Transcript Our 50 States: [Name of Your State]

George H. W. Bush
Republican
1989-1993
I. Political Background
a. 1967-71Serves as U.S.
Representative from Texas
b. 1971-73 Serves as U.S.
Ambassador to the U.N.
c. 1974-75 Serves as director of
the CIA
d. 1981-1989 Serves as VP under
Reagan
e. 1989-1993 Serves as 41st
President
II.
Election of 1988
a. George H.W. Bush/Dan Quayle
(Republican)
b. Michael Dukakis/Lloyd Bentsen
(Democratic)
d. Election revolved around issues of
the Iran-Contra Scandal and
growing budget concerns
e. Election Results
1. Popular Vote: 48,886,097 (R),
41,809,074(D)
2. Electoral Vote: 426 to 111
Green=Bush
Blue=Dukakis
III. Domestic Policy
a. “Read My Lips: No New Taxes”
1. Early campaign promise of Bush
– he came to later regret this
statement
2. Long battles over the budget
broke out after Bush was
elected
3. To help complete the budget
process, Bush compromised with
the Democrats on a federal
deficit reduction that included
tax increases.
4. Conservatives were outraged!
Blocked the compromise but
different version was passed.
This version included both higher
taxes and Bush’ s tax reform
ideas.
b. Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA)
1. Lowered legal and physical
obstacles for the physically
challenged
2. Approved in 1990
c. Additional Domestic Spending
1. More money was targeted for
the improvement of education and
the nation’s highways
2. Clean Air Act – set new
antipollution standards for
fuel burning
d. Economic Recession
1. In spite of the financial
growth of the 1980s, 14% of
Americans were still living in
poverty. Economy stopped
growing in the early 1990s.
e. Appointment of Supreme
Court Justices
1. David Souter – passed with
no controversy
2. Clarence Thomas – very
controversial appointment.
Thomas was accused of sexual
harassment of Anita Hill. Hill
was a member of Thomas’ staff
David Souter and Clarence Thomas
IV. Foreign Affairs
a. China 1989
1. Chinese students protest
the Communist government
2. Chinese tanks and troops of
Deng Xiaping killed 2000 in
Tiananmen Square June 5,
Bush suspended arms sales to
China
Single Chinese Student Protesting
b. Fall of Communism
1. Berlin Wall fell on November 9,
1989
2. Berlin Wall opened at midnight
Nov. 10 after the fall of the
Communist regime in East Germany.
Germany would be united October 3,
1990 as the Federal Republic of
Germany and the parliament met in
the Berlin Reichstag
c. Collapse of the Soviet
Empire
1. 1990 – Soviet
republics began to issue
declarations of
independence
2. 1990 –Boris Yeltsin
was elected the
chairman of the Russian
Republic Parliament
3. Attempted coup to overthrow
Gorbachev after he refused to
support military law
4. Military units were met by protest
from Yeltsin and other republics
5. December 25, Gorbachev resigned
– new flag was raised on December
31 (Russian Tricolour)
c. Panama 1989- War on
Drugs
1. Invaded Panama in
to arrest President
Manuel Noriega –
known drug king
2. Invaded by 22,500
U.S. troops Dec. 20 in
Operation Just Cause.
3. Noriega was captured on
January 4 after seeking
asylum from the Vatican
embassy on December 24
4. U.S. Troops played
relentless rock music over
loudspeakers - songs by The
Animals, Bobby Fuller, and
Bruce Springsteen
d. Operation Desert Storm
1. August, 1990, Kuwait was
attacked by Iraq.
2. Iraq also stationed armies near
the borders of Saudi Arabia and
Iran
3. Kuwait held 10% of the world’s
oil reserves, Iran 10%, S.A. 25%
4.Bush helped to create a broad
international coalition against Iraq
5. Included support from most of the
United Nations members
6.Bush ordered the largest deployment of
troops (425,000 troops) since the
Vietnam War
7. Called it Operation Desert Shield
8.January 1991, secured Congressional
authority to use all necessary means to
expel Iraq from Kuwait
9. February 1991, ground forces
pushed Iraqi soldiers out of
Kuwait (in less than 100 hours)
10. Gulf war was over in less than 2
months, 149 Americans were
killed, 10,000 Iraqi soldiers were
killed
11. Saddam Hussein remained in
power
Saddam Hussein 1990s
VII. Legacy of President Bush
a. His handling of the Gulf War was
regarded as his finest accomplishment
b. Continues to remain politically active
through his son George W. Bush
c. Was appointed co-ambassador with
Bill Clinton to help with relief efforts
after the Indonesian tsunami