Chapter 38 - American Pageant 17th Edition

What did Ronald Reagan believe in?

He opposed a big government and favoritism for minorities. He supported free-market capitalism, individualism, traditional values, and opposed liberal welfare programs.

Who won in the Election of 1980?

Ronald Reagan over Jimmy Carter.

What did Reagan do regarding the Iranian Hostage Crisis?

He was able to get the hostages released after 444 days.

What was Reagan’s biggest goal during his presidency?

It was to reduce the size of the government by shrinking the federal budget and cutting taxes. He did this by proposing a budget that called for cuts of $35 billion in social programs like food stamps.

What was one big thing that Reagan called for?

Tax cuts!

What were Reaganomics/”supply-side” economics?

Proposed by Reagan, he hoped that reducing taxes will enable businesses to produce more goods, which will lower prices, increase consumer spending, and create more jobs. In return, this would boost productivity, promote economic growth, and reduce federal deficit.

How did the Recession of 1982 happen?

It was because of unemployment and banks closing. This was caused by anti-inflationary polices from Carter's presidency.

What happened in the 1980s regarding individual wealth?

Wealth gaps widened.

How did the Recession of 1982 end?

It was because of Reagan's massive military expenditures like giving the Pentagon nearly $2 trillion in the 1980s.

What was Reagan’s strategy for dealing with the Soviet Union?

It was to initiate an arms race and outspend the Soviets. Reagan expected that the American economy could better support an expensive arms race than the Soviet Union's economy.

What was the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars)?

Proposed by Reagan in 1983, it would use laser beams to shoot down intercontinental missiles from foreign nations.

Who became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985?

Mikhail Gorbachev

What did Mikhail Gorbachev do to reform the Soviet Union?

He wanted to allow free speech and political freedom (Glasnost) and sought to adopt capitalistic economic policies (called Perestroika). These two policies required the Soviet Union to reduce the size of its military and concentrate aid on its citizens.

What did Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies do regarding the Cold War?

They started to end it.

What was the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty?

Signed by Reagan and Gorbachev in 1985, it banned all intermediate-range nuclear missiles from Europe.

What did Reagan do regarding American hostages in Lebanon and Nicaragua being ran by a Skandalis government?

Reagan decided to send weapons to Iran who would help free the hostages and send money to “fix” the rebels in Nicaragua.

Although Reagan achieved most of his goals, what were some drawbacks?

The national debt grew another 2.2 trillion dollars from deficits and loans to the Pentagon.

What was the Moral Majority?

Founded by Jerry Falwell in 1979, it was a group that preached against sexual permissiveness, abortion, feminism, and the spread of gay rights.

What were some court cases that made it more difficult to prove that an employer practiced racial discrimination in hiring?

Ward's Cove Packing v. Antonia and Martin v. Wilks

What happened in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services?

In 1989, the Supreme Court approved a Missouri law that imposed certain restrictions on abortion, saying that a state could legislate in an area in which Roe had previously forbidden them to legislate.

What happened in Planned Parenthood v. Casey?

In 1992, the Court ruled that states could restrict access to abortion as long they didn’t place a significant difficulty on the woman.

What was the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

Created by President Bush in 1990, it prohibited discrimination against citizens with physical or mental disabilities.

What happened on Black Monday?

On October 19, 1987, the stock market dropped 508 points, which was the largest one-day decline in history.

Who won the Election of 1988?

George H. W. Bush

What happened at Tiananmen Square in 1989 in China?

Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators protested, but China's autocratic rulers brutally crushed the movement.

What happened in 1989 regarding the Cold War?

Several communist nations collapsed like Poland, Hungary, East Germany, and Romania.

When did the Berlin Wall fall?

In December 1989

What ended the Cold War?

The demise of the Soviet Union.

How did the Soviet Union fall?

It fell when Gorbachev resigned and as the country dissolved into 15 republics loosely confederated in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

When happened when Iraq invaded Kuwait?

The United States and the United Nations led a massive international military deployment, sending 539,000 troops to the Persian Gulf region.

What was Operation Desert Storm?

Following the bombings the US sent to Iraq during the Persian Gulf Crisis, this was a land attack that lasted four days, eventually leading to Iraq’s surrender/cease-fire.