Studied by 11 people
Communism
An economic/political system in which the government owns all land and property and the needs of the many outweigh the means of the few.
Containment
A foreign policy developed by diplomat George Kennan that claimed that the only way to stop Russia's expansionist ways was to contain it. It was the basis of US foreign policy after WWII designed to stop the spread of communism.
Cold War
The 45 year diplomatic tension between the United States and the Soviet Union that divided much of the world into polarized camps, capitalist against communist.
Decolonization
The collapse of colonial empires. Between 1947 and 1962, practically all former colonies in Asia and Africa gained independence. Nationalist Movements. Nationalism is the advocacy of political independence for a particular country.
Nonaligned Nations
An organization formed by nations that did not align with either NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) or Warsaw Pact during the Cold War.
Suez Crisis
the international conflict that occurred in 1956 when Egypt's President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, leading to military intervention by Britain, France, and Israel.
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. An economic organization consisting primarily of Arab nations that controls the price of oil and the amount of oil its members produce and sell to other nations.
Korean Conflict
First "hot war" of the Cold war. The Korean War began in 1950 when the Soviet-backed North Koreans invaded South Korea before meeting a counter-offensive by UN Forces, dominated by the United States. The war ended in stalemate in 1953.
“Military-Industrial Complex”
refers to the relationship between a nation's military, government, and industrial sector. These entities work together to research, produce, and supply military equipment and infrastructure.
John Lewis
A leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920-1960. He played a major role in coal mining history and a huge force in founding the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) that led to the United Steel Workers of America.
Thurgood Marshall
American civil rights lawyer, first black justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. Marshall was a tireless advocate for the rights of minorities and the poor.
Brown v. Board of Education
ruled that segregation in the public schools was inherently unequal and thus unconstitutional. This would reverse the decision of the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case that allowed separate but equal facilities. Desegregation must go ahead at deliberate speed.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
sought to undo the damage of Jim Crow policies, outlawing segregation in public spaces and employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin – commonly referred to as “protected classes” in legal debates.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
removed barriers to black enfranchisement in the South, banning poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures that effectively prevented African Americans from voting. Segregationists attempted to prevent the implementation of federal civil rights legislation at the local level.
Feminism
The advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to that of men. Feminism has been around for centuries, and continues to be a prevalent social issue in America today.
The Feminine Mystique
coined by feminist writer Betty Friedan in her book of the same name, describes the societal expectations and norms that were placed on women in the post-World War II era.
Gloria Steinem
An American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the Women's Liberation Movement in the late 1960s and 1970s.
The Great Society
a set of domestic programs in the United States launched by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964–65 aiming to eliminate poverty and racial injustice.
Griswold v. Connecticut
The Supreme Court struck down a state law prohibiting the use of contraceptives. The Court proclaimed a "right to privacy" that soon provided the basis for decisions protecting Women's Abortion Rights.
Miranda v. Arizona
Supreme Court held that criminal suspects must be informed of their right to consult with an attorney and of their right against self-incrimination prior to questioning by police.
Students for a Democratic Society
a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main representations of the New Left. Port Huron Statement. The Port Huron Statement is a 1962 political manifesto of the North American student activist movement Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
Black Panthers
An African-American organization established to promote Black Power and self-defense through acts of social agitation. It was active in the United States from the mid-1960s into the 1970s.
Baby Boom
A cohort of individuals born in the United States between 1946 and 1964, which was just after World War II in a time of relative peace and prosperity. These conditions allowed for better education and job opportunities, encouraging high rates of both marriage and fertility.
Suburbanization
Movement of upper and middle-class people from urban core areas to the surrounding outskirts to escape pollution as well as deteriorating social conditions
“Sun Belt”
Span of 15 states through the American southwest (from Cali to Carolinas) that experienced terrific population and productivity expansion during World War II.
Beat Movement
A group of young poets, writers, and artists who wrote harsh critiques of what they considered the sterility and conformity of American life, the meaninglessness of American politics, and the banality of popular culture; visible evidence of a widespread restlessness.
The Affluent Society
all about economic abundance and consumer choice within the context of a traditional family life. This meant more opportunities for happiness to Americans. The American economy shifted more towards services, education, and entertainment.
Rock and Roll Music
Crossover" musical style that rose to dominance in the 1950s, merging black rhythm and blues with white bluegrass and country. Featuring a heavy beat and driving rhythm, rock 'n' roll music became a defining feature of the 1950s youth culture.
Immigration Laws/1965
Abolished the "national-origins" quota and doubled the number of immigrants allowed to enter annually. Allowed close family members to be excluded from the count. Immigration was largely from Asia and Latin America.
Rachel Carson/Silent Spring
"Silent Spring", sparked a real environmentalist movement: which introduced the adverse environmental effects of DDT and the fact that it would kill the enviornment and there would be no birds to sing.- a silent spring. Silent Spring. A book written to voice the concerns of environmentalists.
Clean Air Act
law that established national standards for states, strict auto emissions guidelines, and regulations, which set air pollution standards for private industry.
Counterculture
a culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the established culture
Watergate
A major political scandal that occurred in the United States during early 1970s following a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex and President Richard Nixon's administration's attempt to cover up its involvement.
Bakke v. University of California
Ruled that a university's use of racial "quotas" in its admissions process was unconstitutional, but a school's use of "affirmative action" to accept more minority applicants was constitutional in some circumstances.
Phylis Schlafly
A conservative female political activist. She stopped the ERA from being passed, seeing that it would hinder women more than it would help them. Affirmative Action. A policy designed to give special attention to or compensatory treatment for members of some previously disadvantaged group.
Conservatism
in the United States is based on a belief in limited government, individualism, traditionalism, republicanism, and limited federal governmental power in relation to U.S. states.
Religious Fundamentalism/Evangelical Christianity
a religious movement whose objectives were to return to the foundations of the faith and to influence state policy where evey word of the bible is interpretted literally; the basis of many forms of Christian faith, but evangelicals have in common a belief in personal conversion (being "born again") through direct communication with God
Moral Majority
was an organization made up of conservative Christian political action committees which campaigned on issues its personnel believed were important to maintaining its Christian conception of moral law.
Oil Embargo/Oil Crisis
Cut off supply of oil as protest of U.S. support of Israel, The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries that placed an embargo on oil sold to Israel's supporters. Caused worldwide oil shortage and long lines at gas stations in the US.
Stagflation
A period of slow economic growth and high unemployment (stagnation) while prices rise (inflation)
Iranian Hostage Crisis
The 444 days in which American embassy workers were held captive by Iranian revolutionaries after young Muslim fundamentalists overthrew the oppressive regime of the American-backed shah, forcing him into exile.
Tax Cuts (Reagan/George W. Bush)
The results of this were initially mixed, the Federal Reserve Board believed that the tax cut would re-ignite inflation and raise interest tax. This sparked a deep recession in 1981 and 1982. American goods became more expensive abroad, which as a result exports decreased, while imports increased.
Contract with America
Written by Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey, and in part using text from former President Ronald Reagan's 1985 State of the Union Address, the Contract detailed the actions the Republicans promised to take if they became the majority party in the United States House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years.
Planned Parenthood v. Casey
The Supreme Court case that had reaffirmed the decision of Roe v. Wade (1973) prohibiting states from disallowing abortion prior to viability.
Trickle-Down Economics
Theory that by loaning money to the banks and high end people in the pyramid of economics with the hopes that it would then 'trickle down' to the lower classes.
Mikhail Gorbachev
General Secretary of Communist Party of Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. He is known for his efforts to democratize country's political system and decentralize its economy, a policy known as perestroika. National Security Council.
“Star Wars” Missile Defense System
opularly known as "Star Wars," President Reagan's SDI proposed the construction of an elaborate computer-controlled, anti-missile defense system capable of destroying enemy missiles in outer spaced. Critics claimed that SDI could never be perfected. Osama Bin Laden.
Start I
START (for STrategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.
War on Terrorism
Launched following the September 11th attacks on the United States, the War on Terror is an ongoing campaign to fight terrorism around the globe.
North American Free Trade Agreement
Signed in 1993. Established by President Clinton. It opened free trade with Canada and Mexico and allowed the flow of increased goods, services, and jobs across the international borders by lessening and eliminating tariffs.
The Internet
The global communication network that allows almost all computers worldwide to connect and exchange information. Some of the early impetus for such a network came from the U.S. government network Arpanet, starting in the 1960s.
Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
it was an update of the 1965 Immigration Act and outlawed the hiring of undocumented immigrants, but offered legal status to aliens who had lived in the U.S. for five years.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
meaning is that U.S. military members were not to discuss or ask about personal sexual orientations. Previously, U.S. military leaders were empowered to pursue and punish service members who were only suspected of being openly or privately homosexual.
Note 
Flashcard (100)