-
PACTO Strike
The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization or PACTO was a United States trade union that operated from 1968 until its decertification in 1981 following a strike that was declared illegal and broken by the Reagan Administration -
William Rehnquist
an American lawyer and jurist who served on the Supreme Court of the United States for 33 years -
PLO
Palestine Liberation Organization- created in 1964
~purpose of the "liberation of Palestine" through armed struggle, with much of its violence aimed at Israeli civilians -
Walter Mondale
an American politician, diplomat and lawyer who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States -
California v. Bakke
Court ruled unconstitutional a university's use of racial "quotas" in its admissions process, but held that affirmative action programs could be constitutional in some circumstances -
Moral Majority
political action group formed to further a conservative and religious agenda, including the allowance of prayer in schools and strict laws against abortion -
Sandinistas
Nicaraguan Revolution-ended in 1990
~member of a left-wing Nicaraguan political organization -
Religious Fundamentalism
Christian fundamentalism, movement in American Protestantism arose in reaction to theological modernism (anti-evolution) -
AIDS
a disease in which there is a severe loss of the body's cellular immunity, greatly lowering the resistance to infection and malignancy -
Supply-Side Economics
A macroeconomic theory that argues economic growth can be most effectively created by by lowering taxes and decreasing regulation -
Economic Recovery Tax Act
A law that lowered income tax rates and allowed for expensing of depreciable assets -
Trickle-Down Economics
An economic theory that advocates reducing taxes on businesses and the wealthy in society as a means to stimulate business investment in the short term and benefit society at large in the long term -
Sandra Day O'Connor
a retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan to 2006. She is the first woman to serve on the Court -
Ronald Reagan
President Ronald Reagan helped redefine the purpose of government and pressured the Soviet Union to end the Cold War. He solidified the conservative agenda for decades after his presidency -
Saddam Hussein
Was the leader of Iran during the middle of the Cold War. Although initially supported by the U.S. to fight Iran, his invasion of Kuwait made him a prime enemy of America -
Saddam Hussein
Was the leader of Iran during the middle of the Cold War. Although initially supported by the U.S. to fight Iran, his invasion of Kuwait made him a prime enemy of America -
Boland Amendment
A term describing three U.S. legislative amendments between 1982 and 1984, all aimed at limiting U.S. government assistance to the Contras in Nicaragua. -
SDI
SDI was Reagan's intent to purse a high technology missile defense system which was referred to as SDI or Star Wars -
Beirut Bombings
Two truck bombs struck buildings housing Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF) peacekeepers, specifically against United States and French service members, killing 241 U.S. and 58 French peacekeepers, 6 civilians and the 2 suicide attackers. -
Geraldine Ferraro
an American attorney and Democratic Party politician who served in the United States House of Representatives. She was the first female vice presidential candidate representing a major American political party -
Iran-Contra Affair
A political scandal in the United States that occurred during the second term of the Reagan Administration. Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, which was the subject of an arm embargo -
Glasnost & Perestroika
Refers to the reconstruction of the political and economic system established by the Communist Party -
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, GCL is a Russian and former Soviet politician. He was the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union, having been General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. -
Immigration Act of 1986
This immigration act was meant to penalize/prevent the hiring of illegal immigrants due to concerns that they were stealing jobs, and criminalized the act of knowingly hiring an illegal immigrant. -
"Tear down this Wall"
"Tear down this wall!" is a line from a speech made by US President Ronald Reagan in West Berlin on June 12, 1987, calling for the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to open up the barrier which had divided West and East Berlin since 1961 -
INF Agreement
The Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate Range and Shorter-Range Missiles. -
"Read my lips, no new taxes"
"Read my lips, no new taxes" was a campaign promise made by George H.W. Bush during his reelection campaign that further boosted his popularity among conservatives. -
George H.W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Prior to assuming the presidency, Bush served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 -
Tiananmen Square
After several weeks of demonstrations, Chinese troops entered Tiananmen Square on June 4 and fired civilians. Estimates of the death toll range from several hundred to thousands. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
As the Cold War began to thaw across Eastern Europe, the spokesman for East Berlin's Communist party announced a change in his city's relations with the West. -
Panama Invasion
Code named Operation Just Cause occurred between mid-December 1989 and late January 1990. It occurred during the administration of President George H. W. Bush and ten years after the Torrijos–Carter Treaties were ratified to transfer control of the Panama Canal from the U.S. to Panama by 1 January 2000. -
Lech Walesa
Lech Wałęsa is a retired Polish politician and labor activist. He co-founded and headed Solidarity, the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland from 1990 to 1995. Wikipedia -
Persian Gulf War
international conflict that was triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. ... Egypt and several other Arab nations joined the anti-Iraq coalition and contributed forces to the military buildup, known as Operation Desert Shield. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
A civil rights act prohibiting discrimination against mentally/physically disabled people in employment, transportation, building accessibility, transportation, etc -
Breakup of the Soviet Union
Officially granting self-governing independence to the Republics of the Soviet Union. Dissolution of the Soviet Union into 15 independent republics, Conclusion of the Cold War -
Boris Yeltsin
a Soviet and Russian politician and the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999. -
Start I and II
START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms -
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas was appointed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by George H.W. Bush. -
Internet
The creation of the World Wide Web was crucial to the information revolution, connection businesses, individuals, and governments from across the world and making wealths of information available to most everyone. -
Bosnia and Kosovo
Ethnic conflicts/independence/insurgence movements in Yugoslavia; both countries had wars -
“Ethnic Cleansing”
A systematic forced removal of a specific ethnic group. Involves genocide, forced migration, intimidation, etc; prominent in the Yugoslav Wars -
Ross Perot
The candidate of the Reform Party in the 1992 election and 1996; lost to Clinton both times but pulled out a surprising amount of votes for a third party candidate. -
Yasser Arafat
Clinton presided over a historic meeting at the White House between Israeli premier Yitzshak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir. They agreed in principle on self-rule for the Palestinians within Israel. -
Bill Clinton
The 42nd US president and a democrat who was in office for two terms. He was impeached by Congress. -
Failure of Health Reform (1990’s)
Proposed by Clinton, the Clinton health care plan was a healthcare reform to enforce that all employers must provide health insurance to employees. Opposed by the health industry, republicans, and libertarians, it eventually failed -
“Don’t ask, don’t tell”
This was the US policy on gay people serving in the military enacted under Clinton. Basically, those closeted could not be discriminated against, but openly gay people couldn't serve. -
Brady Bill
A handgun violence prevention act; made a five-day waiting period and background checks necessary. -
NRA
The National Rifle Association is a guns right activist/lobbying political group. In response to the Brady Bill, they spend millions lobbying against it and funded numerous lawsuits against it. -
Deficit Reduction Budget
Clinton aimed to erase the federal deficit by balancing the budget. He succeeded in creating a budget surplus. -
EU
The European Union is a political and economic union of 28 European states with a single internal market and shared currency and policies. -
West Bank and the Gaza Strip
The West Bank and Gaza Strip are Palestinian territories which are under the control of Israel, resulting in conflict between the two states and concessions of shared authority. -
NAFTA
The North American Free Trade Agreement is a trade agreement for free trade between Canada, the US, and Mexico -
Contract with America
A document released by the Republican party making promises to the American public if they were the majority party in Congress; it was considered a victory as they won many seats in said election. -
Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich was the speaker of the House of Representatives; a Republican and promoter of the contract with America. -
Oklahoma City Bombing
A truck bomb domestic terrorism attack that killed many and injured more; prompted counter-terrorism government action. -
WTO
The World Trade Organization - an organization regulating international trade. -
Nuclear Proliferation
The treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is an international treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Nuclear Proliferation is the spread of weapons to states not recognized as Nuclear Weapon States by the treaty. -
Welfare Reform
Restricted welfare benefits and grants greatly and required able bodied recipients to search for employment. -
Bob Dole
The 1996 Republican Party candidate who lost to Democrat Clinton in his re-election. -
Madeleine Albright
Secretary of State under Clinton and the first woman to hold said position. -
G-8
G8 was an international governmental political forum consisting of 8 nations. -
Clinton Impeachment
Clinton was impeached due to trying to cover up an affair, leading to charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. He was not removed from office and later acquitted of the charges. -
Bush v. Gore
Bush v. Gore was a supreme court decision regarding the recount dispute over Florida. The court declared their recount mandate was unconstitutional and forced it to stop, guaranteeing Bush's victory. -
George W. Bush
George W. Bush was the 43rd US president, a republican, and the son of former president George H.W. Bush. -
Al Gore
Al Gore was Bill Clinton's vice president for both terms, as well as the Democratic presidential candidate in the 2001 election. He lost to George W. Bush. -
Bush Tax Cuts
Bush passed changes to the US tax code - the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA), which cut taxes significantly for families, but also decreased federal revenue as a result. -
Enron
Enron Corp. was involved in a financial scandal, as they had been hiding debt and involved in fraud. When this was exposed and a government investigation opened, the company filed for bankruptcy. -
9/11
The 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers and Pentagon were terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda on the US and resulted in greater security and counterterrorism efforts in the US. -
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a militant Sunni Islam multi-national terrorist organization founded by Osama Bin Laden (among others) that mounted numerous attacks, including the 9/11 attacks on the US -
Osama bin Laden
Osama Bin Laden was the leader and founder of Al-Qaeda and planned the 9/11 attacks and other terrorist attacks. He was later killed under a mission by the US government. -
No Child Left Behind
No Child Left Behind was signed into law by Bush with standards-based reforms that schools had to follow in order to receive federal funding. -
Taliban
The Taliban is a fundamentalist Sunni Islam political movement within Afghanistan. After their fall from government they are fighting against the Afghan government for control. -
Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security was founded under president Bush to be responsible for public/domestic security, including anti-terrorism, immigration, border security, cyber security, disaster prevention/management, and etc -
“Axis of Evil”
A phrase used by president George W. Bush to describe countries accused of sponsoring/promoting terrorism. -
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom was an armed conflict involving a US-led invasion to overthrow Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. -
Abu Ghraib Prison
This was a prison complex in Iraq taken over by the US military to hold those suspected of terrorism, and it was later exposed that tortures and other abuses took place there by the US military. -
John Kerry
A democrat, John Kerry was the 2004 party nominee, and lost to Bush's reelection. He later went on to become the secretary of state under president Obama. -
WMD’s
Weapons of Mass Destruction is a label used by the US military to describe large-scale technologies such as those chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear that can cause, well, mass destruction. -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was an incredibly descrutive Category 5 hurricane that swept across the American coast of the Gulf of Mexico that killed many and left behind extreme costs in damage. -
Kyoto Accord
The Kyoto Accord extended the UNFCCC committing nations to work to reduce the effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. -
Housing Bubble
Due to demand, speculation, and exuberance, housing prices were run up throughout the 2000s, with prices peaking in 2006 - when demand began to slow and supply increased, the bubble popped in 2007. -
Great Recession
The great recession was an economic recession that took place due to the 'burst' of the housing bubble. -
D.C. v. Heller
held that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia for traditionally lawful purposes -
Sarah Palin
Republican vice president candidate with John McCain in the 2008 election, the second woman to run for vice president of a major party, and the first Republican -
John McCain
John McCain was the 2008 Republican Party candidate who lost to Barack Obama. -
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton ran against Barack Obama for the Democratic Party nomination for the 2008 election, but lost. She eventually became secretary of state and ran again in the 2016 election, this time as the party nominee. -
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
AKA the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, these government-sponsored enterprises both fell into great debt during the 2008 financial crisis and were placed under direct government control. -
Sonia Sotomayor
an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving since August 2009. She has the distinction of being its first justice of Hispanic descent and the first Latina -
Tea Party
The Tea Party movement is an American conservative movement within the Republican Party. Members of the movement have called for a reduction of the national debt of the United States and federal budget deficit by reducing government spending, and for lower taxes. -
Barack Obama
Barack Obama was the 44th US president and a democrat. He was president for two terms and also the first African American president -
Citizens United
a landmark U.S. constitutional law, campaign finance, and corporate law case dealing with regulation of political campaign spending by organizations. -
Affordable Care Act
The law has 3 primary goals: Support innovative medical care delivery methods designed to lower the costs of health care generally. -
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring was a movement including both violent and nonviolent protests taking place in the middle east and north Africa for more democratic governments -
Syrian Civil War
The Syrian Civil War is an ongoing multi-sided armed conflict in Syria fought primarily between the Ba'athist Syrian Arab Republic led by President Bashar al-Assad -
Dodd-Frank Act
It made changes in the American financial regulatory environment that affected all federal financial regulatory agencies and almost every part of the nation's financial services industry -
Mitt Romney
an American businessman and politician who served as the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and was the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 election. -
Shelby County v. Holder
Requires certain states and local governments to obtain federal preclearance before implementing any changes to their voting laws or practices -
Boston Marathon Bombing
two homemade bombs detonated 12 seconds and 210 yards apart at 2:49 p.m., near the finish line of the annual Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring several hundred others, including 16 who lost limbs -
Debt Ceiling
Limitations set on the amount of money the government is able to borrow -
Same-Sex Marriage
held that the right of same-sex couples to marry on the same terms and conditions as opposite-sex couples
