Period 9: 1980-present

conservativism after liberal 60s/70s, Barry Goldwater wrote Conscience of a Conservative; conservative party made up of blue collar workers, suburbia, yuppies, Christian fundamentalists

reaganomics, deregulation, Iran-Contra scandal, president during AIDS epidemic and Sandra Day O’Connor

aka supply-side and trickle-down economics; top wage earners get tax breaks so they can create jobs and wealth will “trickle down”

led to lower unemployment/inflation, but increased national debt + bigger wealth gap

Texas v. Johnson- people can burn US flag in protest

Planned Parenthood v. Casey- affirmed Roe v. Wade

Bush v. Gore- Bush declared winner of close election of 2000

people moving to the southern half of US because of lower taxes/jobs/good weather, moving away from midwest bc of deindustrialization there

didn’t believe in detente, spent money on military to defeat USSR, called USSR “evil empire”, used Strategic Defense System to convince USSR that we could shoot their missiles out of sky, called Gorbachev to tear down Berlin Wall, Gorbachev reformed through Glasnost (freedom of speech) and Perestroika (private ownership)

TV more conservative, about families

movies reflected society (Breakfast Club, Top Gun)

pop + rock music (Madonna, Michael Jackson)

formerly Reagan’s VP, passed Americans with Disabilities Act, president during Recession + 27th Amendment

peaceful protests in Germany leading to wall torn down + refunification (1989)

peaceful protests in Eastern Europe led to Communist govt stepping down

USSR dissolution in 1991, gave independence to colonized countries

START I + II treaties extending SALT I/II

peaceful protests in China led to Tiananmen Square massacre

after Cold War, Saddam Hussein (leader of Iraq) invaded Kuwait and wanted to invade Saudi Arabia, US steps in and drives him back, but doesn’t overthrow

passed NAFTA creating free trade with Canada and Mexico, president during Republican Revolution (R controlled House for 1st time since Cold War), passed Welfare Reform Act (harder to get welfare), Lewinski scandal

Bosnia peace treaty b/w countries at war after USSR dissolution, globalization (WTO, World Bank, G-8)

TV- drama, comedy (Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

film- Jurassic Park, the matrix

music- alt rock/rap

trickle down economics (Bush Tax Cuts), No Child Left Behind education program; president during 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Great Recession

reaction to 9/11; Bush Doctrine invaded Afghanistan to hunt for Osama bin Laden bc they wouldn’t get rid of Al Qaeda, also invaded Iraq bc W Bush wanted to finish what HW Bush started + overthrow Saddam Hussein, caught/killed Hussein but didn’t find Bin Laden until 2011

invasion of Iraq upset power balance in Middle East, Department of Homeland Security, USA Patriot Act allowing govt to collect personal data on citizens

McDonald v. Chicago- anyone can have guns to protect themselves, no limits on type of guns

Obergefell v. Hodges- same-sex marriage in all of US

Dobbs v. Jackson- overturned Roe v. Wade

president during Great Recession/Housing Crisis, ACA (Obamacare) giving public insurance to people who don’t get benefits with their jobs, Tea Party group of conservatives who thought his plans would result in too high taxes

ended occupation in Iraq after it was stabilized, Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan, Arab Spring (govts of Egypt and Libya stepping down after protests, but civil war in Syria), Putin takes over Crimea in Ukraine

trickle down economics, tariffs on Chinese goods, tried to put Muslim ban on immigration, impeached 2x, Jan 6 attacks, president during COVID and BLM

dealt with COVID through Economy Recovery Act (flooded economy with money and caused inflation), infrastructure bill, promises to make new voting rights act after Shelby v. Holder