Chapter 19 U.S. History Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering the main lectures from Chapter 19 U.S. History Lecture Notes

Ronald Reagan's pre-politics career

Hosted the General Electric Theater television series from 1953 to 1962.

Reagan's actions as Governor of California

Froze government hiring and approved tax hikes to balance the budget.

People’s Park protests at UC Berkeley (1969)

Reagan sent California Highway Patrol officers and National Guard troops to quell the protests.

People v. Anderson decision (1972)

California Supreme Court decision that invalidated all death sentences issued in the state prior to 1972.

Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign

Aided by the Iran hostage crisis and a worsening economy.

Reagan's Electoral College victory in 1980

Won 489 votes (representing 44 states), compared to 49 for Carter.

Laffer Curve

Illustrates a theoretical relationship between rates of taxation and the resulting levels of government revenue.

Arthur Laffer

Reportedly sketched the Laffer Curve on a napkin to illustrate the concept to Ford Administration officials.

George H.W. Bush's view of supply-side economics

Ridiculed it as 'voodoo economics' while running against Reagan in 1980.

1981 Economic Recovery Tax Act

Inspired by the Laffer curve and supply-side economics, it enacted to amend the 1954 Internal Revenue Code.

Changes included in the 1981 Economic Recovery Tax Act

Included a decrease in income tax rates, slashed estate and business taxes, and reduced the capital gains tax from 28% to 20%.

Outcome from the Revenue from the capital gains tax

Increased by 50% from $12½ billion in 1980 to over $18 billion in 1983.

National debt during Reagan's presidency

Tripled, from $997 billion to $2.85 trillion.

MTV launch

Launched in August of 1981, with the Buggles’ song Video Killed the Radio Star marking the first music video to air on the cable channel.

Economic downturn in 1982

Unemployment rose to double digits for the first time since 1941.

Economic Recovery Tax Act 1981 impact

Served as Reagan's economic plan to cut taxes.

Recovery from the recession announced in 1983

Output and sales met or exceeded levels achieved before the recession.

Significance of Muammar Gaddafi

Libyan regime endured until the 2011 Arab Spring led to a civil war.

Outcome of Gaddafi

Was taken prisoner by rebel forces, received serious injuries, and died.

Soviet war in Afghanistan

Lasted over nine years, part of the larger Cold War fought between Soviet-led Afghan forces against the Mujahedeen.

Stinger missiles

Credited as the turning point in the Soviet war in Afghanistan, shifting Soviet aircraft from hunter to hunted.

Reagan's justification for Grenada invasion

Claimed the occupation of the island by communist Cuba posed a threat to the U.S.

Resolution of Grenada invasion

Aftermath Grenada's freed Governor-General, Paul Scoon, announced the resumption of the constitution and appointed a new government, and U.S. forces withdrew that December

Iran–Contra Scandal

Senior administration officials secretly facilitating the sale of arms to Iran to fund the Contras in Nicaragua.

Oliver North

A portion of the proceeds from the weapon sales was diverted to fund the Contras.

Reagan's claim about weapon transfers to Iran

Stated that the weapons transfers had indeed occurred, but that the U.S. didn’t trade arms for hostages.

New Wave music movement

Coincided with late 1970s punk and continued into the early 1980s, with notable bands like Duran Duran, Talking Heads, the Cars and Modern English.

Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD)

The very real danger that a nation with nuclear weapons could attempt to eliminate another nation’s retaliatory forces with a surprise, devastating first strike.

START I

An agreement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms, signed in 1991, effective in 1994.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

A proposed missile defense system intended to protect the U.S. from attack by ballistic nuclear weapons, announced by President Reagan in 1983.

Reaction of Soviet commentators on SDI

The equivalent to declaring an economic war through an arms race to cripple the Soviet economy.

Space debris

Generation from historical satellite that were rarely de-orbited.

Countries with satellite launch capabilities

Russia, the United States, France, Japan, China, the UK, India, Israel, Ukraine, North Korea and Iran.

Impact of Reagan's assassination attempt

Greatly influenced Reagan’s popularity, with approval ratings rising to about 73%.

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act

Passed in 1993 as a result of his work from James Grady.

Gun control

Reagan's support, in a speech at an event marking the 10th anniversary of the assassination attempt, Reagan endorsed the Brady Act.

Not-guilty verdict for John Hinckley reaction

Led to widespread public outrage and Congress and a number of states rewrote laws regarding the insanity defense.

HIV/AIDS origin theory

The 'bush meat theory,' proposes that the virus jumped from primates to humans when hunters came into contact with the blood of infected primates.

Global cases of HIV/AIDS

Was first noticed in Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco in 1981.

1983 Social Security Reform Act

Addressed rising costs of Social Security by computerizing death certificates, accelerating payroll tax rates, and increasing the full-benefit retirement age.

1988 presidential election

Incumbent Vice President George H. W. Bush chose Indiana Senator Dan Quayle as his running mate.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

Was, for all intents and purposes, the death knell for communist rule in East Germany.

Collapse of the Soviet Union

Occurred with dramatic speed during the latter part of 1991, as one republic after another declared its independence.

UNOSOM I

UN operation in Somalia (UNOSOM I) was implemented in 1992 due to a humanitarian disaster, made worse by a complete breakdown of civil order

Mohamed Farrah Aidid

Somali Warlord had even grown confident enough to defy the Security Council and demand the withdrawal of peacekeepers, as well as declaring hostile intent against any further UN deployments.

Tiananmen Square protests

Began with student-led popular demonstrations in Beijing, which received broad support from city residents and exposed deep splits within China’s communist leadership.

Aftermath Tiananmen Square protests

The government conducted widespread arrests, halted political reforms, expelling foreign journalists, strictly controlled coverage of the events in the domestic press as well as strengthened the internal security forces.

Manuel Noriega

U.S. had long-standing relations Panamanian strongman, as he had served as a paid CIA informant.

Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

Began in August 1990 with the bombing of Kuwait’s capital (Kuwait City).

Result of the Kuwait conflict

Within 12 hours, most resistance had ended and the royal family had fled, leaving Iraq in control over most of the country.

The Tin Cup Trip

American Secretary of State James Baker went on an eleven-day, nine countries tour to ensure financial backing.

1st Gulf War

Codenamed Desert Storm was waged by a coalition of nations led by the U.S. against Iraq in response to its invasion of Kuwait (August 2nd, 1990 – February 28th, 1991).

The Savings and Loan Crisis (S&L Crisis)

Caused by the failure of over a 1,000 savings and loan associations between 1986 and 1995.

1992 presidential election major candidates

Incumbent Republican President George H. W. Bush, Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton and independent Texas billionaire Ross Perot.

Clinton's win major states

The Northeastern, Upper Midwest and West Coast states which had previously been competitive, began voting reliably Democratic.