Chapter 41: The American People Face a New Century (2001-2014)

George W. Bush

43rd president of the US (2001-2009) who led the country through 9/11 and the War on Terror

• also known for USA Patriot Act, Iraq War, and leading through economic turmoil

• emphasized national security, but had costly wars

September 11, 2001

A terrorist attack where al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked 4 planes, crashing two into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and one into a Pennsylvania field

• deadliest terrorist attack in US history

• led to the declaration of the War on Terror

• surveillance across the US skyrocketed

Al-Qaeda

Militant Islamist group found by Osama bin Laden in late 1980s

• after 9/11, al-Qaeda was targeted in the War on Terror

• ideology inspired other extremist groups such as ISIS

USA Patriot Act

After 9/11, this act was created to expand the government’s surveillance and investigative powers to combat terrorism

• concerns over civil liberties

• shaped modern counterterrorism policies

• allowed the FBI to demand info without a warrant

Department of Homeland Security

A new branch of government created after 9/11 in which multiple agencies were consolidated to coordinate national security efforts

• border protection, cybersecurity, emergency response, and counterterrorism

  • FEMA, TSA, ICE

Axis of Evil

A term coined by President Bush to describe Iran, Iraq, and North Korea as threats to global security

• oversimplified complex international issues which helped exacerbate long-term instability

  • rallied support for the War on Terror

Iraq War

War that began after US invaded Iraq, citing Saddam Hussein’s alleged weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorism

• no weapons of mass destruction were found, yet the war went on leading to mass controversy

• trillions of dollars and thousands of lives were lost in this war

• power vacuum led to ISIS’s rise to power

Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal

Scandal where reports and images were leaked, revealing US soldiers abusing and torturing Iraqi detainees

• damaged America’s global reputation and fueled anti-US sentiment

• clear military oversight that led to scrutiny of US wartime conduct

No Child Left Behind Act

An act signed in during Bush’s (the son) administration in order to improve education by increasing accountability through standardized testing

• schools required to meet federal benchmarks or face fund cuts

• critics argued it gave federal government too much power over education

  • Obama repealed this act during his presidency

Hurricane Katrina

A natural disaster that devastated the Gulf Coast, particularly New Orleans

• federal government had slow response (especially FEMA) leading to public outrage

  • symbol of governmental neglect

Troubled Asset Relief Program

Authorized the US government to purchase failing bank assets to prevent economic collapse during the Great Recession

• controversial for “bailout” of Wall Street at taxpayers’ expense

• highlighted deep economic inequalities and distrust in government intervention

Election of 2008

Election that saw Democrat Barack Obama defeating Republican John McCain, becoming the first African American president

• ran on a message of “hope and change”

• Obama faced significant opposition from the “Tea Party movement”

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

$787 billion economic stimulus package aimed at countering the Great Recession

• tax cuts, extended unemployment benefits, infrastructure projects

  • criticized for increasing national debt without boosting job growth

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Act under Obama that expanded healthcare coverage and regulations on the insurance industry

• required everyone to be medically insured

  • prevented denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions

• faced multiple legal and political challenges

Tea Party

Conservative movement in 2009 that saw opposing government spending, taxation, and Obama-era policies

• reshaped Republican politics and pushed them further right winged

• political polarization and government gridlock

Occupy Wall Street

Movement beginning in 2011 where people protested economic inequality, corporate greed, and the influence of money in politics

• “We are the 99%”

• criticized the concentration of wealth among the top 1%

DREAM Act

Act created under Obama to provide development, relief, and education for alien minors

• provide a path for citizenship for undocumented immigrants

  • never fully passed

  • influenced immigration debates