APUSH 39: The American Pageant 17th Edition Chapter 39: America Confronts the Post-Cold War Era

Democratic Leadership Council

Nonprofit organization of centrist Democrats which tried to make the party pro-business and anti-crime

1992 Election

Clinton defeats Bush 370-168, centrist candidate Ross Perot receives 19 million votes

Ross Perot

Texas billionaire who ran as a centrist independent in 1992, winning 19 million votes but 0 electoral votes

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

US military policy from 1993-2010 which banned openly gay soldiers, but banned anyone from officially asking about their sexuality

Ruby Ridge Standoff

1992 standoff between federal agents and the Weaver family when FBI tried to execute a false warrant for gun charges, resulted in the death of a federal agent, a dog, a child, and a woman

Waco Siege

51 day standoff between Branch Dividians and federal agents in 1993 which destroyed the compound, stemmed from ATF attempts to serve a warrant for alleged stockpiling of weapons

Oklahoma City Bombing

Bombing of a federal Building in Oklahoma City on 4/19/1995 by white supremacists, killing 168 in retribution for Waco and Ruby Ridge massacres

Contract with America

GOP program in 1994 which promised term limits and ethics reforms for the midterms, created a GOP congressional majority for the first time in 50+ years

Welfare Reform Bill

1996 law requiring cuts to welfare grants and requiring state welfare recipients to look for jobs

Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act

1996 law creating a no-entry window for visa holders who overstayed their visa, and decreased burden of proof for deportations

1996 Election

Clinton defeats Dole 379-159 with an 8 million vote lead, GOP unseats South as a Democrat stronghold

Proposition 209

1996 California ballot measure banning affirmative action practices in state jobs and college admissions

Hopwood v. Texas

1996 Appeals Court ruling banning affirmative action in federally-funded universities

Los Angeles Riots

Widespread riots in 1992 stemming from the acquittal of police officers who beat trucker Rodney King, killed 2500 people, highlighted racial tensions

Rooftop Koreans

Asian store owners who used guns to defend their businesses against rioters during the 1992 LA riots

OJ Simpson

NFL legend controversially found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife and her friend in 1995, found civilly liable in 1997 suit filed by his ex-wife’s friend

Over-The-Counter Derivatives

Financial contracts negotiated outside of regulated exchanges, deregulated under Bill Clinton

North American Free Trade Agreement

1993 economic agreement between USA, Canada, & Mexico which created a free trade zone, opposed by labor leaders & protectionists

World Trade Organization

International body created in 1994 to promote and protect international free trade

Family and Medical Leave Act

1993 law requiring employers to provide 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave and family leave

Slobodan Milosevic

Serbian president who launched ethnic cleansings against Albanians in Kosovo, arrested in 2001

USS Cole

US navy ship attacked by Al-Qaeda in 1998 while it refueled in Yemen’s Aden harbor

Fatwa

Osama Bin Laden’s 1998 declaration of jihad against Americans, advocating for all Americans to be killed

Al-Qaeda

Islamic terrorist group led by Osama Bin Laden which attacked USS Cole, World Trade Center, and US embassies, hated USA and Israel

Whitewater

Scandals in which the Clintons allegedly profited illegally from a failed real estate deal while Bill Clinton was Governor, resulted in no criminal charges

Lewinsky Affair

1998 scandal where Bill Clinton lied about his affair with a White House intern, caused impeachment hearings to begin

Bush v. Gore

2000 Supreme Court case ruling hand recounts of undervotes in Florida violated 14th Amendment, giving Bush the presidency

2000 Election

Bush defeats Gore 271-266, election came down to 577 votes in Florida, Gore wins 500k more votes

Multiculturalism

Belief that cultural and ethnic diversity is inherently good, and that cultural assimilation shouldn’t exist

Dreams From My Father

Barack Obama’s 1995 memoir exploring his biracial identity and early life

The Sopranos

TV drama (1999-2007) surrounding New Jersey’s mafia scene, seen as one of the greatest shows ever

Seinfeld

Sitcom (1989-1998) surrounding the titular character’s life in New York City, extremely popular

Newt Gingrich

Congressman (R-GA) who authored Contract with America, House Speaker from 1995-1999

Bob Dole

Senator (R-KY) who lost 1996 election, Senate minority leader in 1980s & 1990s