Political Ideologies & Movements

Here’s a simple, easy-to-remember study guide for Political Ideologies and Movements—grouped by topic and stripped down to key ideas:

Liberals vs. Conservatives

• Liberals: Want change, equality, and government help (e.g., welfare, civil rights).

• Conservatives: Prefer tradition, less government, and free markets.

Conservative Coalition & Reagan

• Conservative Coalition: Alliance of Republicans and Southern Democrats against liberal policies.

• Reagan’s Rise: Former actor who became president, focused on anti-communism and conservative values.

Major Events & Scandals

• Iran-Contra: U.S. sold arms secretly to Iran, used money to support rebels in Nicaragua.

• Yeltsin & Russia: Led post-Soviet Russia, moved from communism to a market economy.

Economy & Reagan Policies

Supply-Side & Reaganomics:

• Supply-Side Economics: Cut taxes to grow business and jobs.

• Reaganomics: Tax cuts + less regulation + lower social spending to fight inflation.

Deregulation & Deficits:

• Deregulation: Fewer rules for businesses to boost efficiency.

• Deficits: Big military spending + tax cuts = large national debt.

Social Movements

• Stonewall Riot (1969): Start of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

• Moral Majority: Conservative Christians promoting traditional family values in the 1980s.

1980s Cultural Trends

• Yuppies: Young, urban professionals focused on money and careers.

• Perestroika: Soviet reform to fix the economy under Gorbachev.

International Relations

Cold War:

• Reagan’s Policy: Build military, push back on communism, aim to end Cold War.

• INF Treaty (1987): U.S. and USSR agreed to reduce nuclear weapons.

Global Conflicts:

• Gulf War (1991): U.S.-led UN force pushed Iraq out of Kuwait.

• Dayton Accords (1995): Peace deal to stop war in Bosnia after Yugoslavia broke apart.