APUSH Unit 9 Notes: The Conservative Resurgence and the Cold War’s Conclusion (1980–Present)

Reagan Revolution

The broad conservative political shift of the 1980s associated with Ronald Reagan, emphasizing lower taxes, less regulation, conservative social values, and a stronger Cold War stance.

Stagflation

An economic condition of high inflation combined with slow growth/stagnation that helped fuel political dissatisfaction in the 1970s.

Modern conservatism (1980s coalition)

A political coalition of economic, social, and national security conservatives who agreed on key goals (limited government, traditional values, strong defense) despite internal differences.

New Right

A conservative movement/strategy that built organized political power around social issues and mobilized many religious voters in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Moral Majority

A political organization founded by Jerry Falwell that helped mobilize evangelical Christians as an organized force in conservative politics.

Reagan coalition

The electoral alliance that supported Reagan, including Sunbelt/suburban voters, some white working-class “Reagan Democrats,” religious conservatives, and business/anti-tax advocates.

Sunbelt

The South and Southwest region whose post–World War II population growth increased its political influence; many voters favored lower taxes and less federal regulation.

Reagan Democrats

White working-class voters who had often supported New Deal/Great Society liberalism but shifted toward Reagan due to concerns about inflation, crime, cultural change, and government overreach.

Reaganomics

Reagan’s economic agenda, influenced by supply-side economics, featuring tax cuts, deregulation, restrained growth in some domestic spending, and increased defense spending.

Supply-side economics

The idea that economic growth is best promoted by encouraging production (investment, entrepreneurship, work) often through lower marginal tax rates and reduced regulation.

Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981

A major Reagan-era law that significantly reduced federal income tax rates as part of the push for supply-side growth.

Deregulation

Reducing federal oversight/rules in certain industries to lower business costs and encourage expansion; Reagan continued and expanded late-1970s trends.

Budget deficit

The gap when the federal government spends more than it collects in revenue; in the 1980s, deficits grew due to tax cuts combined with high defense spending.

PATCO strike (1981)

A strike by air traffic controllers whose members were fired by Reagan for violating laws against federal employee strikes, symbolizing a tougher stance toward unions.

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

A proposed constitutional amendment for gender equality that failed to be ratified by the 1982 deadline after organized opposition.

Phyllis Schlafly

A conservative activist who helped lead opposition to the ERA, arguing it would undermine traditional gender roles.

War on Drugs

Expanded 1980s campaign emphasizing law-and-order and stricter drug enforcement, shaping long-term debates about incarceration and federal/state policing.

Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986

A law that strengthened the War on Drugs by promoting stricter sentencing policies.

Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986

A law combining amnesty/legalization for many undocumented immigrants who met requirements with penalties for employers who knowingly hired undocumented workers.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

A 1983 Reagan proposal for advanced missile defense technology that signaled intensified U.S. competition and increased pressure on the Soviet Union.

Perestroika

Gorbachev’s “restructuring” reforms aimed at revitalizing the Soviet economy by reducing some central control and introducing limited market-like mechanisms.

Glasnost

Gorbachev’s “openness” policy that expanded public discussion and media/political openness, weakening the Soviet state’s ability to suppress dissent.

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty (1987)

A U.S.–Soviet arms control agreement that eliminated an entire class of intermediate-range missiles, signaling a shift toward negotiation.

Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

A symbolic event in the collapse of communist control in Eastern Europe, reflecting reduced Soviet willingness/capacity to intervene and rising popular movements.

Dissolution of the Soviet Union (1991)

The breakup of the USSR amid economic stagnation, political legitimacy crises, and nationalist independence movements, ending the Cold War’s central rivalry.