APUSH Chapter 39 - "The Resurgence of Conservatism"

Ronald Reagan was amazing and wonderful sure if you ignore how he purposefully ignored the AIDS epidemic and allowed for the deaths of thousands because it was a "gay disease" and "their fault because of their lifestyle". Rock Hudson, you deserved better. Also if we're gonna talk about the AIDS epidemic the massive support of sick gay men by lesbians (largely the ONLY ones who helped them) should at least be mentioned. And if we're on the topic of AIDS and evangelicals we could at least mention Anita Bryant who lead a huge anti-gay rights movement and was vehemently against the AIDS epidemic itself. The woman who inspired the "a day without lesbians is a day without sunshine" poster out of pure spite, and got PIED IN THE FACE on live national television. But sure let's only mention men and how great reagan was and ignore women, good or bad. (But Alice Paul was only mentioned twice fleetingly so what can really be expected from this textbook)

“ABC” Movement

Movement among Democrats, “Anyone But Carter”

Chappaquiddick

DamagedTed Kennedy’s reputation, resulting in him losing the Democratic nomination.

From Google: Ted Kennedy drove a car off an unmarked bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, near Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. His companion in the car, 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, died. (oh i’m gonna cry she shouldn't have died, and why are the Kennedys cursed).

Basically he killed her (not really but he drove it off the bridge in an accident and she died) so it was obv a scandal and he lost the nomination.

“common man”

Reagan championed for the _______ ___

Think Tanks

Organizations designed to research & publicize a political point of view

PAC’s - Political Action Committees

Groups who funded causes and candidates & by raising money through mass mailings and radio broadcasts

Margaret Thatcher

Reagan’s strong political ally

“tax revolt”

Many citizens wanted a ___ _______ that slashed property taxes and forced cuts in gov’t services wh/ allowed Reagan to rattle the “welfare state”

Proposition 13

Name of the “tax revolt” in California

Boll Weevils

Conservative Southern Dems who Reagan wooed to abandon their party’s leadership and follow the President. By one group wh/ Reagan effectively gained control of the Senate.

Reaganomics

Reagan’s economic policy. Involved lower marginal tax rates, less regulation, restrained government spending, and noninflationary monetary policy.

Economic Recovery & Tax Act

A set of far reaching tax reforms that lowered many types of taxes

Supply-Side Economics

When the gov’t gives money to the suppliers of the economy, i.e. businesses

Deregulation

Loosen gov’t regulations to increase business innovation and efficiency

Banks

• Historically conservative financial institutions, but deregulation allowed for them to compete for high interest rates and to reinvest the money using high risk

• Eventually resulted in a huge banking crisis

Black Monday

The global, severe and largely unexpected stock market crash on Monday, October 19, 1987. Worldwide losses were estimated at US$1.71 trillion. The severity of the crash sparked fears of extended economic instability or even a reprise of the Great Depression.

Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO)

Reagan fired more than 11,000 members of _____ for violating a no strike clause in their hiring agreements

• Refused to hire them back even when they relented

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) - “Star Wars”

Could deploy new defenses that could intercept & destroy ballistic missiles as they rose from the ground and through space. Also a plan to make like an anti-nuclear bubble over the US? *It’s a strategy/idea, not reality. Largely not possible, but the aim was to ankrupt the Soviets, make US look strong, reinvigorate the Cold War, so an agreement could be made w/ the USSR.

1. Poland’s “Solidarity: forced USSR to impose martial law

2. USSR shot down Korean plance, killing hundreds, including Americans

3. Soviets boycotted 1984 Summer Olympics held in LA (as in Los Angeles)

USSR & US relations furthered strained by: (3 things)

Yuppies

“Young Urban Professionals”, a symbol of social change, defined by elitist consumerism

Lee Iacocca & Donald Trump

Made themselves into media stars and helped to portray corporate executives as heroes

Punk rock & Hip Hop

Explored personal power & sex but often dealt w/ social inequalities & deprivation

Cable Television

Reflected both the fragmentation of US society & increasing dependence on instant communication

CNN

Gave television viewers their first chance to watch news coverage 24 hours a day

MTV

Round the clock music

Gentrification

The clearing of slums to install high end businesses & retail stores

Moral Majority

Organized by Jerry Falwell to bring the nations evangelicals into the political arena. v conservative and anti-liberal everything. Gained large mass of support quickly. (numerous of them had sexual misconduct cases proved against them… but that didn’t stop their supporters support of them)

“Televangelists”

Used the mail, radio, & cable TV to reach huge audiences and raise millions

Pat Robertson

Mobilized Conservative Christians throughout his 700 Club Program

AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Disease which destroys the body’s ability to resist disease

Rock Hudson and Princess Diana

Not in the TB but deserve a flashcard. Also only very loosely related but anyway.

Sandra Day O’Connor

1st woman ever to be appointed as a Supreme Court Justice (STOP she just died in Dec 2023 and founded ICIVIS???)

Webster v. Reproductive Health Services

Approved a Missouri law that imposed certain restrictions on abortion, further inviting states to legislate the Roe decision

Planned Parenthood v Casey

States could restrict access to abortion as long as they didn’t place an “undue burden” on the woman

Geraldine Ferraro

The first woman to run on a major party ticket

“It’s Morning in America”

Reagan’s running theme

Mikhail Gorbachev

Became head of the Communist Party and was a master of public relations

Glasnost

Political openness w/ free discussion of issues and relaxation of the press

Perestroika

Loosening economic controls b/c the Soviet economy was falling behind capalist nations

Intermediate Nuclear Force Agreement (INF)

An arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signed the treaty on 8 December 1987

= a kind of conclusion to the Cold War, but I mean basically it was over and both leaders were praised. MW wdym “kind of?”

Phillipines

US helped to push out ruler Ferdinand Marcos wh/ allowed for Corazon Aquino to be elected

South Korea

US helped to ease out an unpopular dictator by firmly supporting democratic elections

Libya

Dictator Gaddafi was the first leader to use national resources for terrorist activities. US ordered an air raid in retaliation for attacks.

El Salvador

Reagan sent military “advisors” to prop up the pro-American gov’t, after their 1979 coup

Reagan Doctrine

US would intervene anywhere in the world to support local groups fighting against a Communist gov’t

Nicaragua

Civil War b/w Sandinistas and Contras

Sandinistas

Leftist revolutionaries who kicked out pro-US gov’t and whom Reagan feared were also commies

Contras

Counter revolutionaries (Anti-Communist). US supported them throughout their 10 year Civil War. Money given to them was from private donations and illegal arms sale with Iran

Grenada

Helped kill a Marxist revolution in _____, very much Teddy Roosevelt control in LA style

Iran & Iraq War

US hates Iran so we publically support Iraw while secretly selling weapons to Iran. In hoped that Iran would help aid the release of US hsotages held by pro-Iranian Islamic Radicals in lebanon, and it works. Much of the money went to the Nicaraguan Contras.

Gary Hart

Front runner who was forced to drop out after charges of sexual misconduct (comapred to JFK)

Jesse Jackson

Civil Rights leader who mounted a grassroots campaign & hoped to form a “Rainbow Coalition” of minorities and disadvantaged

Oliver North (NSC)

Shredded documents and lied to Congress

“what the president knew & when he knew it”

People wanted to know ________. (post Iran Contra Affair)

Iran Contra Affair

A secret operation in which the US government secretly sent weapons to a known enemy and sent financial aid to a rebel force.

“Teflon President”

Reagan’s nickname because nothing bad stuck to him (like the nonstick pans)

“a kinder, gentler, America”

George H. W. Bush promised ______

China - Tianamen Square

Thousands of prodemocracy demonstrators demanded change

Berlin Wall

Opened b/c East Germany began to flee through Hungary

Boris Yeltsin

President of the Russian Republic

Chechnya

Most violent example of the waves of nationalisn and long supressed racial hatres that sprang up in the former USSR. Tried to declare its independence from Russia, Yeltsin sent in troops

START II

US & Russia both committed to reduce their long range nuclear arsenals

South Africa

Apartheid ended and Nelson Mandela was elected President

Nicaragua

Free elections removed the Sandinistas from power

El Salvador

Finally had peace in their war ravaged country

Persian Gulf Crisis

Saddam Hussein seized the oil rich country Kuwait b/c of a dispute over oil fields, wh/ gave Iraq control of 20% of the world’s oil production and reserves.

Operation Desert Storm

Opened w/ massive air attacks on command centers, transportation facilities and Iraqi forward positions. Cease-fire came 4 days (100 hours) after the start of the ground war.

“Vietnam Syndrome”

Bush directed Desert Storm w/ the “_____ ______” believing Americans were willing to accept war only if it involved overwhelming US force and ended quickly

Americans With Disabilities Act

Banned discrimination against physically or mentally handicapped people in employment, transportation, and public accomodations

Noriega

A drug smuggler who the US hunted down and caught in Panama

Clarence Thomas

Nominated to the SC, despite MUCH controversy over sexual harassment (next card)

Anita Hill

Accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. A huge pioneer of spreading awarness of sexual harassment and standing up against it publicly. Critics tried to discredit her and attack her character.

Rodney King

Beaten by police after trying to resist arrest. Captured on film and shocked the nation adn confirmed African American’s worst fear of police brutality

“read my lips, no new taxes”

Bush’s campaign promise. Ignored when he raised taxes anyway…

Newt Gingrich

Led the hard line Republicans in open revolt