U. 59. Political, Social, and Economic Development of the USA since 1945. The Role of the USA in International Affairs. Literary Panorama

2. BACKGROUND

• WWII made America:

  • Not suffer in its mainland = stimulated economic growth and allied countries ended up depending on the US.

  • The world’s leading economy. Conflict with Soviet Union → Cold War.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE ON INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.1. Harry Truman (33rd) [1945-1953]. 3.1.1. Domestic challenges and affairs.

• Rapid economic growth, suburban expansion and BABY BOOM.

• The Great Migration (From South to North and Northwest)

• Although migration was not a problem, his administration grew concerns on Mexican migrants.

• Second Red Scare (Cold War tensions and growing fear of communism)

• House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) → investigated and prosecuted suspicious communist infiltration.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE ON INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.1. Harry Truman (33rd) [1945-1953]. 3.1.2. Foreign affairs.

• Cold War → led him to adopt a policy of containment called the Truman Doctrine (1947) = military and economic assistance to countries resisting communism

• These policies were reinforced by the Marshall Plan (economic aid to rebuild the West and reduce appeal of communism)

• Suffered a major crisis, the Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) where the Soviets did not let Western aid enter by foot. They delivered famously by air.

• 1949 foundation of NATO

• Korean War and division of the Korean peninsula along the 38th parallel.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.2. Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th) [1953-1961]. 3.2.1. Domestic affairs.

• KEY? Relative economic prosperity despite brief recessions.

• Expanded Social Security and created Interstate Highway System.

• Space Race after Sputnik was launched by the USSR. Creation of NASA, 1957.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.2. Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th) [1953-1961]. 3.2.2. Foreign affairs.

• His mission? To contain communism relying on nuclear deterrence.

• SEATO (1954) established to strengthen collective defence (Asia)

• Suez Crisis, 1956. = M.E. instability

• Victory of Fidel Castro’s Cuban Revolution → strained relationship with USA.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.3. John F. Kennedy (35th) [1961-1963]. 3.3.1. Domestic Affairs. The New Frontier.

• This period coincided with strong economic growth.

• The New Frontier → a programme for federal investment in healthcare, education, urban renewal…

• Kennedy strongly supported Civil Rights, and even agreed to the draft of the Civil Rights Act (1964) before his assassination.

• Promoted greater integration of African Americans in public life.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.3. John F. Kennedy (35th) [1961-1963]. 3.3.2. Foreign affairs.

• He inherited growing tensions with Cuba

• Cuban Missile Crisis 81962) nearly brought the world to a nuclear war when Soviets installed missiles in Cuba.

• He increased American involvement in Vietnam.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.4. Lyndon B. Johnson (36th) [1963-1969]. 3.4.1. Domestic affairs.

• Launched Great Society Programme → which tackled reducing poverty, improving education, and expanding healthcare (MEDICARE and MEDICAID).

• Promoted Civil Rights. Voting Rights Act (1965), though racial tensions continued.

• Assassination of MLK, 1964 grew tensions.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.4. Lyndon B. Johnson (36th) [1963-1969]. 3.4.2. Foreign affairs.

• Vietnam War started after repeated attacks on American naval vessels which led to the Tonkin Resolution (formal declaration of war) (1964)

• 1968 → widespread public opposition forced him to begin peace talks and announce that he wouldn’t seek re-election.

• He also sent troops to the Dominican Republic to prevent communism and supported Israel during the Six-Day War.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.5. Richard Nixon (37th) [1969-1974]. 3.5.1. Domestic affairs.

• July, 1969, Apollo 11 successfully landed on the moon

• He created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970

• Term marked by economic problems and high inflation.

• The Watergate Scandal forced him to resign, being the first American president to do so.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.5. Richard Nixon (37th) [1969-1974]. 3.5.2. Foreign Affairs.

• He gradually transferred the responsibility of the war to Southern Vietnamese forces and continued peace negotiations (Paris Peace Accords, 1973)

• Historic visit to China, 1972.

• Policy of détente with Soviet Union

• Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation (the first SALT I), limiting certain categories of nuclear weapons.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.6. Gerald Ford (38th) [1974-1977]. 3.6.1. Domestic policies.

• He famously suffered:

  • Inflation

  • Unemployment

  • 1973 Oil Crisis

• And attempted to:

  • Reduce Inflation spending cuts.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.6. Gerald Ford (38th) [1974-1977]. 3.6.2. Foreign affairs.

• Helsinki Accords (1975)

• Fall of Saigon (1975) → ended the Vietnam War.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.7. Jimmy Carter (39th) [1977-1981]. 3.7.1. Domestic challenges

• Jimmy faced:

  • Severe economic difficulties

  • High inflation

  • Unemployment

  • Dramatic increase of oil prices (energy crisis)

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.7. Jimmy Carter (39th) [1977-1981]. 3.7.2. Foreign affairs.

• Camp Davis Accords led to a peace treaty between Israel – Egypt.

• He signed the Panama Canal Treaties to control Panama canal.

• Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led to the Carter Doctrine. “The US will use military force if necessary to defend its interests in the Persian Gulf”

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.8. Ronald Reagan (40th) [1981-1989]. 3.8.1. Domestic affairs

• His programme, Reaganomics:

  • Tax deduction

  • Deregularisation

  • Free-market policies

  • Reduction in government spending.

• Assassination attempt in 1981 favoured his reelection in 1984.

• Term defined by traditional values, strong national defence.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.8. Ronald Reagan (40th) [1981-1989]. 3.8.2. Foreign affairs.

• Anticommunist position: “the evil empire”

• Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) “Star Wars”. → plan to use space and ground-based systems to intercept nuclear weapons.

• Improved relationships with Mikhail Gorbachev.

• Military interventions of Grenada (1983) and Libya (1986)

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.9. George H.W. Bush (Bush padre) (41st) [1989-1993]. 3.9.1. Domestic affairs.

• He famously promised “no more taxes”, but inevitably had to put taxes (1990 Budget Agreement)

• His popularity was damaged

• However, he signed Americans With Disabilities Act (1990)

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.9. George H.W. Bush (Bush padre) (41st) [1989-1993]. 3.9.2 Foreign affairs.

• Fall of Berlin Wall, 1989 = German reunification

• 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union = transformation of international politics

• Contributed to the Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) where Iraqis led by Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.

• Started START (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) to control nuclear weapons.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.10. Bill Clinton (42nd) [1993-2001]. 3.10.1. Domestic affairs.

• A self-proclaimed New Democrat

• Resorted to a centrist philosophy, The Third Way which combined:

  • Free market economy + moderate social politics

• Long economic expansion, rapid growth of the INTERNET.

• Signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which eliminated trade barriers and tariffs between the United States, Canada, and Mexico

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.10. Bill Clinton (42nd) [1993-2001]. 3.10.2. Foreign Affairs.

• 1995 led NATO to strike Bosnian Serb forces → contributed to its peace accords which ended the Bosnian War.

• 1999 NATO air campaign against Serbia to stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.11. George W. Bush (Bush hijo) (43rd) [2001-2009]. 3.11.1. Domestic policies.

• 2001 September 11 attacks → USA PATRIOT ACT which:

  • Expanded government security

  • Creation of Department of Homeland Security (2002)

• Enacted tax cuts aimed at stimulating the economy

• Hurricane Katrina, 2005.

• 2007 great recession → 2008 financial crisis.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.11. George W. Bush (Bush hijo) (43rd) [2001-2009]. 3.11.2. Foreign policies

• 2001 Invasion of Afghanistan (al-Q43da)

• 2003 invasion of Iraq (weapons of mass destruction… where??????)

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.12. Barack Hussein Obama (44th) [2009-2017]. 3.12.1. Domestic affairs.

• First African American to be elected POTUS.

• Focused on recovering the country from 2008 crisis

• His most significant achievement is the Affordable Care Act (2010) or OBAMACARE (health insurance for millions)

• Under his administration, the Supreme Court legalised same-s3x marriage in Obergefell vs. Hodges (2015)

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.12. Barack Hussein Obama (44th) [2009-2017]. 3.12.2. Foreign affairs

• Gradually withdrew troops from Iraq

• 2011 capture of 0sam4 B1n L4d3n, who hid in Pakistan. 3xecuted under his term.

• New START treaty with Russia

• Economic sanctions to Russia after annexation of Crimea.

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.13. Donald J. Trump (45th) [2017-2021]. 3.13.1. Domestic affairs

• America First agenda

• Enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017) → largest overhaul of the federal tax system in decades

• US Mexico Border

• COVID-19 pandemic (questionable management)

• IMPEACHED TWICE (2019 → Ukraine; 2021 → Capitol attack).

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.13. Donald J. Trump (45th) [2017-2021]. 3.13.2. Foreign affairs.

• Withdrew US from Paris Climate Agreement

• Tariff war with China

• Unprecedented meetings with Kim Jong-un.

• Abraham Accords (2020) which solidified relationships between Israel and several Arab states

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.14. Joe Biden (46th) [2021-2025]. 3.14.1. Domestic affairs

• Signed the American Rescue Plan (2021) which stimulated the economy after the COVID-19 crisis.

• Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021) investment in roads, bridges, railways…

• Inflation Reduction Act (2022) → investment in green energy and climate initiative predominantly

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.14. Joe Biden (46th) [2021-2025]. 3.14.2. Foreign affair.

• Withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan (questionable move but OK)

• Ukraine-Russia War (2022) → financial aid to Zelensky’s Ukraine

• Strong support to Israel after Oct 7 4tt4cks. 2023.

• Rejoined the US to the Paris Climate Agreement

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.15. Donald J. Trump (47th) [2025–––]. 3.15.1. Domestic affairs

• Assertive use of executive power. First 100 days started signing a high volume of executive orders

• Stricter immigration policies (ICE)

• Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs. (tariffs for you and tariffs for the lady)

3. THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE USA: ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. 3.15. Donald J. Trump (47th) [2025–––]. 3.15.2. Foreign affairs.

• Highly interventionist policy

• Venezuela, capture of Maduro

• The Greenland thing…

• War Israel-Iran, 2026.