Unit 13 Lesson 4: The Presidency of George H. W. Bush

Question 1

Although he promised to carry on Reagan’s economic legacy, Bush inherited some problems along with it. Why effect did REagan p;olices of cutting taxes and increasing defence spending have

Answer 1

Reagan’s policies of cutting taxes and increasing defense spending had exploded the federal budget deficit. In 1989, the deficit was three times larger than when Reagan took office in 1980.

Question 2

When it came to foreign affairs, Bush’s attitude toward the Soviet Union differed little from Reagan’s.

Answer 2

Bush sought to ease tensions with America’s rival superpower. He stressed the need for peace and cooperation.

Question 2

He also faced a Congress controlled by the Democrats. What did the democrats want and what did the rebuplicans want

Answer 2

. They wanted to raise taxes on the rich. At the same time, Republicans thought the government should drastically cut domestic spending. In October, the government entered a brief shutdown.

Question 2

Shortly after the Berlin Wall came down, the Bush administration announced a military invasion of Panama.

Answer 2

In December 1989, U.S. troops removed Panama’s unpopular dictator Manuel Noriega, who was also a drug smuggler.

Question 3

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Bush was further constrained by the emphatic pledge he had made at the 1988 Republican Convention:

Answer 3

: “Read my lips: no new taxes.” He found himself in the difficult position of trying to balance the budget and reduce the deficit without breaking his promise.

Question 4

Bush and Congress soon reached a compromise with the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990.

Answer 4

The budget included measures to reduce the deficit by both cutting government expenditures and raising taxes.

Question 4

Who adressed socail ills during Bush’s presdiency

Answer 4

Bush enlisted private volunteers and community organizations to address social ills. These volunteer efforts were referred to as “a thousand points of light.”

Question 5

Protests in the Soviet Union

Answer 5

In November 1989, the world watched in surprise as East German protesters marched peacefully through checkpoints at the Berlin Wall. Within hours, people from both East and West Berlin flooded the checkpoints and began tearing down large chunks of the wall. Earlier demonstrations in East Germany had called on the government to allow citizens to leave the country. These demonstrations were part of a much larger movement. Soon East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania were all involved in these calls for freedom. The movement swiftly led to revolutions, most of them peaceful. The collapse of communist governments in central and Eastern Europe was the end result.

Question 5

Effects of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990

Answer 5

his meant that Bush broke his “no new taxes” pledge. These budget limits were in part why education reform and antidrug efforts were not robust initiatives during the Bush administration.

Question 6

In Budapest in 1956 and in Prague in 1968, the Soviet Union had restored order through a large show of force. this didn’t happen in 1989. Whywas that

Answer 6

it seemed evident that the Soviet Union itself was collapsing.

Question 6

How did Bush beliefs on the soveit union impact how he intereacted with them

Answer 6

The desire to avoid angering the Soviets led him to adopt a hands-off approach when a series of pro-democracy demonstrations broke out across the communist eastern bloc.

Question 6

Bush’s refusal to gloat or declare victory helped him maintain a relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev, with whom Reagan had established a good relationship. In July 1991, Gorbachev and Bush both signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).

Answer 6

The agreement committed their countries to reducing their nuclear arsenals by 25 percent.

Question 7

A month later August 1991, attempting to stop the changes begun by Gorbachev’s reforms, Communist Party hardliners tried to

Answer 7

remove Gorbachev from power.

Question 8

What marked the end of the cold war

Answer 8

By December 1991, the Soviet government had collapsed. In January 1992, 12 former Soviet republics formed the Commonwealth of Independent States to coordinate trade and security measures. The Cold War was over.

Question 9

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Why did the invasion of Panama happen

Answer 9

There were former CIA connections between President Bush and Noriega. The United States had an interest in maintaining control of the canal zone.

Question 10

As the Soviet Union was ceasing to be a threat, the Middle East became a source of increased concern. What was going on in Iraq

Answer 10

Iraq had gained a significant amount of foreign debt during the 1980s. At the same time, other Arab states had increased their oil production. This forced oil prices down and further hurt Iraq’s economy.

Question 10

how did the world respond to the invasion of Panama

Answer 10

Though the Bush administration claimed the invasion was on behalf of human rights, the United Nations denounced the action. Leaders at the UN and around the world criticized the invasion, calling it a power grab.

Question 11

What casued the invasion of oil-rich Kuwait in August 1990.

Answer 11

Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, approached the oil-producing states for assistance, particularly Saudi Arabia and neighboring Kuwait. When talks with these countries broke down, Hussein ordered the invasion of oil-rich Kuwait in August 1990.

Question 12

What was the response to the invasion of oil-rich Kuwait

Answer 12

The president and his foreign policy team formed an uncommon international coalition in response to the invasion. Thirty-four countries opposed Iraq’s aggression. The coalition included many members of NATO and the Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Egypt.

Question 13

Thirty-four countries opposed Iraq’s aggression. The coalition included many members of NATO and the Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Egypt. Why was this signficant?

Answer 13

. Bush hoped that this coalition would mark the beginning of a “new world order.” He wanted the nations of the world to work together to deter aggression.

Question 14

deadline of January 15, 1991, was set for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait or face serious consequences. What was Operation Desert Shield

Answer 14

Bush first sent troops to the area to build up military presence in the region. The mission, called Operation Desert Shield, was to defend Saudi Arabia.

Question 15

End of the Kuwait invasion

Answer 15

Because of the coalition, there were more than 200,000 troops from 27 other countries added to 500,000 U.S. soldiers. Iraqi forces were expelled from Kuwait by the end of February.

Question 16

On January 14, Bush succeeded in convincing Congress to approve the use of military force against Iraq. What was Operation Desert Storm

Answer 16

q. The United States then orchestrated an effective air campaign, which was followed by Operation Desert Storm, a unique land war that lasted only 100 hours.

Question 17

Troops began moving out of the area in March 1991. Why?

Answer 17

Bush wanted to free the United States from “Vietnam syndrome,” the public’s weariness of lengthy foreign wars. Instead, the United States would deploy massive military resources only if necessary.

Question 18

In April 1991, UN Resolution 687 set the terms of the peace. ts final paragraph authorized the UN to take steps to maintain the peace as needed. What impact did this have

Answer 18

That became justification for the further use of force in 1996 and 1998, when Iraq was again bombed. It also applied to the second invasion of Iraq in 2003 when Iraq refused to comply with other UN resolutions.

Question 18

By nearly every measure, Operation Desert Storm was a resounding success.

Answer 18

Through effective diplomacy, Bush had created a coalition of world powers. The military action was deemed necessary by most, and its goals were both clear and limited. Bush had also reassured an American public that was still skeptical of foreign entanglements. His reelection seemed all but inevitable. He had shown a remarkable ability to achieve diplomatic influence. The U.S. military had demonstrated its strength skillfully while the Soviet Union was vanishing from the world stage. In March 1991, the president had an approval rating of 89 percent.

Question 19

Bush broke new ground with his support of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Answer 19

. This was a far-reaching law that banned discrimination based on disability in public facilities and at work. The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with physical or mental impairment which limits individuals’ abilities to participate in life activities. The law covers workplaces, public accommodations, transportation, and communications.

Question 20

Impsvt of ADA

Answer 20

Over the subsequent years, the Supreme Court ruled a number of times on the scope of the law, including what “disabled” meant and who is covered under the law. The law is credited with removing barriers to inclusion and creating opportunities for people with disabilities to fully participate in their communities.

Question 20

What did workplaces have to do because of ADA

Answer 20

After the law was enacted, businesses of a certain size were required to make sure that people with disabilities could properly navigate their buildings by providing building ramps, widening of doorways, and making other accommodations. The law caused controversy because the requirements put a financial burden on businesses.

Question 20

Impsct of the Thomas scandal

Answer 20

In the aftermath, however, sexual harassment of women in the workplace gained public attention. Complaints made to the EEOC increased 50 percent by the fall of 1992. The controversy also reflected poorly on President Bush and may have hurt him with female voters in 1992.

Question 21

Planned Parenthood v. Casey. What was the undue burden tst

Answer 21

The case reaffirmed the limited right to abortion that Roe v. Wade (1973) had set. In its decision, the Supreme Court adopted an “undue burden” test, which would be used to strike down any law that purposely put substantial obstacles in the way of a woman attempting to have an abortion.

Question 21

President Bush took a false step in his nomination of a new Supreme Court judge in 1991. Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American ever to sit on the Supreme Court, opted to retire. Bush, thinking he was doing the wise thing, nominated Clarence Thomas, another African American. Thomas was also a strong social conservative. The decision to nominate Thomas, however, proved to be a public debacle.

Answer 21

During Thomas’s Senate confirmation hearings, lawyer Anita Hill came forward with sexual harassment allegations. She charged that Thomas had sexually harassed her when he was her supervisor at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Thomas denied the accusations. He survived the controversy and was appointed to the Supreme Court by a narrow Senate vote of 52 to 48.

Question 22

Explantion for the Planned Parenthood v. Casey

Answer 22

The Supreme Court used the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to state that people have a right to privacy and that certain decisions by individuals are protected by liberties with which the government cannot interfere. The decision attempted to balance the level of government intervention in individuals’ lives.