acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) gradual and eventually fatal breakdown of the immune system caused by the HIV virus; it is transmitted by the exchange of bodily fluids through such means as sexual intercourse or needle sharing

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

anthrax infectious disease usually associated with livestock but that can be deadly to humans; can be contracted through touching or breathing anthrax spores






boomburbs suburban cities with populations of over 100,000 and double-digit growth every decade since they first exceeded a population of 2,500; also called “fringe cities” and “technoburbs”






Colin Powell 1st African American to be secretary of state; a career Army officer, Power served as national security adviser to President Reagan and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George W. Bush

Contract with America 1994 pledge by some 300 Republican candidates for the House; promised to reduce the size and scope of the federal government and to balance the federal budget by 2002

crack cocaine highly potent form of cocaine that is smoked through a glass pipe and is extremely addictive






Dayton Agreement 1995 agreement signed in Dayton, Ohio, by the 3 rival ethnic groups in Bosnia, which pledged to end the 4-year-old civil war there






ethnic cleansing an effort to eradicate an ethnic or religious group from a country or region, often through mass killings






G-8 nations term given to the leading industrial nations, including the US, that meet periodically to deal with major economic and political problems facing their countries and the international community

gender feminists term applied to those within the feminist movement who focus on the subordination of women and the need for radical changes in gender-related roles and traditions

glass ceiling an intangible barrier within the hierarchy of a company that prevents women or minorities from rising to upper-level positions






H. Ross Perot Texas billionaire who used large amounts of his own money to run as an Independent candidate for president in 1992 and who created the Reform Party for his 1996 bid for the presidency






Immigration Act of 1990 law passed that reformed the Immigration Act of 1965; increased the number of immigrants allowed annually into the US to around 700,000 and gave preference to skilled workers and those with families already living in the country






judicial restraint restraining from using the courts as a forum for implementing social change but instead deferring to Congress, the president, and the consensus of the people






Monica Lewinsky White House intern who had a 2-year sexual affair with President Clinton; Clinton’s misleading testimony about the affair contributed to his impeachment






Nasdaq stock index launched in 1971 that focuses on technology companies; stands for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 1993 agreement that eliminated most tariffs and other trade barriers between the US, Mexico, and Canada






Operation Rescue a militant anti-abortion group

Osama bin Laden military Muslim fundamentalist, whose terrorist organization, Al-Qaeda, has organized terrorist attacks on Americans, including those against the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and the 2001 World Trade Center bombing






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

Rodney King African American whose beating by LA police officers was captured on tape; the 1992 acquittal of the officers triggered rioting in which 60 people were killed






sexual harassment unwanted sexual advances, sexually derogatory remarks, gender-related discrimination, or the existence of a sexually hostile work environment






Taliban an organization of Muslim fundamentalists that gained control over the country after the soviets withdrew and established a strict Islamic government






USA Patriot Act 2001 law that reduced constraints on the Justice Department and other law enforcement agencies dealing with individual with suspected links to terrorism






Violence Against Women Act 1994 law that provided federal funds and support to judicial and law-enforcement agencies to prevent violence against women, to aid victims, and to punish those convicted of sexual violence and attacks on women






Whitewater a scandal involving a failed real-estate development in Arkansas in which President Clinton invested

World Trade Organization Geneva-based organization that oversees world trading systems; founded in 1995 by 135 countries to replace the 1948 GATT (‘General Agreement on Tariffs and Trades)






Y2K term applied to a projected global computer problem when calendar software had to adjust to the year 2000; many people feared that computers would be confused about distinguishing between 1900 and 2000