Chapter30

Section1:TheTechnologicalRevolution

ComputersforEveryone

StephenWozniakandSteveJobssetouttobuildasmallcomputersuitablefor
personaluse
In1976theyfoundedoneAppleComputerandcompletedAppleI
BillGatescofoundedMicrosofttodesignPCsoftware
Gatespaidaseattleprogrammer$50,000fortherightstohissoftware
In1985MicrosoftintroducedtheWindowsoperatingsystem
Bythelate1990s,workersusedathomecomputersandelectronicmail

NewTelecommunications

Inthe1970sthegovernmentstartedderegulatingthetelecommunications
industry
1996Telecommunicationsactwaspasseditallowedphonecompaniesto
compete.
Cellphoneswereinventedinthe1940s,theservicewasveryexpensive.
Technologytookoff,phoneswithrecording/cameras/streaming

TheRiseoftheInternet

In1969asystemwascreatedasasystemofnetworkedcomputersknownas
ARPANET
NSFNetisanetworkconnectingseveralsupercomputercentersacrossthe
country
Theinternetisthephysicalnetworkofcomputersconnectedtogetherbyphone
lines,cablelines,andwirelesscommunications.
By2007,morethan1billionpeoplewereregularlyusingtheinternet

BirthoftheWorldWideWeb

In1990,researchersatCERN(physicslaboratory),developedwhatweknowas
thebrowser
Alloweduserstopostinformationintheformofwebpagesandclickonlinks
Widevarietyofdotcomcompaniesmademillionsofdollarsforstock
Advertisingbringsinalotofmoneyfortheweb
Traditionalcompanieshavebegunusingthewebtomakeordersfromcustomers
andtoprovideinformationabouttheirproducts

Section2:TheClintonYears

RaisingTaxes,CuttingSpending

 Clintonsmaingoalwastobettertheeconomy
Federaldeficitwastheonlyproblemwithtryingtoboosttheeconomyfirst
Clintonthoughtthekeytoeconomicgrowthwastolowerinterestrates
Clintonendedupgoingagainsthiswordandraisedtaxes
StumblingonHealthCare
Clintonpromisedtoreformhealthcaresystems
40millionAmericansdidnothavehealthinsurance
Manypeopleboycottedtheplan(smallbusiness,doctors,etc.)
Republicansargueditwastoocomplicatedandcostly
Democratsweredividedsomesupportedalternativeplans

CrimeandGunControl
ClintonstronglyendorsednewguncontrollawscalledtheBradyBill.
Anothercrimebillwasenforcedsothatgavemoneytobuildnewprisons&add
100,000morepoliceofficers
Band19kindsofassaultweaponsandprovidedmoneyforcrimeprevention
programs
Inresponse,manyAmericansdecidedtovoteRepublicanin1994.

TheBudgetBattle
In1995theRepublicansclashedwiththepresidentoverthenewfederalbudget.
GingrichbelievedthatifRepublicansstoodfirm,thepresidentwouldbackdown
andapprovethebudget
BystandingfirmagainstRepublicanbudgetproposalsandallowingthe
governmenttoshutdown,Clintonregainedmuchofthesupporthehadlostin
1994

PuttingChildrenFirst
Clintonbeganasking$500perchildtaxcredit
SignedadoptionandSafeFamiliesAct
Bannedcigaretteadvertisingaimedtowardchildren
1997clintonsignedanactforChildrensHealthCare

ClintonisImpeached
ScandalbeganinClintonsfirstterm
whenhewasaccusedofarrangingillegalloansforWhitewaterDevelopment
Someevidencesuggestedthatthepresidenthadcommittedperjury,orhadlied
underoath,abouttherelationship
Clintonhadobstructedjustice,abusedhispoweraspresident,andcommitted
perjury

PeacemakingintheMiddleEast

July2000,PresidentClintoninvitedArafatandIsraeliPrimeMinisterEhudBarak
toCampDavidtodiscussunresolvedissues.
RadicalPalestiniansexplodedbombsinIsraelandin1995arightwingIsraeli
assassinatedPrimeMinisterRabin.
Theagreementtheyreached,didnotaddresstheultimatedimensionsoftheIsraeli
withdrawalorthecontestedstatusofJerusalem.

Section3:AwaveofImmigration

ChangesinImmigrationLaw
TheImmigrationActof1965receivedscantattentionwhenitwasenacted
Thefirsttime,thelegislationintroducedlimitsonimmigrationfromtheWestern
Hemisphere
Fewpeopleexpectedthatthenewlawwouldradicallychangethepatternor
volumeofimmigrationtotheUnitedStates.
In1948,refugeesravagedbyWorldWarIIwereadmitted,althoughtheywere
countedaspartoftheirnationsquota

RecentImmigration
In1990,California,Texas,NewYork,Illinois,andFloridahadthehighest
populationsofforeignbornresidents
ThelargestnumberofunauthorizedimmigrantscamefromMexico,ElSalvador,
andGuatemala
In2006,PresidentGeorgeW.Bushmadeimmigrationreformatoppriority,but
membersofCongressstronglydisagreedoverhowtosolvetheproblem
TheSenatebillincludedaprovisionthatundocumentedalienswhogrewupin
theUnitedStatesandgraduatedfromhighschoolcouldapplyforcitizenship

Section4:AnInterdependentWorld

TheNewGlobalEconomy

ComputertechnologyandtheInternetplayedabigroleinforgingthisnewglobal
economy
Importinglowcostgoodswouldalsokeepinflationandinterestrateslow
Opponentswarnedthatembracingtheglobaleconomywouldcause
manufacturingjobstomovefromtheUnitedStates
Bythe1990s,thedebatebetweensupportersoffreetradeandthosewhowanted
tolimittradehadbecomeanimportantpartofAmericanpolitics

RegionalBlocs

PresidentClintonconvincedtheSenatetoratifytheNorthAmericanFreeTrade
Agreement(NAFTA)
1993to2000,exportsrosefrom$142millionto$290billion
Increaseof104%
ManyAmericansfearedthatNAFTAwouldcauseindustrialjobstomoveto
Mexico
In1993,theEuropeanUnion(EU)wascreatedtopromoteeconomicandpolitical
cooperationamongmanyEuropeannations