AP US History: Rise of the Silent Majority Key Terms

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key historical figures, events, policies, and concepts from AP US History Unit 1: Rise of the Silent Majority.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Civil rights law passed in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places open to the general public.

Barry Goldwater

Unsuccessful presidential candidate against Lyndon Johnson in 1964 who called for dismantling the New Deal, escalation of the war in Vietnam, and maintaining the status quo on civil rights; widely viewed as the grandfather of the conservative movement of the 1980s.

Bill Clinton

President of the United States (1993-2001) whose centrist approach included NAFTA, welfare reform, and a balanced budget passed with a Republican Congress; became the second president in American history to be impeached.

Camp David Accords (1979)

Agreement brokered by President Carter between Israel and Egypt in which Israel surrendered land seized in earlier wars and Egypt recognized Israel as a nation, though it did not bring permanent regional peace.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation proposed by John Kennedy and signed by Lyndon Johnson that desegregated public accommodations, libraries, parks, and amusements while broadening federal authority to protect individual rights and prevent job discrimination.

Contract with America

Document drafted under Republican congressman Newt Gingrich promising ten legislative goals if Republicans won Congress, including term limits, a balanced budget amendment, tax cuts, tougher crime laws, and welfare reform.

Crisis of Confidence (Malaise) Speech

Televised national address by President Carter complaining that a weak national spirit struck "at the very heart and soul of our national will," which left many citizens feeling the president had given up.

Deregulation

The cutting back of federal regulation of industry; under Reagan in the 1980s, this included removing price controls on oil, eliminating nursing home safety inspections, and deregulating airline and savings and loan industries.

Earl Warren

Controversial Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1953–1969) who directed far-reaching racial, social, and political decisions, notably regarding school desegregation and the protection of accused persons' rights.

George H.W. Bush

President of the United States (1989-1993) who campaigned on the pledge "Read my lips: no new taxes," led the Persian Gulf War, but lost reelection in 1992 following an economic recession and reversing his tax pledge.

George McGovern

Unsuccessful 1972 Democratic presidential nominee who called for immediate withdrawal from Vietnam and a guaranteed income for the poor, but lost voter support after wavering on his vice presidential pick.

George W. Bush

President of the United States (2001-2009) who championed "compassionate conservatism" with tax cuts and education reform; his administration was defined by the post-September 11 "War on Terror," the Patriot Act, the Department of Homeland Security, and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

George Wallace

Alabama governor and third-party presidential candidate in 1968 and 1972 running on a platform of segregation and law and order; his political career was derailed when he was paralyzed by an assassination attempt in 1972.

Gerald Ford

President from 1974 to 1977 who served without being elected president or vice president; appointed vice president under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment following Spiro Agnew's resignation and succeeded to the presidency upon Nixon's resignation.

Geraldine Ferraro

U.S. House Representative from New York chosen by Walter Mondale in 1984 as his running mate, making her the first woman to appear on a major American political party's presidential ticket.

Great Society

President Lyndon Johnson's domestic social and economic program addressing civil rights and waging a "war on poverty" through initiatives such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Immigration Act of 1965, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Henry Kissinger

Foreign policy advisor to Presidents Nixon and Ford who served as the architect of the Vietnam settlement, the diplomatic opening to China, and détente with the Soviet Union.

Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965

Legislation that abolished national-origin quotas, thereby opening immigration opportunities for substantial numbers of non-European individuals to settle in the United States.

Iran Hostage Crisis (1979–1981)

Crisis occurring when Iranian radicals, backed by their government, seized 52 Americans at the U.S. embassy and held them for 444 days demanding the return of the deposed Shah to face trial.

Iran–Contra Affair (1986–1987)

Reagan administration scandal involving the secret sale of weapons to Iran to secure the release of American hostages in Lebanon, with profits diverted to fund anti-Communist Contras in Nicaragua against congressional prohibitions.

Jimmy Carter

President of the United States (1977–1981) who prioritized human rights in foreign policy; his presidency was highlighted by the Camp David Accords but hindered by the Iran Hostage Crisis, leading to his defeat after one term.

Lyndon Johnson

President of the United States (1963–1969) whose escalation of the Vietnam War from 16,000 troops in 1963 to 540,000 in 1968 undermined his political standing, resulting in his decision not to seek reelection after the Tet Offensive.

New Left

Label for 1960s political radicals inspired by the 1930s "Old Left"; they supported civil rights and strongly opposed U.S. foreign policy, particularly the Vietnam War.

No Child Left Behind

Education reform initiative establishing state accountability for student academic achievement, mandatory standardized testing, and expanded school choice options for parents.

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)

Federal law enacted in 1990 (modified in 2024) requiring the protection and return of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred items, and cultural patrimony with dignity and respect.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Trilateral trade agreement between Mexico, the United States, and Canada championed by President Clinton on the premise that expanding trade promoted prosperity and international stability.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

International cartel of oil-exporting nations that imposed oil boycotts during the 1970s to disrupt the U.S. economy and pressure American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm)

Successful international military operation that liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation via an extensive air assault and a ground offensive staged from Saudi Arabia.

Richard Nixon

President of the United States (1969–1974) who gradually ended U.S. involvement in Vietnam, established formal ties with Communist China, and eased tensions with the USSR, before resigning due to the Watergate scandal.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Landmark Supreme Court ruling establishing that a woman's constitutional right to privacy protects her decision to terminate a pregnancy in the first trimester.

Ronald Reagan

President of the United States (1981–1989) who led a conservative movement opposing détente and the expansion of the federal government, credited with winning the Cold War while being criticized for his domestic spending cuts and fiscal policies.

Sandra Day O’Connor

Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, she became the first female justice to serve on the United States Supreme Court.

September 11, 2001

Coordinated al Qaeda terrorist attacks in which hijacked commercial planes struck the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and crashed in a field near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Silent Majority

Term utilized by Richard Nixon to describe law-abiding, middle-class Americans who supported his administration and desired "peace with honor" in Vietnam, contrasted against vocal anti-war and civil rights demonstrators.

Stagflation

Economic phenomenon during the 1970s marked by simultaneous high inflation, rising unemployment, and economic stagnation, aggravated significantly by sharp increases in petroleum prices.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Proposed space- and ground-based missile defense system popularly dubbed "Star Wars," designed to shield the United States from incoming nuclear ballistic strikes.

Sunbelt

The South and Southwest regions of the United States, so named for their warm climate, which saw significant population growth beginning in the late 1970s.

Supply-side economics (Reaganomics)

President Ronald Reagan's economic doctrine centered on spending reductions and significant tax cuts aimed at encouraging private investment, business growth, job creation, and overall government revenue.

Thurgood Marshall

Prominent NAACP legal counsel who successfully argued the Brown v. Board of Education case and was later appointed by Lyndon Johnson as the first African American Supreme Court Justice.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal legislation strengthening protections for voter registration, abolishing literacy tests, and providing federal oversight to investigate voting irregularities.

War on Terror

Comprehensive global campaign against terrorism launched after the September 11 attacks, involving military action in Afghanistan, enhanced airport security, detention of foreign terror suspects, and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.

Warren Burger

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1969–1986); despite a conservative reputation, his court supported school busing, recognized abortion rights, and ordered Nixon to surrender the Watergate tapes.

Watergate scandal

Political crisis triggered by a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in June 1972, culminating in evidence of presidential cover-up, top aides being imprisoned, and Nixon's resignation.

agenda

An underlying (often ideological) plan or program.

bureaucracy

A body of non-elected government officials; those involved in the administration of policy.

coalition

Groups allied for a common purpose.

constituency

Those being represented.

deficit

A shortage; excess of spending over revenue.

demographic

Characteristics relating to population.

discrimination

To show partiality in treatment.

entitlement

Belief that one is deserving of certain privileges.

fiscal

Relating to public revenue or public debt.

ideology

A set of beliefs.

inflation

Rising prices.

marginalized

Lacking power.

polarization

A division into two extremes of groups or interests.

proliferation

An increase in the number of something.

radical

One who wants immediate, extreme change.

reactionary

One who wants to return to an idealized past.

socioeconomic

Relating to class, wealth, and status.

surplus

The amount that remains when use or need is satisfied.