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BUSH TAKES OVER

 * in 1836, Vice president Martin Van Buren became president
 * In 1988 Vice president George Bush broke the odds and was elected president he broke a 152-year old tradition

 THE ELECTION OF 1988

 * The republican party thought that president Bush was a good choice to succeed Ronald Reagan
 * the democrats found more then half a dozen candidates who were eager to challenge Bush
 * The leaders were Michael Dukakis and Jesse Jackson
 * He won wide support from African Americans and from some liberal Democrats

THE NEW PRESIDENT

 * Bush brought a wide range of experience to the White House
 * Bush stated that he would not follow the old ways of the Reagan Era.
 * Bush promised a "kinder, gentler nation"

DRUGS, EDUCATION, AND ENVIRONMENT

 * George spoke out on the need to control the spread of illegal drugs
 * In 1990 William Reilly signed into a law a bill setting tougher standards to reduce air pollution

THE SAVING AND LOANS CRISIS

 * a rash of savings bank failures put even more pressure on the nation's finances
 * when the interest rates were high in the late 1970's savings banks were struck with low interest, long term mortgages.
 * The Reagan administration had led a campaign to deregulate S&L's.

REDUCING THE DEFICIT

 * the saving and loan crisis added to the growing deficit in the federal budget
 * throughout most of the 1990's the congress and the President struggled over a budget that lowered the deficit
 * the President and the Congress finially reached a budget agreement that would cut the deficit by nearly 500 billion dollars