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Air-traffic Controllers Strike
On August 3, 1981 the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) went on strike. This strike was in violation of a law that banned strikes by government unions. Ronald Raegan said they had to go back to work on account of theTaft-Hartley Act of 1947. After only 1,300 of the 13,000 strikers complied, Raegan said those that did not return to work in the next 48 hours will have forfeited their job. On August 5, 1981 11,345 air traffic controllers were fired. -
Equal Access Act
This is a law allowing any student-led, non-curriculum club to meet at public high schools outside of class-time. The only way a school can deny a group to meet is if all clubs in the school are abolished. -
Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act
The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act put spending caps on the U.S. budget and federal spending aimed at cutting the budget deficit, which in the 1980s was the largest in history. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill on December 12, 1985. -
Iran-Contra Scandal
The plan was the the United States would send weapons to Israel who would then send them to Iran; America's payment would be six U.S. hostages that were being held by the Lebanese Shia Islamist group Hezbollah, who in turn were part of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution. Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North of the National Security Council in late 1985, devised a revision to this plan in which a portion of the proceeds from the weapon sales was diverted to fund Contras in Nicaragua. -
Westside Community Schools v. Mergens
The school administration at Westside High School denied permission to a group of students to form a Christian club that met the same requirements as other clubs at school. Several students sued the school including Mergens. The Court ruled it a violation of the Equal Access Act because there were similar clubs like it at school, students weren't forced to join, the club didn't interfere with school hours, and members received no academic credit for joining the club. -
Reno vs. ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union Several challenged the constitutionality of two provisions in the 1996 Communications Decency Act.This act was created to protect minors from unsuitable and inappropriate internet material. ACLU claimed it a violation of the First and Fifth Amendment and won when the case was taken to the Supreme Court because the act violated the First Amendment because it limits and restrics certain types of communication from particular times or individuals. -
Mitchell v. Helms
Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act provides for the allocation of funds for educational materials and equipment to public and private schools. In Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, 30% of Chapter 2 funds were allocated for private schools, most of which are Catholic or otherwise religiously affiliated. Mary Helms and other public school parents filed a law suit claiming that Chapter 2 violated the Establishment Clause. The Court ruled it was not in violation. -
Bush v. Gore
The notorious decision by the United States Supreme Court which ended the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. There was argument that Florida's method of recounting ballots had violated the Fourteenth Amendment, which would have taken away the 25 electoral votes Bush won. The Supreme Court ended up deciding that George Bush should keep the votes, naming him president.