73
Decades 1980s
Political
The country was tired of the turmoil of the 60s and 70s. The "silent majority" thought voting conservative would help their country return to a sense of normalcy. They elected Reagan, a former actor and Governor of California, as President. The "great communicator" spoke plainly which a lot of "folks" appreciated.
Major Policy Changes
Social Security
War on Drugs
Major Policies
Social Security
The cost of SS had gone up dramatically as more people enrolled in the program. Better healthcare, nutrition, and sanitation also meant that more people were living longer and collecting more benefits. Congress enacted the Social Security Reform Act of 1983. Which delayed retirement age and pushed back cost of living increase.
War On Drugs
War on Drugs
Reagan's goal was to catch drug users and drug dealers in order to curb illegal use of drugs. The War on Drugs was a national campaign that led to DARE programs in schools, Just Say No slogan, and mass incarceration. Crack had become popular in the 80s and the increase of 24 media coverage led many to be nervous that drug using was a major concern in the US. Many offenses were mismanaged and those that had violent acts got lower sentencing than crack users. The War on Drugs also led to an unequal increase in sentencing for black drug offenders.
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9252490
https://www.britannica.com/topic/war-on-drugs
Greed
CNN and MTV and the popularity of other cable channels created a medium unlike any other. 24/hr news cycles made it hard to keep the viewers attention. The effect was:
1. commercials became overused
2. creation of more TV shows
3. news networks exaggerating small stories to take up time
4. celebrity lifestyles were promoted as the ideal way of life (instagram fakers) The "average" citizen wanted to live that lifestyle too so they began to spend a lot of money to imitate that lifestyle.
HIV/AIDs
Appearing in 1981, there is no known cure. At first it spread mainly through sexual contact and intravenous (needles) drug use.
Persian Gulf War
-George HW Bush take office in 1988. -In 1990-Iraq invaded Kuwait
Causes: To take over oil deposits, if controlled, Iraq would have 20% of the oil produced around the world.
Effects: Bush worked with the UN demanding that Iraq withdraw. Operation Desert Storm: American led attack on Iraqi forces. After several weeks, they fled Kuwait. Bush decided not to pursue them into Iraq.