Chapter 29: Prosperity and a New World Order (1988–2000)

New Right

New Right

Conservative movement that began in the 1960s and supported Republican candidates into the twenty-first century; many voters from the South and from the middle class were attracted by the New Rights emphasis on patriotism and strict moral values

Operation Desert Storm (1991)

Military action by the United States and a coalition of Allied nations against Iraq and its leader Saddam Hussein after Iraq had invaded Kuwait; this operation was a resounding success, although the decision was made not to force Saddam Hussein from power

Whitewater

Series of real estate dealings in Arkansas involving Bill Clinton long before he became president

Contract with America

List of conservative measures proposed by Republicans after winning control of the House of Representatives in 1994; it included term limits and promises to balance the federal budget and to reduce the size of the federal government

1988

George H. W. Bush elected president

1989

Berlin Wall opened, Communist governments fall in Eastern Europe

1991

Persian Gulf War Breakup of the Soviet Union Beginnings of economic recession

1992

Election of Bill Clinton

1993

NAFTA ratified by Senate

1994

Republicans sweep congressional elections

1996

Clinton reelected

1998

Federal budget surplus announced

1999

Clinton acquitted in impeachment trial in U.S. Senate

2000

George W. Bush elected president

1988

Solidarity replaces Communist government in Poland

1993

Terrorist bombings at World Trade Center

1993

American troops killed in Somalia

1994

U.S. military enters Haiti

1994

Kenneth Starr becomes Whitewater independent counsel

1998

Articles of impeachment passed in House of Representatives

the most qualified man of our era

Republican commercials in 1988 called Bush "_____________" for president.

Massachusetts miracle

Michaek Dukakis won the Democratic nomination. He credited his "_______" with rebuilding his state's economy.

wimp

Bush won election night despite media portrayals of him as a "________" and an early poll lead by Dukakis.

kinder, gentler America

In 1988, Bush received the Republican presidential nomination and called for a "_________."

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

With a Republican president and Democratic legislature squabbling, he was unable to pass domestic legislation. Exceptions include the ___________.

no new taxes

Bush’s "________" campaign commitment was breached, costing him conservative support.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet leader ________ told Communist party officials in late 1988 that military expenditures and "safeguarding" satellite governments were choking the economy.

Boris Yeltsin

After a Communist coup attempt damaged Gorbachev, Russian President ___________ declared the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991.

Manuel Noriega

Bush invaded Panama and ousted ________ in December 1989 after Panamanian soldiers killed an American officer.

Saddam Hussein

Iraqi tanks near Saudi Arabia's border raised the possibility that _______ may gain control of a large portion of the world's oil supplies.

Operation Desert Storm

American and coalition ground troops defeated Iraqi invaders in Kuwait on February 24 in ______. Iraqi fatalities exceeded 40,000 in this rapid and clear victory. American deaths totaled 150.

Gulf War

The ___________ boosted Bush's popularity. Economic issues, including a recession and nation’s instability, worried 1992.

ethnic cleansed

A horrific civil war in which Serbs "____________" Bosnian Muslims appalled the world after Yugoslavia's split.

peace dividend

Americans looked for a "______" after the Gulf War and a "New World Order" of international collaboration.

Bill Clinton

Democratic presidential nominee ____________ was from Arkansas. He was a baby boomer. He better understood American sentiment. His campaign's unofficial motto was "It's the economy, idiot."

Ross Perot

Independent presidential candidate _______ was a Texas multibillionaire. He advocated for a balanced budget and "common sense" in the White House.

Brady Bill

The _________ mandated federal background checks and five-day waiting periods for gun purchases.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Bush's ______________ was ratified by Clinton. The US, Mexico, and Canada eliminated tariffs and other trade obstacles with this deal. Many unions opposed this because of concern of job losses.

Whitewater

They were most controversial for their role in failing savings and loan and the "______" property development transaction.

Kenneth Starr

In August 1994, ____________ was appointed independent counsel to examine the Whitewater controversy.

Contract with America

The __________, a conservative legislative program, was supported by incoming House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

This act limited social aid, tightened food stamp standards, and allowed states to create "welfare-to-work" programs.

budget-cutting

Clinton's second term started well when he signed a ________ package.

Al Qaeda

In 1998, Osama bin Laden's _________ network bombed the American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, killing hundreds.

Iraq Liberation Act of 1998

The ____________ advocated for "regime change" in Iraq. To avoid another "ethnic cleansing" of Kosovo's Albanians, the US and NATO launched an air war against Serbia in 1999.