2010s Flashcards
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010
A success of Pres. Obama’s presidency, repealed Clinton’s policy which effectively banned gays from the military.
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
2010, worst environmental disaster ever. BP was found responsible but avoided paying heavy fines.
2010 Times Square car bombing attempt
A failed car bombing attempt which was immediately connected to Pakistan by Sec. of state Clinton and the Obama administration.
Texting while driving
A societal norm since 2000, in the late 2000s states began outlawing the practice although it continues to plague teen culture.
WikiLeaks scandal
In 2010, Julian Assange published a series of confidential documents to his website Wikileaks- creating a division in public opinion as to whether he is a patriot or villain.
Death of Osama bin Laden
In 2011, Pres. Obama’s administration oversaw the death and burial at sea of Osama bin Laden.
Solyndra
A solar power company which declared bankruptcy in 2011 two years after receiving 50 million from the Obama administration.
Occupy Wall Street
A national protest against income inequality which began in 2011. Opened a national dialogue about the 99%. In 2014, it was revealed that the FBI and CIA extensively infiltrated the movement.
2012 Aurora shooting
A movie theater shooting which prompted an increase in theater security, as well as several copycat shootings in the years following.
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
A 2012 shooting which resulted in state gun control laws being passed, federal legislation was defeated in the Senate.
Trayvon Martin
A black 17 year-old shot to death in 2012 by a man named George Zimmerman, who was ultimately acquitted under Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law, despite the fact that Zimmerman was told by law enforcement to not pursue Martin prior to the shooting.
The gay marriage turning point
March 9th-11th, 2012 during which it was found that 51% of Americans support gay marriage and numerous Democrats including Pres. Obama came out in support as well.
Chelsea Manning
Soldier convicted of violating the Espionage Act in 2013, after disclosing to WikiLeaks nearly 750000 secure documents including a video that showed a U.S. helicopter crew firing on a group of people that included two Reuters employees. She was arrested and sought treatment for gender dysphoria, after a hunger strike, the US Army agreed to her request and supplied treatment including reassignment surgery. One of Pres. Obama’s last acts as president was commuting her sentence to end in May 2017.
The debt ceiling
A legislative limit on the amount of national debt that can be issued by the US Treasury, thus limiting how much money the federal government may borrow. The Treasury may take “extraordinary measures” to prevent the debt ceiling from being crossed. It is frequently raised by Congress. Critics question its effectiveness, supporters argue that it imposes restraint.
United States budget sequestration in 2013
On March 1st, 2013 blunt cuts went into effect which automatically lowered government spending by $1.1 trillion dollars. These cuts led to the dismissal of over a million federal employees, many furloughs, and had a controversial effect on the economy. Pres. Obama called them “destructive,” and they may have contributed to the decreased rate of economic growth which occurred in 2013.
