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Unit 9: Period 9: 1980-Present

9.1 Contextualizing Period 9

  • The political divide between rural and urban regions increased
  • End of Cold War + Conservatism
  • Middle-Eastern conflicts
  • War on Terror

Reagan and Conservatism

Ronald Reagan and the Election of 1980

  • Ronald Reagan → likable and sensible + won rep nomination
  • Campaign for President → Reagan attacked Dems for expanding gov and undermining US prestige
  • Reagan won 51% of the popular vote and almost 91% of the electoral votes
  • Significance → Reagan broke up the New Deal coalition by taking mo50% of blue-collar votes
  • The election ended a half-century of Democratic dominance of Congress

The Reagan Revolution

  • Reaganomics
    • Supply-side economics: tax cuts and reduced gov spending would increase investment by the private sector
    • Reaganomics → contrasted with Keynesian
  • Federal Tax Cut
    • Economic Recovery Tax Act (1981): included a 25% decrease in personal income taxes
  • Spending
    • With the help of conservative Dems, Reps cut more than $40 billion from domestic programs
  • Deregulation
    • Reduced federal regulations on business and industry
    • Restrictions were eased on savings and loan institutions, mergers, and takeovers + auto safety loosened
  • Labor Unions
    • Reagan was against unions + fired many for violating contracts and decertified the PACTO union
    • Decrease in union membership → loss of manufacturing jobs
  • Recession and Recovery
    • 1982 → nation suffered a big recession + bank failures
    • Recovery widened the economic gap
  • Privatization
    • Replacing government jobs with private business (air strike)

Social Issues

  • Election of 1984
    • Reagan and VP George Bush were renominated by the Rep party
    • Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro → first female VP candidate of a major party + won the nomination of Dems
    • Reagan won with 59% of the popular vote and 525 of the 538 electoral votes
    • Reagan's policies → boosted the economy and made him a popular president
  • Budget and Trade Deficits
    • Reagan’s tax cuts + increased military spending + larger fed deficits
    • The US became a debtor nation
    • Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Balanced Budget Act → across the board spending cuts
  • Impact of President Reagan
    • His conservative policies included tax cuts, reduced government spending, and deregulation,→ lasting impact on the economy and business environment.
    • Reagan is also known for his strong anti-communist stance, which played a role at the end of the Cold War.
    • Criticized for its handling of the Iran-Contra affair, in which senior officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran and used the proceeds to fund anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua.

Foreign Policy During the Reagan Years

Renewing the Cold War

  • Military Buildup
    • Reagan’s administration spent billions to make weapons to expand the US navy
    • Increased spending on Strategic Defense Initiative → Plan to build a high-tech system to destroy enemy missiles before they could reach US territory
    • $171 billion → $300 billion
  • Central America
    • Reagan supported right-wing dictators to keep out communism
    • The Marxist movement (Sandinistas) had overthrown the country’s dictator
    • The US provided military aid to the contras to dislodge Sandinistas
    • Dems opposed and passed the Boland Amendment → prohibited further aid to contras
    • Reagan administration spent $5 billion to support Salvadorn gov against a coalition of leftist guerrillas
  • Grenada
    • The coup led to est. of pro-Cuban regime
    • Reagan ordered marines to invade the island to prevent communist bases in the US
    • Succeeded in re-est. Pro-US gov
  • Iran-Contra Affair
    • Iran and Iraq had been engaged in a bloody war
    • Stuff had the idea to use profits of the arms deal with Iran to fund contras in Nicaragua
    • Reagan denied knowing diversion funds → drop in popularity votes

Lebanon, Isreal, and PLO

  • Isreal invaded Lebanon to stop PLO terrorists from raiding Isreal
  • The US sent peacekeeping forces into Lebanon to contain the country’s civil war
  • Arab suicide squad bombed the US embassy in Beirut + another terrorist drove a bomb truck into US Marines barracks
  • Reagan pulled forces out of Lebanon
  • Geroge Schultz pushed for a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

Improved US-Soviet Relations

  • The cold war intensified as a result of arms buildups + soviet deployment of missiles against NATO
  • Mikhail Gorbachev became the new Soviet leader + made reforms
  • Glasnost (openness) → end political repression + more political freedom
  • Perestroika (resurrecting) → free-market practices
  • “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” (Berlin Wall)
  • Gorbachev + Reagan agreed to remove + destroy intermediate-range missiles (INF agreement)

Assessing Reagan’s Policy

  • Reagan administration argued military buildup forced the Soviet Union to concede defeat and abandon Cold War
  • Others concluded that Gorbachev needed to reform the community economy
  • Others believed George Kenan’s containment policies helped

The Collapse of Soviet Communism and the Soviet Union

  • Tiananmen Square →  Pro-democracy students demonstrated for freedom in Beijing but the communist government crushed the protest
  • Eastern Europe →  declared that he would no longer support Communist governments of Eastern Europe with Soviet Armed Forces
  • East German protesters tore down Berlin Wall
  • Break Up of the Soviet Union → Nationalist desire for self-doubt termination overwhelmed Gorbachev and the Soviet Union +Failed group against Gorbachev dissolved the Soviet Union
  • Soviets came with the loose Confederation of the Commonwealth of independent states
  • Yeltsin disbanded the party
  • End of Cold War → Agreements to dismantle nuclear weapons tangible proof ended the Cold War
  • START I and START II → reduced nuclear warheads and weapons + offered US economic assistance to the Russian economy
  • Yugoslavia + Bosnia and Herzegovina in chaos
  • The end of the Cold War raised questions about whether the US needed heavy defense spending

Invasion of Panama

  • US troops were sent to remove the General to stop Noriega from using the drug pipeline to the US

Persian Gulf War

  • Saddam Hussein ( Iraq's  dictator)  invaded oil Rich Kuwait
  • President Bush built a Coalition of United Nations members to pressure Husain to withdraw from Kuwait
  • un embargo against Iraq had no effect
  • Bush won Congressional approval for a military campaign to roll back Iraq's aggression
  • Operation Desert Storm: military operative sent to Iraq
  • After 100 hours of fighting Iraq conceded defeat

Domestic Problems

  • Clarence Thomas:  to replace Thurgood Marshall became controversial as sexual harassment issue angered African Americans and women
  • Taxes and the Economy
    • Week Savings and Loan institutions to pay insurance depositors for funds lost in s&l's would cost taxpayers more than $250 billion
    • Republicans fall betrayed when Bush violated no new taxes
    • Recession in 1990 and did the Regan era of prosperity, increased unemployment, and decreased average family income
  • Political Inertia
    • Americans with Disabilities Act (1990):  prohibited discrimination against citizens with physical and mental disabilities
    • Emphasized Cuts in federal programs

The Clinton Years: Prosperity and Partisanship

Anti-Incubant Mood

  • A stagnant economy, huge budget deficits, political Deadlock fueled to solutions meant with government
  • US Term Limits Inc. v. Thorton: States could not limit the tenure of federal lawmakers without a Constitutional Amendment
  • 27th Amendment: prohibited members of Congress from raising their own salaries

The Election of 1992

  • In 1992, George H.W. Bush ran for re-election against Democratic Bill Clinton and Independent candidate Ross Perot.
  • H. Ross Perot → Texas billion as an independent + appealed to millions with anti-Washinton, anti-deficit views
  • Despite his high approval ratings following the Gulf War, Bush faced criticism for his handling of domestic issues, including the economy and rising unemployment.
  • Clinton won with 43% of the popular vote and 370 electoral votes

Clinton’s First Term (1993-1997)

  • Early Accomplishments
    • Family and Medical Leave Act + “motor-voter” law
    • Brady Handgun Bill → mandated a 5-day waiting period for the purchase of handguns
    • Anti-Crime Bill → provided $30 billion in funding for more police protection + crime prevention
    • National Rifle Association
    • NAFTA → free trade zone between Canada and Mexico

Republicans Take over Congress

  • Zealous Reformers → Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House, led Reps in an attack on fed programs + spending “contract with America”
  • Resulted in 2 shutdowns of fed gov + Oklahoma City bombing
  • Balanced Budget → Congress and President compromised on a budget that left Medicare and Social Security benefits intact
  • Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act: set curves on immigrants, increased minimum wage, and balance the budget
  • Record and the economy helped eliminate the deficit in federal spending plus created Federal Surplus plus created 10 million new jobs

The Election of 1996

  • President Bill Clinton won a second term in office, defeating Republican nominee Bob Dole
  • largely fought over domestic issues, such as the economy and healthcare
  • Clinton won the popular vote with 49.2% and secured 379 electoral votes.

Technology Boom

  • The advent of the internet, communication became faster and more efficient, while personal computing made it easier for people to access information and perform tasks
  • Rise of many tech companies such as Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon
  • Development of new technologies and software paved the way for the digital revolution

Clinton’s Second Term: Politics of Impeachment

  • Investigations and Impeachment
    • Associates of Clinton under investigation appointed independent prosecutors
    • Dems viewed investigations as right-wing conspiracy
    • Clinton wasn’t charged with any illegalities in Whitewater real estate deal+  firing
    • Kenneth Starr charged Clinton during his deposition in a civil suit about alleged sexual harassment while gov of AK lied about relations with a young woman
  • Impeachment
    • House voted to impeach the president on counts of perjury and obstruction of justice
    • The popular opinion did not support rep impeachment
    • Allowed Congress to est. independent prosecutor’s office to lapse

Foreign Policy in the Clinton Administration

  • Peacekeeping
    • US soldiers in humanitarian missions came in the Somalian civil war + Haiti
    • Played a key diplomatic role in a negotiated end to British rule in Northern Irelan
  • Europe
    • UE became the unified market of 15 nations
    • Boris Yeltsin struggled to reform its economy and fight rampant corruption
    • Serbian dictator carried out a series of armed conflicts to suppress independence movements in Yugolace provinces
  • Asia
    • Nuclear proliferation becoming a concern (North Korea, India, Pakistan)
    • Diplomatic ties with Vietnam
    • Trade agreements with China despite protests from human rights activists
  • Middle East
    • Saddam Husien defiance of UN weapons instructors → Airstrikes
    • Anti-American sentiment in the Islamic world
  • Globalization
    • World Trade Org (WTO): oversaw trade agreements, trade rules, disputes
    • International Monetary Fund (IMF) + World Bank: made loans + supervised economic policies of poorer nations with debt
    • The growing gap between rich and poor

American Society in 2000

  • Immigration
    • Immigration Reform and Control Act (1986) → fair entry process for immigrants but failed to stop illegal entry through Mexico
  • Aging and the Family
    • More ethnically diverse + increased life expectancy
    • A growing number of single-parent families
  • Income and Wealth
    • Americans were achieving the American dream
    • Homeownership continued to climb
    • The economy continues to generate more and more wealth
    • Income tax for the lowest declined
    • High school graduates earned half the income of college graduates
    • The US was the richest country in the world among industrialized nations
    • The largest gap between lowest and highest paid workers and the greatest concentration of wealth among top-earning households

Challenges of the 21st Century

Political Polarization

  • Anti-gov rural and many suburban areas went Rep
  • Diverse large urban centers voted Democrat
  • The shift of southern white conservatives from dem Rep Party transformed American politics
  • Both parties gerrymandered congressional districts to create safe seats → regarded partisanship and discouraged compromise

Disputed Election of 2000

  • George W. Bush and Al Gore were so close that it had to be decided by the Supreme Court
  • Bush v. Gore: outcome of the Election in Favor of Bush
  • The court's majority opinion argued that the Florida Supreme Court's method of manual vote recounting was unconstitutional, as it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
  • Others argued that the court's intervention in the election was unwarranted and could have far-reaching consequences for future elections.
  • Significant and debated cases in the history of the Supreme Court

Domestic Policies of the George W. Bush Administration

  • Republican Tax Cuts → lowered top tax bracket, gradually eliminated estate taxes, increased child tax credit and IRA + 401(k) limits + gave all taxpayers immediate tax rebates
  • Educational and Health Reform
    • No Child Left Behind Act → pushed schools to give struggling students more attention, support, and help
    • Congress fulfilled prescription drug coverage for seniors
  • Economic Bubbles and Corruption
    • The technology boom peaked in the 2000s
    • The stock market crashed + the unemployment rate claimed + people living in poverty increased
    • Federal Reserve fought the recession by cutting interest rates
    • End of tech boom → Investors moved their money into real estate (bubble)

The War on Terrorism

  • Early Terrorist Attacks
    • Truck bombing of WTC
    • Osama Bin Laden allied himself with the Taliban
  • September 11, 2001
    • Terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes and flew them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania
    • The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands more
    • The event had a profound impact on American society and foreign policy, leading to the War on Terrorism and changes in national security measures.
  • War in Afghanistan
    • Bush declared that he wanted Osama bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda leaders “dead or alive”
    • Taliban refused to turn him over
  • Home Land Security
    • USA PATRIOT ACT (2001): expanded the gov’s surveillance powers, allowing for increased monitoring of communication and financial transactions in an effort to prevent future terrorist attacks
    • Some argue that it infringes on civil liberties and others argue that it is necessary for national security.
    • Department of Homeland Security
    • Director of National Intelligence → Coordinating the intelligence activities of all agencies
  • George W. Bush Foreign Policy
    • Bush refused to join Kyoto Accords to prevent global warming
    • Did the administration value cooperation with nations or follow a unilateralist approach?
    • Bush claimed that the US would be justified in using a pre-emptive attack to stop the acquisition and use of weapons of mass destruction by terrorists and by nations that support it
  • Iraq War
    • Began in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a coalition of primarily Western countries led by the United States
    • The war was launched in response to the September 11 attacks and the belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)
    • Despite numerous international protests and a lack of evidence supporting the WMD claim, the invasion went ahead.
  • Operation Iraqi Freedom
    • Aimed to remove Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein from power and eliminate Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)
    • Although Hussein was eventually captured and executed and Iraq's government was overthrown, the WMDs were never found

Elections of 2004 and a Bush Second Term

  • Elections of 2004
    • George W. Bush won re-election over Democratic nominee John Kerry
    • The election was held in the midst of the War on Terrorism and the ongoing conflict in Iraq
    • Bush campaigned on a platform of national security and the need for continued military action in the Middle East
    • Kerry criticized Bush's handling of the war and emphasized domestic issues such as healthcare and education
  • Four More Years at War
    • Reconstruction of Iraq made some headway when Iraq had its first election → National assembly, prime minister + cabinet members
    • In US bipartisan Iraqi study group recommended steps to have Iraqis take greater responsibility
    • In Afghanistan, the Taliban stepped up their attacks
  • Washington Politics
    • Bush pushed Congress to privatize social security by encouraging Americans to invest part of their Social Security payroll deduction in market investments
    • PEMA failed to anticipate and respond to Hurricane Katrina
    • Scandals tarnished Reps
    • Failures helped Dems win control of both houses in 2006
    • Bush left a lasting impact on courts by appointing conservatives
  • The Great Recession
    • Characterized by a housing market bubble, the subprime mortgage crisis, and the collapse of several large financial institutions
    • Resulted in high unemployment rates, a significant decline in home values, and a decline in consumer spending
    • The government responded with a series of measures designed to stimulate the economy, including bailouts of major financial institutions, tax cuts, and increased government spending.
    • The recession officially ended in 2009, but its effects continued to be felt for years afterward.
    • TARP: provided $700 billion to troubled banks to bail out banks that were perceived "too big to fail" to prevent financial collapse

Election of 2008

  • Marked the first time an African American was elected President of the United States.
  • Barack Obama, a Democrat, defeated Republican nominee John McCain in a landslide victory.
  • Obama campaigned on a platform of hope and change, promising to address issues such as healthcare reform, climate change, and income inequality.
  • His victory was seen as a rejection of the policies of the Bush administration and a call for a new direction in American politics.

The First Obama Administration, 2009 -2013

  • The Transition
    • Growing economic crisis dominated the transition
  • Presidential Initiatives
    • Obama signed a number of executive orders to overturn the actions of the Bush administration
    • Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: strengthen protection of equal pay for female employees
    • Obama failed to carry out all his campaign pledges
  • Economic Stimulus
    • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: unprecedented action to stimulate the economy + measures to modernize our nation's energy and communication infrastructure and enhance energy independence
    • General Motors + Chrysler Corp near collapse → Recovery of domestic auto
    • Consumer Protection Act: improved bank regulations of banking and investment firms + protect taxpayers from future bailouts of businesses
    • Bureau of Consumer Protection: regulate consumer products
  • Health Care
    • Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: extended affordable help care insurance to additional Americans
  • Budget Deficits
    • Recession lowered federal tax income and increased government spending
    • Medicare and Social Security costs add to future deficits
    • Bowles-Simpson Plan: would have eliminated the deficit by 2035
    • Rejected by Democrats for its cut to social services and Reps for tax increases
  • The Tea Party and 2010 Mid-Term Elections
    • Emerged in 2009 in response to growing concerns over government spending, taxes, and the national debt
    • The movement was largely made up of conservative Republicans and libertarians who sought to limit the size and scope of government
    • In the 2010 midterm elections, the Tea Party helped Republicans win control of the House of Representatives and gain seats in the Senate
    • However, the movement's influence began to wane in subsequent years as it became associated with more extreme and controversial views
  • Congress in Gridlock
    • Partisan political climate + gov in chaos
    • Do-nothing congress passed more legislation
    • Super-committee failed + spending cuts seemed likely

Obama’s Foreign Policy

  • Iraq
    • Pres developed a plan to wind down US ground combat operations in Iraq
    • Forces withdrawn
    • Sunni + Al-Qaeda continued to terrorize the majority Shiite gob
  • Death of Osama bin Laden
    • Killed in Pakistan in an operation of CIA + Navy SEALS
    • Raised the question of whether the US needed to stay in are or not
  • Arab Spring
    • Series of protests, uprisings, and revolutions that spread across the Middle East and North Africa in the early 2010s.
    • Sparked by the self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor in December 2010
    • The movement quickly spread to other countries, including Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Yemen
    • The protests were largely driven by discontent with authoritarian regimes, corruption, economic hardship, and lack of political freedoms
    • Led to the overthrow of several governments and sparked ongoing conflicts in Syria and elsewhere
  • Asia and Europe
    • Middle East limited pres pivot to Asia
    • Budget gridlock provided China with more opportunities to project growing power
    • EU continued to struggle for not being Bush

Election of 2012

  • Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term as president, defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney
  • The election was held in the midst of ongoing economic struggles and the continued conflict in the Middle East
  • Obama campaigned on a platform of continued progress and change, while Romney emphasized his business experience and criticized Obama's handling of the economy.

Election of 2014

  • Republicans won control of the Senate in the 2014 midterm elections
  • The election was characterized by a low voter turnout and widespread dissatisfaction with both major political parties
  • The new Republican majority in the Senate promised to challenge Obama's legislative agenda and push for conservative reforms in a number of policy areas.

Second Obama Administration

  • Partisan Budget Conflicts

    • The budget impasse between Democrats and Republicans resulted in a government shutdown, with many federal workers being furloughed for several weeks
    • The conflict centered around disagreements over federal spending levels, and both sides were criticized for their unwillingness to compromise
    • This led to a series of automatic spending cuts known as sequestration, which further strained government programs and services.

  • Gun violence

    • Mass shootings sparked debates about guns
    • Proposals to tighter gun laws + background checks

  • Terrorism

    • Homegrown terrorism sparked in **Boston Marathon (**2 brothers motivated by Islamic beliefs)

    • Efforts to prevent terrorism classes with civil liberties + human rights

  • Foreign Policy

    • Sectarian division between Sunni + Shiite Muslims worsens
    • OSS moved to re-est. worldwide caliphate under strict Islamic law
    • Iran
    • Election of a new leader provided an opportunity to start negotiations over the nuclear energy program
    • Europe
    • Russia + NATO + Ukraine tensions worsened
    • China
    • Wanted more territories + treated southeast-asian nations
    • Emerged as a serious threat in the 21st century

Contemporary Issues and the Roberts Court

  • Affirmative Actions and Voting Rights
    • Affirmative action: increase the representation of historically disadvantaged groups in areas such as employment, education, and politics.
    • The practice has been controversial, with some arguing that it unfairly advantages certain groups and others arguing that it is necessary to address past and ongoing discrimination.
    • Shelby County v. Holder → required that certain states with a history of voter discrimination obtain prior federal approval of voting changes
  • Elections and Money
    • Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission: ruled that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations and unions
  • Environment
    • Used stimulus bill to promote reduced reliance on oil + alternative energy
    • EPA: had authority under Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide + other greenhouse gases
  • Gay Rights
    • Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
    • Defense of Marriage Act → unconstitutional
    • Same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry under the 14th Amendment
  • Gun Rights
    • District of Columbia v. Heller → 2nd amendment protects the right to possess firearms
  • Immigration
    • Chamber of Commerce v. Whiting: the state had the right to require employers to check the immigration status of potential employees
    • Arizona v. US: federal immigration law pre-empts most states’ anti-immigration law
  • Healthcare
    • The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act → Critics argue that it represented government overreach and would lead to higher healthcare costs.
    • Court upheld the constitutionality of the law's individual mandate, which requires Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty.
    • King v. Burwell: healthcare could be used in states that did not have their own health insurance exchanges
    • Despite these legal challenges, the law remains in effect today, although it has been modified and scaled back by subsequent administrations.

The Trump Presidency and the Election of Biden

  • Donald Trump ran as the Republican nominee, defeating a crowded field of more traditional politicians.
  • Trump campaigned "Make America Great Again," promising to bring back jobs, renegotiate trade deals, and crack down on illegal immigration.
  • Hillary Clinton ran as the Democratic nominee, becoming the first woman to be nominated for president by a major political party.
  • Clinton campaigned on experience and continuity, promising to build on the legacy of the Obama administration and promote progressive policies such as universal healthcare and equal pay for women.
  • Characterized by controversy and scandal, with Trump facing allegations of sexual assault and Clinton facing criticism over her handling of classified information as Secretary of State.
  • Trump won the election, despite losing the popular vote to Clinton by nearly 3 million votes.

Trump’s Domestic Policy

  • The tax overhaul that lowered corporate and individual tax rates, a repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, and an immigration policy that sought to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and increase border security
  • Travel ban on individuals from several predominantly Muslim countries and a zero-tolerance policy on illegal immigration that resulted in the separation of families at the border
  • Marked by significant polarization and controversy, with many of his policies and actions facing legal challenges and widespread criticism from opponents.

Trump's Foreign Policy

  • America First
    • Trump's foreign policy was characterized by an "America First" approach that emphasized protecting American interests and reducing foreign involvement.
  • NATO and European Allies
    • Trump criticized NATO allies for not contributing their fair share to the organization's budget and called for increased defense spending from other countries.
    • Strained relations with European allies, particularly Germany, over trade and security issues.

Investigation and Impeachment

  • In 2019, a complaint alleged that President Trump had pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his son in exchange for military aid
  • The House investigated and impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress
  • The Senate acquitted Trump, with Republicans arguing that it was a politically motivated attempt to remove the president from office
  • The impeachment and acquittal were controversial and divisive, highlighting the deep polarization and partisanship in American politics.

2020 Pandemic

  • Covid-19 was first identified in China
  • spread like crazy all around the world + people had to wear masks
  • Trump’s Operation Warp Speed → help pharmaceutical companies develop vaccines
  • Many lost jobs and businesses failed

Election of 2020

  • Vice president Joe Biden and Kamala Harris defeated the Republican President Donald Trump and vice president Mike Pence
  • The election took place against the backdrop of the global COVID-19 pandemic and related recession.

Attack on the Capital and a Second Impeachment

  • Trump held a rally near the White House encouraging supporters to march to the capitol → turned into an attack
  • Trump’s actions → 1st president to become impeached twice

Biden’s Administration

  • Called for unity + end suffering from the pandemic by vaccinating all Americans against COVID-19