HIST 2020 M02

Bill Clinton had an agenda going into his presidency where he wanted to send the nation into a new direction. He said, "I present to you our comprehensive plan to set our nation on that new course." His plan had four fundamental components to it. The point of the components was to help the economy out of a deficit. He ends his agenda by saying that if the nation was to work hard and work together, they can lift America's fortunes once again. In his first year, Clinton had success; however, he also had some setbacks. Since Clinton had a "mixed record," Republicans decided to take advantage along with Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House, and create a "Contract with America." This was a legislative agenda for the House Republicans. Along with this contract came eight major reforms. The purpose of these reforms was aimed to restore the faith and trust of the American people in their government. The contract also brought ten bills. Pat Buchanan was a conser...

Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, is often regarded as a significant change in the realm of diplomacy. He is known for his confrontational and uncompromising stance towards the Soviet Union, which many believe led to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Empire. His strategic approach, popularly known as the "Reagan Doctrine," was based on the idea of outspending and outmaneuvering the Soviet Union to force them into submission. Reagan's diplomacy was marked by several key initiatives, such as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as "Star Wars," which aimed to develop a missile defense system to protect the United States from nuclear attack. He also provide d significant financial and military support to anti-communist forces in countries such as Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and Angola, to roll back Soviet influence. Critics of Reagan's diplomacy argue that his policies were reckless and dangerous, and that they could have eas...

Tom Wolfe's essay "The Me Decade" was published in New York Magazine in 1976, describing the cultural trends of the 1970s. In it, Wolfe argued that the decade was characterized by a new focus on individualism and self-expression, which he called the "Me Decade." Wolfe pointed to various cultures as evidence of this shift, including the rise of self-help books, the popularity of Eastern spirituality, and the rapidly increasing amounts of personal branding and self-promotion. He argued that these trends reflected a broader cultural turn away from the collectivism of the 1960s and towards a new emphasis on personal fulfillment and self-realization. While Wolfe's essay has been criticized for oversimplifying the complexities of the decade, it does capture some important cultural shifts that were taking place at the time. For example, the 1970s saw the rise of the feminist movement and the gay rights movement, both of which were focused on individual empowerment ...