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Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan (Republic) is elected president, his campaign was aided by the poor economy and Carter’s failure to put a successful end to the Iranian hostage crisis. -
Supply-Side Economics
Also known as Reaganomics and trickle-down economics, is the idea that reducing taxes to the wealthy investment money will stimulate the economy and create jobs -
Trickle-Down Economics
(Also related to the supply-side economics)Administration argued that tax cuts and reduced government spending would increase investment (in private sector), lead to; increased production, jobs, and prosperity. -
Religious Fundamentalism
The belief of an individual or a group of individuals in the absolute authority of a sacred religious text or teachings of a particular religious leader, prophet,and/ or God, also attacked "secular humanism" as godless creed taking over education. -
California V. Bakke
A landmark decision by the Supreme Court that allowed race to be one of several factors in college admission policy. -
Economic Recovery Tax Act
President Reagan cuts income taxes by 25% over 3 years and cuts the wealthy down from 78% to 28% -
PACTO Strike
Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization declared a strike, which was in violation of federal law that prohibited strikes by government unions: This signified the era of hostility between the federal government and organized labor -
Sandra Day O' Connor
Appointed by Ronald Reagan, she is the very first woman supreme court justice -
William Rehnquist
(Conservative) American lawyer and jurist who served on the Supreme Court of the United States for 33 years, first as an Associate Justice from 1972 to 1986, and then as the 16th Chief Justice of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2005 -
Walter Mondale
(Democrat) American politician, diplomat and lawyer who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States from 1977 to 1981 -
AIDS
An outbreak occurred in the 1980's concerning this serious (often fatal) disease of the immune system transmitted through blood products especially by sexual contact or contaminated needles. -
George H.W Bush
41st president of the United States of America, former ambassador to united nations & director of CIA. He called democrats soft on crime (for furloughing criminals) & weak on national defense -
SDI
(Also known as Star Wars) Reagan's proposed Strategic Defense Initiative called for a land- or space-based shield against a nuclear attack, it was criticized as unfeasible and in violation of the Anti-ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty however Congress still approved billions of dollars for development. -
Beirut Bombings
Beirut barracks bombings were acts of terrorism that occurred in Beirut, Lebanon, during the Lebanese Civil War. -
Geraldine Ferraro
American attorney, a Democratic Party politician, and a member of the United States House of Representatives: She was the first female vice presidential candidate representing a major American political party. -
Boland Amendment
The name given to three U.S. legislative amendments between 1982 and 1984, all aimed at limiting U.S. government assistance to the rebel Contras in Nicaragua. -
Mikhail Gorbachev
Soviet statesman whose foreign policy brought an end to the Cold War and whose domestic policy introduced major reform, general secretary of the communist party. Detente -
Immigration Act of 1986
Criminalized the act of hiring an undocumented individual and established financial and other penalties for those employing illegals under the theory that low prospects for employment would reduce undocumented immigration -
Iran-Contra Affair
Scandal including arms sales to the Middle East in order to send money to help the Contras in Nicaragua even though Congress had objected -
"Tear Down This Wall"
Also known as Berlin Wall Speech, a line from a speech made by President Ronald Reagan in West Berlin, calling for the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to open up the barrier which had divided West and East Berlin since 1961 -
INF Agreement
Also known as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty which is a treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles -
Moral Majority
Conservative Religious Organization lead by Televangelist Jerry Falwell -
"Read my lips, no new taxes"
Statement made by President Bush at a Republican National Convention as he accepted the nomination-promising no new taxes -
Al-Queda
WAS a network of Islamic terrorist organizations, led by Osama bin Laden (who is now dead thank G), that carried out terrorist like attacks on the U.S -
Osama Bin Laden
Founder of Al-Queda, is said to not be behind the 9/11 attack however he is still terrible and dead. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
East Berlin's Communist Party announced a change in his city's relations with the West. Starting at midnight that day, he said, citizens of the GDR were free to cross the country's borders -
Panama Invasion
Also known as Operation Just Cause, occurred during the administration of President George H. W. Bush and ten years after the Torrijos–Carter Treaties were ratified to transfer control of the Panama Canal from the U.S. to Panama -
Bosnia and Kosovo
Part of the former Yugoslavia, however war begins between nation states after Serbia attacks using Yugoslavia's National Army. -
Tiananmen Square
Site in Beijing where Chinese students and workers gathered to demand greater political openness in 1989. The demonstration was crushed by Chinese military with great loss of life. -
Lech Walesa
Former Polish politician and labour activist who co-founded and headed Solidarity, the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland from 1990 to 1995. -
Sandinistas
Members of a leftist coalition that overthrew the Nicaraguan dictatorship of Anastasia Somoza in 1979 and attempted to install a socialist economy however were voted out of office in 1990 -
PLO
Although formed in 1964, it was a terrorist organization dominated by Yasser Arafat's al-Fatah called the Palestine Liberation Organization, which claimed to represent the world's Palestinians -
Persian Gulf War
Also known as Operation Desert Shield, An international conflict that was triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait; Egypt and other Arab nations joined the anti-Iraq coalition and contributed forces to the military buildup. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, -
NRA
The National Rifle Association of America which is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for gun rights. -
Nuclear Proliferation
A way to work around the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty by The spreading nuclear weapons, fissionable material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology/information to nations not recognized as "Nuclear Weapon States" by the treaty -
Internet
A global network connecting millions of computers, making it possible to exchange information. First browser was created in 1993 -
Taliban
A group of (Sunni Islamic) fundamentalist Muslims who took control of Afghanistan's government in presumed 1996 -
Ethnic Cleansing
Process in which more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogeneous region -
Breakup of the Soviet Union
Officially granting self-governing independence to the Republics of the Soviet Union. Dissolution of the Soviet Union into 15 independent republics, Conclusion of the Cold War. -
Boris Yeltsin
Was a Soviet and Russian politician and the first President of the Russian Federation -
Glasnost and Perestroika
Dual program of "perestroika" ("restructuring") and "glasnost" ("openness") introduced profound changes in economic practice, internal affairs and international relations/swept communist governments throughout Eastern Europe from power/brought an end to the Cold War -
Clarence Thomas
An African American Associate Supreme Court Justice; appointed by Bush, Sr.; controversial confirmation hearings chaired by Joe Biden -
Start I and II
a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms. -
Ross Perot
Independent candidate ran for the U.S. presidency, winning nearly 19 percent of the popular vote -
EU
Also known as The European Union, which is the political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe, the Maastricht Treaty (formally known as the Treaty on European Union) is tied to it -
Brady Bill
A provision of US federal law that requires a waiting period for handgun purchases and background checks on those who wish to purchase handguns -
NAFTA
North American Free Trade Agreement-negotiated among the US, Canada and Mexico for the purpose of removing barriers to the exchange of goods and services among the three countries -
West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Oslo Accord was established which was an agreement in which Israeli prime minister Rabin granted Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. -
Al Gore
Served as the 45th Vice President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Ran for President in 2000 and won popular vote but lost Electoral College -
Hillary Clinton
Let's be real she was probably a terrorist. Anyways, was an American politician, former diplomat, and First Lady of the United States under Bill Clinton until 2001. Lost election against Trump. -
Bill Clinton
42nd president during one of the longest periods of peace and economic expansion in American history -
Failure of the Health Reform
President Clinton proposed a health care security plan but failed due to there being not enough Democratic Senators behind a single proposal to pass a bill. -
Contract with America
A document released by the United States Republican Party during the Congressional election campaign -
Welfare Reform
A comprehensive bipartisan welfare reform plan that dramatically changed the nation's welfare system into one that required work in exchange for time-limited assistance. -
"Don't ask, don't tell"
Policy restricting US military personnel from efforts to discriminate closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while barring those who are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual from military service -
Newt Gingrich
Representative from Georgia who led the "Contract with America" and eventually became the Speaker of the House; he and Clinton battled many times while he demanded tax cuts and a balancing of the budget -
Oklahoma City Bombing
A domestic terrorist truck bombing occurs on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City -
WTO
Also known as the World Trade Organization which is an intergovernmental organization that regulates international trade -
Bob Dole
Former attorney and United States Senator from Kansas who served the longest as a Republican leader, he was also the 1996 presidential nominee for the Republican party but lost to Bill Clinton. -
Madeleine Albright
Was an American politician and diplomat, also the first woman to become the United States Secretary of State, served under and looked like President Clinton -
G-8
Was an inter-governmental political forum from up until 2014 who participated with the major industrialized countries in the world, that viewed themselves as democracies. -
Saddam Hussein
A dictator in Iraq who tried to take over Iran and Kuwait violently in order to gain the land and the resources. He also refused to let the UN into Iraq in order to check if the country was secretly holding weapons of mass destruction. -
Clinton Impeachment
President Clinton faces two charges, one of perjury and one of obstruction of justice.which led to led to a trial in the Senate by the House of Representatives for his impeachment -
Deficit Reduction Budget
A bill in which combined with an increasingly buoyant economy by 1996 to shrink the federal deficit to its lowest level in more than a decade. -
George W. Bush
43rd president of the United States of America, held the first ever election to be settled by supreme court majority ruled varying election standards used in florida's recount violated equal-protection clause of 14th amendment, opponent Gore ended election crisis by accepting ruling -
Bush V. Gore
Supreme court declares that Bush had beat Gore, Gore won the popular vote, though the last state was Florida-had a recount was established at Democrats demand.Supreme court voted 5-4 to stop to conclude election, -
Bush Tax Cuts
Changes occurred to the United States tax code which was passed originally during the presidency of Bush and carried into the presidency of Obama -
No Child Left Behind
2001 law that set high standards and measurable goals for education from grades 3-8 and throughout high school. -
Enron
Was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas however became bankrupt after a scandal making it the worst audit failure of all time -
9/11
Consisted of a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on the United States, targeting the Twin Towers, The Pentagon, and World Trade Center.(one landed in a field) -
Homeland Security
Cabinet department (executive branch) formed after the 9/11 incident to protect the U.S. from terrorist attacks, accidents, and natural disasters -
"Axis of Evil"
Phrase used by George W. Bush to describe governments that his administration accused of sponsoring terrorism and seeking weapons of mass destruction, included Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. -
WMD's
Also known as Weapons of Mass Destruction, includes: Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear. Otherwise known as CBRN -
Operation Iraqi Freedom
US armed forces with support of British overthrew Iraqi forces, captured capital city Baghdad, which ended Hussein's dictatorship -
Yasser Arafat
Palestinian political leader, the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization -
Abu Ghraib Prison
Prison in Iraq made famous by revelation of photos taken by Army Reserve MP guards in the acts of humiliating and torturing prisoners -
Hurricane Katrina
Considered to be the one crisis of the Bush administration's second term and in is inefficiency to deal with the crisis. It destroyed 80% of New Orleans, from central Florida to Texas, and more than 1300 people died, while the damages added up to $150 billion. -
Kyoto Accord
An international treaty formed that extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change where the United Nations agreed o reduce emissions rates of carbon dioxide into the air -
Housing Bubble
Was a real estate bubble affecting over half of the U.S. states. Housing prices peaked in 2006 and started to decline in that same year -
Great Recession
A period of general economic decline observed in markets -
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Government sponsored enterprises which were privately owned, but still received support from the Federal Government -
Barack Obama
44th and first African American president of the United States of America who faced world's worst economic crisis since great depression, left 2 unfinished US wars, over turned Bush administration, and enacted number of programs to promote recovery and financial reform. Still a gem though. -
John McCain
Republican senator from Arizona who lost the 2008 Presidential election to Democrat Barack Obama. -
Sarah Palin
Republican vice-presidential candidate with John McCain in the 2008 election, the second woman to run for vice president of a major party and the first Republican. Resigns a year later, -
DC V. Heller
A landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States supported how the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm. Basically like a 2018 issue. -
Sonia Sotomayor
First Hispanic Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America. -
Tea Party
An American conservative/social movement within the Republican Party (attracted fiscal and social conservatives) where members of the movement called for a limit on government and reduction of the national debt of the United States/ federal budget deficit by reducing government spending and cutting taxes. -
Dodd-Frank Act
(Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and) Consumer Protection Act-law that places major regulations on the financial industry and agencies. -
Affordable Care Act
Also known as Obama Care, which was a reform of the health care system for universal coverage, was rejected under Clinton but passed under Obama. -
Arab Spring
A revolutionary wave of both violent and non-violent demonstrations, protests, riots, coups, foreign interventions, and civil wars in North Africa and the Middle East -
Citizens United
A landmark U.S. constitutional law, campaign finance, and corporate law case dealing with regulation of political campaign spending by organizations -
Syrian Civil War
An ongoing multi-sided armed conflict in Syria fought between the Baathist Syrian Arab Republic led by President Bashar Al-Assad along with its allies, and other forces who opposed both the government and each other. -
Mitt Romney
Republican candidate in the election against Obama. Was also an American businessman and politician who served as the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. -
John Kerry
Although he lost the 2004 election against Bush, he served as the 68th United States Secretary of State -
Debt Ceiling
An upper limit set on the amount of money that a government may borrow. -
Boston Marathon Bombings
Two homemade bombs detonated near the finish line of the annual Boston Marathon, which killed three people and injuring several hundred others, including 16 who lost limbs. -
Shelby County V. Holder
United States Supreme Court case regarding the constitutionality of two provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it required certain states and local governments to obtain federal preclearances before changing voting laws/practices. -
Same-Sex Marriage
Established in all 50 states by Supreme Court of the United States in the landmark civil rights case
