A.P.

UNITED STATES HISTORY

UNIT 9: MODERN AMERICA [1980 PRESENT]

As the United States transitioned to a new century filled with challenges and possibilities, it
experienced renewed ideological and cultural debates, sought to redefine its foreign policy,
and adapted to economic globalization and revolutionary changes in science and technology.

Directions: Please read chapters 40 42 of The American Pageant, 13th Edition. As you
read, keep
In mind the key concepts, themes, terms, and essential questions listed below.

Reading: The American Pageant, 13th Edition [pgs. 966 1034]

Chapter 40: The Resurgence of Conservatism, 1980 1992
Chapter 41: America Confronts the PostCold War Era, 1992 2004
Chapter 42: The American People Face a New Century (NO Notes Required!!)

The American Spirit, Volume II: Since 1865, 11th Edition [pgs. 549 576] Haiku PDF
Chapters 40 41: Review the primary source documents associated with each chapter.

Select ONE primary source document from each chapter. Complete a SOAPSTone
analysis chart for each primary source using the template available on Haiku.

Key Concepts:

9.1 A new conservatism grew to prominence in U.S. culture and politics, defending traditional social
values and rejecting liberal views about the role of government.

9.2 The end of the Cold War and new challenges to U.S. leadership in the world forced the nation to
redefine its foreign policy and global role.

9.3 Moving into the 21st century, the nation continued to experience challenges stemming from social,
economic, and demographic changes.

Themes:
Throughout this unit, you will analyze and evaluate each of the following themes that focus on the:

resurgence of conservatism
new right and supply-side economics
shift in foreign policy, Reagan, and the Collapse of Communism
United States as the remaining superpower
ideological confrontation in Washington
new democrats and the Clinton presidency
Terms:
Write a brief, one or two sentence description for each term. You should be prepared to explain the
significance of each term in our class discussions and in your written responses.

For each term, you should be able to answer the following questions:
[1] What is the actual description of the term? [2] Why is this term included in this unit of study? [3]
What effect does this term have within its immediate historical context AND as it relates to the broader
themes of U.S. history?

Chapter 40 18 Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) 36 affirmative action

1 Ronald Reagan 19 AIDS 37 reverse discrimination
2 George H.W. Bush 20 Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken 38 Robert Bork
3 Jimmy Carter 21 arms race 39 Savings and Loan (S & L) bailout
4 Edward Kennedy 22 Solidarity 40 Gary Hart
5 Chappaquiddick 23 Lebanon Bombing 41 Jesse Jackson
6 Old Right and New Right 24 Grenada invasion 42 Michael Dukakis
7 evil empire 25 Walter Mondale 43 Commonwealth of Indep. States
8 Moral Majority 26 Geraldine Ferraro 44 Tiananmen Square Demonstration
9 traditional family values 27 Mikhail Gorbachev 45 new world order
10 Jerry Falwell 28 glasnost and perestroika 46 START II
11 social engineering 29 Summit meetings 47 Saddam Hussein
12 neoconservatives 30 Libyan Bombing 48 Operation Desert Storm
13 supply-side economics 31 Sandinistas v Contras 49 Norman Schwarzkopf
14 Reaganomics 32 Iran-Contra affair 50 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
15 Economic Recovery Tax Act, 1981 33 religious right 51 Clarence Thomas
16 yuppies 34 Sandra Day OConnor 52 Anita Hill
17 MTV 35 Roe vs. Wade

Chapter 41 65 Bob Dole 78 Whitewater

53 Bill Clinton 66 Welfare Reform Bill 79 Monica Lewinsky, et. al.
54 Al Gore 67 dot-com 80 Kenneth Starr
55 Dan Quayle 68 Silicon Valley 81 New Democrat
56 Brady Bill 69 World Trade Organization (WTO) 82 compassionate conservative
57 Oklahoma City Bombing 70 Rwanda, Bosnia, and Kosovo 83 multiculturalism
58 Waco, Texas 71 Yitzak Rabin 84 Proposition 187
59 Branch Davidians 72 Yasir Arafat 85 George W. Bush
60 Los Angeles Riots 73 Madeline Albright 86 Dick Cheney
61 Newt Gingrich 74 new immigration patterns 87 September 11, 2001
62 NAFTA 75 Alan Greenspan 88 USA Patriot Act
63 Contract with America 76 NASDAQ
64 GATT 77 Dow Jones

Essential Questions (EQs):

Answer each question and provide evidence to support your conclusions. Limit your responses one well-developed
paragraph [a maximum of 8 sentences] for each question. Think about these questions before, during, and after
reading the text, the supplementary articles, and the primary source documents. If you understand their complexity
and feel confident in using information from the text and the supplementary reading in answering these very general
questions, you should have a solid understanding of this historical period.

Remember to support your generalizations with specific evidence!

1. To what extent was the election of Reagan an endorsement of his conservative ideology, and to
what extent was it a repudiation of the perceived failures of federal government policies in the
stalemated 1970s?
 A.P. UNITED STATES HISTORY
UNIT 9: MODERN AMERICA [1980 PRESENT]

2. The promise of Keynesian economics was consistent economic growth and persistent economic
stability. How successful were Keynesian policies in fulfilling this promise? Why did Ronald
Reagan and the Republicans turn to the supply-side theory? How did it work?

3. Discuss the debates over social issues such as AIDS and sexual behavior, homelessness, and
abortion. What impact have these issues had on the traditional political parties? What role did
the religious right play in these debates?

4. What forces have been at work since 1945 to make Americans more homogeneous in taste,
thought, and lifestyle? What have been the forces for diversity and change in those areas?

5. In what ways might the 1980s and 1990s be compared with the 1920s in economic, social, and
foreign policies? Did the economic boom of each period represent a genuine revival of American
innovation, or was it fundamentally marred by the growing gap between rich and poor?

6. What were the successes and failures of American foreign policy in the post-Cold War era? Was
the use of American military power in the Persian Gulf War and the Balkans a model for how
American power could be effectively brought to bear, or did it demonstrate the limits of even the
sole superpowers ability to resolve regional conflicts?

7. What was the real cause of the end of the Cold War? Did America win the Cold War, or did the
Soviets lose the Cold War is there a difference?

8. Compare and contrast the rise of the Moral Majority in the 1980s with that of the Beats of the
1950s and the Hippies of the 1960s and 70s. What commonalities do they have with each other?

9. How should history view the presidency of Ronald Reagan? Was he a great, good, fair, or bad
president and why?

10. What is likely to be the enduring legacy of Bill Clinton in American politics? Did the focus on his
personality and the scandals leading to impeachment drastically alter the way he is likely to be
viewed by future historians, or will his economic policies and his political success in steering the
Democratic Party toward the political center be viewed as substantive achievements outweighing
the weaknesses?

11. Compare and contrast American foreign policy at the beginning of the twentieth century to that of
the beginning of the twenty-first century. What differences are there? Are there any similarities?