Period+5+1990s

====Period 5 1990s - Madhu Prakash, Jordan Greenberg, Liza Evans, and Laura Winner==== =__ Introd﻿uction: __= The 1990's was the beginning of a nation divided and unsure of the future. Moving into a post-industrial period, globalization, service jobs, and information-based technology reshaped the economy and society. In the 1992 presidential race, Republicans attacked the government activism of the "tax and spend" Democrats, and they also called for a strengthening of family values. **Bill Clinton**, former governor or Arkansas, focused on the economy, raising the issue of economic fairness. On Clinton’s behalf, Hilary Clinton campaigned statewide. Despite the Republican attacks on his character, Clinton was elected in 1992 and went into office in 1993. He immediately dove into producing an economic recovery plan, welfare reform, and a masive overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system. In February 1993, Clinton signed into law the Family and Medical Leave Act and asked Congress to lift the ban against homosexuals in the military. With opposition from the majority of the nation about lifting the ban on homosexuals in the military, he accepted a compromise in which the armed forces were not to ask about sexual preferences, and gays and lesbians in the service were expected to refrain from homosexual activity. This system did not work and failed to please either side of the debate. Another major issue in the United States, as well as around the world, was a growing population infected with AIDS. Clinton and Congress supported more funds to fight this AIDS epidemic. He also signed the treaty to end the conflict between Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel. The Whitewater scandal was a fraud in business on a real-estate investment made by the Clintons. By 1994, Clinton had been losing favor among the American people because of his womanizing and the Whitewater scandal, and the flourishing economy made people hesitant to condone heightened taxes for government programs. In response, Republican representative Newt Gingrich of Georgia developed a 10-point plan "**Contract With America**," describing promised action of Republicans, if they were able to takover Congress and the Senate. The Contract's publicity was a success and the Republican's won majority in the House and Senate. After the election, Republican's signed bills related to almost every point on the contract, although Clinton used his veto power on many. Little battles such as these, between Clinton and Congress, continued to occur. In the "battle of the budget", the two parties had opposing views on government spending for education, Medicare, Social Security, and the environment. NAFTA removed trade barriers between countries and set up organizations to ensure communication between economies of the Americas. Notably in 1994, **NAFTA** was reformed by Clinton. Originally initiated in 1992 by **George H.W. Bush**, the North America Federal Trade Agreement increased transparency between economies and trade between U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Ronald Regan spearheaded the formation of the act, but it took a while to be implimented. The 1994 expansion known as the "Free Trade Area of the Americas" included 34 Democratic countries in North America, South America, and the Carribean, interweaving trade from all of them. Critics argues heigtened economic communication would lead to overlaps and eventually job overlaps and job losses, but economic analysit have found NAFTA to have primarily positive results. A year later, on April 19, 1995, an act of domestic terrorism offered an opportunity for Clinton to reassert his presidential leadership. At 9:01 in the morning, mothers were dropping their children off at the daycare in the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and other adults were going to work. A minute later, the unthinkable happened: A car containing homemade explosives blew up, killing 168 people, including 19 children, and damaging more than 200 other buildings. Two more larger bombs were later found and defused. Timothy McVeigh, a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, was an American extremist who believed that the federal government was a threat to the freedom of the American people. He was found guilty by a federal jury and formally sentenced to death. The bombing was supposedly carried out in revenge for the 1993 government siege of the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, in which 82 people were killed. The **Oklahoma City Bombing**, which took place on the second anniversary of the Branch Davidian siege, symbolized the depth of division and the dangers of extremism in the nation. As a response, Clinton asked that people reject extremism, and he stressed the importance of national unity. Before Clinton’s reelection in 1996, Congress passed a welfare reform and the minimum wage was increased. In his State of the Union address in 1997, Clinton stated that the balanced budget marked "an end to decades of deficits that have shackled our economy, paralyzed our policies, and held our people back." The Balanced Budget Act, which "Protects Our Families, Invests in Our People and Cuts Taxes for Middle Class Families", was passed. In the last two years of his presidency, after his affair with Monica Lewinsky, Clinton turned to foreign affairs. On an economic note, the stock market was reaching new heights once again. The **Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act**, which was passed in 1996, proposed a dramatic change in welfare for the country. There was criticism from community activists, women's rights, social service advocacy, labor, minority, and religious groups. The government made the welfare reform to help create millions of jobs. Also, there were cuts of $60 billion over six years in programs which would supply food stamps and cash assistance. Each state will now have a part of the federal money to run its own welfare and work programs. The only policy is a personal work requirement where the "head" of every family on welfare must work within two years. Non citizens and their dependents are eligible for head start, job training programs, student loans, and certain health programs, but they do not get food stamps. The **Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)** was a block grant created by the PRWORA in an effort to "end welfare as we know it". The TANF block grant replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, which had provided cash welfare to poor families with children since 1935. Under TANF, the federal government provides a block grant to the states, which use these funds to operate their own programs. Programs can be designed in any way as long as they meet at least one of the four purposes set out in federal law: provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives, end the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage, prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies, and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. To this day, most states still have programs created through TANF, and they continue to help people today.  As a side note, in April 1998, President Clinton authorized American planes to join NATO to bomb Yugoslavia.

=__President George H. W. Bush's Inaugural Address: __= @http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres63.html Read paragraphs 7-10 of George H. W. Bush's inaugural address and focus on the president's goals and ambitions for the country after Reagan's era. Also focus on economic plans Bush has for the country.

=__President Clinton's Inaugural Address: __=

media type="youtube" key="2SWjIPwm954" width="425" height="350"

**President Clinton's Inaugural address** from 2:36 to 6:40. Listen to him state the problems that exists in the United States, but also see how he builds confidence in the people.

=__Contract With America: __= Contract with America Here is the Contract with America, written in 1994. A fun fact about the Republican takover is that Senator Richard Selby of Alabama changed parties and became a Republican after the 1994 election. The 10 main points were:
 * Proposed end of 1 party control
 * Viewed bipartisan government as opportunity
 * Promised to end “too lenient with money”
 * Anti-crime initiatives
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cut welfare for multiple-child pregnancies to discourage pregnancy and addind work initiatives to welfare requirements
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Encourage adoption and enforce welfare payments
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Middle class tax relief, child tax refund, end marriage tax penalty
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Strengthen National Defense, no U.N. troops
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lower Social Security hikes
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Create Jobs, Small Business Incentives
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reform Product liability Laws- end loopholes, excessive litigation
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Citizens vote on term limits for politicians

=__ NAFTA __= The Preamble to NAFTA gives an idea of the intentions the bill had and it is easy to infer how international trade has changed since its implimentation. George H.W. Bush faced alot of critisism in his pursuit of this act and phrases like "Strengthen the special bonds of friendship and cooperation among their nations" were obviously incorporated to gain the public's support. The reader should be mindful of other persuasive techniques, reading this preamble. Here is George H.W. Bush signing NAFTA initialization ceremony in 1992. NAFTA created a trade bloc between the 3 countries, given the trio more buying power than any other country. From left to right (standing) Mexican President, U.S. president, and Canadian Prime Minister. (Seated) Mexican Secretary of Commerce and Industrial Development Jaime Serra Puche, United States Trade Representative Carla Hills, Canadian Minister of International Trade Michael Wilson.

=__<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oklahoma City Bombing: __= media type="youtube" key="VMrYeMTXifc" height="390" width="480" This video shows footage and clips from different news broadcasts about the Oklahoma City Bombing. Please especially note the chaos and fear that exists in the clips of the people. This act of terrorism turned their safe hometown into a place of violence.

This image depicts a fireman carrying the lifeless body of one of the 19 children who lost their lives in a daycare center in the Murrah Federal Building that was bombed. Imagine if this was your child or brother and how devastated and distraught you would be. This incident touched the lives of many across the nation.

<span style="font-size: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**__<span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA): __** <span style="background-clip: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; border-collapse: collapse; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[|http://www.naswdc.org/ advocacy/welfare/legislation/ recommend.pdf] <span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Just read the summary which explains why the bill for Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act was made. Also note who the bill was made for. <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">

This picture is showing president Clinton signing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act which is a "new beginning" for the country on August 22, 1996. He signed this act to show the U.S. government as "a comprehensive bipartisan welfare reform plan that will dramatically change the nation's welfare system into one that requires work in exchange for time-limited assistance. The law contains strong work requirements, a performance bonus to reward states for moving welfare recipients into jobs, state maintenance of effort requirements, comprehensive child support enforcement, and supports for families moving from welfare to work -- including increased funding for child care and guaranteed medical coverage."

=__<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Temporary Assistance to Needy Families: __= <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As you can see in this logo, TANF was able to reach many types of people and families in need across the country.

=__<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Analysis: __= The 1990's overall saw an expansion of government. During this era there were more social programs, more handouts, the government benefits were larger, but the federal debt was higher and growing. The stock growth during 1920's is very similar to the growth in 1990's. Like the 1920's, the 1990's witnessed prosperity, a high rate of productivity, low unemployment, and low inflation. The 1990's especially featured an explosion of applications of a fundamental general technology, electricity, and the internal engine and computer software and networking communications technology. Both decades appear to have an economic boom and a surplus in technology.
 * The era before the 1990's was the Ronald Reagan era. During this era there were many tax cuts and a large economic boom. Reagan helped restore confidence in the country’s future and sustained an economic recovery, which included soaring profits of the stock market. As Reagan left office, the American people were confident in the country. **
 * George H. W. Bush** took over for the popular Ronald Reagan. Bush spoke about the dilemma of homelessness, crime, and drug addiction in his inaugural address, so he had big plans for the country’s domestic affairs. Unfortunately, when Bush took office n 1989, the federal budget debt was $2.8 trillion. This financial situation limited the president’s ability to enact major domestic programs. The federal government could not afford it. To compensate, Bush stressed “a limited agenda” that included volunteerism, education reform, and anti-drug efforts. The American with Disabilities Act was considered one of Bush’s major domestic accomplishments. Some critics thought it was too expensive or that the federal government was forcing into the private sector. Secondly, Bush created the Clean Air Act. The environment disaster at the time, the //Exxon Valdex// oil spill, helped Bush a lot because it opened the public eye to the need for environmental protection. Some critics were concerned about the cost, but this act had many supporters. The effects of Bush’s domestic affairs were a mix of positive and negative. On the other hand, Bill Clinton began the presidency promising to focus “like a laser beam” on the economic needs of the nation. These included unemployment, the runaway deficit, the health care crisis, and the welfare reform. The PRWORA and TANF movements showed the efforts from the government to help those in need with financial aid. Much like Roosevelt, Clinton helped to create jobs for the unemployed and the physically disabled. Clinton succeeded significantly with all of the domestic affairs, except the health care reform.

=__<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bibliography: __= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">Berkin, Carol, et. al. Making America: A History of the United States. Boston, MA: Suzanne Jeans, 2008. http://americanhistory.abc- clio.com/Search/Display/ 246485?terms=Clinton __**<span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #5c4520; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">http://www.sourcewatch.org/ index.php?title=1996_Personal_ Responsibility_and_Work_ Opportunity_Reconciliation_Act **__ __**<span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #5c4520; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">[] **__ __**<span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #5c4520; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">@http://millercenter.org/president/bush/essays/biography/4 **__ __**<span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #5c4520; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">@http://www.shmoop.com/reagan-era/ **__ <span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">[] <span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">[]

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