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President George H.W Bush was loyally supported President Reagan for about 8 years.Soon to be president, Bush ran against Senator Robert Dole and television evangelist Pat Robertson two people who thought because of Bush's low profile that they would when the nomination, but Bush proved them wrong. President Bush decided to run against an unknown young conservative from Indiana, Senator J. Danforth "Dan" Quayle. There here more than half dozen democrats who wanted to challenge Bush. Governor Michael Dukakis and the Rev. Jesse Jackson led the group. Bush won the election of 1988 by having 53 percent of the popular vote to Dukakis's 46 percent. He also took 426 electoral votes to Dukakis's 111.
 * The Election Of 1988**

__The New President__** Bush brought a lot of experience he was a pilot in World War II, he had won a medal for bravery. After the war he started an oil business in Texas. He had served as a member of congress,as and ambassador, and as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency.In his inaugural address he promised the a ''kinder,gentler nation. The new president acted with caution. He tried to balance between continuing the policies of the Reagan years and work more with the Democrats. **

 **Drugs,Education, and Environment

During the 1988 campaign, George Bush had spoken strongly about controlling illegal drugs. He appointed William Bennett to be a drug czar to oversee the nation's war on drugs. President Bush also warned that the large deficit was going to rule out expensive new anti drug programs.** **Bennett resigned in 1990 saying that drug use had dropped .Bob Martinez then replaced him. President Bush also appointed a new defender of the environment William Reilly, to be the leader of the Environmental Protection Agency. He also signed into law a bill to reduce air pollution. That was the first regulation to be passed since carter.

  __The Saving And Loan Crisis__

Bank failures also put more pressure on the nation's finances. These savings and loan institutions, also know as S&Ls, had long financed mortgages, or loans, for Americans buying homes. The government had insured the deposits in S&Ls to encourage people to save money. When interest rates soared in the late 1970s, saving banks were stick with low intersest, long-term mortgages. The Reagan administration had led a campaign to deregulate S&Ls to allow freedom and from government control.By the 1990s the collapse of many S&Ls weakened the nations banking system.**


 * REDUCING THE DEFICIT***

The S&Ls crisis added to the growing deficit in the federal budget .To bring it down, Congress and the President had to cut spending or raise money. 1990 President George H.W Bush and Congress struggled over a budget that lowered the deficit. The President hinted that he might be willing to consider some new taxes.

The Election of 1990 The New Budget agreement had reduced the deficit more than legislation during the Reagan years. During the Election campaign of 1990 members of congress found voters in an angry mood. In 14 states voters elected governors from a different party from those who had been in office.

Flags And the Supreme Court Bush was angered by a Supreme Court decision. in 1989 the court struck down a Texas law that had made burning the American flag a crime. The justices ruled that burning the flag in protest was a form of free speech. Flag burning was just one of many other problems facing the Supreme Court. **