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Key Figures

• Dick Durbin – U.S. Senator, advocate for immigration reform and civil liberties.

• Sheldon Whitehouse – U.S. Senator, known for environmental advocacy.

• James Comey – Former FBI director, played key role in 2016 election controversy.

• Robert Mueller – Led investigation into Russian interference in 2016 election.

• Mike Pence – Vice President under Trump, oversaw COVID-19 task force.

• Janet Napolitano – Former Secretary of Homeland Security, led response to 9/11 policies.

• Edward Snowden – Former NSA contractor, exposed mass surveillance programs.

• Steve Bannon – Former Trump adviser, key figure in right-wing populism.

• Michael Hayden – Former CIA director, defended post-9/11 surveillance policies.

• Alicia Garza – Co-founder of Black Lives Matter movement.

• Trayvon Martin – Black teenager killed in 2012, sparking BLM movement.

• Nancy Pelosi – Speaker of the House, led opposition to Trump policies.

• Donald Rumsfeld – Secretary of Defense, architect of Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

• Xi Jinping – Chinese President, strengthened authoritarian control in China.

• Angela Merkel – Former German Chancellor, key U.S. ally in Europe.

• John McCain – Senator, Vietnam War hero, 2008 Republican presidential candidate.

• Sarah Palin – Former Alaska Governor, 2008 VP candidate, Tea Party figure.

• Richard/Dick Cheney – Vice President under Bush, advocate of aggressive foreign policy.

• Paul Ryan – Former House Speaker, led Republican economic policies.

• John Boehner – Former House Speaker, opponent of Obama’s policies.

• Anthony Kennedy – Supreme Court Justice, pivotal vote in major rulings.

• Muammar Qaddafi – Libyan dictator, overthrown during Arab Spring.

• Bashar al-Assad – Syrian dictator, responsible for civil war and chemical attacks.

• Sonia Sotomayor - First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice.

• Elena Kagan - Female Supreme Court Justice.

• Mitt Romney - 2012 Republican presidential candidate.

Key Events

• 9/11 Attacks – Deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

• War on Terror – U.S. military campaigns post-9/11.

• Iraq War – U.S. invasion to remove Saddam Hussein.

• 2008 Financial Crisis – Economic collapse leading to recession.

• Affordable Care Act passage – Major healthcare reform under Obama.

• Black Lives Matter Movement – Social justice protests against police violence.

• Occupy Wall Street – Protest against economic inequality.

• 2016 Presidential Election – Trump vs. Clinton, Russian interference.

• Edward Snowden NSA Leaks – Exposed mass surveillance programs.

• Hurricane Katrina – Devastated New Orleans in 2005.

• Hurricane Harvey – Catastrophic flooding in Houston (2017).

• COVID-19 Pandemic – Global crisis, U.S. government response.

• Benghazi Attack (2012) – U.S. consulate attacked in Libya.

• U.S. withdrawal from Iraq – Ended major combat in 2011.

• U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan – Final U.S. exit in 2021.

• U.S. forces kill Osama bin Laden – 2011 mission in Pakistan.

• Crimean annexation by Russia – Sparked tensions with NATO.

• ISIS rise and caliphate declaration – Terrorist group’s peak in 2014.

Significant Acts & Bills

• USA Patriot Act (2001) – Expanded government surveillance powers after 9/11 to combat terrorism.

• No Child Left Behind Act (2001) – Education reform requiring standardized testing in public schools.

• Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) (2010) – Expanded healthcare access and mandated insurance coverage.

• Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act (2010) – Regulated banks and financial institutions after the 2008 crash.

• Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) (1996) – Defined marriage as between a man and a woman (overturned in Obergefell v. Hodges).

• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) (2012) – Provided temporary protection from deportation for undocumented immigrants who arrived as children.

• USA Freedom Act (2015) – Limited NSA's bulk data collection (revised the Patriot Act).

• Dream Act – Proposed legislation for a path to citizenship for undocumented youths who graduated from college or served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

• Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017) – Reduced corporate tax rates and adjusted individual tax brackets under Trump.

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009) – Stimulus package to help economic recovery after the 2008 financial crisis.

• Tea Party Movement opposition (2009–2016) – Conservative pushback against government spending and healthcare reform.

• Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) (2001) – Gave the President broad power to use military force against terrorism worldwide.

• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) – Addressed climate change by reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Court Cases

• Shelby County v. Holder (2013) – Weakened Voting Rights Act by removing federal oversight in certain states, raising voter suppression concerns.

• Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) – Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, overturning DOMA.

• Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006) – Limited President Bush’s ability to try suspected terrorists without legal protections.

• Citizens United v. FEC (2010) – Allowed unlimited spending in elections citing free speech.