Richard Nixon

• President after Lyndon Johnson whose greatest accomplishments were in foreign policy. He introduced détente, became the first president to acknowledge the Communist government of China, and negotiated the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) with the Soviet Union. At home he attempted to turn back the tide of civil rights legislation and give more power to the states. He also faced stagflation and other economic challenges. He eventually became the only US president to resign do to Watergate scandal

Nixon’s Relations with China

• He became the first president to publicly acknowledge the Communist government of China and even visited there. Nixon also realized that, although both the USSR and China were communist, the 2 nations disagreed with one another on some major issues. For this reason, Nixon believed that good relations with the Chinese would give him more bargaining power with the Soviets

Affirmative Action

• A policy aimed at increasing minority representation in the workplace, educational institutions , social settings etc. by imposing guidelines requiring the hiring or acceptance of minority candidates, or by actively pursuing the recruitment of such candidates.

Stagflation

• rare economic occurrence in which inflation and unemployment rise at the same time

Roe v. Wade

• Controversial Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that state laws restricting a woman’s right to an abortion during the first 3 months of pregnancy are unconstitutional

Gerald Ford

• He became president after Richard Nixon. He is only man in history to serve as both vice president and president without being elected to either office. He continued to battle stagflation and eventually lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter

Camp David Accords

• Peace agreement between Egypt and Israel brokered by President Carter and for which President Carter received much praise

Ronald Reagan

• A strong supporter of Barry Goldwater in 1964, Reagan emerged as the conservative right’s next great hero in the mid-60’s. He served 2 terms as governor of California before being elected president in 1980. He was a conservative who believed in limited government, low taxes, and a strong military. His policies created a record national debt and are credited, by many, as bringing about the end of the Cold War. Although his presidency was somewhat tainted by the Iran-Contra Affair, he is remembered by many as one of the nation’s greatest problems

National Debt

• The amount of money a country owes as a result of spending more than it takes in as revenue

Effects of the Arms Race on Soviet Economy

• . Eventually, the Soviet economy could not sustain Reagan’s escalation of the arms race, forcing Gorbachev to introduce policies that eventually led to the downfall of the Soviet Union.

End of the Cold War

• Gorbachev realized that the hurting Soviet economy could not sustain an arms race with the US any longer. For this reason, he initiated glasnost and perestroika. These changes, along with the economic collapse of Communist nations in Eastern Europe, pave the way for the fall of communism in the Soviet Union and its satellite nations. On November 9, 1989, the East German government announced that people could travel freely to West Berlin. Except for a failed coup that was meant to remove Gorbachev and reverse his policies, the Cold War was essentially over. Although he was no longer in office at the time, many credited Ronald Reagan with bringing about the end of the Cold War.

Oliver North

• Marine colonel who had played a key role in the Iran-Contra Affair and who took most of the blame for the scandal

George H.W. Bush

• Served as vice-president under Reagan and succeeded Reagan as president in 1989. He won great popularity as president for leading the nation to victory in the Persian Gulf War, but los the 1992 election after the economy took a downturn

Saddam Hussein

• Leader of Iraq who invaded Kuwait in 1990, lost the Persian Gulf War in 1991, and was eventually removed from power once a US-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003.

NAFTANorth American Fair Trade Agreement

• This agreement promoted free trade between US, Canada and Mexico, and caused considerable controversy in the US. Many labor unions feared that the agreement would encourage US businesses to relocate to Mexico where they would face fewer restrictions and be able to pay lower wages. This, of course, would result in a loss of US jobs. Proponents of this agreement argued it would create jobs in the US by increasing foreign markets for US businesses

Newt Gingrich

• Conservative Republican congressman from Georgia who championed the “Contract With America” and who served as speaker of the House during the latter part of the Clinton presidency

Budget Battle

• A huge showdown between Clinton and Gingrich’s Republican-led Congress finally occurred in 1995 over proposed budget cuts. When the 2 sides could not compromise, the federal government temporarily shut down and ceased services to millions of people. It was the spring of 96 before the 2 sides reached an agreement. The budget battle turned out to be a plus for Clinton. Prior to it, Clinton’s popularity had been fading. Fortunately for the president, most people blamed Congress for the government shutdown. The following November, Clinton easily won a second term in the White House

Election of 2000

• . Decided by a mere 537 votes the swing state of Florida, the election of 2000 is to date the closest election in US history, and one of the few in which the winner in the electoral college failed to win the popular vote. George W. Bush was finally declared the winner after the Supreme Court stopped any future recounts in the state of Florida, thereby giving Bush the state’s 25 electoral votes and a majority in the electoral college

George W. Bush

• The son of a former president, he narrowly defeated Al Gore to become president in 2000. He currently still serves as president of the US as the US wages its war on terror

Terrorists

• Criminals who destroy property and kill innocent civilians in the name of a political or social cause

Osama bin Laden

• Leader of Al-Qaeda and mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks

War on Terror

• . War launched by the Bush administration against Islamic terrorism in response to the 9/11 attacks

Patriot Act

• Law passed by Congress which increased the authority of US law enforcement agencies and allowed them greater latitude in what measures they used to obtain information. Although the law came to be criticized by some as infringing too much on civil liberties, it was renewed by Congress and the president in March 2006.

Operation Enduring Freedom

• . US led invasion of Afghanistan that overthrew the Taliban in an effort to find and bring to justice Osama bin Laden

Changing attitudes Towards Government

• Through scandals, wars, economic problems, and now, a war on terror, citizens question their government and hold it accountable more than ever before. Most people now recognize that the days of citizens blindly believing what their leaders tell them are forever a part of the US past.

Détente Policy

• Introduced by Nixon that used diplomacy rather than intimidation to ease tensions that existed between the US and communist nations

Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education

• Supreme Court decision in which the court ruled that public schools could integrate through learning

Regents of UC v. Bakke

• Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that, while race could be used as a consideration in admission, the institution of racial quotas is a violation of the 14th amendment’s equal protection clause. The case did not strike down affirmative action, but it did set a precedent that quotas can’t be used in the increasing minority representation

Oil Embargo

• Period in the early 1970’s in which OPEC nations refused to sell oil to the US

Watergate

• Scandal in which supporters of the president were caught breaking-in to the Democratic national headquarters. Although the president was not involved in planning the break in, he was involved in the cover-up. The scandal eventually forced President Nixon to resign in order to avoid impeachment

Jimmy Carter

• Democrat and former governor of Georgia who was elected president in 1976. Despite being praised for the success of the Camp David Accords, he was viewed by many as being due to his handling of the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the manner in which he dealt with the Soviet Union. He was also blamed by many for the state of the US economy. He was soundly beaten by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election.

Iranian Hostage Crisis

• Crisis that began in 1979 after Iranian revolutionaries stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took everyone inside hostage. In exchange for their release, the Iranians demanded that the US government hand over the Shah of Iran to stand trial. When Carter refused, the hostage stand-off lasted the remaindered of Carter’s time in office and included a failed attempt at a military rescue. Carter’s handling of the situation contributed greatly to his defeat in the 1980 election.

Reagonomics

• Term given to Reagan’s economic policies by his critics early in his presidency when it appeared they were not working.

Evil Empire

• Term Ronald Reagan used to describe the Soviet Union

Mikhail Gorbachev

• Young, progressive leader of the Soviet Union who came to power while Reagan was president and who helped bring an end to the Cold War.

Iran-Contra Affair

• Scandal which occurred late in Ronald Reagan’s presidency in which members of the Reagan administration sold arms to Iran in exchange for help freeing hostages and illegally funneled the money from sales to fund the Contras in Nicaragua who were fighting against the communist Sandanista government.

The Great Communicator

• Nickname given to Ronald Reagan due to his wit and ability to effectively communicate with common men and women

Persian Gulf War

• War fought in 1991 in which the US led a UN coalition of nations in driving Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi forces out of the nation of Kuwait

Bill Clinton

• He defeated Bush in 1992 to become the first Democratic president since Jimmy Carter. Under his presidency the economy improved, however, his presidency was often dogged by scandal, he had a hard time dealing with a Republican-led Congress, and he is only the second president in history ever to be impeached after he was caught lying to a grand jury

Health Care System

• System of health care professionals and medical treatment in the US. Providing government-sponsored, affordable health care for US citizens was a major goal of the Clinton administration

Republican-led Congress

• The Republicans won control of both Houses and the Senate in 1994, forcing Bill Clinton to work with a Congress controlled by the opposing party. This eventually led to formidable showdown between Clinton and Gingrich’s Republican-led Congress, when the two sides could not agree on a national budget.

Al Gore

• Vice president under Bill Clinton, he was the Democratic nominee for president who narrowly lost the 2000 election

Florida

• State that decided the 2000 presidential election by supplying who ever won the state with enough electoral points to win a majority in the Electoral College

Al-Qaeda

• The most formidable and best known Islamic terrorist group

September 11, 2001

• Date of the terrorist attacks that forever changed life in the US and eventually led to war on terror. That morning, people across the country watched in shock as terrorists flew hijacked commercial airliners into the World Trade Center in New York City.

Dept. of Homeland Security

• Federal department established after 9/11 for the purpose of protecting the nation against further terrorist attacks

Afghanistan

• Nation where Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda enjoyed protection prior to the war on terror

War in Iraq

• War launched by a US-led coalition on nations in 2003 that invaded this country and brought down the government of Saddam Hussein. It was launched by the president and supported by Congress based on belief that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and ties to Al-Qaeda. However, the absence of such weapons and lack of evidence tying Saddam to Al-Qaeda have led to intense criticism and controversy over the war and whether the US troops should stay in Iraq or leave.

Troop Surge of 2007

• Increase in the number of US troops in Iraq proposed by President Bush in 2007 in an effort to help the new Iraqi government resist terrorist and prevent a civil war.

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