APUSH Unit 9 Review (1980-Present)

Conservative Resurgence:
- Shift away from liberal Democratic dominance since FDR.
- Fueled by Nixon and Ford's policies, William F. Buckley's writings, and Milton Friedman's economic theories.
- Conservatives opposed:
  - Decline of American morals.
  - Government overreach.
  - Feminism, gay rights, affirmative action.
  - Abortion and sexual permissiveness.
- Rise of Televangelists:
  - Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson: Merged conservative values with Christianity.
  - Jerry Falwell: Founded the Moral Majority in 1979 to unseat liberal representatives.
- Right to Life Movement:
  - United Catholics and Protestants against abortion.
  - Opposed Roe v. Wade.
- Opposition to Affirmative Action:
  - White Americans saw it as reverse discrimination due to stagflation.
  - Complaints about race quotas in college admissions.
- Pressure from businesses to reduce regulations, weaken labor unions, and decrease taxes.
- Election of Ronald Reagan (1980):
  - Capitalized on conservative sentiment.
  - Criticized Democrats for federal government expansion and declining American greatness.
  - Senate shifted to Republican majority due to the Moral Majority's efforts.
  - Implemented policies reducing taxes, cutting government spending (selectively), increasing military spending, and appointing conservative judges.

Reaganomics (Supply-Side Economics):
- Economic growth occurs with tax cuts and deregulation.
- Consumers benefit from more goods at lower prices.
- Contrasted with Keynesian economics (government spending for economic recovery).
- Critics called it a "trickle-down" scheme.
- Economic Recovery Act (1981):
  - Cut income and capital gains taxes.
  - Mainly benefited upper-income earners.
- Cuts to Government Spending:
  - Reduced welfare programs (food stamps, public transportation) by $40,000,000,000$ .
  - Increased military spending by approximately $150,000,000,000$ over two terms.
- Deregulation:
  - Reduced auto emissions and safety regulations.
  - Opened federal lands for coal and timber extraction.
- Conservative Judicial Appointments:
  - Sandra Day O'Connor (first female judge).
  - Antonin Scalia.
  - Anthony Kennedy.
  - Court decisions restricted affirmative action and made abortion access more difficult.

Reagan's Strategy:
- Military intervention, advanced weaponry, speeches, and diplomacy.
- Military Interventions:
  - Nicaragua: Supported Contras to dislodge the communist government.
  - Iran-Contra Affair: Secretly sold weaponry to Iran to fund the Contras, which was illegal.
- Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI):
  - Laser-based weapon systems to shoot down enemy missiles (dubbed "Star Wars").
- Gorbachev's Reforms:
  - Mikhail Gorbachev's ascension to power in 1985.
  - Glasnost (openness) to end political repression in The Soviet Union.
  - Perestroika (restructuring) to introduce limited free market principles.
- Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty (1987): Eliminated intermediate-range nuclear missiles.
- Reagan's Demand: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" (Berlin Wall speech).
George H.W. Bush and the End of the Cold War:
- Elected in 1988, oversaw the end of the Cold War.
- Gorbachev decreased Soviet influence in Eastern Europe, leading to the fall of communist governments.
- Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
- Official fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
- Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I): US and Russia agreed to reduce nuclear warheads, first to $10,000$ , then to $3,000$ .
- US economic aid to Russia.

Clinton Administration:
- Longest peacetime economic boom.
- Factors:
  - Technological advancements in digital communications (Internet, email).
  - E-commerce (Amazon.com).
  - Increased productivity through mechanization in industry and agriculture.
- Consequences:
  - Declined employment in industrial and agricultural sectors.
  - Stagnant wages for working and middle classes.
  - Increased gap between rich and everyone else.
- Societal Transformation:
  - Mobile technology (cell phones) and social media (Facebook, Twitter).
  - New social communities formed around networks.

Demographic Shifts:
- Fastest-growing regions: South and West.
- Immigration accounted for 28% of population growth in the 1990s.
- Immigration Reform and Control Act (1986):
  - Created a process for immigrant entry.
  - Criticized for granting amnesty to some Mexican immigrants.
- Hispanic immigrants became the largest minority.
- Nativist backlash due to immigrants taking jobs.
- Migrant labor contributed to economic prosperity.
- Asian American immigrant population grew to approximately $10,000,000$ .

George W. Bush Presidency:
- Elected in 2000 after a disputed election.
- September 11, 2001 Attacks:
  - Al-Qaeda attack on America using hijacked commercial airplanes.
  - Attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
  - Led to the War on Terror.
  - The US demanded that the Taliban government turn over Osama bin Laden.
  - US troops sent to Afghanistan after the Taliban refused to comply.
  - The Taliban was quickly overthrown.
- The US led a losing battle in pursuit of terrorists into the wilderness of Afghanistan
Domestic Policies Following 9/11:
- Increased governmental surveillance.
- Patriot Acts (2001, 2003): Increased surveillance permissions.
- Department of Homeland Security: Largest governmental reorganization since the Department of Defense after World War II.
Environmental Concerns:
- Renewed debate over environmental degradation due to America's dependence on fossil fuels.
- Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait (1990): War due to US need for oil.
- Climate Change Awareness: Al Gore raised awareness about the impact of fossil fuels on greenhouse gases and global warming.
Continuing Superpower Status: Despite challenges, the US remained the world's leading superpower.