Modern US History: 1980-Present

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers major political figures, economic theories, and significant historical events from 1980 to the present day as detailed in the lecture transcript.

Ronald Reagan

The very conservative President from 1981-1989 who initiated Reaganomics and a program to reduce the size of the federal government.

Reaganomics

A program to reduce the size of the federal government, deregulate business, cut government spending, and give more power to local governments.

Supply-Side Economics

An economic theory implemented by Reagan arguing that the national economy grows best by lowering government restrictions and taxes.

Lebanon Intervention 1982

A U.S. and Allied military action intended to relieve tensions between Syria and Israel, which ended after terrorist attacks forced the troops to leave.

Invasion of Grenada 1983

A U.S. invasion triggered by the construction of an airstrip that raised security concerns in the Caribbean.

Sandinistas

A leftist group led by Daniel Ortega that overthrew the Somoza family in Nicaragua.

Contras

A guerrilla group based in El Salvador, supported by Reagan, that opposed the Sandinistas.

Iran-Contra Affair

A controversy where CIA director William Casey and Advisor William Poindexter sold arms to Iran to fund the Contras after Congress cut aid.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Proposed by Reagan in 1983 and nicknamed "Star Wars," it was a high-tech military scheme to use space-based lasers to intercept nuclear warheads.

Moral Majority

A rising conservative Christian group started in 1976 by the Reverend Jerry Falwell that focused on traditional values and social issues.

The Gulf War (1990-1991)

Also known as Operation Desert Storm, a U.N.-authorized coalition led by the United States against Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait.

George H.W. Bush

President from 1988-1992 whose term saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Nelson Mandela

Anti-apartheid revolutionary who served as the first black President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

Bill Clinton

The first president from the baby boom generation who presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Nuclear, radiological, biological, or chemical weapons that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans or the environment.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, 1993

A U.S. policy that prohibited discriminating against homosexual service members but barred openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service.

Oklahoma City Bombing 1995

A domestic terrorist bomb attack that was the most destructive act of terrorism in the United States until September 11, 2001.

Contract With America 1994

A document released by the Republican Party seeking a return to deregulation, free trade, supply-side economics, and traditional values.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 1994

An agreement creating a trade bloc between Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Al Qaeda

A multinational, stateless army and radical Sunni Muslim movement that calls for global Jihad.

Department of Homeland Security

A cabinet department created in response to the September 11 attacks to protect the U.S. from terrorism and disasters.

No Child Left Behind 2001

A federal aid program for disadvantaged students that requires states to develop basic skill assessments to receive school funding.

George W. Bush

President who announced the War on Terrorism and launched military campaigns in Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003).

Barack Obama

The first African American president who enacted the "Obamacare" initiative and ordered the operation that killed Osama bin Laden.

Obamacare

Barack Obama's biggest domestic initiative, providing federally funded affordable health insurance for the poorest Americans.

Donald Trump (2016 Victory)

Elected as a Republican against Hillary Clinton, his positions were described as populist, protectionist, and nationalist.

January 6, 2022

The date recorded in the transcript when protestors stormed the capital in response to the disputed election.

Joe Biden

Took office in 2022 to address issues including racial inequities, covid relief, infrastructure, and climate change.

Trump's Second Term Policies (2024-Present)

Economic policies included $15\%$ tariffs on most foreign trading partners; government reorganization included expanding executive power.