This unit bundles student expectations that address important events and their impact from 1990 to the present. This unit is primarily a study of presidential leadership. By 1990 the U.S. economy had gradually slid back into a recession. President George H.W. Bush spent much of his administration working to address the recession and the large budget deficit left by the previous administration. The end of the Cold War during his presidency allowed for an examination of military spending, yet the failure of the administration to relieve the recession prompted a third party challenger in the 1992 election. Third party challenger Ross Perot was more successful than any other third party candidate in U.S. history in an election that brought Bill Clinton to office. President Clinton’s administration successfully implemented policies aimed at restoring the economy, balancing the nation’s budget, and reforming welfare. During the 1990s, Americans witnessed increasing globalization, genocide in the Balkans, and the growth of computer-related industries. Despite his policy successes, President Clinton became the focus of a major scandal which resulted in his impeachment. It was also during the 1990s that Americans were introduced to First Lady Hillary Clinton who, after her husband left office, remained in public service first as a senator from New York and later as Secretary of State in the Obama administration. Clinton became the first female presidential candidate from a major political party in the United States as the Democratic Party nominee in the 2016 presidential election. The controversial 2000 election ended with Al Gore winning the popular vote and George W. Bush winning the electoral college. Not long after President Bush was in office, the United States was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. President Bush responded by declaring a global war on terror, which included the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, where terrorists had bases, and the invasion of Iraq. The creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act were also measures supported by the Bush administration to fight terrorism. By 2008, the Bush administration was working to provide assistance to private businesses to address a looming financial crisis brought about by the collapse of the mortgage industry. It was in the midst of this financial crisis that the first African-American elected as president, Barack Obama took office. President Obama’s administration worked with Congress to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, intended to stimulate the economy and prevent an economic depression. He also worked to pass legislation to regulate banks, reform health care, and address environmental issues. It was during the Obama administration that two women Supreme Court Justices were appointed, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. By the end of the Obama administration the economy had recovered, yet the expanded role of government in the economy, and the economic implications of immigration endured as a subject of debate for Americans. An examination of the foreign and domestic policies of the presidential administrations from 1990-2016 is important for understanding the issues that Americans continue to deliberate into the 21st century.