US History Study Guide VOCAB - JFK, LBJ, and Nixon

Flexible Response (JFK)

A Cold War defense strategy designed to counter communist aggression without relying solely on nuclear weapons.

Berlin Wall

A fortified barrier built by East Germany on August 13, 1961 to stop citizens from fleeing to the democratic west.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A tense 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the US and Soviet Union, sparked by the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A failed 1961 CIA-backed invasion of Cuba by exiles aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro, serving as a major embarrassment to the JFK administration.

Quarantine (Blockade)

A naval blockade established by JFK around Cuba to prevent further Soviet military supplies, deliberately termed to avoid the legal definition of a “blockade”.

Great Society

President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ambitious domestic agenda to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, featuring programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Medicare

A federal program enacted in 1965 providing health insurance to Americans aged 65 and over.

Head Start

A program during the War on Poverty to provide early childhood education to low-income families.

War on Poverty

The unofficial name for legislation introduced by LBJ in 1964 aimed to close the income gap and improving living standards for the poor.

Clean Air Act

Federal law passed in 1963 to control air pollution, a major component of the environmental focus of the era.

New Federalism

A political philosophy of devolution, or the transfer of certain powers from the US federal government back to the states, famously championed by Richard Nixon.

Detente

The easing of strained relations, particularly between the US and the Soviet Union/China during the Nixon administration.

Normalization

Establishing formal diplomatic relations, such as Nixon’s 1972 visit to China.

Watergate Scandal

A major political scandal in the 70s following a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, resulting in the indictment of White House officials.

Impeachment

Political process of charging a government official with misconduct; in this unit, it refers to the impeachment proceedings against Nixon following Watergate.