Study Tool: Chronological Events of the 1980-1992
Era
|
Date |
Presidential Election/ Event |
Beyond |
Foreign Policy |
Government Institutions |
US Economic Development |
Issue/Organization Development |
Political Party Development |
1973 |
|
|
|
Roe v. Wade |
|
|
|
1976 |
|
|
|
Hyde Amendment[3] |
|
|
|
1979 |
|
|
|
|
|
Moral Majority
est.[4] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TV and[5] |
|
1980-04 |
|
Failed attempt to
rescue Iranian hostages |
|
|
|
|
|
1980-11 |
Ronald W. Reagan vs. Jimmy Carter |
|
|
|
Status[6] Method[7] |
|
Slogan[8] TV and[9] Party strength[10] |
1981 |
|
|
Nicaragua; Sandanistas[11] |
Social Security
cut attempted[12] |
|
AIDS status[13] A Nation at
Risk[14] |
|
|
|
|
|
FCC deregulates
radio[15] |
|
Limbaugh and Stern[16] |
|
1981-01-20 |
|
Release of Iranian hostages on Inauguration Day |
|
|
|
|
|
1981-03 |
Assassination
attempt |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1981-07 |
|
|
|
Supreme Court:
Sandra Day O’Connor |
|
|
|
1981-08 |
|
|
|
|
PATCO strike,
dismissal[17] |
|
|
1982 |
|
|
|
Deregulation of
savings and loans[18] |
Status[19] |
|
|
1982-04 |
|
Br: Falklands War[20] |
|
|
|
|
|
1982-06 |
|
Israel: Invades
Lebanon |
|
|
|
|
|
1982-11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Democratic increase in House |
1983 |
|
Lebanon: Terrorist
attack[21] |
|
|
Poverty status[22] |
Family status[23] |
|
1983-03 |
|
|
Star Wars: SDI[24] |
|
|
|
|
1983-10 |
|
|
US: Invades
Grenada |
|
|
|
|
1984 |
|
|
Nicaragua:
Sandanistas[25] |
Gramm-Rudman-Hollings[26] |
Status[27] |
|
|
1984-11 |
Ronald W.
Reagan vs. Walter Mondale[28] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1985 |
|
|
|
|
|
AIDS status[29] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yuppies[30] |
|
1986 |
|
|
|
Supreme Court:
William Rehnquist, Chief Justice |
Tax changes[31] |
|
|
1986-01 |
|
|
|
Challenger
disaster[32] |
|
|
|
1986-10 |
|
|
Gorbachev-Reagan[33] |
|
|
|
|
1986-11 |
|
|
CIA/NSC covert
action: Iran-Contra exposed[34] |
|
|
|
|
1987 |
|
|
|
FCC: Ends Fairness
Doctrine[35] |
|
|
|
1987-10 |
|
|
|
Supreme Court:
Bork[36] |
|
|
|
1988 |
|
|
|
|
Status[37] |
|
|
1988-11 |
George H. Bush vs. Michael Dukakis |
|
|
|
|
|
TV and “Willie
Horton”[38] |
1988-11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
“The vision thing”[39] |
1989 |
|
Communist breakup[40] |
|
|
Savings and loan
collapse[41] |
Technical status[42] |
|
1989 |
|
|
|
Supreme Court:
David Souter |
|
|
|
1989 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1990 |
|
|
China: Tiananmen
Square[43] |
|
Status[44] |
|
|
1990-08 |
|
Iraq: Invades
Kuwait[45] |
|
|
|
|
|
1990-11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Minor Republican
losses |
1990-12 |
|
|
US: Noriega[46] |
|
|
|
|
1991 |
|
Russia: Coup
attempt[47] |
US: recognizes
Bosnia[48] |
Supreme Court:
Clarence Thomas[49] |
|
|
|
1991-01 |
|
2nd,
Coalition: Operation Desert Storm[50] |
1st,
Congress on Iraq[51] |
|
|
|
|
1992 |
|
|
|
|
Status[52] |
AIDS status[53] |
|
Copyright C. J. Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2010 |
WCJC Department: |
History – Dr. Bibus |
Contact Information: |
281.239.1577 or cjb_classes@yahoo.com |
Last Updated: |
2010 |
WCJC Home: |
[1]
Roman Catholic church,
Protestant evangelicals
[2] Operation Rescue and clinic
blockades; bombings, assassination of doctors
[3] Banned Medicaid paying for
abortions
[4] Rev. Jerry Falwell, VA
[5] Pat Robertson, 700 Club,
Christian Broadcasting Network (CABLE); Jimmy and Tammy Baker, PTL (Praise the
Lord) – later fraud convictions; Jimmy Swaggart – later sexual misconduct
[6] Inflation = 12%;
unemployment = 7%+; prime interest = near 20%; national debt $74B (Ayers says
$908B on p. 859)
[7] “Supply-side economics” –
reduce federal tax rates
[8] “Are you better off now than
you were four years ago?”
[9] “Great Communicator,”
Teleprompter with prepared text; “packag[ing]” of the President by James Baker
(chief of staff), Michael Deaver (media), Edwin Meese (policy, later during
Iran-Contra, attorney general), Nancy Reagan (with astrologer)
[10] Senate 53 to 46, 1st
time since 1954
[11] Reagan opposes, subsidy of
rebellion against using El Salvador bases. House of Representatives rejects
this use of funds. Also, see 1988.
[12] Spring, attempt to cut early
retiree benefits; failed in Congress. Fall, panel to investigate problem. Fall,
1982, changes made to restore finances.
[13] c. 1984 = 3,700 US deaths to
date
[14] On failure of public
education
[15] Federal Communications
Commission ended limits on commercials and requirement for public affairs
programs and community surveys.
[16] Rise of Rush Limbaugh in
1990s, est. 13M listeners; of Howard Stern
[17] Professional Air Traffic
Controller strike; back-to-work orders; failure to obey meant dismissal
[18] For the crash of this system
at taxpayer expense, see the 1st Bush administration.
[19] National debt = $128B (up 1.7
X of 1980 debt of $74B) – Note the increasing rise of national debt shown
in other Status items.
[20] Argentina invaded this
former British colony. Britain crushes the Argentine army; increases Thatcher’s
popularity.
[21] US forces in multinational
peacekeeping. Terrorist bomb kills 239 US Marines; US Marines withdrawn.
[22] Bureau of Census: 13M
children under 6 in poverty.
Note: end of 1980s = 11X money for reducing poverty for children instead
shifted to elderly, an increasingly more organized voting block.
[23] 1970 = 3.8M single parent
families; 1992 = 10.5M
[24] Strategic Defense Initiative
(SDI). To stop – theoretically and never proved – missiles before they could
hit the US.
[25] US-supported Contras not
succeeding against Sandanistas; El Salvador right wing’s death squads. Congress
does 2nd amendment US funding of Contras.
[26] Phil Gramm (TX), Warren
Rudman (PA), and Fritz Hollings (SC) – Bill that automatically lowers federal
expenditure across the board. To quote Ayers, “[i]t promised to lower deficits
without requiring lawmakers to choose [and publicly vote on] among tough
options.” (p. 866)
[27] National debt = $186B
[28] 1st woman
candidate for Vice President, Geraldine Ferraro, Representative for the state
of New York
[29] 1985 = 6,700 US deaths; 1987
= 15,500 per year
[30] Among 1980s social changes =
young urban professionals (yuppies) and “image is everything” (Andre Agassi)
culture.
[31] Lowered tax rate
[32] Causes = systemic
inattention, cost-cutting and schedule-making as goals, over-confidence
[33] 2nd of 2 positive
meetings although no substantive changes
[34] National Security Council
(NSC) used money from sale of arms to Iran as part of deal to free hostages
(this time held in Lebanon). President Reagan approved. Profit from sale went
to Nicaraguan contras (US-supported group established to try to stop
Sandanistas). Exposed by CIA plane shot down by Sandanistas. Participants:
Oliver North, John Poindexter (NSC advisor). Congressional immunity and
publicity of hearings resulted in limited consequences for participants. Issues
such as fear of a repeat of the impeachment of a president meant no
consequences for the President.
[35] What it used to do: Fairness
Doctrine had required any broadcast (since public airwaves) to present both
sides of opposing arguments.
[36] Robert Bork’s confirmation
blocked over such prior positions as opposing Roe v. Wade. Anthony
Kennedy later confirmed for spot.
[37] National debt = $156B
[38] Horton = escaped black
convict, rape in another state used as TV commercial against Dukakis, MA
governor.
[39] Bush phrase about goals that
came to haunt him
[40] 1989 = free elections,
Poland
[41] Deregulation in Reagan’s
term results in $500B cost to taxpayers.
[42] Computer revolution
from 1981 IBM PC (personal computer) to 1983 Microsoft Windows to 1984 Apple
Macintosh. Sales = 1983 of 20K purchased/yr. to 500K/yr. Internet revolution
from 1969 Pentagon project to 1980s usernet and email. Cable revolution
beginning with 1981 MTV (Music Television) and Ted Turner’s CNN (Cable News
Network).
[43] US, limited response
[44] National debt in 1990 =
$222B;1990 announcement of new taxes
[45] Note that in spring 1990 US
ambassador told Saddam Hussein US had “no position” on his issues with Kuwait.
[46] US sends troops into Panama
after Noriega, a former informant for the US on drugs. 1992 he is convicted of
drug traffic.
[47] Attempted coup against
Gorbachev. Yeltsin blocks, then rises to temporary power.
[48] Yugoslavian civil war: Serbs
vs. Bosnians, Croats, Slovenes. US recognition of Bosnia as a sovereign nation;
has later implications for the Clinton administration.
[49] Confirmation marred by Anita
Hill scandal on sexual harassment while working at Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission
[50] Ground action – 02/24/1991.
Defeat of Hussein, but not removed from power.
[51] Following UN Security
Council resolution on Iraq leaving Kuwait by 01/15/1991, Congress votes for use
of US troops.
[52] National debt = $297B.
General in 1990s = “downsizing”; decrease in middle class jobs and rise of
service sector jobs at low pay and no or few benefits; “generation X” of 75M
children of first wave of baby boomers, disillusioned.
[53] Research funding by 1992.
1992 = new cases 45K; 1993 = 83K.