Chapter 10 Test

Richard Nixon

37th U.S. President, resigned due to the Watergate scandal.

SALT I

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks between the U.S. and USSR to limit nuclear arms.

Roe v. Wade (1972)

Landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

White House Plumbers

A covert group created by Nixon to stop classified information leaks.

Mark Felt (Deep Throat)

FBI associate director who secretly provided Watergate information to reporters.

Stagflation

Economic condition of stagnant growth, high unemployment, and inflation.

Jimmy Carter

39th U.S. President known for Camp David Accords and Iran Hostage Crisis.

1980 Moscow Olympics

U.S. and other countries boycotted the Olympics to protest Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Earth Day

Annual event to raise environmental awareness, first celebrated in 1970.

Tax Revolt

Public movement in the 1970s–80s against high taxes, exemplified by California's Prop 13.

Reaganomics

Economic policies of President Reagan promoting tax cuts and deregulation.

Yuppies

Young urban professionals of the 1980s known for affluent lifestyles.

“Star Wars”

Nickname for Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, a missile defense system.

Perestroika

Gorbachev’s policy for restructuring the Soviet economy and government.

Henry Kissinger

U.S. diplomat who promoted détente and helped open relations with China.

1973 Energy Crisis

OPEC oil embargo caused fuel shortages and economic strain in the U.S.

C.R.P.

Committee to Re-elect the President, involved in the Watergate scandal.

Saturday Night Massacre

Firing of officials during Watergate that led to public backlash.

Whip Inflation Now (WIN)

Ford's campaign encouraging citizens to help combat inflation.

Camp David Accords

Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel brokered by President Carter.

Mujahedeen

Afghan resistance fighters supported by the U.S. against Soviet invasion.

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency, created in 1970 to regulate environmental policies.

“Revolution of 1980”

Ronald Reagan's election victory marking a shift to conservative politics.

“Trickle Down Theory”

Economic idea that tax cuts for the wealthy benefit the broader economy.

Walter Mondale

Vice President under Carter and 1984 Democratic presidential nominee.

Challenger Disaster

1986 space shuttle explosion killing all seven crew members, including a teacher.

Michael Dukakis

Democratic candidate who lost the 1988 presidential election to George H.W. Bush.

Détente

Period of eased Cold War tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union.

Southern Strategy

Republican plan to gain Southern votes by appealing to racial tensions.

OPEC

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which controls oil production and prices.

CREEP

Acronym for Nixon's re-election committee involved in Watergate.

Nixon Tapes

Secret White House recordings that revealed Nixon's involvement in Watergate.

Misery Index

Sum of inflation and unemployment rates, used to measure economic discomfort.

Panama Canal

U.S. agreed to transfer control of the canal to Panama by 1999 under Carter.

Iran Hostage Crisis

52 Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days, beginning in 1979.

Three Mile Island

1979 nuclear accident in Pennsylvania that raised safety concerns.

Ted Kennedy

Senator and liberal leader whose 1980 presidential bid failed against Carter.

Nancy Reagan

First Lady known for her “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign.

Geraldine Ferraro

First female vice-presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party (1984).

Iran-Contra Affair

Scandal involving secret U.S. arms sales to Iran and funding rebels in Nicaragua.

George H.W. Bush

41st President, led U.S. during the Gulf War and fall of the Soviet Union.

Mao Zedong

Leader of Communist China who opened relations with the U.S. under Nixon.

Silent Majority

Term used by Nixon to describe Americans who supported his policies quietly.

Spiro Agnew

Nixon’s Vice President who resigned due to corruption charges.

Carl Bernstein

Washington Post reporter who helped uncover the Watergate scandal.

“Smoking Gun”

Tape proving Nixon’s role in Watergate cover-up, leading to his resignation.

Saturday Night Live

TV show that satirized political figures, influencing public perception.

SALT II

Unratified arms control treaty between the U.S. and Soviet Union under Carter.

Ayatollah Khomeini

Leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution who opposed U.S. influence.

Nuclear Energy

Controversial power source, spotlighted by the Three Mile Island accident.

Air Traffic Control

1981 strike by PATCO workers led Reagan to fire thousands of federal employees.

“Just Say No” Campaign

Nancy Reagan’s initiative to combat youth drug use.

Sandra Day O’Connor

First woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by Reagan in 1981.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet leader known for reforms like glasnost and perestroika.

Persian Gulf War

1991 conflict where U.S. led coalition expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

Leonid Brezhnev

Soviet leader known for the Brezhnev Doctrine and Cold War tensions.

Warren Burger

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during key rulings like Roe v. Wade.

Gerald Ford

38th President who took office after Nixon's resignation and pardoned him.

Bob Woodward

Investigative reporter who, with Carl Bernstein, broke the Watergate story.

Presidential Pardon

Ford's pardon of Nixon, controversial decision to move past Watergate.

Chevy Chase

Comedian famous for impersonating Ford on Saturday Night Live.

Invasion of Afghanistan

Soviet military action in 1979 that escalated Cold War tensions.

National Malaise Speech

Carter’s speech addressing a national crisis of confidence.

The New Right

Conservative political movement emphasizing traditional values and free markets.

Supply-Side Economics

Policy theory advocating lower taxes to stimulate economic growth.

Sunbelt

Southern U.S. region that grew in population and political power in the late 20th century.

Strategic Defense Initiative

Reagan's proposed missile defense system, nicknamed “Star Wars.”

Glasnost

Gorbachev’s policy of openness and increased transparency in Soviet government.

Operation Desert Storm

U.S.-led military operation to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation.

Stagflation

An economic situation characterized by stagnant growth and high inflation, often leading to high unemployment rates.