: “Afghanistan: How we got there”

Overthrow of Saddam Hussein

• Saddam Hussein: Iraqi dictator believed to be continuing to develop and expand a weapons of mass destruction program

• In 2003, fear for national security prompted the United States to declare war on Iraq and its leader, Saddam Hussein.

• Operation Iraqi Freedom– March 2003 to stop Hussein’s ability

to wage mass war or aid terrorists– Major combat technically ended May

1, 2003 started to work toward democracy in Iraq

Saddam Hussein shortly after capture by American forces, and after being shaved to confirm his identity

• Saddam Hussein was captured by American forces in December of 2003

• Charged and put on trial by the interim Iraqi government for crimes against humanity

• Specific charges included the murder of 148 people, torture of women and children and the illegal arrest of 399 others.

• Found guilty and sentenced to death in Nov 2006, hanged a month later in Dec 2006

Time Out - Review G.W. Bush

23. Who was running for president in 2000?24. Describe what happened in the Election of 2000.

25. What was President George W. Bush’s response to the attacks on September 11, 2001?

26. Why did the US get involved in the war in Afghanistan in 2001?

27. Why did the US get involved in the war in Iraq in 2003?