Reform in the 1990s
APUSH Museum Project- Wendy Campos
Welfare Reform
During the Great Depression President Franklin D. Roosevelt formed a series of reforms to help the poor with financial assistance but really put no limits to it. Over time public opinion turned against it because they believed it payed people to be idle. In 1996 President Bill Clinton signed a welfare reform that put limits on welfare. It consisted of a few rules:
- The recipient is required to work within two years of the time they receive assistance.
- Limited the time of assistance to five years total
- Established "family caps" restricted additional benefits to mothers for children born while the mothers are already on public assistance
- The picture to the left shows President Bill Clinton signing this welfare program.
Reform effect on employment
Employment had been dropping before the new welfare reform but after it slowly began to rise.
Welfare Usage
The picture shows how Americans had begun to depend on welfare.
Danger
Many people were becoming to dependent on welfare reform.
Environmental Reform
The Environmental Protection Agency is a government program that fights for the protection of the environment. The Clean Air Act is the law that defines EPA's responsibilities which are to protect and improve the nation's air quality and the stratospheric ozone layer. Amendments were made to this act in 1990. This new legislation established three major threats: acid rain, urban air pollution and toxic air emissions. This amendment also improved enforcement on the various laws that the EPA would establish and gave them more power. This new law would promote the use of less power that would harm the environment and promote the use of fuels with clean emissions. During the 1990s people began to realize that it is important to protect our environment. Americans began to learn that we need a healthy environment in order to live long healthy lives. Reform to our environmental policies were needed because people need to be more careful because there are consequences to the choices that people make.
- The picture to the right shows the logo for the enviromental protection agency
POllution
Clean the Air
Many fuels used can emit harmful gases.
Alternative
There are cleaner ways of getting the energy needed.
Factory= Pollution
Many factories use fuels with harmful waste products.
Technological Reform
During the 1990s technological advances began to change how the world. With the invention of the internet information could become available to almost anyone in the world. Search engines like Yahoo which was created in 1995 revolutionized how people began to look for information. The internet opened a new world where the possibilities were endless. Everything was becoming more accessible, in 1995 the DVD was invented this allowed for a simpler and easier method of watching and storing videos. All technological innovations made during this time served the purpose of making a persons life much more simple. Thanks to new technology the world was changing the way it lived and manged its life. Nothing would ever be the same after the new advances made during this time period. Technology changed the way that people saw the world, now it seemed limitless with no barriers thanks to better communication transportation, and distribution of information.
- The picture shows the evolution of the mobile phone during the 90s.
Work Cited
"American Environmental Policy, 1990-2006: Beyond Gridlock." Review of American Environmental Policy, 1990-2006. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013
"Clean Air Act." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.
"20th Century Timeline." About.com Inventors. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.
"Evolution Of Cell Phones | 90s Reality | Nineties Movies, Nineties Music, Nineties Lifestyles." 90s Reality Nineties Movies Nineties Music Nineties Lifestyles. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2013.