unit 9 (1980-present) Flashcards
(41 cards)
Energy Crisis
When Carter entered office inflation soared, due to toe the increases in energy prices by OPEC. In the summer of 1979, instability in the Middle East produced a major fuel shortage in the US, and OPEC announced a major price increase. Facing pressure to act, Carter retreated to Camp David, the presidential retreat in the Maryland Mountains. Ten days later, Carter emerged with a speech including a series of proposals for resolving the energy crisis.
Stagflation
A period of falling output and rising prices
Carter’s “Malaise” speech, 1979
National address by Jimmy Carter in July 1979 in which the President chided American materialism and urged a communal spirit in the face of economic hardships. Although Carter intended the speech to improve both public morale and his standings as a leader, it had the opposite effect and was widely perceived as a political disaster for the embattled president
Iranian hostage crisis, 1979
Kidnapping of American Embassy hostages in Iran. It lasted for more than a year.
Moral Majority
“Born-Again” Christians become politically active. The majority of Americans are moral people, and therefore are a political force.
Focus on the Family
Organization that emphasizes spiritual and religious issues facing the family
Supply-side economics (Reaganomics)
An economic philosophy that holds the sharply cutting taxes will increase the incentive people have to work, save, and invest. Greater investments will lead to more jobs, a more productive economy, and more tax revenues for the government.
Economic Recovery Tax Act, 1981
A federal law passed to boost the economy, reduce inflation and increase employment.
Sagebrush Rebellion
Emerged in parts of the West in the late 70s, mobilized conservative opposition to environmental laws and restrictions on development. It also portrayed the West as a victim of government control. It demanded government-owned land to be opened for development.
Contract with America, 1994
Congressional elections, Congressman Newt Gingrich had Republican candidates sign a document in which they pledged their support for such things as a balanced budget amendment, term limits for members of Congress, and a middle-class tax cut.
Planned Parenthood v Casey, 1992
A 1992 case in which the Supreme Court loosened its standard for evaluating restrictions on abortion from one of “strict scrutiny” of any restraints on a “fundamental right” to one of “undue burden” that permits considerably more regulation.
Medicare Modernization Act, 2003
Provided drug discount cards to those with low income
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
Became known as Star Wars and would be able to shoot missiles down from space. Critics claimed it could never be perfected.
Mikhail Gorbachev
Head of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991. His liberalization effort improved relations with the West, but he lost power after his reforms led to the collapse of Communist governments in eastern Europe.
Iran-Contra Scandal, 1987
Contras were anti-socialists, we supported but changed our minds. Iran started winning with missiles so poison gas was used
Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START)
Agreement between the United States and Russia to cut their long-range nuclear arsenals by half.
Intermediate Nuclear Force Treaty, 1987
Eliminated a class of nuclear weapons with a range of 300-3400 miles, over 2600 missiles were destroyed under this by 1991
Fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989
Beginning of the fall of communism and the Soviet Union - symbolized the failure of communism and massive socialism
Fall of the Soviet Union, 1991
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev started to give more freedom to people which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991
Persian Gulf War, 1991
Began when Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq, invaded the oil-rich country of Kuwait. This belligerent action threatened to disturb the world’s oil supply. The UN responded with a trade embargo against Iraq, and eventually with an multi-national military fore that made Iraq withdraw from Kuwait.
Dayton Agreement, 1995
Aimed at creating a democracy in Bosnia that would protect the rights of each ethnic group. This would create a single nation with two entities of equal size.
Al Qaeda
A network of Islamic terrorist organizations, led by Osama bin Laden, that carried out the attacks on the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998, the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000, and the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001
Taliban
A group of fundamentalist Muslims who took control of Afghanistan’s government in 1996
Attacks of September 11, 2001
Terrorist attacks on the US World Trade Centers and the Pentagon
