New Federalism
A term that refers to the transfer of certain powers from the federal government to the state governments. It helped revive the state's autonomy and power which it had lost with the New Deal.
Vietnamization
Term that is used to describe the transfer of responsibility of the Vietnam War from the U.S. to South Vietnam. It helped the U.S. pull out of Vietnam quicker.
Kent State University
Kent State was the location of one of the many college student protests against the Vietnam War. The protest ended with a clash against the police and the death of several students. The incident greatly decreased the support for U.S. involvement in Vietna
D�tente
This was a type of foreign policy adopted both by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. which focused on easing relations between the two and dropping the confrontational rivalry for the time being. This new policy allowed for tensions between the two powers to ease
SALT I
SALT I was a series of negotiations between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. on the issue of nuclear arms reduction. The talks helped lower the total number of missiles each side would have and eased the tension between the two.
Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger was Richard Nixon's National Security Advisor and then Secretary of State. He helped to develop ties with China and eased tensions with the Soviets, which both would later help get the U.S. out of Vietnam.
Le Duc Tho
He was a North Vietnamese political leader. He, along with Kissinger, negotiated a ceasefire during the Vietnam war, letting the U.S. to be able to leave.
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was a prominent and influential member of the Chinese Communist Party during the time of Mao. He played a large role in China's reestablishing ties with the West.
War Powers Act
This government legislation was designed to root out traitors in the U.S. It defined, regulated, and punished the enemy who was anyone that traded with the main enemy.
George McGovern
McGovern was a senator from South Dakota during the Cold War; he also ran for president against Nixon in 1972. His defeat signaled that America was in the mood for change from the Democrats.
Southern Strategy
The Southern Strategy was a term that described the Republicans' move to campaign in the south after it had broken with the Democrats over civil rights. This was the beginning of the Republican domination of the south American sees today in national polit
Pentagon Papers
These papers were a government study of U.S. involvement in South East Asia, or more specifically Vietnam commissioned during Johnson's presidency. Their exposure caused a panic in the government and for Nixon to become more paranoid with the upcoming ree
Daniel Ellsberg
He was a political activist who was responsible for publishing the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times, letting America know about the government's actions. His actions in publishing the papers greatly eroded American faith in the government and their a
Watergate
Watergate is a name given to the scandal the Nixon administration committed during the '72 presidential election where hired "goons" broke into Democrat HQ at Watergate hotel for any dirt. This scandal revealed several other dirty plays Nixon's administra
H.R. Haldeman
Haldeman was Nixon's Chief of Staff and was also involved in the Watergate scandal. He was deeply involved with Nixon's scandals since he and Erhlichman were Nixon's most trusted aids, doing whatever they felt necessary to protect Nixon.
John Ehrlichman
Ehrlichman, along with Haldeman, was one of Nixon's most trusted aids. He was deeply involved with Nixon's scandals since he and Haldeman were Nixon's most trusted aids, doing whatever they felt necessary to protect Nixon.
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
These two men were reporters for the Washington Times during the 70s. The two are credited with uncovering the Watergate scandal.
John Sirica
Sirica was the chief judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He was the judge of the Watergate break-in case and later demanded Nixon's tapes during the whole fiasco.
Sam Ervin
Sam Ervin was a senator from North Carolina. He was chairman of the Senate Select Committee to Investigate Presidential Campaign Practices during the Watergate scandal.
John Dean
John Dean was Nixon's legal counsel during and prior to the Watergate scandal. He is best known for coming out on Nixon, bringing light to the investigation.
Archibald Cox
A professor of Harvard law school who also worked with the Department of Labor. He was the appointed Special Prosecutor over the Watergate case.
Leon Jaworski
He was the next Special Prosecutor of the Watergate case after Cox was fired. J aworski was responsible for bringing to light many damaging facts of the Watergate break-in and subsequent cover-up.
Spiro T. Agnew
Agnew was Nixon's vice-president but ultimately resigned due to financial charges. He helped Nixon gain votes from his moderate, immigrant, and Democratic state background.
Sandra Day O'Connor
She was a laywer and later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. She was the first woman to be a justice on the Supreme Court.
Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite was a reporter for CBS news.
All in the Family
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Cesar Chavez
Chavez was a union organizer and social activist of the 1960s. He led a five-year nonviolent boycott against California grape growers, protesting poor working conditions and the use of pesticides harmful to farm workers. The boycott became a cause celebre
SALT II
SALT II was a second series of negotiations between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. about nuclear arms reduction. The talks, though never ratified by the Senate due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, both sides agreed to limit strategic launchers and weapon
OPEC
OPEC, or the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is an organization that owns much of the world's oil. Their boycott of the U.S. due to its support of Israel caused an energy crisis in the country, showing how dependent the country was on oil.
Salvador Allende
Chilean politician who as president was considered the first democratically elected Marxist head of government but later killed in a coup d'�tat. He was an example of a democratically elected leader unsupported by the U.S. due to Marxism.
Yom Kippur War
This was a war fought by Israel and neighboring Arab nations where the Arabs launched a surprise attack during Yom Kippur. U.S. support for Israel during the war led to OPEC boycotting the U.S., creating an energy crisis.
Reza Pahlavi
He was the pro-U.S. shah of Iran who was unpopular with the people of Iran. The granting of his asylum in the U.S. caused even more anti-American resentment in Iran and resulted in a hostage crisis.
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was China's next major leader after the death of Mao in 1976. He promoted more ties with the west and the slow movement towards capitalism in China.
Reaganomics
Reaganomics is a term that refers to the economic policies adopted by Reagan. They were based on tax-cuts, budget-cuts, and the belief of trickle down economics. This economic policy caused a great deal of discontent, but after he left office, the country
Moral Majority
Moral Majority was a political group made up of fundamentalist Christians. Although not it did not accomplish much, it did show that Americans were starting to worry about the moral fabric of society.
Strategic Defense Initiative
SDI was a ballistic missile defense system designed to protect the U.S. from any Soviet missile launch. It was a demonstration of America's determination to win by technology, and to some, SDI hurried the fall of the Soviet Union.
Grenada
Grenada was a small Latin country where a communist government had taken power. Reagan invaded the country in protest of communist expansion, showing that he was not pursuing d�tente.
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were the peace accords signed by Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat to finally end the Israeli-Egyptian disputes. The achievement by Carter is considered his greatest achievement in office.
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Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act
This was a government legislation that dealt with the budget problems faced during Reagan's administration, which saw huge deficits. The law provided for automatic spending cuts to take effect if the president and Congress failed to reach established targ
Manuel Noriega
A former CIA agent, Noriega was the de facto leader of Panama during the '80s until 1992. His government/soldiers continually harassed U.S. soldiers and civilians, drawing American into armed conflict.
Mu'ammar al-Qaddafi
He was a Libyan leader who seized power from the Libyan monarchy and imposed Islamic rule on Libya. His government had supported many terrorist organizations that had been responsible for the incidents of the '70s and '80s.
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein was the leader of Iraq during the middle of the Cold War. Although initially supported by the U.S. to fight Iran, his invasion of Kuwait made him a prime enemy of America.
Desert Storm
Desert Storm was the name given to the operation to liberate Kuwait. The operation was a success, Kuwait was liberated and Iraq defeated.
Berlin Wall (1989)
In 1989, the Berlin Wall came down. The fall of the wall marked an end to Soviet influence in the country and allowed for Germany to become reunited.
Tiananmen Incident
The Tiananmen Square incident was a suppression of Chinese democrats by the PLA. It caused much condemning from western nations including the U.S.
Mikhail Gorbachev
Gorbachev was the leader of the U.S.S.R. during the '80s. He introduced some reforms in the Soviet Union as well as freed some satellite states. These reforms caused the fall of the Soviet Union.
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Clean Air Act
It describes one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of smog and air pollution in general. The legislation forced the country to enforce clean air standards to improve health and showed that American was moving towards certain e
Americans With Disabilities Act
A civil rights legislation that forbids discrimination of various sorts against persons with physical or mental handicaps. This moved American more towards the left in social politics. The legislation also helped many disabled people.
Colin Powell
Colin Powell was an American military general and leader during the Persian Gulf War. He played a crucial role in planning and attaining America's victory in the Persian Gulf and Panama.. He was also the first black four star general and chairman of the J
Family and Medical Leave Act
This was a labor legislation that allowed employees to take unpaid leaves if a family member was ill or if he was ill himself. This was a fulfillment of a campaign promise, which brought Clinton much popularity and improved worker rights.
Albert Gore
Al Gore was Clinton's vice-president and a candidate for the 2000 presidential election. His running caused on of the closest elections in history and a fiasco with the voting system.
Newt Gingrich
Gingrich was the Republican speaker in the House. He pushed for more conservative legislation during Clinton's presidency.
Bush v. Gore
This case was during the 2000 presidential election between Bush and Gore over Florida's 25 electoral votes. The decision made George W. Bush the new president of the United States, and the fiasco made people question the need for the electoral college.
Patriot Act
After September 11, congress passed a security legislation in order to make the country safer. The Patriot Act gives the authorities enhanced powers, such as looking up library records, to protect the country.