13: nixon - modern era Flashcards
District of Columbia v. Heller
Supreme Court case that stated that all Americans had the right to own a firearm outside of the military for lawful purposes, including self-defense; ruled a law on gun restrictions in DC unconstitutional
Iran-Contra affair
The US sold weapons (illegally) to Iran (at war against Iraq) and used the profits to fund the Contras in Nicaragua, a pro-US group attempting to overthrow the communist Sandinista government
Beirut bombing
After the US had been sent to Lebanon as a peacekeeping force between Syria, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and Israel, US military barracks had been bombed by a Lebanese, Shia group because they were perceived as a threat / enemy
Persian Gulf War
Conflict in which the US (with other countries) fought Iraq (led by Saddam Hussein) because they had invaded Kuwait for oil
START I/START II
Two peace treaties between the US and USSR (HW Bush and Gorbachev) that limited their long-range nuclear weapons
Iraq War
War that began in response to the US government invading Iraq to search for “weapons of mass destructions” and overthrowing Saddam Hussein (didn’t find any WMDs)
Kyoto Accord
International agreement for countries to limit carbon dioxide / greenhouse gas emissions; the US did not participate
Arab Spring
Series of protests beginning in 2010 against Middle Eastern and North African governments due to corruption, desire for reform/democracy, presence of extreme poverty, and more
Citizens United v. FEC
Supreme Court case that ruled that corporations could spend money on election campaigns (with some restrictions)
Presidents
1969-1974: Nixon
1974-1977: Ford
1977-1981: Carter
1981-1989: Reagan
1989-1993: HW Bush
1993-2001: Clinton
2001-2009: W Bush
2009-2017: Obama
Nixon events
- Republican
- Watergate
- EPA
- Clean Air & Water Acts
- Endangered Species Act
- 3 mi island
- OPEC oil embargo
- Stagflation
- Labor union action decreases
Ford events
- Republican
- Pardon of Nixon
- Whip Inflation Now campaign
- Tax cuts to greatly reduce inflation by the end of his term
Carter events
Democrat
- Malaise speech
- Iranian hostage crisis
- Economic decline
- Attempts to lower deficit
Reagan domestic/foreign pol
Republican
- Reaganomics / supply-side
- Cut welfare programs
- Lowered taxes
- More conservative justices
- Moral majority
- Deregulation
- Middle class stagnates
- Military spending
- Deficit triples
- SDI
- Summits with Gorbachev
- INF Agreement
- Iran-Contra Affair
HW Bush (foreign pol)
Republican
- Cold War ends
- Persian Gulf War (invasion of Kuwait)
- Boris Yeltsin takes over
- START 1 & 2
- Bosnia and Kosovo peacekeeping
- New World Order
- Manuel Noriega (Panama drug smuggling to the US)
HW Bush (domestic pol)
- No new taxes
- $133B in new taxes
- ADA
- Economic problems
- Reagan Revolution over
Clinton events (domestic & foreign)
Democrat
- Anti-Crime Bill
- Revolution of 94
- Internet and e-commerce
- Balanced budget
- Budget surplus
- Tax cuts and expansion of Social Security
- Whitewater
- Booming housing market (2002-07)
- Middle class quality of life rises
Foreign:
- NAFTA
- Peacekeeping in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq/Kuwait
Immigration Act of 1965
Removed immigration quotas
W Bush events
- Bush v. Gore
- USS Cole
- US overthrow of Taliban in Afghanistan
- 9/11
- Dept. Homeland Security
- USA Patriot Act
- Iraq War (WMDs)
- Tax cuts -> deficit increases
- Great Recession begins
- TARP
- $170B stimulus pckage
Bush Doctrine
Justified Iraq War; claimed that containment no longer worked, and the US had to act early and decisively to combat terrorism
Obama events
- $700B stimulus package in response to Great Recession
- Bails out companies like GM / Chrysler
- Paris Agreement
- Deficit decreases
- Citizens United
- Obamacare
Operation Desert Storm
US operation to remove Iraqi troops from Kuwait (which they had invaded) during the Persian Gulf War and prevent Iraq from becoming a superpower
Operation Iraqi Freedom
US operation to find WMDs in Iraq and dispose of Saddam Hussein
