70s-80s America Flashcards
What is the Brady Bill?
Legislation mandating federal background checks on firearm purchasers, signed into law in 1993.
Named after James Brady, stemming from the attempted assassination of Reagan.
What was the outcome of Milliken v. Bradley (1974)?
The Supreme Court limited busing across district lines, slowing school desegregation efforts.
The case arose in Detroit, Michigan, questioning if courts could order desegregation without proof of inter-district segregation.
What is New Federalism?
Nixon’s policy aimed at decentralizing power from the federal government to state and local governments.
What was the Economic Recovery Tax Act (1981)?
Tax legislation under Reagan that reduced income tax rates by 25% over three years to encourage economic growth.
What is Revenue Sharing?
A program that provided federal funds to state and local governments with fewer restrictions.
This led to increased wealth gaps.
What was Nixon’s Southern Strategy?
A strategy to satisfy white southern conservatives to gain political support for the Republican party, appealing to racial tensions.
What happened during the Attica Prison Riot (1971)?
Inmates protested poor conditions, leading to a police assault resulting in multiple deaths.
Most inmates were black or Latino, while most guards were white.
What is CREEP?
Nixon’s campaign organization involved in funding illegal activities during the Watergate scandal for the 1972 election.
They spied on political enemies and funded break-ins.
What was the Willie Horton Ad?
An infamous attack ad used against Dukakis in the 1988 election campaign to show he could not control crime in Massachusetts.
Horton committed crimes while on a furlough program, which Dukakis supported.
What was the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986?
Legislation that increased funding for drug enforcement and introduced mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses.
It imposed harsher punishments for crack cocaine than for powder cocaine.
Who was Martha Mitchell?
Wife of Nixon’s Attorney General who spoke out about Watergate and faced discrediting efforts.
She was an early whistleblower warning about illegal activities in the government.
What is Punk Music?
A rebellious rock movement in the mid-70s that rejected mainstream culture and values.
What was the Family Assistance Plan (FAP)?
A proposal to replace existing welfare structures with direct payments to low-income families, which ultimately failed in Congress.
It aimed to change how welfare worked by offering direct payments.
What was the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (1989)?
A catastrophic oil spill off the coast of Alaska that prompted significant environmental concerns.
It killed millions of animals and fish.
What is OSHA?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, established in 1971 to ensure safe working conditions.
What was the Watergate scandal?
A political scandal involving a break-in at the DNC headquarters and Nixon’s subsequent cover-up, leading to his resignation.
What was the outcome of Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education (1971)?
The Supreme Court upheld busing as a means to achieve school desegregation.
This ruling approved busing for school desegregation in North Carolina.
What happened during the Challenger disaster (1986)?
NASA’s space shuttle exploded 73 seconds after launch, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.
What is the Rise of the New Right?
A conservative movement emphasizing traditional values, small government, and opposition to liberal policies.
What was the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention & Control Act (1973)?
Legislation that created the DEA to regulate drugs and crack down on drug use.
It targeted anti-war activists and black communities, categorizing marijuana as a Schedule I drug.
