1980s to 2000s
George H. W. Bush
Bush became chairman of the Harris County Republican Party in 1963. The following year, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas. It didn't take long for Bush to enter Congress, however; in 1966, two years after his unsuccessful Senate bid, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, ultimately serving two terms. Bush was later appointed to several important positions, including U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in 1971, head of the Republican National Committee during the Watergate scandal, U.S. envoy to China, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1976.
Bush then set his sights on the U.S. presidency, but failed to win his party's nomination in 1980, losing it to his opponent, Ronald Reagan. Bush would make it to the White House soon after, however: He was chosen as Reagan's vice-presidential running mate. Reagan won the 1980 election, defeating Democrat challenger Jimmy Carter. He was re-elected in 1984, with Bush serving as his vice president for both terms. U.S. Presidency Bush reached the White House's top seat in 1989; he won the 1988 election against Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, becoming the first sitting vice president to be elected president since 1837. During his nomination acceptance speech at the 1988 Republican National Convention, Bush famously stated, "Read my lips: No new taxes."
During his presidency, Bush skillfully handled foreign affairs during a tumultuous time for the nation. Just months into his first term, he responded to the dissolve of the Soviet Union and oversaw the U.S. military's removal of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega from power. Not long after, Bush responded to then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait (August 1990), creating a national coalition and leading a military strike to drive Hussein out of the oil-rich country. Bush's handling of the invasion in Kuwait is largely viewed as his greatest presidential success.
Bush then set his sights on the U.S. presidency, but failed to win his party's nomination in 1980, losing it to his opponent, Ronald Reagan. Bush would make it to the White House soon after, however: He was chosen as Reagan's vice-presidential running mate. Reagan won the 1980 election, defeating Democrat challenger Jimmy Carter. He was re-elected in 1984, with Bush serving as his vice president for both terms. U.S. Presidency Bush reached the White House's top seat in 1989; he won the 1988 election against Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, becoming the first sitting vice president to be elected president since 1837. During his nomination acceptance speech at the 1988 Republican National Convention, Bush famously stated, "Read my lips: No new taxes."
During his presidency, Bush skillfully handled foreign affairs during a tumultuous time for the nation. Just months into his first term, he responded to the dissolve of the Soviet Union and oversaw the U.S. military's removal of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega from power. Not long after, Bush responded to then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait (August 1990), creating a national coalition and leading a military strike to drive Hussein out of the oil-rich country. Bush's handling of the invasion in Kuwait is largely viewed as his greatest presidential success.
Reagan
Reganomics
As soon as Reagan took office, he worked to reduce the size and influence of the federal government, which, he thought, would encourage private investment. Because people were anxious about the economy in 1980, their concern opened the door for new approaches to taxes and the federal budgets. Reagan strategy for downsizing the federal government included deep cuts in government spending on social programs. Yet his cuts did not affect all segment of the population equally. Entitlement programs that benefited the middle class, such as Social Security, Medicare, and veterans' pensions, remained intact. On the other hand, Congress slashed by 10 percent the budget for programs that benefited other groups: urban mass transit, food stamps, welfare benefited, job training, Medicaid, school lunches, and student loans. "Reaganomics" rested heavily upon supply-side economics. This theory held that if people paid fewer taxes, they would save more money. Banks could then loan that money to business, which could invest the money in resource to improve productivity. The supply of goods then would increase, driving down prices. At Reagan's urging, Congress lowered income taxes by 25 percent over a three-years period. Reagan based his ideas for supply-side economics on the work of economist such as George Gilder and Arthur Laffer.
Sandra Day O'Connor
One of the most important ways in which Reagan accomplished his conservative goals was through his appointments to the Supreme Court. Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia, and Anthony M. Kennedy to fill seats left by retiring judges. O'Connor was the first woman to be appointed to the Court. He also nominated Justice William Rehnqist, the most conservative justice on the court at the time, to the position of chief justice.
As soon as Reagan took office, he worked to reduce the size and influence of the federal government, which, he thought, would encourage private investment. Because people were anxious about the economy in 1980, their concern opened the door for new approaches to taxes and the federal budgets. Reagan strategy for downsizing the federal government included deep cuts in government spending on social programs. Yet his cuts did not affect all segment of the population equally. Entitlement programs that benefited the middle class, such as Social Security, Medicare, and veterans' pensions, remained intact. On the other hand, Congress slashed by 10 percent the budget for programs that benefited other groups: urban mass transit, food stamps, welfare benefited, job training, Medicaid, school lunches, and student loans. "Reaganomics" rested heavily upon supply-side economics. This theory held that if people paid fewer taxes, they would save more money. Banks could then loan that money to business, which could invest the money in resource to improve productivity. The supply of goods then would increase, driving down prices. At Reagan's urging, Congress lowered income taxes by 25 percent over a three-years period. Reagan based his ideas for supply-side economics on the work of economist such as George Gilder and Arthur Laffer.
Sandra Day O'Connor
One of the most important ways in which Reagan accomplished his conservative goals was through his appointments to the Supreme Court. Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia, and Anthony M. Kennedy to fill seats left by retiring judges. O'Connor was the first woman to be appointed to the Court. He also nominated Justice William Rehnqist, the most conservative justice on the court at the time, to the position of chief justice.
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier that divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, the wall completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin until it was opened in November 1989. Its demolition officially began on 13 June 1990 and was completed in 1992. The barrier included guard towers placed along larger concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany.