Reagan, Bush, and Clinton: 1980-2000 Vocabulary Flashcards
AIDS Crisis Definition
an epidemic of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, first recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1981
Beirut Barracks Bombing Definition
a bombing carried out in Beirut, Lebanon, by Iranian-trained militants on October 23, 1983, killing 241 U.S. service personnel
Berlin Wall Definition
a concrete wall with barbed wire across the top that was built by the Soviet Union in 1961 to divide West Berlin and East Berlin
Contract with America Definition
a list of eight specific legislative reforms or initiatives that Republican representatives promised to enact if they gained a majority in Congress in the 1994 midterm elections
Dayton Accords Definition
a peace settlement signed in Dayton, Ohio, in 1995 that ended the war in Bosnia between Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia
Domestic Terrorism Definition
acts of terror committed by a person against his or her own country
Globalization Definition
a growing interdependence and connectivity between world nations resulting from the increased spread of information, technology, goods, and jobs
Impeachment Definition
the process of bringing formal charges against an elected official for misconduct or crimes committed while in office
Inflation Definition
a rise in prices that occurs when the availability of goods and services cannot keep up with an increase in the amount of money available
Internet Definition
a global system of computer networks that facilitates a rapid exchange of information around the world
Invasion of Grenada Definition
the successful ousting of a communist, Cuba-supported military junta that had overthrown a moderate regime in the small island nation of Grenada
Invasion of Panama Definition
U.S. intervention in Panama in 1989 to depose the Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega on the basis of alleged human rights violations
Iran-Contra Affair Definition
a political scandal during Ronald Reagan’s second term, involving the illegal sale of arms to Iran to pay for illegal military aid to the Contras, counterrevolutionaries who wanted to overthrow the government of Nicaragua
Moral Majority Definition
Christian conservatives who supported traditional family values and prayer in schools; they opposed abortion, drug use, and homosexuality as a threat to society
New Right Definition
a group of conservative Americans who opposed the social reforms and cultural changes of the 1960s and 1970s
Newt Gingrich Definition
leader of the Republican minority in Congress who prepared the Contract with America and became the 50th Speaker of the House in 1996
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Definition
a treaty that eliminated tariffs and trade restrictions among the United States, Canada, and Mexico
Operation Desert Storm Definition
a war waged by coalition forces against Iraq from January to April 1991 in reaction to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990
Peace through Strength Definition
the idea that peace can be attained through military power
Phyllis Schlafly Definition
a lawyer and conservative activist who fought to defeat the Equal Rights Amendment
Reaganomics Definition
an economic policy based on the premise that if taxes are cut for the wealthy, they will be motivated to invest in businesses, factories, and the stock market, which will create more jobs
Recession Definition
a temporary economic decline in which business activity is reduced
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties Definition
agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union that attempted to restrain the arms race; President Reagan allowed the treaties to expire in late 1985
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) Definition
an agreement signed in July 1991 between President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which committed their countries to reducing their nuclear arsenals by 25 percent
Strategic Defense Initiative Definition
a proposal for the development of a defensive shield to protect the United States from a Soviet missile strike; also known as SDI or Star Wars
War on Drugs Definition
a campaign to “get tough” on drug abuse that resulted in the mass incarceration of many nonviolent offenders
Welfare-to-Work Definition
refers to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which required most welfare recipients to begin working within two years of receiving benefits
