Key Terms Chapter 38

Test 4/24

Proposition 13

- California tax measure

- capping property tax rates

-requiring a supermajority for tax increases.

Boll Weevils

• Conservative Southern Democrats in Congress

• supported Republican policies

Tax Reform Act (1986)

A law simplifying the U.S. tax code by reducing tax rates and eliminating deductions.

Supply-side economics

An economic theory emphasizing tax cuts and deregulation to spur economic growth.

Contras

U.S.-backed rebel groups fighting Nicaragua's Sandinista government in the 1980s.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Reagan's proposed missile defense system to protect against nuclear attacks.

Sandinista

The socialist political group that governed Nicaragua after the 1979 revolution.

Glasnost

Gorbachev's policy promoting political openness and transparency in the Soviet Union.

Perestroika

Gorbachev's policy of economic and political restructuring in the Soviet Union.

Iran-Contra Scandal

A political scandal involving illegal U.S. arms sales to Iran and funding the Contras.

INF Treaty (1987)

A U.S.-Soviet agreement to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

Moral Majority

A conservative Christian political organization advocating traditional values in the 1980s.

Identity politics

Advocacy for political interests based on group identities like race, gender, or sexuality.

Operation Desert Storm (1991)

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

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

A 1990 law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

Ronald Reagan

U.S. President (1981–1989) known for conservative policies and ending the Cold War.

Margaret Thatcher

U.K. Prime Minister (1979–1990) known for free-market policies and strong U.S. alliance.

Corazon Aquino

First female president of the Philippines, leading its post-dictatorship democratic transition.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet leader who implemented reforms like Glasnost and Perestroika.

Saddam Hussein

Iraqi dictator ousted after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Jerry Falwell

Evangelical leader and founder of the Moral Majority.

Sandra Day O’Connor

First female U.S. Supreme Court Justice, appointed in 1981.

George H. W. Bush

U.S. President (1989–1993) who led during the Gulf War and signed the ADA.

Boris Yeltsin

First President of the Russian Federation after the Soviet Union's collapse.

Nelson Mandela

Anti-apartheid leader and first democratically elected President of South Africa.

Manuel Noriega

Panamanian dictator removed during the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989.

Clarence Thomas

U.S. Supreme Court Justice known for conservative judicial philosophy.