APUSH Period 9 Review (1980-Present)

Liberal Democrats dominating
Conservative Resurgence
- Nixon, Buckley
Conservatives of this age rebelled as what they saw as decline of American morals
- slow gay rights, feminism, opposed gay rights and abortion
Moral Majority
Right to Life Movement opposed abortion
Growing distaste for affirmative action
- College race quotas = indignant
- Weaken labor unions, decrease taxes
Ronald Reagan (conservatist)
- Likeable to public, criticized Democrats for declining American greatness
Senate changed from Democrat to Republican majority
Reagan reduced taxes, cut government spending, increasing military spending
Reaganomics: supply-side economics
- Growth occurs when taxes are decreased and business restrictions are reduced
- Consumers can buy things at lower prices
- Critics say it’s trickle-down econoics
Economic Recovery Act cut income taxes dramatically
- Mainly helped wealthy
Reduced spending on government programs like food stamps, heavily increased military spending
Appointed Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman judge
- Multiple Conservatist judges appointed

Military Interventions

Nicaragua
- Became communist country, US sent aid to contras
Iran Contra Affair
- US wanted to aid Iran in war
- Reagan’s men to secretly sell weapons to Iran Contras, then use that profit to aid Nicaraguan Congra
- Congress has authority on US budget, illegal
- Smeared his reputation
Buildup of Advanced Weaponry
- Laser based space weaponry to shoot missiles from space
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force Treaty
- Tear down this wall

George H.W. Bush

Bill Clinton

Longest peacetime economic boom
- Tech advancements like internet/email
- Industrial and agricultural inustries
- Productivity increased, wages didn’t grow with it
- Increased gap b/w rich and poor
- Cell phones, social media
Immigration
- South and West were fastest growing regions: Sunbelt states
- Immigration Reform and Control Act created fair entry
- Hispanic Immigrants became largest minority in US, minority backlash

George W. Bush