America during the George W. Bush Administration

Flashcards covering the key events and policies during the Bush Administration.

Al Gore

Clinton’s vice president who won the Democratic nomination in 2000.

George W. Bush

Republican governor of Texas who won the Republican nomination in 2000 and later the presidency.

Kyoto Treaty

The treaty on global warming that Al Gore championed.

Ralph Nader

Progressive third-party candidate in the 2000 election who potentially drew votes away from Gore.

September 11, 2001

The event in which terrorists seized four commercial airliners, crashing them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.

Al Qaeda

The organization identified by the Bush administration as responsible for the September 11 attacks.

Osama bin Laden

The leader of Al Qaeda during the September 11 attacks.

Patriot Act

The law that expanded the powers of the federal government, permitting the use of covert surveillance against persons suspected of having connections to a terrorist plot or network.

Saddam Hussein

The Iraqi dictator who the Bush administration falsely accused of working with Al Qaeda and possessing WMDs.

The Bush Doctrine

The foreign policy directive that stated the United States would wage preemptive attacks against perceived threats.

Donald Rumsfeld

The Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush.

Colin Powell

The Secretary of State under George W. Bush who initially opposed the invasion of Iraq.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Military operation launched in March 2003 with the stated goal of removing Saddam Hussein from power.

John Kerry

Senator from Massachusetts who ran against George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election.

Swiftboating

The term used to describe a political strategy based on spreading negative lies about one’s opponents.

Hurricane Katrina

The hurricane that devastated New Orleans and surrounding communities in 2005.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

The agency that was heavily criticized for its failed preparations and response to Hurricane Katrina.

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

The location of a US military prison where suspected terrorists were detained without trial.

Zero-equity home loans

Risky loans that did not require a down payment and were often paired with adjustable-rate mortgages.

Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs)

Mortgages with loan-repayment rates that jumped after an introductory period.

Bear Stearns

New York investment bank whose near bankruptcy triggered a panic in the financial system.

AIG

The largest insurance firm in the country that was taken over by the Federal Reserve due to heavy investment in mortgage-backed securities.

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act

A $700 billion measure to bail out the nation’s largest banks, investment firms, and insurance companies.