Modern Presidents and Policy

Flashcards covering the domestic and foreign policies of U.S. presidents from Nixon to George W. Bush based on the provided lecture notes.

Stagflation

A combination of economic stagnation and inflation caused by overspending by LBJ and loss of $U.S.$ manufacturing supremacy.

Strict constructionism

A legal philosophy favored by Nixon in his appointment of Warren Burger, emphasizing a literal interpretation of the Constitution.

Roe v. Wade ($1973$)

A Supreme Court case that established abortion rights, representing a continuation of liberalism during the Nixon era.

Philadelphia Plan

A policy implemented by President Nixon that extended affirmative action programs.

Bakke v. California ($1978$)

A Supreme Court ruling that reduced race to one of many factors to consider in university admissions rather than the sole factor.

Milliken v. Bradley

A Supreme Court decision that stopped the practice of bussing students to different districts for school integration.

Title IX ($1972$)

Federal legislation passed in $1972$ that mandated gender equality in educational programs and activities.

Vietnamization

Nixon's strategy to withdraw $U.S.$ troops from Vietnam while training and handing over combat duties to the South Vietnamese.

War Powers Act

Legislation passed to limit presidential power regarding military conflict after the repeal of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Detente

The relaxing of Cold War tensions, marked by Nixon's visits to Moscow and Beijing.

ABM Treaty

An anti-ballistic missile agreement signed between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Nixon administration.

SALT

The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, which resulted in a treaty to limit the number of nuclear missiles.

New Federalism

A domestic policy shift under Nixon aimed at moving powers from the federal government back to the states.

EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency, created by Nixon in response to the environmental concerns raised in Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.

Silent Spring

The book by Rachel Carson that influenced the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

OPEC Embargo

An oil export ban by Arab nations in response to $U.S.$ support for Israel, leading to skyrocketing oil prices and an energy crisis.

CREEP

The Committee for the Re-Election of the President, which was involved in the Watergate break-in.

Smoking Gun Tape

Evidence revealing that President Nixon tried to use the CIA to stop an FBI investigation into the Watergate scandal.

Camp David Accords ($1978$)

A peace agreement between Israel and Egypt brokered by President Jimmy Carter.

Panama Canal Treaty ($1979$)

An agreement that transitioned the canal to full Panamanian ownership.

Hostage Crisis ($1979$)

The capture of $U.S.$ embassy staff in Tehran who were held for $444$ days until Reagan's inauguration.

Malaise Speech ($1979$)

President Carter's address to the nation criticizing Americans for being too materialistic, which contributed to his falling popularity.

Three Mile Island

The site of a nuclear accident in $1979$ that increased public concern over nuclear energy.

New Right / Moral Majority

A conservative movement that emerged in response to the counter-culture of the $1960s$, emphasizing traditional family values.

Neoconservatism

A political philosophy favoring free market capitalism, tax cuts, increased defense spending, and a tough stance on communism.

Reaganomics

Reagan's economic policy characterized by supply-side economics, tax cuts, and deregulation.

Yuppies

Young urban professionals associated with the conspicuous consumption of the $1980s$ economic recovery.

SDI / Star Wars

The Strategic Defense Initiative, a massive spending program for an anti-missile defense system.

Iran-Contra

A scandal where the Reagan administration sold weapons to Iran to fund the Contras in Nicaragua, violating the Boland Amendment.

Boland Amendment

A law that prohibited federal funding for the Contras in Nicaragua.

INF Treaty

A treaty signed by Reagan and Gorbachev to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear forces.

D.A.R.E.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education programs created during the Reagan era to fight the war on drugs.

AIDS Epidemic

A health crisis in the $1980s$ that the Moral Majority labeled the gay plague, which the Reagan administration was criticized for failing to address.

Operation Desert Storm ($1991$)

A $U.N.$-backed military operation led by the $U.S.$ to drive Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.

ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act, a signature piece of domestic legislation signed by George H.W. Bush.

Clarence Thomas

A Supreme Court Justice whose $1991$ confirmation hearing was marked by significant controversy.

Axis of Evil

A term coined by George W. Bush to describe the collective threat of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.

New Democrat

A moderate Democrat, such as Bill Clinton, who sought to appeal to centrist and independent voters.

Contract With America

Newt Gingrich's $1994$ platform that helped Republicans gain control of both the House and Senate.

Dotcom boom

A period of significant economic growth in the $1990s$ driven by the rise of internet-based companies.

Oslo Accords

A peace agreement signed in $1993$ between the leader of the PLO and the Israeli Prime Minister, though no lasting peace was achieved.

Rwandan Genocide

A mass killing in Africa where the Clinton administration was criticized for standing on the sideline.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

The policy regarding LGBTQ+ individuals in the military established during the Clinton administration.

Brady Bill

A major piece of gun control legislation passed during Bill Clinton’s presidency.

NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement, which eliminated tariffs between the $U.S.$, Canada, and Mexico.

WTO

The World Trade Organization, which aims to reduce international tariffs and stimulate global trade.

Clinton Impeachment

Legal proceedings against Bill Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice related to an affair.

Nation-building

The commitment by the George W. Bush administration to develop a stable democracy in Iraq following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

Patriot Act

Legislation passed after $9/11$ to expand the government's ability to monitor citizens in the name of national security.

Kyoto Protocol

An international treaty intended to reduce global warming, which was rejected by President George W. Bush.