Ping Pong Diplomacy: The first US visitors to China since its transition to communism in 1949.
SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks): The US and USSR agreed to freeze the number of long-range missile launchers and build new missiles only after destroying older ones.
Détente: A period of more relaxed relations with America's supposed enemies, China and the USSR.
Domestic Policy and Economic Challenges
Domestic Policy: Richard Nixon attempted to invest in progressive and social justice causes while expanding LBJ's welfare programs.
Stagflation: An economic cycle characterized by rising prices and job losses.
Watergate: Five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee; Nixon himself ordered the break-in to steal information.
Reaganomics: A policy of cutting taxes for the wealthy, theorizing they would invest in their businesses and improve the national economy.
S&L Crisis: Savings and loans were not saved in banks but were instead invested and lost during the George H.W. Bush administration.
Social Movements and Civil Rights
African Americans: The "Black is Beautiful" campaign.
University of California v. Bakke: Established that affirmative action programs can assist minorities in accessing education and employment.
Roe v. Wade: Established that women can seek abortions based on the right to control their own bodies.
Harvey Milk: The first openly gay person to win a major political campaign.
Chicanos: Fought for higher wages and better living conditions.
War Veterans: Soldiers returning from Vietnam often faced homelessness and illness.
Affirmative Action: A policy where women and minorities receive extra consideration when applying for education and employment.
Global Shifts and Political Ideologies
Perestroika: Reform under the new USSR leader, signaling a willingness to stop promoting communism.
Iran-Contra Affair: Members of the Reagan administration took money from the sale of weapons to Iran and donated it to the Contras in Nicaragua.
Liberal: Often described as "leftist," favoring big government, higher taxes, social welfare, equality, and diplomacy.
Conservative: Often described as "right-wing," favoring small government, low taxation, free markets, private property rights, family values, and military power.
George H.W. Bush: Oversaw the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
First Gulf War: Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, attempted to invade Kuwait for its oil supplies.
Third Way: A political philosophy of centrism.
Bill Clinton: Known for the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding LGBTQ+ rights and the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement): Removed tariff barriers between the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Globalization: The process where boundaries between nations become less important due to the exchange of products.
Multiculturalism: The belief that racial and ethnic diversity is what makes America unique.
