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CHAPTER 24 SECTIONS 3 AND 4 SECTION 3

 The Election of 1988 - For eight years, Bush had loyally supported the President. - By winning the election in 1988 George Bush had broken a 152 year old tradition. - Jesse Jackson won wide support from African Americans and from some liberal Democrats.

The New President - President Bush was a pilot in World War ll. - He had won a medal for bravery. - He left his home state of Connecticut to start a successful oil business in Texas. - Bush hinted that he wouldn't follow the old ideas and attitude of the Reagan's era. He promised a "kinder, gentle nation."  Drugs, Education and the Environment - During the 1988 campaign, George Bush had spoken out strongly on the need to control the spread of illegal drugs. - Bennett resigned in 1990, claiming that drug use had begun to drop, at least among some populations. - In both areas, the Reagan administration had cut back on government programs. - In 1989, Bush called a conference of the nation's governor's to set national goals for education. - In 1990, he signed into law a bill setting tougher standards to reduce air pollution. - When Bush took office, 17 military plants that had manufactured nuclear weapons were closed.

The savings and Loan Crisis - When interest rates soared in the late 1970's, savings banks were stuck with low interest, long-terms mortgages. - The Reagan administration had led a campaign to deregulate S&L's that is, to allow them more freedom from government control. - A number of S&L's went bankrupt because the loans they made were not repaid. - By 1990, a recession in New England led to many savings banks failures. - The Bush administration set up a federal agency to take over the failed banks, sell them, or sell of their assets. - Government economists estimated that the cost of bailing out the S&L's would probably run more than $600 billion over 10 years.

The Elections of 1990 - the new budget agreement had reduced the deficit more then any legislation during the Reagan years. - they saw a congress unwilling to make difficult choices raising taxes or cutting programs. - they saw a billion of dollars needed to bail out savings and loans institutions because of mismanagement.

Flags and the Supreme Court - in 1989, the court struck down a Texas law that had made burning the American flag a crime. - the justices ruled that burning the flag in protest was a form of free speech. - It was protected by the First Admendment to the constitution. - flag burning was just one of many controversial issues facing the Supreme Court. - President bush nominated a little known New Hampshire judge, David Scouter to take Brennan's place.

SECTION 4

The End of the Cold War - Since the end of World War ll, Soviet dominated governments had controlled the nations of Eastern Europe. - In 1989 and 1990, one after another, communist, governments collapsed. - Dissenters, once treated as enemies of the state, began to come into power. - In 1981, the Polish government had outlawed Solidarity, an independent labor union. - In 1989, the communist government allowed Solidarity candidates to run for the Polish parliament. - On October 4, 1990, Germany divided for 45 years by the cold war became one nation again.

Moving toward democracy - In Czechoslovakia, the communist government was forced to resign in 1989. - The Czechs then chose as their new president Vaclav Havel, a playwright who had been jailed several times by the communist government. - In Rumania, dictator Nicolae Ceausescu resisted the tide of change and had protesters shot. - Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife was captured, tried and executed in December 1989. - Several Soviet republics, including Lithuania and Estonia, demanded independence. - The soviet government was forced to begin new democratic reforms, including a multiparty system. - In 1990, the sovie government announced that it would allow private ownership of land and businesses.  The American response - Americans responded enthusiastically to the democratic reforms in Easter Europe. - Bush praised the rise of democracy in the Soviet bloc and promised some economic support. - With the cold war possibly coming to an end, many members of Congress talked about a "peace dividend". - Money that once had funded the arms race, they said, could now go to expand social programs or reduce the deficit.

New Directions in Latin America - The Bush administration worked out a bipartisan agreement with Congress. - Under its terms, the U.S. would provide the contras with food, clothing, and medical supplies.

Invasion of Panama -