APUSH AMSCO Unit 9

Ronald Reagan

First elected president in 1980 and elected again in 1984. He ran on a campaign based on the common man and "populist" ideas. He served as governor of California from 1966-1974, and he participated in the McCarthy Communist scare. Iran released hostages on his Inauguration Day in 1980. While president, he developed Reagannomics, the trickle down effect of government incentives. He cut out many welfare and public works programs. He used the Strategic Defense Initiative to avoid conflict. His meetings with Gorbachev were the first steps to ending the Cold War. He was also responsible for the Iran-contra Affair which bought hostages with guns.

Reaganomics

The federal economic policies of the Reagan administration, elected in 1981. These policies combined a monetarist fiscal policy, supply-side tax cuts, and domestic budget cutting. Their goal was to reduce the size of the federal government and stimulate economic growth.

trickle -down economics

Economic theory that holds that money lent to banks and businesses will trickle down to consumers

Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981

A federal law passed to boost the economy, reduce inflation and increase employment.

Sandra Day O'Connor

1st Female Supreme Court Justice.

George H.W. Bush

President during the Gulf War, ability to quickly bring the war to a conclusion while suffering relatively few casualties resulted in the second-highest approval rating of any president, 89%

Clarence Thomas

African American jurist, and a strict critic of affirmative action. He was nominated by George H. W. Bush to be on the Supreme Court in 1991, and shortly after was accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill. Hearings were reopened, and he became the second African American to hold a seat in the Supreme Court.

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)

A law passed in 1990 that requires employers and public facilities to make "reasonable accommodations" for people with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against these individuals in employment.

Brady Bill

Law passed in 1993 requiring a waiting period on sales of handguns, along with a criminal background check on the buyer.

DC vs. Heller (2008)

The U.S. Supreme Court had not conclusively interpreted the meaning of the 2nd Amendment for two centuries, until the 2008 historical case, District of Columbia v. Heller. In this case, the highest court of the land agreed to review a decision made in the lower federal courts.

MeToo Movement

The hashtag spread on social media and encouraged women to come out and share their stories. The public became more aware of sexual assault.

Black Lives Matter

Civil rights movement sparked by a series of incidents of police brutality and lethal force against people of color.

Obergefell vs. Hodges (2015)

Legalized same sex marriage

Evil Empire

Ronald Reagan's description of Soviet Union because of his fierce anti-communist views and the USSR's history of violation of human rights and aggression.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Popularly known as "Star Wars," President Reagan's SDI proposed the construction of an elaborate computer-controlled, anti-missile defense system capable of destroying enemy missiles in outer spaced. Critics claimed that SDI could never be perfected.

Sandinistas

Members of a leftist coalition that overthrew the Nicaraguan dictatorship of Anastasia Somoza in 1979 and attempted to install a socialist economy. The United States financed armed opposition by the Contras. They lost national elections in 1990.

Contras

A Nicaraguan rebel group that got financial support from the CIA. This group was formed as a response to the overthrowing of Anastazio Somoza Debayle

Iran-Contra Affair

This involved high officials in the Reagan administration secretly selling arms to Iran (in return for the release of Western hostages in the Middle East) and illegally using the proceeds to finance the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)

This organization formed in 1964 with the purpose of creating a homeland for Palestinians in Israel

Mikhail Gorbachev

Head of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. His liberalization effort improved relations with the West, but he lost power after his reforms led to the collapse of Communist governments in eastern Europe.

Glasnost

A policy of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev which called for more openness with the nations of West, and a relaxing of restraints on Soviet citizenry.

Perestroika

A policy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev that involved restructuring of the social and economic status quo in communist Russia towards a market based economy and society

INF agreement

With this agreement, Reagan and Gorbachev agreed to remove and destroy all intermediate-range missiles.

Tiananmen Square

Site in Beijing where Chinese students and workers gathered to demand greater political openness in 1989. The demonstration was crushed by Chinese military with great loss of life.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

The removal of the wall that separated East and West Germany in 1989. Symbolized the end of the Cold War.

Boris Yelstin

Man who became Russia's president after the USSR dissolved.

Russian Republic

Created after the collapse of the Soviet Union, resulting in a democratically-elected government.

START I and START II

1991 and 1993

Continued nuclear arms reduction up to 75%

European Union

An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

Vladimir Putin

President of Russia

Kosovo Conflict

US sent peacekeepers to defend Kosovo

president Clinton ordered the bombing of Kosovo Serbian positions without securing congressional approval, the decision to conduct aerial bombing to end the Serbian invasion

Ethnic cleansing (genocide)

The systematic killing, torturing, or removal of persons with the intention of eliminating a specific racial or ethnic group

Bill Clinton

42nd President advocated economic and healthcare reform; second president to be impeached

Brady Bill

Law passed in 1993 requiring a waiting period on sales of handguns, along with a criminal background check on the buyer.

Anti-Crime Bill

Bill Clinton's bill that provided $30 billion in funding for more police protection and crime prevention programs, also banned the sale of most assault rifles.

National Rifle Association (NRA)

A powerful lobby that advocates the right to own and bear arms and rejects any gun regulation by the government

Republican Revolution

the Republican Party of the United States dubbed their success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate;

Contract with America

In the 1994 congressional elections, Congressman Newt Gingrich had Republican candidates sign a document in which they pledged their support for such things as a balanced budget amendment, term limits for members of Congress, and a middle-class tax cut.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Created to allow the free movement of goods between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. by lessening and eliminating tariffs

World Trade Organization (WTO)

International organization derived from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that promotes it free trade around the world.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

An international organization that acts as a lender of last resort, providing loans to troubled nations, and also works to promote trade through financial cooperation

Group of Eight (G8)

An international organization of the leading capitalist industrial nations: the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, and Russia. The G8 largely controlled the world's major international financial organizations: the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

top 1 percent

Refers to the group of people who hold 43% of the nation's financial wealth which allows them to possess greater financial opportunities that allows their money to make more money.

Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

Federal law requiring employers to verify and maintain records on applicants' legal rights to work in the United States

Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996

During the Clinton administration Congress passed this act to reform the process for admitting or removing undocumented immigrants. It strengthened U.S. immigration laws and limited immigration by addressing undocumented migration. However, it did not stop the flow of people.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Grants a two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit to undocumented immigrants who arrived as children

Undocumented Immigrants

People who enter a country without proper paperwork

Green Cards (I-551 Permanent Resident Card)

Shows that a foreign born individual can legally work in the United States.

single-parent families

Families in which one parent resides with and cares for one or more children

Al Gore

Served as the 45th Vice President of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Ran for President in 2000 and won popular vote but lost Electoral College

George W. Bush

43rd president of the US who began a campaign toward energy self-sufficiency and against terrorism in 2001

Bush v. Gore

This case ruled in favor of Bush by saying that recounting the votes in certain counties of Florida was unconstitutional because of equal protection of the law; Gore's wish to make the process as simple and painless as possible backfired

Colin Powell

First African American Secretary of State

Al Qaeda

Islamist terrorist organization that launched a series of attacks against U.S.

asymmetric warfare

Warfare conducted by terrorists when combatants have highly unequal military capabilities, such as when terrorists or rebel groups fight strong states.

Osama Bin Laden

Founder of al Qaeda, the terrorist network responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001, and other attacks.

Taliban

A group of fundamentalist Muslims who took control of Afghanistan's government in 1996

World Trade Center

Once an icon for the global economy in New York, became a target for terrorism in 1993 and 2001; al Queda was solely responsible for the 9-11 attacks

9/11 Attacks

the U.S. was attacked by the Al Qaeda which resulted in the War on Terrorism and the Patriot Acts

Patriot Act

A controversial law overwhelmingly passed by Congress in October 2001, after the terrorist attacks of September 11 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It greatly expanded the power of federal law enforcement authorities to move against suspected terrorists.

Department of Homeland Security

US federal agency created in 2002 to coordinate national efforts against terrorism

Axis of Evil

A group of nations accused by the Bush administration of sponsoring terrorism and threatening to develop weapons of mass destruction

Saddam Hussein

President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. Waged war on Iran in 1980-1988. In 1990 he ordered an invasion of Kuwait but was defeated by United States and its allies in the Gulf War (1991). Defeated by US led invasion in 2003.

weapons of mass destruction

Biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons that can cause a massive number of deaths in a single use.

Operartion Iraqi Freedom

In 2003 Bush declared Iraq had not complied with UN resolutions. The U.S. launched air attacks on Iraq on March 19. In less than 4 weeks the U.S, British and other allies overran Iraqi forces and ended Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. The U.S. did not find WMDs.

John Kerry

US Secretary of State

Kyoto Accord

An international agreement that limited the emission of harmful gasses

Bush Doctrine

A policy adopted by the Bush administration in 2001 that asserts America's right to attack any nation that has weapons of mass destruction that might be used against U.S. interests at home or abroad.

Barack Obama

2008; Democrat; first African American president of the US, health care bill; Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster; economy: huge stimulus package to combat the great recession, is removing troops from Iraq, strengthened numbers in Afghanistan; repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell; New Start treaty with Russia

Hillary Clinton

First female major party candidate for president of the United States, a Democrat, who ran against President Donald J. Trump in 2016. Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013; New York senator from 2001 to 2009; former first lady.

John McCain

In 2008, this Republican senator from Arizona was the Republican nominee for president. He was a Vietnam war hero who hoped to appeal to undecided voters.

Arab Spring

A series of popular revolts in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa that sought an end to authoritarian, often Western-supported regimes.

ISIS

Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, terrorist organization

No Child Left Behind

Signed into law in 2002. NCLB addresses accountability of school personnel for student achievement with the expectation that every child will demonstrate proficiency in Reading, Math, and Science.

Enron

In November 2001 Enron, the United States' seventh largest corporation, issued a statement drastically revising its stated profits over the past three years. Within a month, the company was forced to declare bankruptcy—the largest bankruptcy in business history—and numerous charges surfaced that the company had engaged in a repeated pattern of un-ethical and perhaps illegal practices. In addition to shareholder and employee lawsuits, Enron's executives also faced potential criminal charges for their roles in the scandal.

John Roberts

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

Fannie May, Freddie Mac (WXT)

These government backed institutions reassured investors who were worried about homeowners defaulting on mortgages by selling bonds to investors and using the funds to purchase mortgages from banks.

Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP)

(2008) A $700 billion program (economic bailout) to purchase from financial institutions failing assets that included mortgages and mortgage related securities. Some conservatives attacked TARP as "socialism" while liberals attacked it as a bailout of the Wall Street executives who had caused the problems.

Sonia Sotomayor

Appointed by President Obama in 2009, first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice

Elena Kagan

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Great Recession

severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008; has affected the global economy, with higher detriment in some countries than others; sparked by the outbreak of the late-2000s financial crisis

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

This 2009 Act increased the role of the federal government by increasing government spending to jump start the economy.

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

Designed to improve regulation of banking and investment firms and to protect taxpayers from future bailouts of businesses that were "too big to fail".

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

A U.S. government agency that helps protect consumers by regulating financial products and services, like

mortgages, credit cards, and student loans.

Paris Agreement

Most recent global agreement on climate change was result of COP 21 in Paris

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Gave greater latitude to individual states for decision making regarding content area standards, assessment techniques, and corrective actions for low performing schools.

Affordable Care Act

An expansion of medicaid, most of employers must provide health insurance, have insurance or face surtax, prevents rejection based on pre-existing condition. Also referred to as "Obamacare", signed into law in 2010.

Tea Party

A national social movement, primarily attracting fiscal and social conservatives, that seeks to limit government spending and cut taxes

Citizen United v. Federal Election Commission

A 2010 landmark Supreme Court case that ruled that individuals, corporations, and unions could donate unlimited amounts of money to groups that make independent political expenditures.

Mitt Romney

Republican Presidential Nominee 2012, Governor of Massachusetts

Sequestrations

Automatic across-the-board spending cuts made if Congress failed to meet the deficit goals.

Donald Trump

Republican president (2016-2020), real estate developer, tv personality. Attacked Washington politicians "drain the swamp" "build the wall". Anti-globalization.

COVID-19

First identified in China in December 2019. Global pandemic.

January 6th Attacks

Called to action by Trump, thousands of his supporters gathered in Washington, D.C., on January 5 and 6 to support his false claim that the 2020 election had been "stolen by emboldened radical-left Democrats" and to demand that Vice President Mike Pence and the Congress reject Biden's victory.