Albert Chon

Unit 9 Key Terms

Chapter 40
Election of 1980- The election of 1980 was between the Republican Ronald
Reagan and the democratic nominee, Ted Kennedy. Reagan won, since the
average American was older and was more likely to favor the right
conservatives.
Ronald Reagan- Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the US from 19811989 and adopted a stance against big government, as he did not want the
federal government to intervene in local affairs. He slashed programs from
the federal government and propped up defense spending.
Supply side economics/Reaganomics- Supply side economics were
Reagans policies that were favorable to businesses to lower individual taxes
and nearly eliminate federal estate taxes, and also creating new tax-free
savings plans for small investors. This theory backfired, however, as the
nation slid into a severe recession with unemployment reaching nearly 11%.
Strategic Defense Initiative- The Strategic Defense Initiative was also
known as Star Wars and it proposed a system of lasers that could fire from
space and destroy any nuclear weapons fired by Moscow before they hit
America. It was considered impossible, and was never actually built. This
was part of the USs super-expensive arms race that would force the Soviets
into bankruptcy.
Iran Contra Scandal- The Iran Contra Scandal was the scandal where
Reagans officials secretly sold arms to Iranian diplomats in return for the
release of American hostages, and that money was used to help Nicaraguan
contra rebels. This brazenly defied the ban to help the rebels and also the
vow not to negotiate with terrorists.
Black Monday- Black Monday was the day that the stock market index
plunged 508 points on October 19, 1987- the largest one-day decline in
market history. What followed was the bailout of many banks, as the
economy was in shambles since real estate values had been slashed along
with hundreds of savings and loans institutions.
Jesse Jackson- Jesse Jackson was an African American man who assembled
a rainbow coalition of the disadvantaged and minorities, and ran for
presidency in 1988, but lost the Democratic Party nominee.
Michael Dukakis- Michael Dukakis was the governor of Massachusetts who
won the Democratic nominee against George H.W. Bush, but lost the election

badly. He did not address the ethical and economic sore spots, and hence
came across as devoid of emotion to America.
George H.W. Bush- George H.W. Bush was the Republican president from
1989-1993. His presidency included the end of the cold war with Tiananmen
Square, fall of the Berlin Wall, and the presidency of Boris Yeltsin. He was
involved in the Gulf war to attack Iraq, since the Iraqis invaded Kuwait to
annex it for its oil fields.
Mikhail Gorbachev- Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of the Soviet Union
who lost power to Boris Yeltsin when the Soviet Union disintegrated into the
Commonwealth of Independent States, thus ending the cold war. He was an
energetic leader who promoted glasnost (openness) and also perestroika
(free-market restructuring).
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty START II- START II was an accord that
George H.W. Bush signed with Yeltsin, pledging both nations to reduce their
long range nuclear arsenals by 2/3 within 10 years.
Operation Desert Storm- Operation Desert Storm was an operation in the
Gulf War where the US attacked Iraq since Iraq had invaded Kuwait. It was a
land attack where the Iraqis eventually surrendered.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)- The Americans with Disabilities
Act was a landmark law that banned discrimination against citizens with
disabilities. It was a civil rights law passed in 1990.
Chapter 41
William J Clinton- William J or Bill Clinton was the Democratic president
from 1993 to 2001. He was a moderate democrat who was known for the
Brady Bill and his sex scandal with Monica Lewinski.
Ross Perot- Ross Perot was the third party reform party candidate who won
20% of the popular vote in 1992, which was the most an independent party
ever won.
NAFTA- NAFTA is the North American Free Trade Agreement which created a
free-trade zone in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. It was supported
by President Clinton and helped him win the 1992 election.
Janet Reno- Janet Reno was the first female attorney general ever who was
nominated by Bill Clinton in 1993.
Sandra Day OConnor- Sandra Day OConnor was a supreme court justice
who was appointed by Ronald Reagan who was a brilliant Stanford educated
lawyer who was the first woman to ascend to supreme court justice in
history.

Oklahoma City Bombing- Oklahoma City Bombing was the bombing that
destroyed a federal office building in 1995 that killed 168 people.
Waco, Texas- Waco, Texas is the city in Texas where a standoff between the
police and the Branch Davidians occurred that killed many innocent civilians.
It revealed a secretive underground of paramilitary private militias made of
alienated citizens who were armed and suspicious of the government.
Columbine High School- Columbine High School was a High school where a
massacre occurred in 1999 when 2 seniors murdered 12 students and a
teacher. It was one of the most tragic shootings in American history and was
an attempt to mirror the bombings at Oklahoma City. It brought attention to
gun control and school violence.
Michael Moore- Michael Moore is a very liberal American commentator and
writer who made a film to raise awareness about gun control. He urged for
stricter and gun control in America.
Alan Greenspan- Alan Greenspan was the chairman of the Federal Reserve
from 1987 to 2006. He was credited for much of the Clinton-era prosperity
and skillful management of the money supply. He carefully adjusted interest
rates to control inflation while promoting economic growth.
WTO- The WTO or the World Trade Organization was an international
organization that organized trade between nations. It was intended to
supervise and liberalize international trade.
Clinton Lewinsky Scandal- The Clinton Lewinsky Scandal was the sex
scandal in 1998 where Bill Clinton had oral sex with White House intern
Monica Lewinsky. This event, followed by Clintons lying under oath, led to his
impeachment by the White House.
Million Mom March- The Million Mom March was a march in Washington
D.C. that demonstrated the growing public support for new anti-gun
measures, which occurred due to the Columbine massacre.
Election of 2000- The election of 2000 was an election between George W.
Bush and Albert Gore, in which there were many problems with the counting
of the votes in Florida, leading there to be a dark shadow of legitimacy to
Bushs win, who won the electoral vote, but not the popular
vote.0000000000000
George W. Bush- George W. Bush was the son of George H.W. Bush, and
became president on 2001 to 2009. He was a republican who led the war on
terror, the war in Iraq and also the war in Afghanistan. He also passed the
Partiroit act.

USA Patriot Act The USA patriot act was an act created in response to the
9/11 bombings. It allowed the US government to have extensive telephone
and email surveillance and the authorization to detain and deport
immigrants suspected of terrorism.
Axis of evil- The axis of evil was the term that referred to the governments
that Bush accused of practicing terrorism and seeking weapons of mass
destructions, which included the nations of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. It
rallied the US in support of the war on terror as these countries were
considered grave menaces to American security.
Iraq War- The Iraq War was a war that launched the invasion on Iraq in
2003, which resulted due to the allegations that Iraq had weapons of mass
destruction that were a threat to international peace and security.