Clinton Presidency

1. 12.3 The 1990s
Unit 8
The Late Cold War and Modern Politics

2. Election of 1988
George H. Bush (Rep.) defeated vs. Michael Dukakis (Dem.)
George H. Bush
1988-1992

3. George H. Bush
Served as vice president under Reagan and succeeded Reagan
as president in 1989.
He won great popularity as president for leading the nation to
victory in the Persian Gulf War, but lost the 1992 election after
the economy took a downturn.

4. U.S. Invasion of Panama (1989)
The President of Panama, Manual Noriega, was arrested by U.S.
forces and charged with drug distribution.
Sent to U.S. to face charges, found guilty, and sentenced to prison.
U.S. soldiers forced Manual Noriega to surrender
by blasting loud rock-n-roll and rap music during
the siege of his palace.

5. Collapse of Communism
The Cold War is considered over... U.S. won economically not
militarily.
Famous events during the collapse of Communism.
•The Berlin Wall was dismantled.
•W. Germany and E. Germany were reunited into one country.
•Eastern European countries were allowed to have free elections.
The Berlin Wall being dismantled by enthusiastic
Germans.
East and West Germany are unified after 45
years of separation.

6. Leadership Change in the Soviet Union
Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as leader of the Soviet Union after a
failed coup by fundamental Communist officers.
Boris Yeltsin assumed leadership of Russia.
U.S. and western European nations began shipments of food and
money to the recently formed Commonwealth of Independent
States.
The sudden disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the
United States unchallenged as a global superpower.
Boris YeltsinMikhail Gorbachev

7. Saddam Hussein
Leader of Iraq who invaded Kuwait in 1990, lost the Persian
Gulf War in '91, and was eventually removed from power once a
US-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003.

8. Persian Gulf War
War fought in 1991 in which the US led a UN coalition of nations
in driving Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces out of the nation of
Kuwait.
The war lasted only 42 days and resulted in Kuwait’s liberation.
Citing that he had only received U.N. approval to liberate Kuwait,
President Bush elected not to push the attack into Iraq and allowed
Saddam to remain in power.
U.S. and Saudi vehicles drive toward Kuwait City in
1991 during Operation Desert Storm.

9. Rodney King Incident
An African-American motorist named Rodney King was stopped by
LA police officers and beaten for resisting arrest.
A witness videotaped the incident and the tape was widely shown on
national television.
The police officers were acquitted for the incident which set off
several nights of looting, burning, and violence in Los Angeles.

10. Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 hurricane was one of the
strongest hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. wiped out communities
south of Miami, killing 15 people when it struck in 1992.
The storm's wind speeds were later estimated at more than 160
miles per hour.

11. Election of 1992
George H. Bush
(Republican)
Incumbent President
William J. Clinton
(Democrat)
Ross Perot
(Independent)

12. H. Ross Perot
Texas billionaire businessman who entered the race for president
as an independent candidate in 1992.
Perot took away some of the votes that otherwise might have gone
to President Bush.

13. Bill Clinton
Defeated George H. Bush in 1992 to become the first Democratic
president since Jimmy Carter.
Prior to his presidency, Clinton had served as governor of
Arkansas.

14. The Clinton Agenda

15. N.A.F.T.A.
(North American Fair Trade Agreement)
N.A.F.T.A. promoted free trade (no trade restrictions) between the
US, Canada, and Mexico, and caused considerable controversy in
the United States.
Many labor unions feared that the agreement would encourage US
businesses to relocate to Mexico where they'd face fewer
restrictions and be able to pay lower wages.

16. N.A.F.T.A.

17. Health Care Reform
The plan that called for a government-supervised health
insurance program that guaranteed affordable health coverage
to every US citizen.

18. National Crime Bill (1996)
Ban on assault weapons and increased stricter penalties for
criminals.
Bill passed by Congress and signed into law in (1996).

19. Welfare Reform Act (1996)
Moved millions of Americans from public assistance into the
workforce.
Bill passed by Congress and signed into law in (1996).

21. Oklahoma City Bombing (1995)
In 1995, the Oklahoma City Federal Building was bombed.
An American militant extremist named Timothy McVeigh was
arrested, convicted, and executed.
An American militant
extremist named Timothy
McVeigh was arrested,
convicted, and executed.

22. O.J. Simpson Trial
Former Buffalo Bills football star was arrested for the murder of
his wife, Nicole Simpson Brown and Ronald Goldman.
After a lengthy trial, O.J. Simpson was acquitted, but many still
believe he was guilty.
"That trail of blood from Bundy through his own
Ford Bronco and into his house on Rockingham is
devastating proof of his guilt."
Marcia Clark, Los Angeles County prosecutor

23. Contract with America
A pledge by conservatives to scale back the role of government,
cut taxes, and balance the budget.
It helped propel the Republicans to victory in the 1994
congressional elections and enabled Gingrich to become the
Speaker of the House.

24. Somalian Disaster (Oct 1993)
U.S. led operation to deliver food to famine-stricken Somalia.
U.S. and U.N. forces battle Somali Warlord followers.
U.S. public begins to oppose relieve operation after several U.S.
servicemen were killed. (Oct. 1993)
Somalian warlord
Mohamed Farah Aidid
The Somalian military disaster was the basis of
the film, “Black Hawk Down.”

25. Genocide in Yugoslavia
1999, the United States led NATO forces in an air war against
Yugoslavia to end a bloody civil war and ethnic murders between
the Serbs and the Croatians.

26. Clinton Scandals
1. Accusations of an extra-marital affairs.
2. Clinton also had to deal with charges that he had used
questionable means to avoid the draft during Vietnam.
3. Whitewater Scandal.

27. Clinton's Impeachment
Clinton became only the second president in US history to be
impeached after he lied to a grand jury about his relationship
with a White House intern named Monica Lewinski.
Clinton's was acquitted

28. Concepts to Know
Why did the United States invade Panama in 1989?
Describe the events of the First Gulf War 1990-1991.
Describe the events during the collapse of communism in Eastern
Europe.
Explain the Rodney King Incident.
Describe the Election of 1992.
Explain the military disaster in Somalia.
What is N.A.F.T.A.? Why do some people like it and others do not?
Describe the National Health Care Bill, National Crime Bill, and
Welfare Reform.
Describe the Oklahoma City Bombing incident.
Describe the O.J. Simpson Trial.
Explain why President Clinton faced impeachment charges?
Why did the United States get militarily involved in Yugoslavia?