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COMPLETE REVIEW: HISTORICAL PERIOD 9

Period Nine: 1980-present

advance of political conservatism, developments in science and technology, and demographic shifts that had major cultural + political consequences

reagan and conservatism

  • campaign promises: reduce taxes, cut government spending, increase military resources, appoint conservative judges

  • economics – reaganomics system, trickle down/supply side economics (economic growth will occur with no business restrictions + lower taxes), consumers benefit due to lower prices, more laissez-faire

  • spending cuts – cut welfare programs (eg. food stamps), massively increased military spending

  • deregulated industry – eg. auto industry, reducing emissions standards

  • appointed conservative judges – eg. sandra day o'connor, antonin scalia, anthony kennedy

  • restricted scope of affimative action, made abortion less accessible


the end of the cold war

  • wanted to end cold war → eg. military intervention

  • iran contra affair: iran + iraq had been at war since 1980, us wanted to aid iran + secretly sold weapons to the contras; used this profit to aid nicaraguan contras → illegal diversion of funds (congress has budgetary authority); sketchy

  • buildup of nuclear weaponry: increased military spending, strategic defense initiative (“star wars” program) → satellites with space lasers to shoot missles headed from russia to america

  • george hw bush: ends cold war, ussr dissolved

  • further diplomatic agreements to disband nuclear stockpiles from cold war → start one agreement: both reduced nuclear warheads to 10,000, then to 3,000


shifts in the economy

  • bill clinton presided over changing economy → america’s longest peacetime economic boom

  • technological advancements, digital communication + increased productivity (further mechanization of industrial + agricultural sectors), digital mobile technology

  • rise of social media platforms changes daily lives of americans

  • changing economy – outsourcing of manufacturing, increasingly service-based economy


migration + immigration

  • immigrants: 28% of pop growth in ‘90s

  • 1986 – immigration reform + control act: fairer entry for immigrants into america, drew criticism for granting amnesty to mexican immigrants coming to the us illegally

  • increasing numbers of hispanic + asian immigrants


challenges of the 21st century

  • 9/11: al quaeda, george w bush leads war on terror → topple taliban government in afghanistan, pursuing osama bin laden stretched longer

  • americans willing to accept more drastic anti-terrorist measures

  • patriot acts 1+2: increased government surveillance of citizens via calls, emails, etc.

  • environmental concerns: renewed debate over fossil fuels (mainly oil)

  • iraq’s invasion of kuwait over oil led us into war with iraq

  • climate change: brought to attention by al gore, the inconvenient truth that dependence on fossil fuel is going to kill us all

COMPLETE REVIEW: HISTORICAL PERIOD 9

Period Nine: 1980-present

advance of political conservatism, developments in science and technology, and demographic shifts that had major cultural + political consequences

reagan and conservatism

  • campaign promises: reduce taxes, cut government spending, increase military resources, appoint conservative judges

  • economics – reaganomics system, trickle down/supply side economics (economic growth will occur with no business restrictions + lower taxes), consumers benefit due to lower prices, more laissez-faire

  • spending cuts – cut welfare programs (eg. food stamps), massively increased military spending

  • deregulated industry – eg. auto industry, reducing emissions standards

  • appointed conservative judges – eg. sandra day o'connor, antonin scalia, anthony kennedy

  • restricted scope of affimative action, made abortion less accessible


the end of the cold war

  • wanted to end cold war → eg. military intervention

  • iran contra affair: iran + iraq had been at war since 1980, us wanted to aid iran + secretly sold weapons to the contras; used this profit to aid nicaraguan contras → illegal diversion of funds (congress has budgetary authority); sketchy

  • buildup of nuclear weaponry: increased military spending, strategic defense initiative (“star wars” program) → satellites with space lasers to shoot missles headed from russia to america

  • george hw bush: ends cold war, ussr dissolved

  • further diplomatic agreements to disband nuclear stockpiles from cold war → start one agreement: both reduced nuclear warheads to 10,000, then to 3,000


shifts in the economy

  • bill clinton presided over changing economy → america’s longest peacetime economic boom

  • technological advancements, digital communication + increased productivity (further mechanization of industrial + agricultural sectors), digital mobile technology

  • rise of social media platforms changes daily lives of americans

  • changing economy – outsourcing of manufacturing, increasingly service-based economy


migration + immigration

  • immigrants: 28% of pop growth in ‘90s

  • 1986 – immigration reform + control act: fairer entry for immigrants into america, drew criticism for granting amnesty to mexican immigrants coming to the us illegally

  • increasing numbers of hispanic + asian immigrants


challenges of the 21st century

  • 9/11: al quaeda, george w bush leads war on terror → topple taliban government in afghanistan, pursuing osama bin laden stretched longer

  • americans willing to accept more drastic anti-terrorist measures

  • patriot acts 1+2: increased government surveillance of citizens via calls, emails, etc.

  • environmental concerns: renewed debate over fossil fuels (mainly oil)

  • iraq’s invasion of kuwait over oil led us into war with iraq

  • climate change: brought to attention by al gore, the inconvenient truth that dependence on fossil fuel is going to kill us all