DTW GED PREP

Ronald Reagan, a former Hollywood actor and California Republican governor, served two terms as president from 1981 to 1989. His administration implemented conservative policies that reshaped the U.S. economy and government. Reagan lowered taxes, particularly for the wealthy, and loosened regulations on industries, aiming to foster economic growth. His government also undertook a massive military buildup, seeking to strengthen the U.S. military during the Cold War. In foreign affairs, Reagan followed a staunchly anti-Communist policy, providing support to anti-government rebels in Central America, particularly in Nicaragua. However, his administration became embroiled in the Iran-Contra scandal, where it was revealed that officials secretly funded these rebels with proceeds from illegal arms sales to Iran, a country that was under an arms embargo. Despite this scandal, Reagan’s presidency was marked by a revitalization of American conservatism.

In the 1990s, the presidency was dominated by Democrat Bill Clinton, who served two terms from 1992 to 2000. Clinton’s administration is often remembered for overseeing a period of great economic prosperity, with low unemployment and poverty rates. He implemented significant domestic policies, such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provided workers with unpaid leave for family and medical reasons, and welfare reform, which aimed to reduce dependency on government assistance. Clinton also signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which significantly lowered trade barriers between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, aiming to increase trade and economic cooperation across North America.

In 2001, Republican George W. Bush succeeded Clinton, beginning a controversial presidency marked by the 2000 election, which was decided by a Supreme Court ruling that halted a recount in Florida, awarding Bush the state’s Electoral College votes. On September 11, 2001, the United States was rocked by terrorist attacks when Al-Qaeda hijacked four planes, crashing two into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, one into the Pentagon, and one in Pennsylvania. The attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, led to Bush launching the War on Terror. This included passing the USA Patriot Act, which expanded surveillance powers, and engaging in military actions such as the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the Iraq War (2003–2011). The Iraq War, in particular, was controversial because it was based on claims that Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, possessed weapons of mass destruction, which were never found.

In 2009, Barack Obama became the first African-American president, serving two terms until 2017. Obama inherited a country reeling from the 2008 global financial crisis, which had pushed the world into a deep recession and threatened the stability of the global banking system. His first term focused on economic recovery efforts, including the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a large stimulus package aimed at job creation and economic stabilization. Obama’s signature piece of legislation was the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as “Obamacare,” which aimed to reduce the number of uninsured Americans by expanding Medicaid and creating health insurance exchanges. The ACA also prohibited insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions and extended health coverage to millions of Americans. Obama was re-elected in 2012, securing a second term.

PRESIDENCIES IN THE LATE 20TH AND EARLY 21^ST CENTURIES

 Directions: Choose the best answer to the following question.

 1.  According to the graph, in what year did total NAFTA trade first

 exceed $500 billion?

 A.   1996

 B.   1997

 C.   1998

 D.   1999

Based on the graph titled “NAFTA Trade, 1994–1999”, total NAFTA trade first exceeded $500 billion in the year:

D. 1999

You can see this because the bar for 1999 in the “Total NAFTA trade” section surpasses the 500-billion-dollar mark, whereas the bars for all previous years remain below it.