CHAPTER 31A NEW CENTURY

2012 ELECTION

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE 3-5 MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES IN THE UPCOMING

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION?

31.1 – AMERICA ENTERS A NEW CENTURY

George W. Bush (R) Al Gore (D)

VS

Bush won an extremely close and contested election after ballot recounts in Florida and Supreme Court rulings. (role of Nader in this election?) Gore eventually conceded to Bush. Major issues of the campaign included use of surpluses, tax cuts, education, prescription drugs….how does this compare with the upcoming election?

BUSH AS PRESIDENT – PRE 9/11

Some early Bush actions:

1. Tax cut (phased in over 10 years, impact now?)

2. No Child Left Behind (how does this affect you?)

3. Medicare reform

Some early concerns:

1. Economy was sliding

2. Enron scandal

31.2 – THE WAR ON TERROR BEGINS

September 11, 2001 – Al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, carried out terrorist attacks on the U.S.; over 3,000 people died. This changed everything, domestically and globally

WHY WOULD TERRORISTS ATTACK THE U.S.?

WHY WOULD TERRORISTS ATTACK THE U.S.?

• Frustrated at not getting the change they want and feel they have no other option (creation of a Palestinian state)

• Demonstrating support/faith for a leader and/or cause • Angry with America Foreign Policy (First Gulf War had U.S.

and western troops in Saudi Arabia)• Oil policy, economic policies in general• Seeing democracy/western culture as a danger to their

traditional culture (western movies, TV, music spreading ideas they see as destroying their traditional values – Lady Gaga concert cancelled in Indonesia)

IMPACT OF 9/11 ON U.S. POLICY• U.S. demands that the

Taliban (Afghanistan) turns over bin Laden and his associates (video)

• U.S. freezes assets of suspected terrorists (soon followed by dozens of other countries – a global effort to combat terrorism)

• passage of the Patriot Act

• Bush asks Congress to combine many agencies into the Department of Homeland Security

• Public fears grow of more attacks (ex. Anthrax attacks, new type of war for America, change from “traditional” warfare and the Cold War)

THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

10/7/01 – U.S. begins bombing Afghanistan, a new war begins (look at quote on p.1041)

THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN cont.

• The goals of the war in Afghanistan:

1. bring down the Taliban

2. deny safe haven to Al Qaeda/terrorists

3. help rebuild a more stable government/nation

• The Taliban government collapsed in Dec. 2001….has this meant total success?

Hamid Karzai

31.3 – THE INVASION OF IRAQEVIL

See your “War in Iraq” graphic organizer!

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

1. Iraq and WMDs – examples, deterrence during Cold WAr

2. The Axis of Evil – who are they, why them, Iraq

3. An Ultimatum to Iraq – what year, U.S. Congress, U.N. resolution

4. Confronting Iraq – Iraq’s declaration and Powell’s response, int’l reaction to U.S. position

5. The Invasion Begins – Date of invasion, execution of Hussein

IRAQ cont.• March 20, 2003 – U.S. led

forces invade Iraq (HUGE debate over this at the time, and still today; compared to Gulf War of 1991? WMDs?)

• May 1, 2003 – Bush declares that major combat is over (mistake?)

• 2006 – Hussein is executed by the Iraqis (captured in 2003)

SADDAM IS OUT OF POWER, NOW WHAT?

• Fighting between some Iraqi’s and the “coalition” forces (who is fighting?, why?)

• Shia vs. Sunni

• U.S. spent billions to rebuild the country, was it falling into civil war?

• Continual deaths of U.S. soldiers from 2003-2006

• October, 2005 – Iraqis vote to in first free elections

• December, 2011 – U.S. officially endsits war in Iraq

31.4 – A TIME OF CHALLENGES• 2004 – Despite dipping

economy and concerns about Iraq, Bush wins reelection over John Kerry (D - MA)

• Issues began to arise in terms of the war on terror (civil liberties, treatment of combatants…)

JOHN KERRY

BUSH’S 2ND TERM: SECURITY vs. LIBERTY

• Guantanamo Bay – are they enemy combatants or prisoners?- Supreme Court decisions disagree with Bush’s views

• Domestic surveillance – domestic wiretapping debate

BUSH’S 2ND TERM:SOCIAL SECURITY

• Privatization of Social Security – should people be able to invest some of their SS money?

• Help with cost of money for senior citizens

BUSH’S 2ND TERM:HURRICANE KATRINA

• 2005 – Katrina slams into the Gulf coast, MASSIVE devastation

• Major criticism of local and federal aid efforts

BUSH’S 2ND TERM:SUPREME COURT JUDGES & 2006 MIDTERM ELECTIONS

This section is your……………………

2008 ELECTION

Obama (D) McCain (R)

VS

Barack Obama (senator from Illinois) becomes the first African-American president by defeating John McCain (senator from Arizona)