Politics and Economics at the End of the Twentieth Century Flashcards
Nixon policy that offered federal “block grants” to states to spend as they saw fit.
New Federalism
New federal agency during Nixon administration that…
…oversees programs to combat water and air pollution
…cleans up hazardous waste
…requires “environmental impact” statements from projects
Environmental Protection Agency
New federal agency under the Nixon administration that…
…sends inspectors to U.S. workplaces
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
New federal agency under the Nixon administration that…
…instructs automobile makers on how to make cars safer
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
New federal agency under the Nixon administration that…
…prohibits spending federal funds on projects that might hurt an endangered species
Endangered Species Act
Federal law that set air quality standards for carbon monoxide
Clean Air Act
Nixon proposal for a “negative income tax”
Replace the Aid to Families with Dependent Children – a New Deal program that provided limited assistance
Federal government would guarantee a minimum income for a family
Failed to win passage in Congress – too radical for conservatives and not enough for liberals
Family Assistance Plan
Nixon plan to pursue “affirmative action” by requiring construction contractors to hire minority workers
Nixon saw the Plan as a way to fight inflation
Nixon abandoned in May 1970
Philadelphia Plan
Nixon appointee for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing Earl Warren
Warren Burger
Supreme Court case…
…unanimous affirmation of transportation for school integration
…judges then ordered busing as a tool to achieve integration
…busing then became a focal point for protests
Swann v. Charlotte-Meckleburg Board of Education
Supreme Court rulling that the constitution did not require equal school funding – education was not a fundamental constitutional right
Each school district in Texas relied on some state funding and some property taxes for funding so poor districts had less funding than rich districts
San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez
Supreme Court rulling that absolved suburban school districts responsibility for integrating urban schools
Milliken v. Bradley
Supreme Court ruling that found that even racially neutral job requirements like a written exam were illegal if they excluded disproportionate number of non-white applicants
Griggs v. Duke Power Company
View that minorities were granted special advantages over whites.
Claimed to be a violation of the Fourteenth Amendments equal protection clause
“reverse discrimination”
Supreme Court ruling that…
…upheld program that set quotas for training, hiring non-whites
…allowed because private program did not violate Fourteenth Amendment
United Steel Workers of America v. Weber
Supreme Court ruling that…
…overturned admissions program at U.C. Davis which had set aside 16 of 100 places in the medical school class
…Justice Powell had rejected the idea of a fixed quota
…race could still be used as aone factor among many in admissions
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Congress banned gender discrimination in higher education
Led to much higher number of women participating in sports
Title IX
of the Education Amendments Act of 1972
Law that required married women to be given access to credit in their name
Equal Opportunity Act
Term coined by Tom Wolfe to define the idea that the “freedom to choose” for oneself was the highest ideal
“Me Decade”
Nixon’s National Security Advisor and Secretary of State
Henry Kissenger
General who came to power in Chile after the CIA had destabilized the regime of Salvador Allande
He ultimately tortured and murdered 1000s of Allande supporters
Nixon continued to support
General Augusto Pinochet
Suprise visit based on assessment that this country was different than the Soviet Union and that it was destined to play a major role on the world stage
Nixon to China in 1972
Treat between the U.S. and Soviet Union that froze each countries arsenal of ballistic missiles
SALT
Banned development of systems to intercept incoming missiles under theory that without the system, neither country would be tempted to attack the other
Anti-Ballastic Missile Treaty
Term used to describe peaceful coexistence and cooperation between the United States and Soviet Union
detente
Nixon’s claim during the Election that would allow him to end the Vietnam War
“secret plan”
Nixon ordered troops to enter this country
The effort did not help the Vietnam War but rather destabilized the country and set in motion events that led to the Khmer Rouge
Cambodia
Four univesity students and antiwar protesters were killed by the Ohio National Guard
Kent State
Company of American troops killed 350 Vietnamese civilians
Lieutenant Calley found guilty
My Lai Massacre
Classified report tracing history of Vietnam War
Showed how presidents had mislead the American people
Supreme Court rejected Nixon’s request for an injuction to prevent the New York Times from publishing
Pentagon Papers
Congress asserted control over foreign policy by requiring the president to seek congressional approval for committment of American troops overseas
War Powers Act of 1973
Compromise that…
…left the government of South Vietnam in place
…left North Vietnamese and Viet Cong in control of some parts of the South
…had Americans cease bombing and allowed the American draft to end
Paris Peace Agreement of 1973
Nixon created in order to keep track of reporters, politicians and celebrities whom he distrusted
“enemies list”
Nixon’s special investigative team that gathered information, often through unlawful means
“plumbers”
Found out that it was someone close to the president who had ordered the break in to the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate apartments
Washington Post Reporters
Woodward and Bernstein
Investigated the history of abuse by American presidents and found…
…FBI had spied on American citizens
…CIA had conducted secret operations to overthrow governments
Undermined public confidence in government
Church Committee
Congress strengthened this law to allow scholars, journalists to gain access to federal records
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
In 1971, for the first time the United States imported more goods than exported
Three-quarters of American goods were competing with foreign goods
Manufacturing workforce was down to 28%
merchandise trade deficit
Nixon decision that allowed…
…world’s currencies to float in relation to each other
…value of currencies would be determined by the market
US off of the Gold Standard
Result of…
…Brief war between Israel and Egypt and Syria in 1973
…Egypt decision to quadruple the price of oil
Led to…
…Congress lowering speed limit to 55
…reduction of heating and lighting in public buildings
…production of oil in Alaska and coal in Wyoming
Oil Shock
Combination of stagnant economic growth (2.4%) and high inflation (10%)
stagflation
Succeeded Nixon after his resignation
Had been named Vice President to replace Spiro Agnew
President Ford
One of President Ford’s first acts
Controversial but allowed country to move forward
Ford pardoned Nixon
Ford’s slogan to encourage people to reduce inflation
Whip Inflation Now
Agreement between the United States and Soviet Union putting in place the post World War II boundaries
Inspired freedom movements in some countries in Eastern Europe
Helsinki Accords
Carter narrowly defeated Ford
Campained as an outsider and promised “I’ll never lie to you”
Accident at Pennsylvannia nuclear reactor that released radioactive steam into the atmosphere
Reinforced fears of environmental hazards
Three Mile Island
Central to Carter’s foreign policy
Influenced by Amnesty International and International League for Human Rights
Human Rights
Brought together the leaders of Israel and Egypt and helped negotiate a peace agreement
Camp David
Agreement between the United States and Soviet Union to reduce the number of missiles, bombers and warheads
SALT II
Overthrew the shah of Iran in 1979
Declared Iran to be an Islamic republic
Marked a shift from socialism and Arab nationalism to religious fundamentalism
Led to capture of 53 Amercans being held at the embassy
Khomeini and Iranian Hostage Crisis
Foreign policy whereby…
…U.S. would use military force to protect interests in Persian Gulf
…Placed embargo on grain exports to Soviet Union
…Boycott of the 1980 Olympic games
…withdrew SALT II from consideration by the Senate
Carter Doctrine
refers to the rise of religious fundamentalism that expanded conservatism’s base
Relgious Right
Created the Moral Majority
Devoted to waging war against sin and electing “pro-life, pro-family, pro-America” candidates
Jerry Falwell
Originally proposed in 1920s by Alice Paul
Revived by a second wave of feminists
Failed to achieve ratification by the requried 38 states
Equal Rights Amendment
California ban on further increases in property taxes
Windfall for businesses and home owners
Anti-tax sentiment flourished
Proposition 13
Denounced control of large land areas by the Bureau of Land Management in Washington DC
Insisted states have decision making authority over grazing rights, mining development, fishing and hunting
Sagebrush Rebellion
Carter’s approval rating had fallen to 21%
Reagan’s campain themes included…
…end stagflation
…restore dominant role of America
…“Let’s make America great again”
Election of 1980
Term used to describe economic freedom including…
…curtailing of union power
…dismantling regulations
…reducing taxes
Reaganomics
Reduced top tax rate to 28%
Tax Reform Act of 1986
Reagan’s approach to economic growth
Included…
…high interest rates to curb inflation
…lower tax rates to stimulate private investment
Government income would rise despite lower tax rates
“supply side economics”
PATCO union struck in August 1981 in violation of federal law
Reagan fired and replaced with military personnel
Air Traffic Controllers
Term for young urban professional
Earned a high income
Spent lavishly on designer clothing and other luxuries
Yuppie
Deregulation of savings and loan associations led to the bankruptcy that ultimately cost taxpayers $250 billion
Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation
and the savings and loan crisis
Reagan defeated Mondale
Election of 1984
Reagan’s term for the Soviet Union
“evil empire”
Space-based system to intercept and destroy enemy missiles
Not feasible
Would violate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
Strategic Defense Inititative (SDI)
Invasion of Grenada
Bombing of Libya
Marines to Lebanan (of whom 241 were killed by bomb)
Military Deployments under Reagan
Scheme in which the CIA and NSC diverted funds from the sale of arms to the Middle East to rebels fighting the Sandinista government in Nicaragua
Iran-Contra Affair
Reagan’s counterpart in the Soviet Union with whom he developed a good working relationship
Gorbachev
Gorbachev’s reforms including openness and economic reforms
glastost (openness)
and
perestroika (economic reforms)
Bush won 54% of the popular vote
Gary Hart withdrew with accusations of adultery
Democrats ridiculed vice-president
Election of 1988
