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Sandinistas
A Nicaraguan group that overthrew President Debayle and ended 46 of dictatorship by the Somoza Family. This group governed Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990. -
California vs Bakke
The Supreme Court ruled that the University of California's use of racial quotas in the addmissions process was unconstitutional, but the use of the affirmative action program to accept more minority applicants is constitutional. -
Moral Majority
A political action group founded with the intent to further a conservative and religious agenda. -
Supply-Side Economics
Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign included his advocacy for Supply-Side Economics, which argues that high-marginal tax rates were hurting the economy. (Basically, he was gonna cut taxes.) -
Trickle-Down Economics
People who opposed Ronald Reagan's income tax cuts used this term to attack his theory. Trickle-Down Economics refers to cutting taxes on businesses and the wealthy in hopes to stimulate investment, which will end up helping society as a whole in the long term. -
Lech Walesa
Formed and led communist Poland's first independent trade union, Solidarity. He later became the president of Poland and won a Nobel Peace Prize. -
Saddam Hussein
The president of Iraq whose adminsitration was defined by many costly and ineffective wars. He started the Iran-Iraq War when he lauched an invasion of Iran's oil fields. -
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan is inaugerated as President of the United States of America -
Economic Recovery Tax Act
The Economic Recovery Tax Act, also kown as the Kemp-Roth Tax Cut, was a federal law that lowered income tax rates and allowed for the expensing of depreciable assets. -
PACTO Strike
The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization was decertified as a labor union following a strike that resulted in Ronald Reagan firing more than 11,000 employees who refused to heed his order to return to work. -
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor was nominated for the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan. She had unanimous Senate approval and became the first woman justice to serve on the nation's highest court. -
AIDS
A disease in which there is a severe loss in the body's cellular immune system thereby making the person more suceptible to disease or malignancy. The CDC published a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that described 5 cases of PCP in previously healthy gay men. This is the start of the AIDS epidemic. -
Boland Amendment
A term referencing three US Legislative amendments that limited the assistance the US could give to the Contras in Nicaragua. -
West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Israel invaded Southern Lebanon to stop the PLO from raiding Israel. The US got involved to move the PLO to a safe haven and to provide peacekeeping efforts in Lebanon to try and contain their civil war. The PLO were put up on the West Bank, a territory occupied by Israel since 1967. However, the PLO leader agreed to acknowledge Israel's right to exist from pressure the US put on him. -
Beirut Bombings
A truck carrying explosives drove into the Marine compound in Beirut, Lebanon when US Marines were in Lebanon on a peacekeeping mission -
Internet
A network of computers that allows people to communicate with others all over the world. -
Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale, former VP during the Carter Administration, ran against President Ronald Reagan in the 1984 presidential election. He lost. -
Geraldine Ferraro
Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman to run for the vice president position on one of the two major political parties' ticket when she was Walter Mondale's running mate against President Richard Nixon. -
SDI
The Strategic Defense System was proposed by Ronald Reagan as a measure to protect the US from IBM and Submarine-lauched ballistic missles. -
Iran-Contra Affair
President Reagan secretly supported an anti-Communist group in Nicaragua and gave weapons to Iranian terrorists in exchange for American hostages -
William Rehnquist
William Rehnquist, who had been appointed to the US Supreme Court by Richard Nixon, was promoted to chief justice by Ronald Reagan. Rehnquist was chief justice until his death in 2005. -
Immigration Act
This law put criminal penalties on the pattern or practice of of knowingly hiring an unauthorized alien. -
"Tear Down This Wall"
A line from President Reagan's speech in Berlin, Germany, that was asking the Soviet Union's president, Mikhail Gorbachev, to open the barrier between East and West Germany. -
INF Agreement
An agreement between the US and the Soviet Union in which both parties agreed to eliminate their nuclear and conventional ballistic and cruise missles. -
Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat, a revolutionary that fought for the liberation of Palestinians, gave a speech in front of the United Nations and said that all parties involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could live in peace. He was later elected president of the self-ruled Palestinian state in 1993. -
Religious Fundamentalism
The belief in the absolute authority of a sacred religious text or the teachings of a religious leader. Pat Robertson, a religious fundamentalist, ran for the presidency against George HW Bush, but lost. -
"Read my lips: no new taxes."
A line from the speech George HW Bush gave at the Republican National Convention when he accepted the Republican Presidential nomination. -
Al-Qaeda
Islamic extremists that have been the perpetrators of many terrorist attacks in the late 20th and early 21st Centuries. -
George H.W. Bush
George H.W. Bush became the 43rd President of the United States of America as the Republican Candidadte. -
Tiananmen Square
Chinese troops entered Tiananmen Square, after several weeks of protests, and fired on civilians. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
East Berlin's Communist Party announced that starting at midnight of that same day the people in West Berlin were free to cross the border. -
Panama Invasion
An attempt to overthrow Miguel Noriega, the military dictator of Panama, because he was indicted by the US on drug trafficking charges and the accusations that he ws suppressing democracy in Panama as well as endagnering US nationals. -
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev, the former General Secretary of the Communist Party, was elected as the first president of the Soviet Union. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize for Peace as well. -
Persian Gulf War
An international conflict that was initiated when Iraq invaded Kuwait. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Signed into law by President George HW Bush, this act provided civil rights protection to Americans with mental or physical disabilities that guaranteed them equal opportunities in public accomodations, employment, transportation, government services, and telecommunications. -
Glasnost & Perestroika
A political movement to reform the Communist Party in the Soviet Union that is commonly associate with Mikhail Gorbachev and his glasnost (openness) policy. -
Breakup of the Soviet Union
The declaration number 142-H of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union officially granted self-governing independence to the Republics of the Soviet Union this caused 15 independent republics and the end of the Cold War. -
Boris Yeltsin
Both a Soviet and a Russian politician, Yeltsin was the first president of the Russian Federation and served for 8 years. -
Clarence Thomas
An associate justice of the Supreme Court, he replaced Thurgood Marshall, and the second African American to serve on the court. -
"Ethnic Cleansing"
The killing of members of ethnic and religious minority groups by the Serbians during the Yugoslav Wars. -
NAFTA
North American Free Trade Agreement. A controversial pact between Canada, Mexico, and America that eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers on products travelling between the countries involved. -
PLO
The Oslo Agreement was signed by the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. This document put an end to the Isreali-Palestinian conflict by facilitating the creation of an independent state for Palestine. -
Bill Clinton
The 42nd President of the United States of America who oversaw America's longest peace-time economic expansion. He was also the second president to be impeached, however he was acquitted by the Senate. -
Failure of Health Reform
Hillary Clinton, first lady at the time, pushed for reform in health care, but it failed. -
Brady Bill
American legislation that imposed a five-day waiting period for the purchase of a handgun. The bill was named after the White House Press Secretary, James Brady, who was seriously injured in an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. Chuck Schumer introduced the bill. -
START I and II
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty: A treaty between the USA and USSR on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms. -
"Don't ask, don't tell."
Bill Clinton's response to the heated debate over the LGBTQ community's involvement in the military. The policy that resulted from this statement was basically "Don't ask someone what their sexuality is, Don't tell anyone what your sexuality is." -
Contract with America
Newt Gingrich made Republican congressional candidates sign a contract that showed their support for a balanced budget amendment, congressional term limits, and a middle-class tax cut. -
WTO
The World Trade Organization was established to oversee trade agreements, enforce trade rules, and settle disputes. -
Taliban
A Sunni Islamic fundamentalist political movement in Afghanistan that is raging war within that country. -
NRA
The National Rifle Association faught against the Brady Bill because of it's control and restriction of guns. An even sued the Federal Government to prevent it. -
Deficit Reduction Budget
The Republican Speaker of the House who became one of the most disliked political figures of the time because of the disagreement between Republican leadership and President Clinton over the budget that turned many Americans against Republican leadership and the Republican agenda. -
Oklahoma City Bombing
A domestic terrorist bombed the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building in Downtown Oklahoma City because of his anger towards the actions of the Federal Government in the WACO Seige. -
Bosnia and Kosovo
During the Balkan War, hundreds of thousands of members of minority groups were killed. However, diplomacy, bombings, and troops from NAT countries, including the US, stopped the bloodshed in Bosnia and Kosovo. -
Ross Perot
Perot ran for president as the Reform Party nominee, a party that he had created a year prior. The Reform Party focused on campaign reform, congressional term limits, balancing the federal budget, overhauling health care and income tax systems, and placing restrictions on lobbying. -
Welfare Reform
The Welfare Reform Bill made deep cuts in welfare grants, required able-bodied welfare recipients to find employment, and restricted immigration welfare -
Bob Dole
Congressman representing Kansas and the Republican candidate for president, Clinton was re-elected and Dole lost. -
WMD's
Weapons of Mass Destruction: a nuclear, radiological, chemical, biological or other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans or cause great damage to human-made structures, natural structures, or the biosphere. While there are no specific laws against WMDs, the International Court of Justice ruled that WMDs are generally contrary to Internation Humanitarian Law -
Madeleine Albright
Bill Clinton nominated Albright for Secretary of State and she was unanimously confirmed making her the first female Secretary of State. -
G-8
Group of Eight was an inter-governmental political forum that included the major industrialized countries that viewed themselves as democracies. (US, Japan, Canada, Germany, UK, France, Russia (suspended in 2014)) -
Kyoto Accord
The closest thing to a working global agreement to fight climate change. However, only 192 countries have ratified this agreement; Afghanistan, Sudan, and the USA are the three that haven't ratified it. -
Clinton Impeachment
Bill Clinton had an affair with a White House intern, but denied it under oath. However, physical evidence surfaced and Clinton was impeached for perjury. The political battles that resulted from this didn't allow Clinton to be very productive in his final term. -
Nuclear Proliferation
The spread of nuclear weapons: India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons for the first time and North Korea stepped up its nuclear reactor and missle programs. -
Deficit Reduction Budget
During his State of the Union Address, Bill Clinton boasted about the significant reduction in the federal deficit due to his budget. -
George W Bush
Republican presidential candidate. -
Al Gore
42nd Vice President and Democratic environmentalist who ran against George W Bush for the presidency. Gore won the popular vote by a landslide, but lost in the electoral college. -
Bush v Gore
The first time the winner of the presidential election, Bush, lost the popular vote, but won the electoral college since 1888 -
Bush Tax Cuts
The changes to the US Tax Code passed during George W Bush's presidency. The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act. -
9/11
A terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon by Al Qaeda. -
Enron
A Texas-based energy company that sold electricity to Southern CA and other governemnts for unfair prices. This did a lot of damage to the stock market. -
EU
The European Union became a market of 15 nations, 12 of which adopted the same currency: the euro. -
No Child Left Behind
Aimed to improve student performance and close the gap between rich and poor kids in public schools through nationwide testing of all students. -
Homeland Security
Founded by George W Bush, the Department of Homeland Security was founded to ensure public safety and, as a Cabinet position, advise the President on all things affecting the safety and protection of US Citizens. -
Axis of Evil
President Bush singled out Iraq, North Korea, and Iran as the "Axis of Evil" in his State of the Union Address -
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Basically the Iraq War, during which the main purpose of fighting the War was to ovethrow Saddam Hussein's dictatorship in Iraq hence the name "Operation Iraqi Freedom." -
John Kerry
Democratic senator of Massachusetts who ran against George W Bush, but was unsuccessful. -
Hurricane Katrina
Natural disaster that destroyed New Orleans. The Bush administration was under attack for it's slow and insufficient emergency response. -
Housing Bubble
A period of time in which housing prices peaked, but about a year later started to decline rapidly. -
Greay Recession
A period of general economic decline around the world. -
John McCain
Republican Senator from Arizona who lost the presidency to Barack Obama. -
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
The government placed government-sponsored enterprises, Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association, in conservatorship. -
Hillary Clinton
Democratic Senator of New York and the first former First Lady to hold public office by being elected to the Senate. She ran for president, but lost the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama. -
Sarah Palin
John McCain's running mate. The second woman to run for VP, but the first from her party. -
Barack Obama
First African American President to be elected. -
D.C. v. Heller
A Supreme Court decision that upheld the Second Amendment and guaranteed individuals the right to bare arms without being connected to a militia or for traditional law-abiding purposes. -
Tea Party
An American conservative movement within the Republican Party. This movement started when a commentator of CNBC referenced the Boston Tea Party. -
Sonia Sotomayor
The first justice of Hispanic descent and the first Latina to serve as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. -
Abu Ghraib Prison
During the Iraq War, the US and violated a ton of human rights laws in Abu Ghraib Prison by abusing prisoners physically and sexually, torturing, raping and murdering them. The prison was closed following the removal of US forces. -
Dodd-Frank Act
Reformed Wall Street and increased Consumer Protection. Signed into Federal Law by Barack Obama. -
Affordable Care Act
Nicknamed ObamaCare, the 111th Congress enacted this federal statute that protected patients and made healthcare more affordable. -
Arab Spring
A series of violent and non-violent demonstrations, protests, riots, and civil wars in the Middle East to fight for democracy, elections, economic freedom, human rights, employment, and regime change. -
Citizens United
A court case against the FEC that resulted in poltical spending being protected under the free speech clause of the first amendment. -
Osama Bin Laden
The leader of Al Qaeda for a long time. He was the director of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He was shot and killed by US forces during the Obama Administration. -
Debt Ceiling
The most the government can borrow. First debt ceiling crisis between Obama and the GOP-led House. -
Syrian Civil War
An ongoing armed conflict between many different parties in Syria. -
Mitt Romney
The former governor of Massachusetts and the Republican Candidate that ran against Obama during his campaign for a second term in office. -
Boston Marathon Bombing
Two homemade bombs were detonante about 200 yards apart from each each near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. -
Shelby County v. Holder
The Supreme Court struck down the preclearance section of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by calling it unconstitutional. -
Same-Sex Marriage
The Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage under the same responsiblities as opposite-sex marriage is legal during the Obergefell v. Hodges case.
