Chapter 34
The Age of Globalization
Chapter Summary
With the Cold War over the economy became American's main concern, and it was the economy that led to George H. Bush's defeat in 1992. The new president, Bill Clinton, set out to reverse many Reagan-Bush policies. As a result, with neither Democrats nor Republicans dominating the government, partisan politics became bitter. Issues such as the "graying" of America, population diversity, and differing cultural values were to many people more important than defining our role in the post Cold War era. The president himself became an issue, was impeached, and though acquitted, remained embattled. Despite a booming economy, Republicans regained the White House in 2000, when, by the narrowest of margins, George W. Bush, son of the former president, became president in his own right. Not long after he took office, however, the American economy, which had grown rapidly with the expanding technology market, began to slow, and the second Bush administration found itself facing serious domestic problems. Bush won re-election in 2004, again by a narrow margin, and launched an ambitious agenda, but continuing economic sluggishness and a public unwilling to dismantle some of the nation’s social-safety net left many of his plans unfulfilled. As the nation confronted the problems that accompanied the emergence of a technology-driven global economy, old issues and old hatreds brought conflict to the Balkans and to the Middle East. Finally, one of these conflicts came to our shores. On September 11, 2001, Islamic militants took control of three airplanes and crashed them into WorldTradeCenter in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D. C. Within weeks of the attacks, American troops would invade Afghanistan in pursuit of terrorist organizations, and in March 2003 the United States launched an invasion of Iraq to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein, which some had accused of building weapons of mass destruction. After two months of battle, Bush declared “mission accomplished,” but many questions remained. Were the gains in Iraq worth the cost of more than 2000 American lives? Could the United States continue to fight terrorism without infringing on civil rights, of those both at home and abroad? These questions would prove difficult to answer and foster prolonged public debate as the United States entered the twenty-first century.
Objectives
A thorough study of Chapter 34 should enable the student to understand:
1.The reasons Bill Clinton won the presidency in 1992, the successes and failures of his first administration, the factors behind the Republican resurgence in 1994, the reasons Clinton won re-election in 1996, and the issues that led to his impeachment and subsequent acquittal.
2.The issues in the election of 2000, the reasons behind the Republican victory, and how George W. Bush emerged victorious from one of the most controversial presidential elections in American history.
3.The reasons for the economic boom of the 1990s, the recession of 2001-2002, and how the George W. Bush administration responded to the economic downturn.
4.The emergence of a global economy, the technological revolution that made it happen, and the role the United States played in these developments.
5.The fundamental changes in the American and world economy after the 1970s.
6.The profound demographic changes the nation experienced in the last decades of the twentieth century.
7.The widening gulf between economically successful African Americans and the urban black underclass.
8.The troublesome issues of drugs, AIDS, homelessness, abortion, and environmental threats.
9.The tense and fragmented culture issues that affected American politics and social relations.
10.The issues that gave rise to the Islamic terrorism of this era, how and why terrorism was used against the United States, and the American response to terrorism.
Main Themes
1.How Bill Clinton won the presidency by focusing on the economy, and though the Republican Party rebounded in 1994, Clinton was re-elected in 1996.
2.How the 1990s was both a decade of intense party partisanship and rapid economic expansion.
3.That George W. Bush used his victories in 2000 and 2004 as a means to promote tax cuts and a conservative social agenda.
4.That fundamental changes in the United States and world economy led to significant changes in lifestyle and expectations for middle-class Americans.
5.That during this period a technology-driven, global economy emerged to shape relations between nations.
6.That America was becoming more diverse due to the changes in immigration after 1965 and the higher birth rates among many immigrant groups, especially Hispanics.
7.That the civil rights movement, affirmative action, and other liberal reforms had left a legacy of improved opportunities for educated middle-class blacks, but the urban African-American “underclass” seemed even worse off than before.
8.That the nation, despite its prosperity, continued to face a rising number of seemingly intractable social problems including violent crime, drug addiction, homelessness, AIDS, environmental hazards, and a deprived underclass.
9.That some Americans came to believe that defining American culture and its values was the most important problem facing the nation.
10.That while globalization had its advantages, it also had its perils as ancient conflicts began to involve more people and more nations.
11.That the events of September 11, 2001 awakened America to a new wariness and a new unity, and led to a war on terrorism that many contend pose a threat to civil liberties.
Points for Discussion
1.Explain the fundamental changes in the nature of the American economy that were evident by the end of the mid-1990s. What caused such transformations? How did Middle America benefit and how did it cope?
2.Describe the remarkable demographic shifts that occurred after 1965. What immediate economic and social impacts were seen? What implications are present for twenty-first-century America?
3.How was it possible for Clinton to be elected in 1992, the Republicans to gain control of Congress in 1994, and then for the president to be reelected in 1996? What issues were involved, and how have the parties attempted to give voters what they want?
4.Assess the accomplishments of the Clinton administration. Why were the Democrats not able to hold the White house in 2000?
5.Compare and contrast post-1960s accomplishments of the African American middle class with those of the underclass. What explains this disparity? How is this reflected in popular culture, especially music?
6.What factors created the global economy? What role has the United States played in the creation of this new force?
7.How has the growing ethnic diversity of the United States contributed to the debate over “what is American"?
8.Discuss the debates over such social issues as AIDS, sexual behavior, and abortion. What impact have these issues had on the traditional political parties? What role did the "religious right" play in these debates?
9.How do modern environmentalists differ from traditional conservationists? What new social ethic and economic approach did the ardent environmentalists propound?
10.How have historians attempted to explain the role of women in the history of the United States? On what issues have these efforts focused, and what conclusions have scholars drawn?
11.What are the issues and interests involved in the “cultural wars” going on in America?
- What were the issues that inspired the terrorists of the early 21st century, and why did they focus their attention on the United States?
13.What is the "War on Terrorism" and how is it to be waged?
14.How did the United States-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 signal a change in American foreign policy?
Interpretive Questions Based on Maps and Text
1.What commitments does the United States have in the Middle East, and why was the area of such importance to the nation?
- Why was having a friendly government in Kuwait so important to the United States and the Western European nations?
3. Why is an independent Israel so important to the United States.
4.Why were other European nations so concerned about the civil war in Bosnia?
Internet Resources
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