====== United States of America - 21st Century History ====== The 21st century history of the United States spans from the disputed presidential election of 2000 through the present, encompassing the September 11 attacks and the wars that followed, the 2007–2008 financial crisis, a period of accelerating political polarization, and a series of elections that reflected contested priorities within the electorate. The period is characterized by the erosion of post–Cold War consensus, the rise of asymmetric threats to national security, the expansion and subsequent contraction of American military engagement abroad, and intensifying domestic debate over the role of the federal government, immigration, trade, and the functioning of democratic institutions. ----- ===== Overview ===== The 21st century opened with the resolution of the contested 2000 presidential election by the Supreme Court in [[bush-v-gore|Bush v. Gore]], handing the presidency to [[george-w-bush|George W. Bush]]. The decade was then defined by the [[september-11-attacks|September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks]], in which operatives of [[al-qaeda|al-Qaeda]] killed approximately 3,000 people in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania — the deadliest foreign attack on American soil in the nation's history. The United States responded with the [[war-in-afghanistan|War in Afghanistan]] (2001–2021) and the [[iraq-war|Iraq War]] (2003–2011, formal withdrawal; U.S. forces returned in 2014), the latter justified on the grounds that [[saddam-hussein|Saddam Hussein]] possessed weapons of mass destruction. No stockpiles were found; the consequences of both decisions are treated in [[united-states-america-war-on-terror-history|United States of America - War on Terror: History]]. The mid-2000s saw passage of the [[usa-patriot-act|USA PATRIOT Act]] and the establishment of the [[department-of-homeland-security|Department of Homeland Security]], expanding federal surveillance and domestic security authorities in ways that generated significant legal and civil liberties debate; see [[united-states-america-war-on-terror-viewpoints|United States of America - War on Terror: Viewpoints]]. The [[financial-crisis-2008|financial crisis of 2007–2008]], rooted in the collapse of a housing bubble and the failure of [[mortgage-backed-securities|mortgage-backed securities]], produced the worst economic contraction since the [[great-depression|Great Depression]]. The federal government responded with the [[troubled-asset-relief-program|Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)]] bank bailouts and, under the incoming Obama administration, the [[american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act|American Recovery and Reinvestment Act]] (2009). [[barack-obama|Barack Obama]], elected in November 2008, was the first Black president in American history. His administration oversaw passage of the [[affordable-care-act|Affordable Care Act]] (2010), the most significant expansion of health insurance coverage since [[medicare-and-medicaid|Medicare and Medicaid]] in 1965; the law's design, economic effects, and constitutionality have been persistently contested across party lines. The 2010s were marked by intensifying partisan polarization. The [[tea-party-movement|Tea Party movement]] (2009–2010) pushed the [[republican-party-usa|Republican Party]] toward smaller-government and anti-establishment positions. The Supreme Court's decision in [[obergefell-v-hodges|Obergefell v. Hodges]] (2015) established a constitutional right to same-sex marriage nationwide. [[donald-trump|Donald Trump's]] victory in the 2016 presidential election, defeating Democratic nominee [[hillary-clinton|Hillary Clinton]], was not predicted by most major national polls; the causes of the result are disputed, see [[united-states-presidential-election-2016|2016 Presidential Election]]. Trump's first term (2017–2021) was characterized by significant policy departures on trade (including tariffs and the renegotiation of [[nafta|NAFTA]] as the [[usmca|USMCA]]), immigration enforcement, judicial appointments, and foreign policy toward [[nato|NATO]], [[iran-nuclear-deal|the Iran nuclear deal]], and [[united-states-china-relations|China]]. Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives — in 2019 on charges related to [[trump-first-impeachment|Trump First Impeachment]] and in 2021 following the [[january-6-capitol-breach|January 6 Capitol breach]] — and acquitted by the Senate both times. The causes, conduct, and consequences of the January 6 events are treated in [[united-states-america-january-6-viewpoints|United States of America - January 6: Viewpoints]]. [[joe-biden|Joe Biden]] won the 2020 presidential election. His administration (2021–2025) oversaw the completion of the [[war-in-afghanistan|withdrawal from Afghanistan]] and the collapse of the Afghan government that followed within days in August 2021, the passage of the [[infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act|Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act]] (2021) and the [[inflation-reduction-act|Inflation Reduction Act]] (2022), a significant period of elevated consumer inflation, and the continuing aftermath of the [[covid-19-pandemic|COVID-19 pandemic]], which killed over a million Americans by most estimates and whose origins, management, and policy responses generated substantial controversy. The Supreme Court's decision in [[dobbs-v-jackson|Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization]] (2022), overturning [[roe-v-wade|Roe v. Wade]], was among the most significant domestic legal developments of the period; see [[united-states-america-abortion-viewpoints|United States of America - Abortion: Viewpoints]]. [[donald-trump|Donald Trump]] won the [[united-states-presidential-election-2024|2024 presidential election]], defeating Democratic nominee [[kamala-harris|Kamala Harris]], and returned to office in January 2025 for a second term. His second administration has pursued expansive executive action on immigration enforcement, federal agency restructuring, and trade tariffs. As of 2025–2026, the United States remains the world's largest economy and most powerful military force, while confronting sustained domestic debate over immigration, the scope of executive power, economic inequality, the independence of federal institutions, and its strategic position in a world defined increasingly by [[united-states-china-relations|competition with China]]. ----- ===== Key Events and Topics ===== ==== 2000 Election and Bush v. Gore ==== The 2000 presidential election between [[george-w-bush|George W. Bush]] and [[al-gore|Al Gore]] was decided by the electoral votes of Florida, where a recount was halted by the Supreme Court's 5–4 ruling in [[bush-v-gore|Bush v. Gore]]; the ruling's legal reasoning and legitimacy are disputed. See [[united-states-america-bush-v-gore-viewpoints|United States of America - Bush v. Gore: Viewpoints]]. ==== September 11 Attacks ==== The [[september-11-attacks|September 11, 2001 attacks]] were coordinated suicide hijackings carried out by 19 operatives of [[al-qaeda|al-Qaeda]] under the direction of [[osama-bin-laden|Osama bin Laden]], striking the [[world-trade-center|World Trade Center]] in New York City, the [[pentagon|Pentagon]] in Arlington, Virginia, and, via passenger revolt, a field near [[shanksville-pennsylvania|Shanksville, Pennsylvania]]. The attacks killed approximately 2,977 people, not counting the hijackers. They precipitated the [[authorization-for-use-of-military-force-2001|Authorization for Use of Military Force (2001)]] and reshaped American domestic security, foreign policy, and civil liberties law. ==== War on Terror ==== The [[war-on-terror|War on Terror]] is the name given to the broad military, intelligence, and law enforcement campaign initiated by the Bush administration following September 11. It encompassed the [[war-in-afghanistan|War in Afghanistan]], the [[iraq-war|Iraq War]], [[drone-warfare|drone warfare]] programs, the [[guantanamo-bay-detention-camp|Guantanamo Bay detention facility]], [[enhanced-interrogation-techniques|enhanced interrogation]] programs, and the expansion of domestic surveillance under the [[nsa-surveillance-program|NSA surveillance programs]] revealed by [[edward-snowden|Edward Snowden]] in 2013. The strategic and moral dimensions of these policies are treated in [[united-states-america-war-on-terror-viewpoints|United States of America - War on Terror: Viewpoints]]. ==== War in Afghanistan ==== The [[war-in-afghanistan|War in Afghanistan]] (October 2001 – August 2021) was the longest war in American history. U.S. and coalition forces initially dismantled the [[taliban|Taliban]] government and degraded [[al-qaeda|al-Qaeda]] networks; [[osama-bin-laden|Osama bin Laden]] was killed by U.S. special operations forces in Pakistan in May 2011. The subsequent effort to build a stable Afghan state and security force ultimately failed; the withdrawal ordered by the Biden administration in 2021 was followed within days by the collapse of the Afghan government and the return of the Taliban to power. ==== Iraq War ==== The [[iraq-war|Iraq War]] (March 2003 – December 2011, formal withdrawal; U.S. forces returned in 2014 to combat [[isis|ISIS]]) was authorized by Congress on the stated basis that [[saddam-hussein|Saddam Hussein's]] government possessed weapons of mass destruction and had links to terrorism. No WMD stockpiles were found following the invasion. The war resulted in Hussein's capture and execution, prolonged sectarian violence, and an insurgency that destabilized the region and contributed to the rise of [[isis|ISIS (Islamic State)]]. The decision to invade and its aftermath are subjects of ongoing historical and political dispute. ==== Financial Crisis of 2007–2008 ==== The [[financial-crisis-2008|financial crisis of 2007–2008]] was triggered by the collapse of a housing bubble inflated in part by loose lending standards and the widespread securitization of subprime mortgages into [[mortgage-backed-securities|mortgage-backed securities]]. The failure of major financial institutions including [[lehman-brothers|Lehman Brothers]] produced a cascading credit freeze. Congress authorized [[troubled-asset-relief-program|TARP]], the federal government's emergency bank stabilization program. The [[federal-reserve|Federal Reserve]] deployed unconventional monetary tools including near-zero interest rates and [[quantitative-easing|quantitative easing]]. The crisis's causes — the roles of deregulation, government housing policy, and Wall Street practices — are disputed across political and economic perspectives. ==== Obama Administration (2009–2017) ==== Barack Obama's two terms encompassed the economic recovery from the 2008 crisis, passage of the [[affordable-care-act|Affordable Care Act]], the [[american-recovery-and-reinvestment-act|2009 stimulus package]], the [[dodd-frank-act|Dodd-Frank financial reform law]] (2010), the winding down of the [[iraq-war|Iraq War]], the expansion of [[drone-warfare|drone strikes]] in Pakistan, Yemen, and elsewhere, negotiation of the [[iran-nuclear-deal|Iran nuclear deal]] (JCPOA, 2015), and the [[paris-climate-agreement|Paris Climate Agreement]] (2015). The Supreme Court's decisions in [[obergefell-v-hodges|Obergefell v. Hodges]] (2015) and [[nfib-v-sebelius|NFIB v. Sebelius]] (2012, upholding the ACA) were landmark rulings of the period. The 2010 midterm elections, in which Republicans gained 63 House seats in the largest such swing since 1938, significantly constrained Obama's legislative agenda for the remainder of his first term; for broader context on midterm elections of the period, see [[united-states-midterm-elections|United States Midterm Elections]]. ==== Tea Party Movement ==== The [[tea-party-movement|Tea Party movement]], arising in 2009–2010 in opposition to the stimulus bill and the ACA, was a grassroots-identified political force that pushed the Republican Party toward smaller government, deficit reduction, and confrontational legislative tactics. It contributed to substantial Republican gains in the 2010 midterm elections and foreshadowed the anti-establishment populist currents that shaped the 2016 election. ==== Trump First Term (2017–2021) ==== Donald Trump's first administration pursued significant departures from prior Republican and bipartisan foreign and domestic policy. Major legislative accomplishments included the [[tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-2017|Tax Cuts and Jobs Act]] (2017). Trade policy was restructured through tariffs on Chinese goods and the renegotiation of NAFTA as the USMCA. Three Supreme Court justices were appointed: [[neil-gorsuch|Neil Gorsuch]], [[brett-kavanaugh|Brett Kavanaugh]], and [[amy-coney-barrett|Amy Coney Barrett]], shifting the Court's ideological composition. The 2018 midterm elections returned Democratic control of the House of Representatives. The administration's handling of the [[covid-19-pandemic|COVID-19 pandemic]], beginning in early 2020, is contested; see [[united-states-america-covid-19-viewpoints|United States of America - COVID-19: Viewpoints]]. ==== January 6 Capitol Breach ==== On January 6, 2021, a large crowd of Trump supporters gathered in Washington, D.C., following a rally at which Trump and other speakers repeated claims that the 2020 election had been stolen. A portion of the crowd breached the U.S. Capitol building during the joint session of Congress certifying the Electoral College results, resulting in deaths, injuries, property destruction, and a temporary disruption of the certification process. The nature, causes, and consequences of the event — including questions of criminal and political responsibility — are addressed in [[united-states-america-january-6-viewpoints|United States of America - January 6: Viewpoints]]. ==== COVID-19 Pandemic ==== The [[covid-19-pandemic|COVID-19 pandemic]], caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, reached the United States in early 2020 and killed over one million Americans by standard estimates, making it the deadliest public health event in the country's history since the 1918 influenza pandemic. It prompted unprecedented economic disruptions, emergency government spending, school and business closures, and a rapid vaccine development program under [[operation-warp-speed|Operation Warp Speed]]. Debates over lockdown policies, vaccine mandates, school closures, the pandemic's origins, and public health authority were among the most divisive domestic controversies of the period; see [[united-states-america-covid-19-viewpoints|United States of America - COVID-19: Viewpoints]]. ==== Biden Administration (2021–2025) ==== The Biden administration's tenure included the withdrawal from [[war-in-afghanistan|Afghanistan]] (August 2021) and the collapse of the Afghan government that followed within days, major domestic legislation including the [[infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act|Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act]] and [[inflation-reduction-act|Inflation Reduction Act]], a significant period of elevated consumer price inflation reaching four-decade highs in 2022, substantial increases in illegal border crossings and resulting political conflict over [[united-states-america-immigration-history|immigration policy]], and U.S. military and financial support for [[ukraine|Ukraine]] following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The 2022 midterm elections returned Republican control of the House while Democrats retained the Senate, producing divided government for the remainder of Biden's term. The Supreme Court's decision in [[dobbs-v-jackson|Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization]] (2022), overturning [[roe-v-wade|Roe v. Wade]] and returning abortion regulation to the states, was among the most significant domestic legal developments of the period; see [[united-states-america-abortion-viewpoints|United States of America - Abortion: Viewpoints]]. Biden declined to seek reelection in 2024. ==== Trump Second Term (2025–Present) ==== Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025 following his victory over [[kamala-harris|Kamala Harris]] in the [[united-states-presidential-election-2024|2024 presidential election]]. His second administration has pursued expansive executive action on immigration enforcement (including large-scale deportation operations), significant restructuring of the federal workforce and regulatory agencies, and broad tariff increases affecting both adversaries and longstanding allies. The legal and constitutional boundaries of these actions have been contested in federal courts. ----- ===== See Also ===== * [[united-states-america-history|United States of America - History]] * [[united-states-america-20th-century-history|United States of America - 20th Century History]] * [[united-states-america-war-on-terror-history|United States of America - War on Terror: History]] * [[united-states-america-immigration-history|United States of America - Immigration: History]] * [[united-states-america-foreign-policy-history|United States of America - Foreign Policy: History]] * [[united-states-china-relations|United States-China Relations]] * [[united-states-midterm-elections|United States Midterm Elections]] * [[united-states-america-conservative-american-viewpoint|United States of America - Conservative American Viewpoint]] * [[united-states-america-modern-progressive-american-viewpoint|United States of America - Modern Progressive American Viewpoint]] -----