Chapter 40: The American People Face a New Century

Bush and the subsequent September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which abruptly ended the nation’s long-held sense of national security and launched the global War on Terrorism. In response, the Bush administration initiated lengthy and controversial military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, predicated on the contentious doctrine of preventive warfare outlined in the 2002 National Security Strategy. Domestic security measures, such as the USA Patriot Act and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, sparked significant debates regarding the balance between national security and the protection of civil liberties. Bush’s second term was dominated by fiscal issues stemming from tax cuts and military spending, as well as the bungled federal response to Hurricane Katrina. The historic election of Barack Obama in 2008 occurred amidst the onset of The Great Recession, triggered by the bursting housing bubble and subsequent global financial crisis. Obama responded with large-scale economic interventions, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and major regulatory overhauls like the Dodd-Frank Act. A signature policy achievement was the Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed without Republican support and immediately facing severe backlash from conservative grassroots movements like the Tea Party, intensifying political polarization. Foreign policy during this era saw the withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq, a troop surge followed by drawdowns in Afghanistan, and the killing of Osama bin Laden. Domestically, America grappled with widening economic inequality, highlighted by the Occupy Wall Street movement, which focused on the wealth concentration among the top one percent. Socially, the era was marked by advances for LGBTQ+ rights, culminating in the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, even as political divisions deepened over immigration, voting rights (post-Shelby County v. Holder), and racial justice (e.g., Black Lives Matter and concerns over mass incarceration). The 2016 election saw Donald J. Trump secure the presidency, mobilizing populist discontent, economic anxiety, and cultural grievances, and ushering in an "America First" agenda that challenged decades of American global leadership and international agreements.