The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 reduced taxes to encou

Stimulus Act -2008

Health Care Reform - 2010

Clinton v. New York - 1998

The Federal Surplus - 1998

Beginning of Iraqi War - 2003

Reagan Tax Cuts - 1981

9/11 - 2001

Contract with America and Line Item Veto - 1994

Star Wars (SDI) - 1983

Reagan Tux Cuts - 1986

President Bush's Commitment - 1988

The Congressional Budget Office projected another deficit, but there ended up being a $70 billion surplus for the fiscal year of 1998. The surplus was the first for a generation and tax cuts followed with increasing approval rates of President Clinton.

The court declared in favor of the City of New York, ruling that the use of the line item veto, as established with the Line Item Veto Act of 1996, violated the Presentment Clause of the United States Constitution, making it unconstitutional for the president to use.

Due to fears of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein acquiring weapons of mass destruction, the United States under George Bush invaded Iraq along with other allies, including the U.K. The aim of this war was to rid Iraq of its weapons, free its people from a dictatorial regime, and defend the rest of the world.

On September 11th, 2001, Islamic terrorists working for al-Qaeda under Osama Bin Laden flew two planes into the World Trade Centers, one into the pentagon, and another, intended for the White House, into a field in Pennsylvania. America responded with fear meanwhile the military began Operation Enduring Freedom to seek Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists.

Newt Gingrich along with the Republican minority in Congress established a set of legislative goals including tax cuts, a permanent line item veto, and constitutional amendments to limit terms and balance the budget. All of these goals were passed except for the constitutional amendments. The Line Item Veto Act two years later (1996) would allow the president to selectively sign or veto individual parts of a bill.

The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 reduced taxes to encourage consumer spending. It was in response to the stagflation of the time and was one of Reagan’s first uses of supply-side economics.

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 altered tax rates for many Americans by lowering rates for those in high income brackets and raising rates for those in low income brackets. It increased incentives for those buying homes as well as solidified the tax code.

The Space Defense Initiative (1983) was developed in an effort to protect Americans from the dangers of missiles. Reagan proposed an anti-ballistic missile system situated in space to protect target attacks, especially from the Soviet Union.

During the 1988 Republican National Convention, George H. Bush promised constituents that he would not raise taxes, subsequently repeating “Read my lips: no new taxes” throughout his campaign. Eventually, he recanted this promise.

Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 was created in an effort to avoid recession and ameliorate economic conditions. The act offered tax rebates and incentives to individuals and businesses.

Also known as Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act aimed to make healthcare more accessible and affordable to Americans, expanding medicaid and medicare, including medicare part D refers to the government paying for prescription drugs.

Resources

• https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/affordable-care-act/
• https://www.thebalance.com/bush-economic-stimulus-package-3305782
• http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/war-in-iraq-begins
• http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks
• https://clintonwhitehouse4.archives.gov/textonly/WH/New/html/19981028-13004.html
• https://www.oyez.org/cases/1997/97-1374
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Contract-with-America
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/grover-norquists-history-lesson-george-hw-bush-no-new-taxes-and-the-1992-election/2012/11/26/cfd6d65a-3811-11e2-8a97-363b0f9a0ab3_blog.html?utm_term=.f7b592ee4287
• http://www.coldwar.org/articles/80s/SDI-StarWars.asp
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Economic-Recovery-Tax-Act https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/taxreformact1986.asp