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This was an incident that lasted from November 1979 to January 1981, in which Iranian revolutionaries stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took the people inside hostage. In exchange for their release, the Iranians demanded that the US hand over the Shah. Eventually the Shah died, and the hostages were released the same day that Reagan was inaugurated president.
Iranian hostage crisis
Iran is currently engaged in nuclear research that many nations, including the United States, fear could result in Iran having nuclear weapons.
nuclear weapons in Iran
This was the leader of Iraq who invaded Kuwait in 1990. His actions launched the Persian Gulf War in which a UN coalition of forces, led by the US, forced him to retreat and leave Kuwait. Eventually, in 2003, Hussein would be removed from power and imprisoned after an international coalition of forces led by the US invaded Iraq as part of the "War on Terror."
Saddam Hussein
This is a small Middle East country rich in oil which was invaded by Iraq in 1990. Its liberation was the objective of UN forces in the Persian Gulf War.
Kuwait
This was the war fought between Iraq and a coalition of UN forces led by the United States in 1991. Lasting only forty-two days, it resulted in the liberation of Kuwait from Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces.
Persian Gulf War
These are criminals who destroy property and kill innocent civilians in the name of a political or social cause.
terrorists
This is the most formidable and best-known Islamic terrorist group.
al-Qaeda
He was the leader of al-Qaeda and mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was discovered in Pakistan and killed by Navy SEALS in May 2011.
Osama bin Laden
Sept. 11, 2001, was the date of the terrorist attacks that forever changed life in the United States and eventually led to the War on Terror. That morning, people across the country watched in shock as terrorists flew hijacked commercial airliners into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. The attacks killed thousands as the twin towers of the Trade Center came crashing down and the Pentagon burst into flames. Meanwhile, another hijacked plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board. It went down when the passengers revolted and prevented the airliner from reaching its intended target (believed to be either the Capitol or the White House).
9/11 attacks
This is the war launched by the Bush administration against Islamic terrorism in response to the 9/11 attacks.
"War on Terror"
This is the federal department established after 9/11 for the purpose of protecting the nation against further terrorist attacks.
Department of Homeland Security
This law passed by Congress increased the authority of US law enforcement agencies and allowed them greater latitude in what measures they used to obtain information. Although the law came to be criticized by some as infringing too much on civil liberties, it was renewed by Congress and the president in March 2006.
PATRIOT Act
This was the nation where Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda enjoyed protection prior to the War on Terror.
Afghanistan
his was the war launched by a US-led coalition of nations in 2003 that invaded Iraq and brought down the government of Saddam Hussein. It was launched by the president and supported by Congress based on the belief that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and ties to al-Qaeda. However, the absence of such weapons and lack of evidence tying Saddam to al-Qaeda have led to intense criticism and controversy over the war and whether or not US troops should stay in Iraq or leave.
war in Iraq
These are weapons designed to kill large numbers of people, such as nuclear and chemical weapons.
weapons of mass destruction
After becoming president, Barack Obama initiated a troop withdrawal from Iraq, pledging to remove most of the US soldiers serving in Iraq by the end of 2010.
troop withdrawal
This was a political scandal that arose from the fact that several people close to President Nixon planned a failed break-in of Democratic headquarters that resulted in the arrest of five men. President Nixon did not assist in the plan, but he did participate in the cover-up and thus was ultimately forced to resign as a result of the scandal.
Watergate scandal
This was a scandal that arose during the Reagan administration that involved the sale of US arms to Iran in exchange for help securing the release of hostages and money that was then funneled illegally to the Contras in Nicaragua.
Iran-Contra affair
Congress voted to impeach President Bill Clinton after he lied to a grand jury regarding his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. The Senate voted to spare his presidency.
Clinton impeachment
The Oklahoma City bombing was carried out by Timothy McVeigh and was, prior to 9/11, the deadliest terrorist attack in US history.
Oklahoma City bombing
This was a landmark Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed legal representation to all defendants in a trial.
Gideon v. Wainwright
This was a 1966 Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that criminal defendants must be informed when they are arrested that they have the right to an attorney and the right not to incriminate themselves.
Miranda v. Arizona
This was a controversial Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that state laws restricting a woman's right to an abortion during the first three months of pregnancy are unconstitutional. (A concurrent ruling, Doe v. Bolton, in conjunction with Roe, currently grants women the right to end the life of the fetus through all nine months of pregnancy for any reason, including just prior to birth.)
Roe v. Wade
This ideology advocates an active government. Liberals believe that government should use its power and influence to address social concerns, regulate the economy, and provide programs and services to help meet the needs of socioeconomic security for citizens. Liberal judges tend to interpret the Constitution to enact social changes.
Liberal ideology
This ideology favors a less-active government. Conservatives believe that the role of government should be limited to providing national security, law and order, and protection of rights guaranteed under the Constitution. They do not believe it is the role of government to provide for the needs of all citizens, but rather simply to protect citizens' rights to pursue meeting their own needs by all lawful means at their disposal. Conservative judges tend to be more stringent in their interpretation of the Constitution. They do not believe it is the role of the courts to interpret the Constitution so as to enact social change, but rather simply to determine if existing laws are constitutional
Conservative ideology