CWI 2nd Semester Exam Vocab Review

Counterculture

movement that upheld values different from those of mainstream culture

Generation Gap

lack of understanding and communication between older and younger members of a society

hippie

member of the counterculture movement in the late 1960s

Haight-Ashbury

neighborhood in San Francisco that became the center of the hippie movement in the late 1960s

Feminism

theory that women and men should have political, social and economic equality

Betty Friedan

A woman's right activist who wrote a very popular book titled "The Feminine Mystique" the book focused on the changing role of women in society.

National Organization for Women

group established by Betty Friedan and others to combat discrimination against women

Equal Rights Amendment

proposed change to the Constitution that would guarantee equal rights for women

Gloria Steinem

founder and original publisher of Ms. magazine, also an influential leader of NOW.

Roe v. Wade

Supreme Court decision that prevents states from abolishing abortion

Cesar Chavez

Latino leader from 1962-1993 who organized the United Farm Workers to help migratory farm workers get better pay and working conditions

United Farm Workers

labor union that used nonviolent tactics, including strikes and boycotts, to achieve gains for agricultural workers

American Indian Movement

group that focused on helping American Indians, including the securing of legal rights, land, and self-government for Native Americans

Ralph Nader

Consumer rights activist who in the 60s and 70s attacked corporate Americas unsafe products. Wrote book about the auto industry called Unsafe at Any Speed

Rachel Carson

United States biologist remembered for her opposition to the use of pesticides that were hazardous to wildlife, as detailed in her book Silent Spring

Earth Day

A day created in 1970 about celebrating and caring for the Earth

Environmental Protection Agency

created by Nixon to enforce standars on pollution levels and monitor enviornmental quality.

Woodstock

1969 music festival in upstate New York considered to be a highpoint of the counterculture movement

migrant farm workers

one who moves from farm to farm to work in produce fields and orchards

toxic waste

poisonous byproducts of human activity

Three Mile Island

Pennsylvania nuclear power plant that nearly melted down in 1979 and dramatically slowed the use of nuclear power in America

commune

small community where people share resources

Silent Majority

The great majority of Americans, whose opinions are not often heard

Southern Strategy

a plan designed to appeal directly to Southern white conservatives

Détente

During the cold war, an attempt to lessen the tension between the United States and the Communist powers

Realpolitik

the view that a nation should pursue policies and make alliances based on its national interests

Pardon

To forgive; to pass over without punishment

Stagflation

an unusual economic condition that combines a stagnant economy with rising prices

Human rights

basic rights and freedoms assumed to belong to all people everywhere

Richard Nixon

U.S. president from 1969 to 1974

Henry Kissinger

influential advisor and Secretary of State under Richard Nixon

Gerald Ford

U.S. president from 1974 to 1977

Jimmy Carter

U.S. president from 1977 to 1981

Ayatollah Khomeini

Islamic cleric and leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I)

1972 treaty between the US and the Soviet Union that froze the deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles and places limits on antiballistic missiles

OPEC

Group of countries which sell oil to other nations and cooperate to regulate the price and supply of oil

Affirmative Action

Policy that gives special consideration to women and minorities to make up for past discrimination

Watergate

Political scandal involving illegal activities that ultimately led to the resignation of President Nixon

Executive Privilege

Principle that the President has the right to keep certain communications between himself and other members of the executive branch private

Amnesty

General pardon for certain crimes

Christian Fundamentalist

Individual who believes in a strict, literal interpretation of the Bible as the foundation of the Christian faith

Boat People

Refugees who leave their country by boat

Sanctions

Penalties

Developing World

Countries that are less economically advanced than developed countries such as the US

Camp David Accords

1978 agreement brokered by Jimmy Carter between Egyptian and Israeli leaders that made a peace treaty between the two nations possible

Liberal

A person who tends to support government intervention to help the needy and favors laws protecting the rights of women and minorities

Conservative

Person who tends to support limited government involvement in the economy, community help for the needy, and traditional values

Unfunded mandate

Program of action required but not paid for by the federal government

Ronald Reagan

President from 1981 to 1989

Supply-side economics

Economic theory that held that the government should increase the supply of labor and goods to achieve long-term growth, rather than increasing demand through government spending

Deregulate

Reduction or removal of government controls over and industry

Budget deficit

Shortfall between the amount of money spent and the amount taken in by the federal government

National debt

Total amount of money that the federal government owes to the owners of government bonds

Sandra Day O'Connor

first woman to serve on the US Supreme Court

AIDS

A disease with no known cure that attacks the immune system. It began spreading in the early 1980s and remains a serious global health crisis today

SDI

Nicknamed "Star Wars," President Reagan's plan to develop innovative defenses to guard the United States against nuclear missile attacks

Glasnost

Russian term for "openness;" a policy in the Soviet Union in the 1980s calling for open discussion of national problems

Perestroika

A policy in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s calling for restructuring of the stagnant Soviet economy

Mikhail Gorbachev

Head of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991

Iran-contra scandal

Political scandal under President Reagan involving the use of money from secret arms sales to Iran to illegally support the Contras in Nicaragua

George H.W. Bush

President from 1989-1993

Tiananmen Square

Site in Beijing where Chinese students' pro-democracy protests were put down by the Chinese government

Saddam Hussein

President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003.

Persian Gulf War

Conflict from 1990 to 1991 between Iraq and a coalition of countries led by the United States to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait

Apartheid

Political system of strict segregation by race in South Africa

Nelson Mandela

South African statesman who was released from prison in 1990 and was elected president in 1994

Globalization

the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.

Bill Clinton

President from 1993-2001

Family and Medical Leave Act

provides eligible employees with unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family or medical conditions.

Brady Bill

Law passed in 1993 requiring a waiting period on sales of handguns, along with a criminal background check on the buyer.

Contract with America

Republican plan that focused on scaling back the government, balancing the budget, and cutting taxes

Impeachment

Charges against a president or other official approved by a majority of the House of Representatives

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

An agreement for free trade between the United States and Canada and Mexico

ethnic cleansing

the systematic killing or extermination of an entire people or nation

George W. Bush

President from 2001-2009

Al Qaeda

Islamist terrorist organization that launched a series of attacks against U.S.

Osama Bin Laden

Founder of al Qaeda, the terrorist network responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001, and other attacks.

Taliban

A group of fundamentalist Muslims who controlled Afghanistan's government from 1996 to 2001

Patriot Act

2001 law that gave federal agents new authority to conduct surveillance and prevent terrorism

weapons of mass destruction

Biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons that can cause a massive number of deaths in a single use.