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.