Untitled Flashcards Set

People/other 

1. Osama bin Laden – Leader of Al Qaeda, mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

2. George W. Bush – U.S. President (2001-2009), led the War on Terror and Iraq War.

3. Donald Trump – U.S. President (2017-2021), focused on "America First" policies.

4. Hillary Clinton – Former Secretary of State, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.

5. Bernie Sanders – U.S. Senator, prominent progressive leader, 2016 & 2020 candidate.

6. Barack Obama – U.S. President (2009-2017), passed Affordable Care Act, ended Iraq War.

7. Joe Biden – U.S. President (2021-present), VP under Obama, led COVID-19 response.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15. Kim Jong-un – North Korean leader, engaged in nuclear weapons development.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

24. Vladimir Putin – Russian President, accused of interfering in U.S. elections.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

33. Sonia Sotomayor - courts first hispanic judge 

34. Elena Kagen - female supreme court judge

35. Mitt Romney - 2012 repub candidate 

36. Paul Ryan- Romney vp

37.  John Boehner- republican house speaker

38. confirmation bias - the natural human tendency to give more credence to those ideas that agree withone’s own pre-existing opinions and thereby shut individuals off from alternative points of view.

Places 

1. Afghanistan – Site of U.S. invasion after 9/11, longest U.S. war.

2. Iraq – Invaded by the U.S. in 2003, led to prolonged conflict.

3. Pakistan – Housed Osama bin Laden, complex U.S. relationship.

4. United States – Central focus of policies and conflicts mentioned.

5. New York City – Target of 9/11 attacks.

6. Washington, D.C. – Site of 9/11 Pentagon attack and major policy decisions.

7. Somalia – U.S. intervention in 1990s, continued instability.

8. Rwanda – Site of 1994 genocide, U.S. criticized for inaction.

9. Haiti – Site of humanitarian crises and U.S. interventions.

10. Yugoslavia – Collapsed into multiple states, U.S. intervened in Kosovo War.

11. Kenya – Site of U.S. embassy bombings by Al Qaeda in 1998.

12. Tanzania – Also targeted in 1998 embassy bombings.

13. Israel – Key U.S. ally, source of Middle East tensions.

14. Palestine – Ongoing conflict with Israel.

15. Syria – Civil war, chemical weapons use, U.S. airstrikes.

16. Iran – Nuclear weapons development, U.S. sanctions.

17. North Korea – Nuclear threats, U.S. negotiations.

18. China – Rival superpower, trade war with U.S.

19. Russia – Accused of interfering in U.S. elections.

20. Florida – Site of 2000 election controversy, mass shootings.

21. Puerto Rico – Struggled post-Hurricane Maria, U.S. response criticized.

22. California – Economic powerhouse, progressive policies.

23. Texas – Conservative stronghold, border issues.

24. Arizona – Immigration controversies.

25. Mexico – Focus of U.S. immigration policies.

26. Charleston, SC – Site of racially motivated church shooting.

27. Ferguson, MO – Sparked BLM protests after police shooting.

28. Baltimore, MD – Site of Freddie Gray protests.

29. New Orleans, LA – Devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

30. San Bernardino, CA – Site of terrorist attack.

31. Sandy Hook, CT – Site of mass school shooting.

32. Las Vegas, NV – Site of deadliest U.S. mass shooting.

33. Parkland, FL – Site of high school mass shooting.

34. Crimea – Annexed by Russia in 2014.

35. Ukraine – Site of Russian-U.S. tensions.

36. Bluffdale, UT – Location of NSA data center.

Events 

1. 9/11 Attacks – Deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

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

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

4. 2008 Financial Crisis – Economic collapse leading to recession.

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

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

7. Occupy Wall Street – Protest against economic inequality.

8. 2016 Presidential Election – Trump vs. Clinton, Russian interference.

9. Edward Snowden NSA Leaks – Exposed mass surveillance programs.

10. Hurricane Katrina – Devastated New Orleans in 2005.

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

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

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

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

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

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

17. Crimean annexation by Russia – Sparked tensions with NATO.

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

Acts & Bills 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien MinorsAct)- which would have created a path to citizenship for undocumented youths who either graduated fromcollege or served in the U.S. armed forcesAct).

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

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

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

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

13. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) - create or expand national monuments in several western states, and to address the challenges of climate change by lessening dependence on fossil fuels.

Court Cases 

1. Shelby County v. Holder (2013) – Weakened the Voting Rights Act by removing federal oversight in certain states, leading to concerns over voter suppression.

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

3. Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006) – Limited President Bush’s ability to try suspected terrorists in military tribunals without proper legal protections.

4. Citizens United v. FEC (2010) – Allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited money in elections, citing free speech.