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AP US History - Period 9: 1980-Present Flashcards

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8357111943Reagan RevolutionThe policies of the first Reagan administration; based on *"supply side"* theory of growing the economy; Included: (1) Increased defense spending (2) Reduced social programs (3) Tax cuts0
8357111944Sandra Day O'ConnorFirst female Supreme Court Justice; appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1981.1
8357111945ReagonomicsRonald Reagan's economic program; founded on the belief that a capitalist system free from taxation and government involvement would be most productive, and that the prosperity of a rich upper class would "trickle down" to the poor.2
8357111946"Evil Empire"Ronald Reagan's nickname for the Soviet Union; illustrated an end to detente.3
8357111947Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (1982)Known as START; sought to reduce long-range nuclear missiles.4
8357111948Iran-Contra Affair (1986)Scandal that erupted after the Reagan administration sold weapons to Iran in hopes of freeing American hostages in Lebanon; money from the arms sales was used to aid the Contras (anti-Communist insurgents) in Nicaragua, even though Congress had prohibited this assistance.5
8357111949Strategic Defensive Initiative (1983)A.K.A. "Star Wars"; a satellite defensive system that would theoretically destroy incoming missiles.6
8357111950Mikhail GorbachevHead 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.7
8357111951PerestroikaA political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s; widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Its literal meaning is "restructuring", referring to the restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system.8
8357111952GlasnostThe policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of the 1980s.9
8357111953tax cuts and deregulationMajor conservative aims during the Reagan and Bush years.10
8357111954North American Free Trade Agreement (1994)A multinational trade zone between the US, Mexico, and Canada in which most tariffs have been removed; Negotiated under Bush and enacted under Clinton.11
8357111955Affordable Care Act (2010)AKA "Obamacare"; Health care and health insurance reform signed into law by President Obama.12
8357111956Dodd-Frank (2010)Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; Reform and regulation of the financial system after the financial crisis of 2007-2008.13
8357111957Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)Political spending is a form of protected speech under the 1st amendment; Individuals, corporations, and unions can donate unlimited money to groups that make independent political expenditures.14
8357111958outsourcingSending business operations and industrial processes overseas where operating costs remain relatively low.15
8357111959Microsoft, Wikipedia, Google, Facebook, YouTube, iPodInnovations in computing, digital mobile technology, and the Internet transformed daily life, increased access to information, and led to new social behaviors and networks.16
8357111960Y2K bug (2000)A computer flaw that may have caused problems when dealing with dates beyond December 31, 1999.17
8357111961Wikileaks (founded 2010)The group has released a number of significant documents that have become front-page news items. Early releases included documentation of equipment expenditures and holdings in the Afghanistan war.18
8357111962Keystone Pipeline (commissioned 2010)Proposed pipeline that would transport oil derived from Canadian tar sands to refineries in the southern U.S.19
8357111963"fracking"hydraulic fracturing-using pressurized fluid to create fractures in rock and release natural gas or petroleum; Resulted in the US becoming self-sufficient oil producers.20
8357111964Occupy Wall Street (2011)A series of protests and sit-ins in response to the economic crisis of 2007-08 and rising income inequality.21
8357111965Tea Party movement (2009)22
8357111966Immigration Reform and Control Act (1986)Act that prohibits discrimination against job applicants on the basis of national origin or citizenship; establishes penalties for hiring illegal aliens and requires employers to establish each employee's identity and eligibility to work.23
8357111967No Child Left Behind (2002)Education reform under President George W. Bush.24
8357111968Defense of Marriage Act (1996)Defined marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman, and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states; Declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (United States v. Windsor [2013])25
8357111969United States v. Windsor (2013)A landmark civil rights case; Struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (1996) and declared "The federal government must recognize same-sex marriages that have been approved by the states."26
8357111970Gulf War (1990-1991)Code-named Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm; A war waged by coalition forces from 35 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.27
8357111971September 11 attacks (2001)The terrorist attack by Al Qaeda on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.28
8357111972War on TerrorIn the wake of attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the United States launched military efforts against terrorism and lengthy, controversial conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.29
8357111973Department of Homeland Security (est. 2002)US federal agency created under George W. Bush to coordinate national efforts in the War on Terror.30
8357111974USA Patriot Act (2001)Strengthened federal government's power to conduct surveillance, perform searches, and detain individuals in order to cam bat terrorism; Raised questions about the protection of civil liberties.31
8357111975Guantanamo BaySite in Cuba of a US military base and military prison for detailing terrorists or suspected terrorists without trial; Considered as a major breach of human rights by Amnesty International.32

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