APUSH Period 9 (1980-Present): Notes

Chapter 30

The Rise of Conservatism

  • By this point, conservatism had become a leading force for change. They opposed big governments, liberalism, gun control, feminism, abortion, and drug use because they thought it undermined family and religious views

Ronald Reagan and the Election of 1980

  • Reagan’s strategy was focused on attacking Democrats for expanding the government and pointed out the inflation and unemployment rates, promising to lower them

The Reagan Revolution

  • Congress passed the economic recovery act to decrease taxes and grant relief. He also cut government spending from domestic programs and government regulations on businesses

  • The cost of reaganomic was seen when the national debt tripled and the trade deficit increased; it also widened the gap between rich and poor

Foreign Policy During the Reagan Years

  • Reagan wanted to restore the military might of the US and intensify competition with the USSR. He increased spending for defense and aid to anti-communist forces in Latin America (THE COLD WAR ENDS UNDER REAGAN!!!)

George H. W. Bush and the End of the Cold War

  • Communist governments slowly started to go away and eventually the Soviet Union dissolved. Another sign the war was over was with agreements to dismantle nuclear weapons like in the START I and II agreements

The Clinton Years: Prosperity and Partisanship

  • The new Democratic congress was unpopular because it had raised taxes and limited gun ownership. By 1996, they had created a budget that left Medicare and Social Security benefits intact, increased minimum wage, and balanced the budget

American Society in 2000

  • The United States was becoming more ethnically diverse and the life expectancy was steadily increasing. As the baby boom ended, concerns over healthcare, medicine, senior housing, and social security increased

Chapter 31

Political Polarization

  • The nation was split into the conservative South, Great Plains, and mountain states and the more liberal Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast

  • Under George W. Bush he pushed a conservative agenda: tax cuts, deregulation, federal aid for religion, pro-life, drilling of oil for gas in Alaska, and voluntary environmental standards for industry

Domestic Policy During the Obama Presidency

  • By 2016, the economy looked stronger, 15 million jobs were created, and the unemployment rate continued to go down. We also tried to get our healthcare to be more available to all citizens

  • Obama passed the stimulus bill in 2009 which created jobs and helped the economy, but also helped produce more energy efficient products and promoted reforms for education

Foreign Policy During the Obama Presidency

  • Obama was elected in part because of his opposition to the Iraq War and the end to the unilateral approach overseas. Mostly, they didn’t want to use large-scale military actions that would put US troops on the ground

The Trump Presidency

  • Trump’s “make America great again” policy included tax cuts, deregulation, trade protection, and controlling immigration (but we all know how that’s been going for us)