US2 Reagan Years Study Guide

AIDS

A disease that is transmitted through bodily fluids. Most victims were homosexual men or drug users that shared needles.

Assassination attempt

Ronald Reagan got shot in 1981 by John Hinckley Jr.

Andropov

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1982 to his death in 1984.

Clarence Thomas

Conservative that was appointed by Ronald Reagan.

Conservative movement

In 1980, conservatives wanted to shrink the federal government's role by cutting taxes, regulations, and entitlements, while shifting power back to states and local governments. They opposed policies like forced busing and affirmative action, viewing them as social engineering and reverse discrimination, and instead promoted traditional moral values, were against abortion, and supported a strong national defense

Contra

Anti-communist group in Nicaragua

Deficit

Soared during the Reagan years due to tax cuts and high military spending

Deregulation

Reagan wanted to reduce regulations and federal spending. For example, cut welfare, food stamps, job training, and medicaid. He did not cut Social Security, Veteran pensions, and Medicare

Election of 1980

Ronald Reagan vs. Jimmy Carter. The hostage crisis and bad economy crippled Carter which led to Reagan winning 51% of the popular vote and an electoral landslide

Election of 1984

Ronald Reagan vs. Walter Mondale. Reagan won due to large economic success during his last presidency

Geneva

RR and Gorbachev agree that nuclear war must never be fought

Glasnost

“Openness” - Gorbachev advocated for free speech and some other liberties for citizens

Gorbachev

Younger new Soviet Premiere in 1985 who advocated for glasnost and perestroika

INF Treaty

Was signed at Washington DC in 1987 and eliminated all intermediate range nuclear missiles

Iran-Contra

US officials were sending arms to Iran which violated the US arms embargo against Iran. They sent the arms in hope to release the American hostages in Beirut. Profits from the sales were then illegally diverted to Contras in Nicaragua who were fighting the Sandinista government

Perestroika

Economic “restructuring” - One of Gorbachev’s reforms created to revive the Soviet economy with free-market practices of the capitalist West

Pope John Paul II

Man who inspired Polish nationalism

Reagan doctrine

No more détente; called USSR and “evil empire.” Massive arms build up; “spend them into oblivion,” $35,000,000 an hour! Support anti-communist groups like Contras in Nicaragua and Solidarity in Poland. SDI.

Reaganomics (supply-side, trickle down economics)

Reaganomics, or supply-side economics, was an economic policy that focused on reducing taxes, particularly for businesses and the wealthy, with the belief that this would stimulate investment, job creation, and overall economic growth. The idea behind trickle-down economics was that benefits given to the wealthy and corporations would eventually "trickle down" to the rest of the population in the form of more jobs and higher wages

Robert Bork

Was rejected by Congress to be on the Supreme Court because he was too conservative

Sandinista

Communist government in Nicaragua that fought against Contras

Sandra Day O’Connor

1st woman to be on the Supreme Court

Social issues of 1980s

AIDS; affected the LBBQ community, racial tensions, women’s rights, and growing homelessness

Strategic Defense Initiative

Space based anti-missile system that was derided as ‘Star Wars.’

Sunbelt and Rustbelt

Sunbelt, South and Southwest regions of the US, experienced significant economic growth while the Rustbelt, Northeast and Midwest regions of the US, faced economic decline

Urban issues

Suburbanization leaves US cities poorer and leads to more homeless people

Women and minorities

The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by congress in 1982 but fell short of ¾ of states to amend constitutional. Most women were also in the workforce, with 58% of women working outside of the home

Reykjavik

Gorbachev insisted that the US dump SDI which left RR confused. There was no deal made

Washington

INF Treaty signed which eliminated all intermediate range nuclear missiles

Moscow

RR said that the USSR was not evil