Chapter 31: From the "Age of Limits" to the Age

of ReaganBy: Justinne Bentain and Ynnah Lagunda :)

After Watergate• Ford granted Nixon

a "full, free, and absolute pardon" to spare the country years of litigation

• Caused a decline in Ford's popularity

• Recession in 1974 and 1975

- Energy crisis- Arab Oil Embargo of 1973

1976 Presidential Elections

Gerald FordPopular vote: 47.9%Electoral Vote: 240

Jimmy CarterPopular vote: 50%Electoral vote: 297

The Trials of Jimmy Carter

• Campaigned for the presidency as an "outsider"

• Entered office during a recession

• Mainly focused on energy and economy problems

• High interest rates and energy prices

Continuing Energy Crisis

• 1979: Second major fuel shortage in the Middle East - OPEC announced another price increase

• Carter retreated to Camp David for 10 days

• Delivered a television address - "Malaise Speech"

• Complained of a "crisis of confidence"

Camp David Accords

• Arranged a peace treaty between Egypt & Israel

• Invited Sadat and Begin to Camp David in September 1978 (2 weeks)

• Camp David Accords was signed on March 26, 1979

Egyptian President Anwar Sadatand Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin

Carter's Achievements

• Turned over control of the Panama Canal to the government of Panama

• Also tried to improve relations with China and the Soviet Union

• SALT II (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks)- arms control- set limits on the number of long-range missiles, bombers, and nuclear warheads for the U.S. and Soviet Union

Iran Hostage Crisis

• The U.S. provided support to the Shah of Iran

• Caused a powerful revolutionary movement and the Shah fled country in January 1979

• The Shah had cancer and was treated in New York

• Days later, American Embassy in Teheran was invaded:- seized diplomats and military personnel

• 53 american hostages for over a year

American Hostages

The Sun Belt

• Mainly California, Texas, & Florida

• Strong opposition to the growth of government

• Believed government was imposing standards of behavior

• Sagebrush Rebellion: centered on the use of federal lands in the western portions of the United States

• Westerners felt that they were just caretakers for the federal government

• Ranchers want grazing, miners want access, conservation people want wilderness, campers want roads, etc.

• Tension died down when Reagan took office (Sagebrush supporter)

Religious Politics

• 1970s - America experienced a major religious revival (since the Second Great Awakening)

• Pseudo faiths: Church of Scientology, Unification Church of Reverend Sun Myung Moon, and People's Temple

• 70+ million "born-again" Christians

• Moral Majority Movement & the Christian Coalition

• Roe v. Wade legalized abortion

• 1982 - defeat of Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution- Would have Guaranteed women the same rights as men

Jim Jones

The New Right

• A combination of Christian religious leaders and conservative business bigwigs

• Started in 164 when Senator Barry Goldwater claimed that the New Deal should be reversed

• Highly organized and better funded than opponents

• Leadership under Ronald Reagan- Film actor turned political activist- Spokesman for General Electric- Governor of California (2 terms)

The Tax Revolt

• Started with California Proposition 13- drastically limited property tax

• Focused on the issue of what taxes supported

• Since the New Deal, Republicans struggled with the growth of federal government

Howard Jarvis

The Campaign of 1980

• Jimmy Carter's popularity was lowest in history

• Republican Party rallied behind Reagan- represented American "strength" & "pride"

• Republicans also won control of the Senate and House since 1952

Ronald ReaganPopular vote: 51%Electoral votes: 489

Jimmy CarterPopular Vote: 41%Electoral Votes: 49

The "Reagan Revolution"

• Ronald Reagan - January 1981

• moderate success in redefining public policy

• great success in American politics

The Reagan Coalition

• disillusionment

• small group of wealthy Americans and "neo-conservatives"

• redistributive and antibusiness

• reaffirm democratic and anticommunist values

• joined the New Right

• distrust in eastern establishment

• appeal to both sides

Reagan in the White House

• past occupations

• energetic

• attempted

assassination

• ignorance of own

policies

• fusing proposalshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3kpYiWdVWYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN3z3eSVG7Ahttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001654/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqNDWEwP92o

Reaganomics

• high taxes --> inadequate capital --> no growth

• lowering taxes --> lower government revenue --> less government expenses

• proposals: $40 billion budget and 30% tax reductions (decreased to 25%)

• Republican dominance

• deregulation leading up to economic revival

• 1982 recession, 11% unemployment

• Federal Reserve Board

• Dow Jones Industrial Average

Views on Reaganomics

The Fiscal Crisis

• federal budget deficits and national debt

• entitlement programs

• policies of Reagan administration

• cuts in "discretionary" domestic spending aimed at the poorest

• balanced budget

Reagan and the World

• friendly governments

• relations with Soviet Union and Russians were deterioratingo "evil empire"o Solidarity- independent labor organization

• Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

• nuclear freeze

• Reagan Doctrine

• 1983 terrorist bombing

• terrorism

Beruit, Lebanon

The Election of 1984

• Democrat: Walter Mondale

• Reagan's campaign phrases: "It's Morning in America" and "America is Back"

• Reagan's decisive victory: 59% of vote

• Democratic advancement

Mondale vs. Reagan

The Fall of the Soviet Union

• Gorbachevo glasnost: opennesso perestroika: reform

• Tiananmen Square: June 3, 1989 in Beijing, China

• South Africa --> apartheid

• fall of communism (1991)

Reagan and Gorbachev

• reform

• nuclear power

• intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF)

The Fading of the Reagan Revolution

• personal popularity hid political scandals

• savings and loan crisis

• weapons to Iran

• Iran-Contra Scandal

The Election of 1988

Michael DukakisDemocrat

George BushRepublican

Michael Dukakis vs. George Bush

The Election of 1988

The Bush Presidency

• developments in international affairs

• working with Gorbachev = positive

• domestic issues = negative

• 1990 budget package

• 1990 recession

The First Gulf War

• 1989-1991

• U.S. had 2 options:o reduce military strength and concentrate on

domestic problemso continue to use its power actively to defend its

regional and economic interests

• invasion of Panama (1989)

• invasion of Kuwait

• United Nations-sanctioned trade embargo

• February 28, cease-fire

The Election of 1992

Bill ClintonDemocrat

George BushRepublican

Ross PerotIndependent

43%38%

19%

370 1680

The Election of 1992

Clinton vs. Bush