Key U.S. Presidents and Events from 1970s to 1980s

Ronald Reagan

Republican president who promoted conservative economic policies called 'Reaganomics'; played a key role in ending the Cold War.

Jimmy Carter

Democratic president elected in 1976; faced economic troubles (stagflation); signed Camp David Accords; turned over the Panama Canal.

Richard Nixon

Republican president who visited China and the USSR; involved in the Watergate scandal; first to resign from office.

Gerald Ford

Took over after Nixon; unpopular for pardoning Nixon; tried and failed to fight inflation with 'Whip Inflation Now' program.

Henry Kissinger

Nixon's Secretary of State; helped create the policy of détente to ease Cold War tensions.

Woodward and Bernstein

Washington Post reporters who uncovered the Watergate scandal, tracing it to Nixon's re-election committee.

George H.W. Bush Sr.

Vice president under Reagan and later president; involved in handling conservative policies and Cold War events.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet leader who introduced reforms (glasnost and perestroika) and worked with Reagan to help end the Cold War.

Anwar Sadat

Egyptian president who signed the Camp David Accords with Israel.

The Shah

Leader of Iran before the revolution; supported by the U.S.; overthrown and replaced by Ayatollah Khomeini.

Ayatollah Khomeini

Religious leader who established a theocracy in Iran after the Shah was overthrown.

Magic Johnson

Famous basketball player; public announcement of having AIDS helped raise awareness of the disease.

Watergate

Scandal where Nixon's team broke into Democratic HQ; led to Nixon's resignation after cover-up attempts were exposed.

CRP (Committee to Re-Elect the President)

Nixon's re-election committee; involved in the Watergate scandal and illegal activities.

Slush fund

Money used secretly and unethically, like the funds used by Nixon's team to pay for the Watergate cover-up.

Ping-Pong diplomacy

U.S. table tennis team visited China; opened diplomatic relations during Nixon's presidency.

Camp David Accords

Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel mediated by Carter; Egypt recognized Israel.

Panama Canal

Carter negotiated to return control of the Panama Canal to Panama, improving Latin American relations.

OPEC

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; controls most of the world's oil; impacts U.S. economy and foreign policy.

Stagflation

Economic situation with both rising unemployment and rising prices.

Reaganomics

Reagan's economic policy: tax cuts for the rich and budget cuts for social programs.

Trickle-down economics

Idea that tax cuts for the wealthy would benefit everyone by promoting job creation and investment.

Moral Majority

Religious conservatives promoting traditional values in politics; led by figures like Jerry Falwell.

Conservative Coalition

Group of conservative leaders pushing for traditional family values and smaller government.

A Nation at Risk

1980s report showing U.S. students were falling behind internationally; sparked education reform.

AIDS

Disease affecting the immune system; became a major crisis in the 1980s; awareness increased with Magic Johnson's diagnosis.

Iran-Hostage Crisis

1979 event where 66 Americans were taken hostage by Iranian revolutionaries for 444 days.

Iran-Contra Affair

Reagan administration secretly traded arms for hostages and funded rebels (Contras) in Nicaragua.

Operation Eagle Claw

Failed U.S. military mission to rescue the Iran hostages; led to embarrassment for Carter and affected the 1980 election.

Détente

Nixon's Cold War policy to ease tensions by focusing only on strategic relationships with major powers.

The Challenger Disaster

NASA shuttle exploded shortly after launch in 1986, killing all 7 on board.

S.A.L.T.

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks; agreement between U.S. and USSR to reduce or limit nuclear weapons.