APUSH Chapter 31 Flashcards

Question

October 2001, the USA PATRIOT Act

Answer 1

Expanded the government's surveillance & law enforcement powers to combat terrorism

Answer 2

- Bush came to believe that the overthrow of Saddam Hussein by U.S. military action was necessary - Most of Iraq people would support US lead campaign to get rid of the brutal dictator, ensuring a Swift & fairly painless victory - February 15, 2003: demonstrators staged the largest antiwar protest in history - Turning out in more than 300 cities in sixty countries, including 500,000 in NY, 2 million in London, & 3 million in Rome. - March 19: President Bush announced the beginning of war - Iraq: widespread looting & disruption about electricity, water, & food, 4.5 million refugees fled their homes, roughly half whom left Iraq - 2004: American resistance occupation gained strength - 2004: graphic images & descriptions of Iraqi detainees abused & tortured by American guards in the Abu Ghraib prison were broadcast around the world = international outrage and protest. - January 2005: Iraq conducted its first national elections for an assembly charged with writing a new constitution. - December 2006: after an Iraqi Special Tribunal found Saddam Hussein guilty of crimes against humanity, the ruthless dictator of Iraq since 1979 was executed.

Answer 3

- Bush won reelection over John Kerry of MA -Domestic: tax cuts, strong military defense, & the overhaul of Social Security & Medicare, refused to seek new taxes to finance the 2 wars the nation was fighting - The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (passed during 1st term): lowered tax rates, disproportionately for the wealthy, and gave most Americans a small rebate from the IRS. - No Child Left Behind Act: Passed by Congress in 2001 - Aimed to improve education by setting high standards, holding schools accountable for student achievement, and expanding parental choice. - Hurricane Katrina (Bush responded bad) - Late August, 2005: 3rd strongest hurricane to make landfall in the US made its way through FL - Killed 6 people - Went to Gulf of Mexico & destroyed much of New Orleans - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA - 2006 midterm elections, post Katrina, returned D to the control of both the House (233–202) & the Senate (51–49) for the first time since 1992. - Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) became the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House. - Bush loosing support for Iraq war but pushed on - US operation continued to take a heavy toll on US forces - The Iraq war also put a heavy strain on the federal budget. - To fund the wars in Afghanistan. Iraq, & the open-ended war on terror, Bush pushed the deficit to record levels, an estimated $1.3 trillion.

Answer 4

- By late 2007 the global economy was at a notable economic decline - By 2008 sinking into recession, maybe depression FAST! - Immediate cause was burst of the “real estate bubble” - Hundreds of thousands defaulted on their loans and let the lending agencies take over their property. - Fall of 2008, the bankruptcy of Bear Stearns & Lehman Brothers (big investment banks) shocked international financial markets - Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) allowed the Dept. of Treasury to buy or insure up to $700 billion in bad loans & other “toxic” assets held by financial institutions. - Businesses quickly responded by cutting payrolls. - Increase in unemployment (11 million Americans) - People disliked him for Iraq & the way he governed his 2 terms -Well into 2012, the majority of Americans still blame Bush for causing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Answer 5

- January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama took the oath as the nation’s first African American president. - Got attention from his vocal opposition for Iraq war - Campaign focused on: - Registering new voters, especially among the young and people of color. - Reform of health care, more funding for education, new public investment in infrastructure - Carefully framed his appeals to attract independent voters & even R disgruntled with the Bush presidency. - Went against Hillary Clinton -R chose Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): his choice for VP made him lose support - In November, Obama won the election with the biggest margin in 20 years. - Reversed long-standing trends in voters: young, latinos, unmarried women,& suburbanites - But the nation’s broken economy also contributed greatly to Obama’s victory

Answer 6

- Obama pushed through Congress in February 2009 the largest stimulus package in U.S. history. - Ealry 2010 many Americans found themselves "underwater" - The stock market crash had wiped out large portions of retirement savings, & many older Americans put off retirement. - Many colleges & universities, their endowments cut by ⅓ or more, raised tuition, putting higher education out of reach for many Americans. - Automobile industry teetered on the brink of bankruptcy -Unemployment rate topped 10% - Obama faced R opposition - O ordered the closing of the notorious Guantanamo Bay Naval Camp prison & the relocation of its 250 terror suspects. - Caused congessional opposition = remained open - To reach his goals to end Bush's actions, named his toughest rival, Hillary Clinton, as secretary of state. - Clinton supported O’s boldest moves in foreign policy - made less of a break with B-era policies than anticipated - Cairo Speech (June 2009): Called for “a new beginning” between the U.S. and Muslims worldwide, emphasizing mutual interest & respect, and rejecting competition between America and Islam. The speech received positive reactions globally. - Iraq War: Announced a gradual troop withdrawal; by summer 2010, all combat troops were removed, leaving 50,000 for training. The last U.S. troops exited Iraq in December 2011, ending the nine-year war. - Afghanistan War: Expanded the war with a "surge" of 30,000 troops in December 2009 but began scaling down by 2012 due to waning public support. Announced plans to withdraw all troops by 2014. - Bin Laden Operation: Ordered the covert mission that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2, 2011. - Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (2009): First law signed, extending the time workers had to sue for unequal pay. - Stem Cell Research: Overturned bans on federal funding & increased research funding for diseases like Parkinson’s. - Auto Industry Bailout: Supported $30 billion in bridge loans to help General Motors and Chrysler emerge from bankruptcy. - Supreme Court Appointments: Nominated Sonia Sotomayor (first Latina justice) in 2009 & Elena Kagan in 2010.

Answer 7

- O’s biggest legislative challenge was health care reform. - Oppositoin in Congress stalled his efforts - Compromise bill that Obama signed in March 2010 would give some 32 million uninsured Americans coverage, many with the help of government subsidized - Insurers could no longer deny coverage to people with preexisting medical conditions or place lifetime dollar limits on policies. - Legislation cell focus more on reforming insurance industry practices & on overhauling how patient care was delivered & paid for - The extremely contentious debate over health care reform epitomized how sharply the two parties, & Americans, were divided.

Answer 8

- House Control & Opposition: Republicans gained 63 seats in the 2010 midterms, taking control of the House and opposing Obama's agenda aggressively. - McConnell's Strategy: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated his party's goal was to make Obama a one-term president, employing tactics to obstruct his policies. - Tea Party Influence: The Tea Party movement, advocating limited government and lower taxes, pushed Republicans to adopt uncompromising conservative stances. - Legislative Obstruction: Congress voted 33 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Obama's key legislative achievement. - Tax Policy Conflict: Republicans signed Grover Norquist's "Taxpayer Protection Pledge," opposing all tax increases for individuals and businesses. - Unproductive Congress: The 112th Congress became the most unproductive in U.S. history, with bipartisan cooperation failing due to partisan gridlock. - Fiscal Challenges: Obama appointed a commission to address the federal deficit, but its plan combining spending cuts and revenue increases failed to gain support. Instead, Congress passed the Tax Relief Act of 2010, temporarily extending Bush-era tax cuts and setting up automatic tax increases and spending cuts by 2012 if no new plan emerged - Debt surge: Tax cuts, wars, and economic recovery efforts drove public debt from $6.4 trillion to $11 trillion. - Budget crises: Partisan gridlock nearly caused a 2011 government shutdown, contributing to Congress’s lowest approval ratings. - Foreign policy: Obama withdrew combat troops from Iraq by 2011, fulfilling a campaign promise. Republican resurgence: - 2010 midterms: Republicans gained 17 governorships & a record number of state legislative seats. - State policies: Austerity measures cut education/social spending, restricted unions, & limited reproductive rights (“war on women”). - Conservative agenda: States rejected federal funds (e.g., high-speed rail), banned same-sex marriage, & targeted public-sector unions. Mass protests: - Occupy Wall Street (2011): Highlighted income inequality, spreading globally before encampments were disbanded. - Anti-austerity rallies: Hundreds of thousands protested Republican-led state measures.

Answer 9

- The economy & federal deficit dominated the 2012 election. - Family incomes had declined, unemployment remained near 9%, poverty rose to 16% (exceeding 30% in Rust Belt cities like Detroit), and union jobs dwindled despite modest recovery efforts - Obama/Biden (D): Defended stimulus policies, healthcare reform (Affordable Care Act), and investments in infrastructure/clean energy. - Romney/Ryan (R): Advocated tax cuts, deregulation, repealing the ACA, & austerity measures tied to Ryan’s controversial budget proposals - Obama: Young voters, unmarried people, women, African Americans, Latinos, urban residents, and union members. - Romney: Men, independents, suburbanites, Southerners, & white evangelical Christians - A leaked video of Romney dismissing 47% of Americans as dependent on government and "paying no income tax" eroded his support among moderates - Results: Obama won 332 electoral votes (51.1% popular vote); Democrats expanded Senate control (55–45), while Republicans held the House. Post-election crises: - Superstorm Sandy (Katrina) relief efforts - The Sandy Hook shooting (spurring gun reform debates), & the "fiscal cliff" tax/budget stalemate

Answer 10

- Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) became the first openly gay U.S. senator. - Vermont became the first state with women in all congressional seats. - Romney was the first Mormon presidential nominee - Republican House obstruction led to legislative gridlock, blocking Obama’s agenda on gun control, immigration, & climate change. The 2014 midterms further solidified GOP control. - Not since the 1920s did the Republicans enjoy as much political power as they did at the opening of the 114th Congress in 2015.

APUSH Chapter 31 Flashcards

(34 cards)