- He was the son of former President Georg Bush; George W. Bush’s election as President in 2000 was the closest election contest in U.S. History
a) Bush’s large lead began to shrink when the Democrats nominated Vice President Al Gore
b) On election night, Gore won the popular vote, but in some states the margin was so narrow the winner of the electoral vote was unclear
c) Because of the close vote in Florida, a recount was begun
d) After weeks of indecision, Florida election officials declared Bush the winner, giving him the needed electoral votes for victory
e) Gore challenged these results
f) In a divided decision, the Supreme Court stopped manual recounts in several counties for their lack of uniform standards and Bush was declared the winner
- Early in his Presidency, Bush pushed through a tax cut in an attempt to revitalize the economy
- He also proposed legislation requiring states to test all students from third grade on
Foreign Policy:
- On September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorists boarded four different U.S. airliners
a) Once airborne, the planes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon building in Washington, D.C.
b) As many as five thousand people were killed – making this the worst attack in U.S. history
- President Bush vowed to launch a war against terrorism, including nations that harbored terrorists
a) The primary suspect was Osama Bin Laden, who was responsible for prior terrorist attacks against Americans
b) The Taliban, the Islamic Fundamentalist rulers of Afghanistan, refused to turn Osama bin Laden over to the U.S.
c) President Bush ordered air and ground assaults to topple the Taliban and destroy bin Laden’s terrorist network
~ Adapted from The Key to Understanding U.S. History and Government
Who was George W. Bush? ________________________________________________________________________
What was unique about the Presidential election in 2000? ________________________________________________________________________
Who won the popular vote in the election? ________________________________________________________________________
Why was the electoral vote unclear? ________________________________________________________________________
What is the Electoral College? ________________________________________________________________________
In what state was the vote very close? ________________________________________________________________________
What began in this state? ________________________________________________________________________
Who did election officials declare the winner? ________________________________________________________________________
What did the other candidate do? ________________________________________________________________________
What did the Supreme Court rule? ________________________________________________________________________
Who did the Supreme Court declare the winner? ________________________________________________________________________
What did Bush do in an effort to revitalize the economy? ________________________________________________________________________
What legislation did Bush propose regarding education in the U.S.? ________________________________________________________________________
What happened on September 11, 2001? ________________________________________________________________________
Why was this the worst attack on American soil? ________________________________________________________________________
Who was responsible for this attack? ________________________________________________________________________
What country harbored this individual? ________________________________________________________________________
What group ruled this country? ________________________________________________________________________
What is Islamic Fundamentalism? ________________________________________________________________________
What do Islamic Fundamentalists want? ________________________________________________________________________
What do Islamic Fundamentalist not want? ________________________________________________________________________
Why were some Islamic Fundamentalists upset with the United States? ________________________________________________________________________
What nation did the United States immediately invade after the events of 9/11? ________________________________________________________________________
What other nation did the U.S. invade? ________________________________________________________________________
What did the U.S. suspect Saddam Hussein of making? ________________________________________________________________________
What happened to Saddam Hussein? ________________________________________________________________________
What happened to Osama bin Laden? ________________________________________________________________________
Is the U.S. still fighting a war on terror? ________________________________________________________________________
Why is the war on terror difficult to win? ________________________________________________________________________
How is the war on terror different from the Cold War? ________________________________________________________________________
Primary Source: Excerpt from the text of President Bush’s address Tuesday night, after terrorist attacks on New York and Washington Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices – secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers. Moms and dads. Friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. …These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. …America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.
…The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I’ve directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.
…Tonight I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.” This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world. Thank you. Good night and God bless America.
Identify five significant points made by President Bush in the speech:
(4) the electoral votes in Florida were divided between the candidates
Base your answer to question 3 on the quotation below and on your knowledge of social studies.
“… In the sixth year since our Nation was attacked, I wish I could report to you that the dangers have ended. They have not. And so it remains the policy of this Government to use every lawful and proper tool of intelligence, diplomacy, law enforcement, and military action to do our duty, to find these enemies, and to protect the American people…”
~ President George W. Bush
Which event did President Bush refer to in this quotation?
(1) Oklahoma City bombing on April 17, 1995
(2) terrorist actions on September 11, 2001
(3) Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
(4) start of Operation Iraqi Freedom
One reason some people support raising the eligibility age for receiving Social Security benefits is that
(1) most Americans now have access to free health care
(2) people are living longer today
(3) the federal government has had record budget surpluses in recent years
(4) baby boomers will begin to retire after the year 2030 Base your answers to questions 5 and 6 on the passage below and on your knowledge of social studies.
“…Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10 billion to develop cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternative energy sources. And we are on the threshold of incredible advances.…”
~ President George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, January 31, 2006
In this passage, President George W. Bush suggests Americans can overcome oil “addiction” by focusing on
