AP US History Unit 1: Rise of the Silent Majority Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and figures from the Rise of the Silent Majority unit in AP US History.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

A civil rights law passed in $1990$ that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, and transportation.

Barry Goldwater

The unsuccessful presidential candidate against Lyndon Johnson in $1964$; considered the grandfather of the conservative movement of the $1980$s.

Bill Clinton

President of the United States from $1993$-$2001$; a Democrat who adopted a centrist approach and oversaw achievements like NAFTA, welfare reform, and a balanced budget.

Camp David Accords (1979)

An agreement brokered by President Carter between Israel and Egypt; Israel surrendered seized land and Egypt recognized Israel as a nation.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Proposed by John Kennedy and signed by Lyndon Johnson, it desegregated public accommodations and broadened federal powers to prevent job discrimination.

Contract with America

A document drafted by Newt Gingrich promising ten items, including congressional term limits and tax cuts, if Republicans won control of Congress.

Crisis of Confidence (Malaise) Speech

A televised address by President Carter in which he complained that a weak national spirit struck at the heart of the national will.

Deregulation

The cutting back of federal regulation of industry; in the $1980$s, Reagan removed price controls on oil and reduced rules for the airline and savings and loan industries.

Earl Warren

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from $1953$-$1969$ who led the court in far-reaching racial, social, and political rulings, including school desegregation.

George H.W. Bush

President of the United States from $1989$-$1993$; known for the Person Gulf War and for reversing his campaign promise, “Read my lips: no new taxes.”

George McGovern

Democratic candidate for president in $1972$ who called for immediate withdrawal from Vietnam and a guaranteed income for the poor.

George W. Bush

President of the United States from $2001$-$2009$; his presidency was defined by a “War on Terror” and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.

George Wallace

Alabama governor and third-party candidate in $1968$ and $1972$ who ran on a platform of segregation and law-and-order.

Gerald Ford

President from $1974$-$1977$ who served without being elected to the presidency or vice presidency; he assumed office when Nixon resigned.

Geraldine Ferraro

House Representative from New York who became the first woman on a major political party’s presidential ticket in $1984$.

Great Society

President Lyndon Johnson's social and economic program that included Medicare, Medicaid, and a “war on poverty.”

Henry Kissinger

Advisor to Nixon and Ford; the architect of the Vietnam settlement, the diplomatic opening to China, and détente with the Soviet Union.

Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965

A law that ended nationality-based quotas, opening the door for many non-European immigrants to settle in the United States.

Iran Hostage Crisis (1979–1981)

Incident where Iranian radicals seized $52$ Americans from the U.S. embassy and held them for $444$ days.

Iran–Contra Affair (1986–1987)

A scandal where the Reagan administration sold weapons to Iran to fund anti-Communist insurgents in Nicaragua despite a Congressional prohibition.

Jimmy Carter

President from $1977$-$1981$; his term was highlighted by the Camp David Accords but marred by the Iran Hostage Crisis.

Lyndon Johnson

President from $1963$-$1969$; he increased U.S. troops in Vietnam from $16,000$ to $540,000$, which eventually destroyed his presidency.

New Left

Political radicals of the $1960$s who supported civil rights and opposed American foreign policy, particularly in Vietnam.

No Child Left Behind

An education reform plan that called for state accountability for student success, mandatory achievement testing, and school options for parents.

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)

A $1990$ law providing for the protection and return of Native American human remains and funerary or sacred objects.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Legislation championed by Clinton and signed by Mexico, the U.S., and Canada based on the idea that trade is essential to U.S. prosperity.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

A cartel of oil-exporting nations that roiled the U.S. economy in the $1970$s through a series of oil boycotts.

Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm)

A successful military campaign supported by an international coalition to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi control.

Richard Nixon

President from $1969$-$1974$; he extracted the U.S. from Vietnam and recognized China, though his achievements were overshadowed by Watergate.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Landmark Supreme Court ruling that established first-trimester abortions protected by a woman’s right to privacy.

Ronald Reagan

President from $1981$-$1989$ who led a conservative movement against détente and the growth of the federal government.

Sandra Day O’Connor

Appointed by Reagan, she was the first woman to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court.

September 11, 2001

Coordinated al Qaeda terrorist attacks where hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and crashed in Pennsylvania.

Silent Majority

Nixon’s label for middle-class Americans who obeyed laws and supported his Vietnam policy, contrasting them with protesters.

Stagflation

An economic condition in the $1970$s characterized by rapidly rising prices (inflation) and stagnant economic growth.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

A proposed defense system popularly known as “Star Wars,” intended to protect the U.S. against missile attacks.

Sunbelt

A term describing the South and Southwest regions of the U.S., which have seen significant population growth since the late $1970$s.

Supply-side economics (Reaganomics)

Economic policies focusing on budget and tax cuts to increase private investment, jobs, and government revenue.

Thurgood Marshall

The lead attorney for the NAACP in Brown vs. Board of Education and the first black justice on the United States Supreme Court.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that outlawed literacy tests and increased federal authority to investigate voter irregularities and protect voter registration.

War on Terror

Label for antiterrorism efforts following $9/11$, including the Patriot Act and military campaigns in Afghanistan to break up Al Qaeda.

Warren Burger

Chief Justice from $1969$-$1986$ whose court upheld school busing and ordered Nixon to surrender the Watergate tapes.

Watergate scandal

A series of events beginning with illegal phone taps in $1972$ that led to Nixon's resignation for obstructing a federal investigation.

agenda

An underlying (often ideological) plan or program.

bureaucracy

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

coalition

Groups allied for a common purpose.

constituency

Those being represented by an elected official.

deficit

A shortage; the excess of spending over revenue.

demographic

Characteristics relating to population.

discrimination

To show partiality in treatment.

entitlement

The belief that one is deserving of certain privileges.

fiscal

Relating to public revenue or public debt.

ideology

A set of beliefs.

inflation

A condition of rising prices.

marginalized

Lacking power within a society.

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.