BRIDGE TO THE 21st CENTURY - United States History Workbook 15 - Student Handouts

Oct 19, 2026

Uploaded by dhado

United States History Workbook #15 “Bridge to the 21st Century” outlines key themes and events leading into and around the 1992–2000 presidential era. It frames the early 1990s as a period shaped by the end of the Cold War and growing domestic anxieties, including recession, job losses, and the federal deficit. The material highlights ideological divisions in politics, the rise of new security threats, and campaign dynamics involving George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and H. Ross Perot.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

1992 Presidential Election

A New Presidency

Launching a New Domestic Policy

The American Economy in the 1990s

The Election of 1996 and the Political Aftermath

American Foreign Relations in the Clinton Years

Intimations of Terrorism

The Presidential Election of 2000 and the War on Terror

The 2004 Presidential Election

| | | | © Student Handouts | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bridge to the 21 | | | | | | | | st Century | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | United States History Workbook Series
© Student Handouts | | | | | | Workbook \#15 Student Handouts (Order \#3780974) © Student Handouts, [Inc. www.studenthandouts.com](Inc. www.studenthandouts.com) Workbooks in This Series: 1. Early America 2. The Colonial Period 3. The Road to Independence 4. The Formation of a National Government 5. Westward Expansion and Regional Differences 6. Sectional Conflict 7. The Civil War and Reconstruction 8. Growth and Transformation 9. Discontent and Reform 10.War, Prosperity, and Depression 11.The New Deal and World War II 12.Postwar America 13.Decades of Change: 1960-1980 14.The New Conservatism and a New World Order 15.Bridge to the 21st Century This series is © 2011 Student Handouts. For any questions, please visit our website: [www.studenthandouts.com](www.studenthandouts.com). BRIDGE TO THE 21st CENTURY: United States History Workbook \#15 Table of Contents: 1. 1992 Presidential Election 2. A New Presidency 3. Launching a New Domestic Policy 4. The American Economy in the 1990s 5. The Election of 1996 and the Political Aftermath 6. American Foreign Relations in the Clinton Years 7. Intimations of Terrorism 8. The Presidential Election of 2000 and the War on Terror 9. The 2004 Presidential Election United States History Workbook Series-Answer Keys [http://www.studenthandouts.com/01-Web-Pages/United-States](http://www.studenthandouts.com/01-Web-Pages/United-States)History-Workbooks-Answer-Keys/00-Answer-Keys. htm Page 2 Student Handouts (Order \#3780974) Bridge to the 21st Century – United States History Workbook \#15 of 15 1 1992 Presidential Election Europe was independent, the Soviet Union For most Americans the 1990s would be a time of peace, prosperity, and rapid technological change. Some attributed this to the "Reagan Revolution" and the end of the Cold War, others to the return of a Democrat to the presidency. During this period, the majority of Americans – political affiliation aside – asserted their support for traditional family values, often grounded in their faiths. New York Times columnist David Brooks suggested that the country was experiencing"moral self-repair," as "many of the indicators of social breakdown, which shot upward in the late 1960s and 1970s, and which plateaued at high levels in the 1980s," were now in decline. Improved crime and other social statistics aside, American politics remained ideological, emotional, and characterized by intense divisions. Shortly after the nation entered the new millennium, moreover, its post-Cold War sense of security was jolted by an unprecedented terrorist attack that launched it on a new and difficult international track. As the 1992 presidential election approached, Americans found themselves in a world transformed in ways almost unimaginable four years earlier. The familiar landmarks of the Cold War – from the Berlin Wall to intercontinental missiles and bomberson constant high alert – were gone. Eastern had dissolved, Germany was united, Arabs and Israelis were engaged in direct negotiations, and the threat of nuclear conflict was greatly diminished. It was as though one great history volume had closed and another had opened. Yet at home, Americans were less sanguine, and they faced some deep and familiar problems. The United States found itself in its deepest recession since the early 1980s. Many of the job losses were occurring among white-collar workers in middle management positions, not solely, as earlier, among blue-collar workers in the manufacturing sector. Even when the economy began recovering in 1992, its growth was virtually imperceptible until late in the year. Moreover, the federal deficit continued to mount, propelled most strikingly by rising expenditures for

FAQs

What historical period does Workbook #15 focus on?

It focuses on the transition into the 21st century, emphasizing the early-to-mid 1990s through the 2004 presidential election themes.

How does the workbook describe the 1990s compared with the Cold War era?

It portrays the 1990s as a time of peace and change after Cold War landmarks disappeared, while noting that domestic problems and new security challenges persisted.

Which 1992 presidential candidates are highlighted in the text?

It highlights George Bush and Bill Clinton, with Al Gore as Clinton’s vice presidential nominee, and it also discusses H. Ross Perot as an independent candidate.

Oct 19, 2026

Uploaded by dhado