APUSH Presidential Policies: Reagan to Obama

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key domestic and foreign policy terms, legislation, and major events from the presidencies of Ronald Reagan through Barack Obama as detailed in the lesson notes.

Reaganomics

A supply-side economic strategy based on tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy and deregulation, intended to stimulate job creation and higher wages while fundamentally shifting political discourse toward fiscal conservatism.

The New Right / Moral Majority

A conservative movement that emerged in response to the counter-culture of the $1960s$, led by evangelical Christians like Jerry Falwell who advocated for a return to traditional family values.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Nicknamed "Star Wars," this was a proposed high-tech missile defense system using satellites and lasers to intercept and destroy incoming nuclear weapons, which increased economic pressure on the Soviet Union.

Iran-Contra Affair

A $1980s$ political scandal where Reagan administration officials secretly sold weapons to Iran to free hostages and illegally diverted the profits to fund the Contras, anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua.

Boland Amendment

A series of legislative enactments passed by Congress that specifically barred the U.S. government from providing military aid to the Contras in Nicaragua.

Glasnost and Perestroika

Reform policies of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meaning "openness" and "restructuring," which Ronald Reagan challenged him to prove through concrete actions like dismantling the Berlin Wall.

Operation Desert Storm

A $1991$ military operation by a U.S.-led multinational coalition that forced Iraqi forces out of Kuwait after Saddam Hussein's invasion.

New World Order

A post-Cold War vision described by George H.W. Bush where the world would be run by international cooperation and collective security rather than Cold War ideology.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

A law passed in $1990$ that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodations, and government services.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

A $1994$ treaty between the United States, Canada, and Mexico that eliminated most tariffs and trade barriers to promote economic integration.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

A policy that allowed gay and lesbian Americans to serve in the military only if they did not openly disclose their sexual orientation.

The Brady Bill

Passed in $1993$, this legislation established federal background checks and waiting periods for handgun purchases.

New Democrat

A political term for Bill Clinton's more moderate approach designed to appeal to centrists and independents during his presidency from $1993$ to $2001$.

Contract with America

A platform led by Newt Gingrich during the $1994$ elections that gave Republicans control over the House and Senate and opposed "unfunded mandates."

The War on Terror

A global military and diplomatic campaign launched by George W. Bush after the September 11 attacks, treating terrorists and the countries that harbored them as equally responsible.

Axis of Evil

A term coined by George W. Bush to describe nations such as Iraq, Iran, and North Korea perceived as threats to world peace.

USA PATRIOT Act

A federal law passed after September 11 that significantly expanded government surveillance and investigative powers, allowing for "sneak and peek" secret searches.

No Child Left Behind Act

Legislation that sought to increase accountability in public schools via mandatory standardized testing and penalties for schools that underperformed.

The Great Recession

A severe economic downturn beginning in $2007-08$ triggered by the bursting of the housing bubble and a subsequent financial crisis.

Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)

An emergency measure approved by George W. Bush to stabilize banks and the financial sector during the $2008$ crisis.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

A sweeping $2010$ healthcare reform law that aimed to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009)

An economic stimulus package based on Keynesian economics designed to combat the effects of the Great Recession.

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)

A $2015$ agreement that limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

The Supreme Court ruling that resulted in the legalization of same-sex marriages nationwide.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

A program designed to protect undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation.

Oslo Accords

U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat resulting in mutual recognition but no lasting peace.

Globalization

The increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of world cultures, economies, and populations.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

An international organization created to reduce global trade barriers and regulate international commerce.