Chapter 38: The Resurgence of Conservatism

Proposition 13

Also known as the "tax revolt", it was a Californian ballot measure in 1978 that slashed property taxes and forced deep cuts in government services.

boll weevils

Term for conservative southern Democrats who voted increasingly for Republican issues during the Carter and Reagan administrations.

Tax Reform Act of 1986

Simplify the income tax code, broaden the tax base and eliminate many tax shelters and other preferences

supply-side economics

An economic philosophy that holds the sharply cutting taxes will increase the incentive people have to work, save, and invest. Greater investments will lead to more jobs, a more productive economy, and more tax revenues for the government.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Reagan administration plan announced in 1983 to create a missile-defense system over American territory to block a nuclear attack. Derided as "Star Wars" by critics, the plan typified Reagan's commitment to vigorous defense spending even as he sought to limit the size of government in domestic matters.

Sandinistas

Members of a leftist coalition that overthrew the Nicaraguan dictatorship of Anastasia Somoza in 1979 and attempted to install a socialist economy. The United States financed armed opposition by the Contras. They lost national elections in 1990.

Contras

Counterrevolutionary group in Nicaragua that opposed the Sandinistas. Reagan repeated petitioned Congress for money to support them but he was refused.

Glasnost

"openness": a policy of the Soviet government allowing freer discussion of social problems

Perestroika

A policy initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev that involved restructuring of the social and economic status quo in communist Russia towards a market based economy and society

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

Arms limitation agreement settled by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev after several attempts. The treaty banned all intermediate-range nuclear missiles from Europe and marked a significant thaw in the Cold War.

Iran-Contra Affair

This involved high officials in the Reagan administration secretly selling arms to Iran (in return for the release of Western hostages in the Middle East) and illegally using the proceeds to finance the Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Reagan said he could not "remember" if it was discussed in front of him and got away unscathed (still considered one of the most beloved Republican presidents).

Moral Majority

A movement begun in the early 1980's among religious conservatives that supported primarily conservative Republicans opposed to abortion, communism and liberalism as well as sexual permissiveness, feminism, and gay rights. Led by Jerry Falwell. They registered between 2-3 million votes which is pretty powerful. Often referred to as "movement conservatives" that used prayer as a powerful political force. Declared themselves Christian pro-life voters.

identity politics

a tendency for people of a particular religion, race, social background, etc., to form exclusive political alliances, moving away from traditional broad-based party politics.

Black Monday

October 19, 1987. Date of the largest single-day decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average until September 2001. The downturn indicated instability in the booming business culture of the 1980s but did not lead to a serious economic recession. Referred to as "the final collapse of money culture"

Operation Desert Storm

the United States and its allies defeated Iraq in a ground war that lasted 100 hours (1991)

Americans with Disabilities Act

Passed by Congress in 1991, this act banned discrimination against the disabled in employment and mandated easy access to all public and commerical buildings.

Ronald Reagan

First elected president in 1980 and elected again in 1984. He ran on a campaign based on the common man and "populist" ideas. He served as governor of California from 1966-1974, and he participated in the McCarthy Communist scare. Iran released hostages on his Inauguration Day in 1980. While president, he developed Reagannomics, the trickle down effect of government incentives. He cut out many welfare and public works programs. He used the Strategic Defense Initiative to avoid conflict. His meetings with Gorbachev were the first steps to ending the Cold War. He was also responsible for the Iran-contra Affair which bought hostages with guns.

Margaret Thatcher

leader of conservatives in Great Britain who came to power. Pledged to limit social welfare, restrict union power, and end inflation. Formed Thatcherism, in which her economic policy was termed, and improved the British economic situation. She dominated British politics in 1980s, and her government tried to replace local property taxes with a flat-rate tax payable by every adult. Her popularity fell, and resigned.

Corazon Aquino

Elected in 1986, she was the first female president of the Philippines.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Head of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. His liberalization effort improved relations with the West, but he lost power after his reforms led to the collapse of Communist governments in eastern Europe.

Saddam Hussein

Was a dictator in Iraq who tried to take over Iran and Kuwait violently in order to gain the land and the resources. He also refused to let the UN into Iraq in order to check if the country was secretly holding weapons of mass destruction.

Jerry Falwell

Leader of the Religious Right Fundamentalist Christians, a group that supported Reagan; rallying cry was "family values", anti-abortion, favored prayer in schools

Sandra Day O'Connor

first woman supreme court justice. appointed by Reagan

George H.W. Bush

Promised a "kinder, gentler America" as communist regimes began to fall all over Eastern Europe and the Cold War ended. He then declared a "new world order" of democracy and diplomacy. President during the Gulf War, ability to quickly bring the war to a conclusion while suffering relatively few casualties resulted in the second-highest approval rating of any president, 89%. At home, he challenged minority scholarships and passed a watered-down Civil Rights bill. He also nominated Clarence Thomas to SCOTUS. The economy was not looking good for Bush, with unemployment at 7% and fed budget deficit at $250 billion. He said "read my lips - no new taxes" but passed a tax and budget package anyway.

Boris Yeltsin

President of the Russian Republic in 1991. Helped end the USSR and force Gorbachev to resign after an attempted military coup that he stopped just in time.

Nelson Mandela

South African statesman who was released from prison to become the nation's first democratically elected president in 1994 (born in 1918)

Manuel Noriega

Panama leader who was overthrown in a 1989 US invasion; Tried and imprisoned for drug trafficking

Clarence Thomas

This man was an African American jurist, and a strict critic of affirmative action. He was nominated by George H. W. Bush to be on the Supreme Court in 1991, and shortly after was accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill. Hearings were reopened, and he became the second African American to hold a seat in the Supreme Court.

Reaganomics

The federal economic polices of the Reagan administration, elected in 1981. These policies combined a monetarist fiscal policy, supply-side tax cuts, and domestic budget cutting. Their goal was to reduce the size of the federal government and stimulate economic growth. He wanted to get rid of the "pork" in govt spending (any pet projects) and reverse the political revolution of the past, remove bureaucrats and minority representation

Election of 1980

Ronald Reagan won this presidential election, defeating Jimmy Carter because of the Iranian hostage crisis and America's stagflation. It was significant because the Senate had Republican majority and more seats in the house allowing them to pass many key Republican programs. The 1980 election ended a half-century of Democratic dominance of Congress. (p. 655)

"Yuppies"

Young urban professionals that came about in the 1980s. Represented the materialistic American lifestyle centered around making money.

Election of 1984

Reagan ran against Walter Mondale , who chose Geraldine Ferraro the 1st woman for VP. Reagan won by a landslide with 525 electoral votes

Election of 1988

The election in which George Bush (R) defeats Michael Dukakis (D)

Boland Amendment

The name given to three U.S. legislative amendments between 1982 and 1984, all aimed at limiting U.S. government assistance to the rebel Contras in Nicaragua, which Reagan repeatedly requested and was repeatedly refused.

Conservatism in the Courts

"cultural wars" = Reagan appointed near majority of all sitting judges including three conservative minded justices with the goal of removing affirmative action and abortion

Referendum on Reaganism in 1988

Republicans lost control of the Senate in 1986, Dem majority rejects nomination of Robert Bork to SCOTUS, want to exploit Iran-Contra Affair and failing economy ("double mountain" of deficits, bail out of banks, Senate corruption, worthless loans to 3rd World Countries)

Persian Gulf War

(1990 - 1991) Conflict between Iraq and a coalition of countries led by the United States to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait which they had invaded in hopes of controlling their oil supply. A very one sided war with the United States' coalition emerging victorious after a "100-hour war" on Feb 27. Continued US occupation of the Arabian Peninsula arguably led to 911.