APUSH (Period 9)

• Ronald Reagan


  Won the election of 1980 against Democrat incumbent Jimmy Carter
• Reagan's campaign


  • Promised to implement conservative policies and reduce government intervention in the economy
  • Received support from groups like the Moral Majority
• Reaganomics


  Reagan's Economic Policy, emphasized supply side economics, tax cuts, and deregulation
• Impact of Reaganomics


  Debated - some argue it improved economic growth, others criticize it for widening the wealth gap and increasing the national debt
• The Reagan Administration was criticized for their role in the Iran Contra affair
• Iran Contra affair


  Involved the illegal sale of arms to Iran with the profits being used to fund anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua, caused Reagan's approval ratings to drop as Americans questioned how much he knew
• Reagan's policies


  • Helped bring an end to the Cold War
  • Eased tensions by opening lines of communication with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
  • Challenged Gorbachev to "tear down that wall", calling for greater freedom and openness in Eastern Europe
• The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989
• George H.W. Bush


  Reagan's vice president, won the presidential election of 1988 due to Reagan's popularity and his campaign promise "read my lips, no new taxes"
• Bush's presidency


  • Included the Persian Gulf War, also known as Desert Storm, which was considered a military success
  • Saw the end of the Cold War with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991
• Bush's loss in the 1992 election


  Attributed to an economic recession which forced him to break his promise on no new taxes, and the addition of third party candidate Ross Perot
• Bill Clinton


  Won the election of 1992, running as a more moderate "New Democrat"
• Clinton's campaign promise


  • Lifting the long-standing ban on gay and lesbian individuals enlisting in the American armed forces, although his "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was controversial
• Clinton Administration achievements


  • NAFTA agreement between the US, Mexico, and Canada to reduce trade barriers and promote economic cooperation in North America
  • Budget reform that reduced the federal deficit by increasing taxes on high-income individuals and cutting spending
• Clinton's achievements were overshadowed by his impeachment proceedings
• George W. Bush


  Son of George H.W. Bush, won the presidential election of 2000 in a highly contested race decided by the Supreme Court
• Challenges during Bush's presidency


  • Federal response to Hurricane Katrina
  • Severe economic recession, the 2008 economic crisis caused by lack of oversight in the financial industry and poor lending practices
• Bush's legislation


  • No Child Left Behind Act, which set standards for academic achievement and held schools more accountable, but was criticized for its emphasis on standardized testing
• Bush presidency


  • Dominated by the rise of terrorism and the War on Terror, started after the 9/11 attacks by Al-Qaeda
  • Passed the USA Patriot Act to expand surveillance and law enforcement powers
  • Created the Department of Homeland Security
• Barack Obama


  Became the first African-American president in 2008, promised healthcare reform which was achieved with the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
• Challenges Obama faced


  Ongoing economic crisis from the Great Recession, implemented measures like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to stabilize the economy
• Obama's presidency


  • Oversaw the successful operation that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden
  • Fulfilled campaign promise to bring troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan, ending the longest wars in American history
• Globalization


  Reshaped the world's economy with interdependence between nations, opened up new markets for American businesses but also increased competition with overseas manufacturers
• America experienced a decline in manufacturing, especially in industrial states, which became known as the "Rust Belt"
• The influx of urban dwellers into more rural regions increased the influence of Southern states on national politics
• Technological changes


  • Rise of personal computers impacted various fields
  • Creation of the internet led to increased online capabilities and contributed to globalization
  • Rise of cell phones and social media platforms connected people, ideas, and businesses across the globe
• Immigration


  After 1980, the largest portion of American immigrants were coming from Latin America and Asia, with Asians being the fastest growing immigrant group
• Immigration policies


  • Reagan approved the Immigration Reform and Control Act
  • Obama signed the DACA act
• Census data from 2010 revealed that Asians were the fastest growing immigrant group in America, with the number of Asian immigrants doubling from 1970 to now
• The Immigration Act of 1965 lifted strict quotas on Asian immigrants
• Potential AP Exam questions on Period 9


  • Causation - effects of Reagan's economic policies (Reaganomics)
  • Comparison - recent political polarization, comparing conservative and liberal ideologies
  • Continuity and Change - changes in foreign policy after the Cold War, America's involvement in the Middle East