Key Terms Chapter 38

Proposition 13: A California tax measure passed in 1978 capping property tax rates and requiring a supermajority for tax increases.

Boll Weevils: Conservative Southern Democrats in Congress who often supported Republican policies in the 1980s.

Tax Reform Act (1986): A law simplifying the U.S. tax code by reducing tax rates and eliminating deductions.

Supply-side economics: An economic theory emphasizing tax cuts and deregulation to spur economic growth.

Contras: U.S.-backed rebel groups fighting Nicaragua's Sandinista government in the 1980s.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI): Reagan's proposed missile defense system to protect against nuclear attacks.

Sandinista: The socialist political group that governed Nicaragua after the 1979 revolution.

Glasnost: Gorbachev's policy promoting political openness and transparency in the Soviet Union.

Perestroika: Gorbachev's policy of economic and political restructuring in the Soviet Union.

Iran-Contra Scandal: A political scandal involving illegal U.S. arms sales to Iran and funding the Contras.

INF Treaty (1987): A U.S.-Soviet agreement to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

Moral Majority: A conservative Christian political organization advocating traditional values in the 1980s.

Identity politics: Advocacy for political interests based on group identities like race, gender, or sexuality.

Operation Desert Storm (1991): A U.S.-led military campaign to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A 1990 law prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

Ronald Reagan: U.S. President (1981–1989) known for conservative policies and ending the Cold War.

Margaret Thatcher: U.K. Prime Minister (1979–1990) known for free-market policies and strong U.S. alliance.

Corazon Aquino: First female president of the Philippines, leading its post-dictatorship democratic transition.

Mikhail Gorbachev: Soviet leader who implemented reforms like Glasnost and Perestroika.

Saddam Hussein: Iraqi dictator ousted after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Jerry Falwell: Evangelical leader and founder of the Moral Majority.

Sandra Day O’Connor: First female U.S. Supreme Court Justice, appointed in 1981.

George H. W. Bush: U.S. President (1989–1993) who led during the Gulf War and signed the ADA.

Boris Yeltsin: First President of the Russian Federation after the Soviet Union's collapse.

Nelson Mandela: Anti-apartheid leader and first democratically elected President of South Africa.

Manuel Noriega: Panamanian dictator removed during the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989.

Clarence Thomas: U.S. Supreme Court Justice known for conservative judicial philosophy.