AP US History Unit 1: Rise of the Silent Majority Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering political, social, and economic terms, key figures, and general vocabulary 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 that are 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 the status quo on civil rights; regarded as the grandfather of the 1980s conservative movement.

Bill Clinton

President of the United States (1993-2001) and member of the Democratic Party whose leadership represented a centrist approach; achievements included NAFTA, welfare reform, and a balanced budget, and he was the 2nd president in American history to be impeached.

Camp David Accords (1979)

Agreement between the leaders of Israel and Egypt brokered by President Carter, in which Israel surrendered land seized in earlier wars and Egypt recognized Israel as a nation.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Law proposed by John Kennedy and signed by Lyndon Johnson that desegregated public accommodations, libraries, parks, and amusements, and broadened federal power to protect individual rights and prevent job discrimination.

Contract with America

Document drafted under the leadership of Republican congressman Newt Gingrich promising to enact ten items if Republicans won control of 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 in which he complained that a weak national spirit struck at the very heart and soul of national will.

Deregulation

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

Earl Warren

Controversial Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1953–1969) who led the court in far-reaching racial, social, and political rulings, including school desegregation and protecting rights of persons accused of crimes.

George H.W. Bush

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

George McGovern

Unsuccessful 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 (2001-2009) who espoused "compassionate conservatism" and whose presidency was largely defined by the "War on Terror" following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

George Wallace

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

Gerald Ford

President (1974–1977) who served without being elected president or vice president, assuming the vice presidency under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment and then the presidency upon Nixon's resignation.

Geraldine Ferraro

House Representative from New York chosen by Walter Mondale in 1984 as his Vice-Presidential running mate, becoming the first woman on a major political party's presidential ticket.

Great Society

President Lyndon Johnson's social and economic program aimed at helping the poor, aged, and young, which included Medicare, Medicaid, the Immigration Act of 1965, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Henry Kissinger

Advisor to Presidents Nixon and Ford who served as 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 opened the door for many non-European immigrants to settle in the United States by ending quotas based on nationality.

Iran Hostage Crisis (1979–1981)

Incident in which Iranian radicals, supported by their government, seized 52 Americans from the U.S. embassy and held them for 444 days.

Iran–Contra Affair (1986–1987)

Scandal that erupted after the Reagan administration sold weapons to Iran to free hostages in Lebanon and used the money to illegally aid the Contras in Nicaragua.

Jimmy Carter

President (1977–1981) whose foreign policy highlights included the Camp David Accords and whose low point was the Iran Hostage Crisis.

Lyndon Johnson

President (1963–1969) whose escalation of U.S. troops in the Vietnam War destroyed his political support, leading him to not seek reelection after the Tet Offensive.

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)

Law passed in 1990 and modified in 2024 providing for the protection and return of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony.

New Left

Label for political radicals of the 1960s who supported civil rights and opposed American foreign policy, particularly the Vietnam War.

No Child Left Behind

Education reform plan calling for state accountability for student success, mandatory achievement testing, and expanded school choices for parents.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Legislation championed by President Clinton and signed by Mexico, the United States, and Canada to promote flourishing trade and economic stability.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

Cartel of oil-exporting nations that organized oil boycotts throughout the 1970s to alter America's Middle East policy.

Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm)

Successful military campaign supported by an international coalition to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi control via air assault and a ground offensive from Saudi Arabia.

Richard Nixon

President (1969–1974) who slowly extracted the U.S. from Vietnam, recognized Communist China, and improved relations with the Soviet Union, but resigned due to the Watergate scandal.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Landmark Supreme Court ruling establishing that first-trimester abortions are protected by a woman's right to privacy.

Ronald Reagan

President (1981–1989) who led a conservative movement against détente with the Soviet Union and advocated for reducing the size of the federal government.

Sandra Day O’Connor

Appointed by President Reagan, she became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

September 11, 2001

Coordinated terrorist attack by al Qaeda involving four hijacked commercial jets that struck the World Trade Center twin towers, the Pentagon, and a field near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Silent Majority

Nixon's label for middle-class Americans who supported him, obeyed laws, and desired "peace with honor" in Vietnam, in contrast to disruptive protesters.

Stagflation

Economic condition of the 1970s characterized by rapidly rising prices (inflation), stagnant economic growth, and high unemployment, largely driven by rising oil prices.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Proposed defense system popularly known as "Star Wars," designed to protect the United States against missile attacks.

Sunbelt

Term describing the South and Southwest regions of the U.S. that experienced a significant population boom starting in the late 1970s due to their warm climate.

Supply-side economics (Reaganomics)

President Ronald Reagan's economic policies focusing on budget cuts and large tax cuts to stimulate private investment, increase jobs, and raise government revenue.

Thurgood Marshall

NAACP attorney who led the legal team in Brown v. Board of Education and later became the first Black justice appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Law that expanded federal protection of voters and registration, increased federal authority to investigate voter irregularities, and outlawed literacy tests.

War on Terror

Label for antiterrorism efforts post-September 11, including foreigner detentions, creation of the Department of Homeland Security, increased aviation security, and military action in Afghanistan.

Warren Burger

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1969–1986) whose court upheld school busing, abortion rights, and ordered Nixon to surrender the Watergate tapes.

Watergate scandal

Scandal starting with illegal White House wiretaps on Democrats in June 1972, leading to an investigation obstruction that resulted in President 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.