affirmative action policy that seeks to redress past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity, especially in education and employment

Aid to Families with Dependent Children program created by the Social Security Act of 1935; provided states with matching federal funds and became one of the states’ main welfare programs

Allen Bakke rejected applicant who filed a lawsuit against the University of California at Davis for reverse discrimination; he claimed that he was denied admittance to medical school because of school policy that set aside admissions for lesser qualified minorities; the Supreme Court agreed in 1978

alternative fuels sources of energy other than coal, oil, and natural gas; solar, geothermal, hydroelectric and nuclear energy

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini religious leader of Iran’s Shiite Muslims; the Shiites toppled the shah in 1979 and the ayatollah established a new constitution giving himself supreme powers






Berlin Wall barrier that the communist East German government built in 1961 to divide East and West Berlin; torn down in 1989 as the Cold War ended

Boland Amendment 1984 motion that barred the CIA from using funds to give direct or indirect aid to the Nicaraguan contras

Boris Yeltsin Russian parliamentary leader who was elected president of the new Russian Republic in 1991 and provided increased democratic and economic reforms






Camp David Accords 1978 treaty under which Israel returned territory captures from Egypt and Egypt recognized Israel as a nation

capital gains tax tax on profits resulting from the sale of assets such as securities and real estate

Carter Doctrine policy that the US would use force to repel any nation that attempted to take control of the Persian Gulf

Commonwealth of Independent States weak federation of the former Soviet republics; it replaced the Soviet Union in 1992 and soon gave way to total independence of the member countries

Contadora Plan 1987 pact signed by the presidents of 5 Central American nations calling for a ceasefire in conflicts in the region and for democratic reforms

contras Nicaraguan rebels, many former followers of Somoza, fighting to overthrow the Sandinista government

Cyrus Vance Carter’s secretary of state, who wanted the US to defend human rights and promote economic development of lesser developed countries






direct mail advertising or promotional matter mailed directly to potential customers or audiences chosen because they are likely to respond favorably






Economic Recovery Tax Act 1981 law that cut income taxes by 25%

economic sanctions trade restrictions imposed on a country that has violated international law

energy crisis vulnerability to dwindling oil supplies, wasteful energy consumption, and potential embargoes by oil-producing countries

Equal Rights Amendment proposed constitutional amendment giving women equal rights under the law; Congress approved it in 1972, but it failed to achieve ratification by the required 38 states






federal deficit total amount of debt owed by the national government






globalization the process of opening national borders to the free flow of trade, capital, idea and information, and people

Grenada country in West Indies that achieved independence in 1974 and was invaded briefly by US forces in 1983






human rights basic rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled, such as the right to life and liberty, to freedom of thought and expression, and to equality before the law






Immigration Control and Reform Act 1986 law that prohibits the hiring of illegal aliens; it offered amnesty and legal residence to any who could prove that they had entered the country prior to 1982

Intermediate Nuclear Force Treaty (INF) 1987 treaty that provided for the destruction of US and Soviet medium-range nuclear missiles and for verification with on-site inspections






meltdown severe overheating of a nuclear reactor core, resulting in the melting of the core and the escape of life-threatening radiation

Mikhail Gorbachev Soviet leader who came to power in 1985; he introduced political and economic reforms and then found himself presiding over the breakup of the Soviet Union

Moamar Qaddafi seized power in a 1969 military coup and imposed a socialist region and Islamic orthodoxy on Libya

Moral Majority right-wing religious organization led by televangelist Jerry Falwell; it had an active politically lobby in the 1980s promoting such issues as opposition to abortion and to the ERA

mujahedeen Afghan resistance group supplied with arms by the US to assist in its fight against the Soviets following their 1979 invasion of Afghanistan






New Right conservative movement opposing the political and social reforms that developed in the late 1960s and demanding less government intervention in the economy and a return to traditional values; it was a major political force by the 1980s






Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) organization created in 1960 by 11 oil-producing nations to coordinate the price and level of production of their oil






Palestine Liberation Organization political and military organization of Palestinians, originally dedicated to opposing the state of Israel through terrorism and other means

Persian Gulf arm of the Arabian Sea and location of the ports of several major oil-producing Arab countries; its security is crucial to the flow of oil from the Middle East to the rest of the world

Persian Gulf War 1991 war triggered by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait; a US-led coalition defeated Iraqi forces and freed Kuwait

Phyllis Schlafly leader of the movement to defeat the ERA; she believed that the amendment threatened the domestic role of women

political coattails term referring to the ability of a presidential candidate to attract voters to other office seekers from the same political party

postindustrial society a society whose economic base is no longer driven by manufacturing but by service and information industries

Proposition 13 measure adopted by referendum in California in 1978 cutting local property taxes by more than 50%






Reaganomics economic beliefs and policies of the Reagan administration, including the belief that tax cuts for the wealthy and deregulation of industry benefit the economy

Right to Life movement anti-abortion movement that favors a constitutional amendment to prohibit abortion; some adherents grew increasingly militant during the 1980s and 1990s; also called the pro-life movement

Roe v. Wade 1973 Supreme Court ruling that women have an unrestricted right to choose an abortion during the first 3 months of pregnancy

Rust Belt industrialized Middle Atlantic and Great Lakes region whose old factories are barely profitable or have closed






Sagebrush rebellion 1980s political movement in western states opposing federal regulations governing land use and natural resources, seeking state jurisdiction instead

Sandinista Liberation Front leftist guerrilla movement that overthrew Anastasio Somoza in Nicaragua in 1979 and established a revolutionary government under Daniel Ortega

savings and loan industry (S) network of financial institutions originally found to make home mortgage loans; deregulation during the Reagan era allowed them to speculate in risky ventures and led to many S failures

strategic arms limitation treaty (SALT II) 1979 agreement between the US and the USSR to limit the number of strategic nuclear missiles in each country; Congress never approved the treaty

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) research program to create an effective laser-based defense against nuclear missile attack

supply-side economics theory that reducing taxes on the wealthy and increasing the money available for investment will stimulate the economy and eventually benefit everyone






televangelist Protestant evangelist minister who conducts televised worship services; many such ministers used their broadcasts as a forum for promoting conservative values

Three Mile Island site of a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania; a 1979 accident led to a partial meltdown and the release of radioactive gases

trade deficit amount by which the value of a nation’s imports exceeds the value of its exports






Yuppie young urban resident with a high-paying professional job and a materialistic lifestyle