Reagan

Supply‑Side Economics

An economic theory arguing that cutting taxes for businesses and wealthy individuals increases investment, production, and overall economic growth.

Reaganomics

A program combining tax cuts, deregulation, reduced social spending, and massive increases in military spending.

Economic Recovery Tax Act

A major 1981 law that sharply reduced income taxes across all brackets, especially for high‑income earners.

Deregulation (1980s)

The reduction or removal of federal rules on industries such as banking, airlines, and energy to promote free‑market competition.

Moral Majority

A conservative Christian political movement that promoted traditional values and supported conservative candidates.

New Right Movement

A coalition of conservatives emphasizing limited government, traditional values, and strong national defense.

War on Drugs

A campaign that expanded policing, increased penalties, and introduced mandatory minimum sentences to combat illegal drug use.

AIDS Crisis

The emergence of a deadly immune‑related disease in the early 1980s, met with a slow federal response.

Immigration Reform and Control Act

A 1986 law granting legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants while increasing border enforcement and employer penalties.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

A proposed missile defense system using satellites and lasers to intercept incoming nuclear missiles.

Reagan Doctrine

A foreign policy supporting anti‑communist groups around the world to roll back communist influence.

Invasion of Grenada

A 1983 military action to stop a Marxist takeover and protect American citizens on a Caribbean island.

Iran‑Contra Affair

A scandal involving secret arms sales to a Middle Eastern country with profits illegally sent to anti‑communist rebels in Central America.

INF Treaty

A 1987 agreement eliminating intermediate‑range nuclear missiles and allowing on‑site inspections.

“Tear Down This Wall” Speech

A 1987 speech calling for the removal of the Berlin Wall as a symbol of ending Cold War division.

Challenger Disaster

A 1986 space shuttle explosion shortly after launch, killing all seven crew members including a civilian teacher.

Military Buildup (1980s)

A massive increase in defense spending aimed at pressuring a rival superpower and strengthening U.S. military capability.

Trickle‑Down Theory

The belief that benefits given to businesses and wealthy individuals will eventually “trickle down” to the broader population through job creation and investment.