Political Ideologies
Define one key belief of liberals in the 1980s about government's role in society.
Liberals: support significant government intervention to help citizens and expand social programs.
What is the basic idea of supply-side economics (Reaganomics)?
Reduce taxes to increase investment and spending, which will stimulate economic growth (supply-side).
What political effect did Engel v. Vitale (prayer in public schools) have on religious conservatives?
It motivated more religious conservatives to become politically active.
State Reagan's "Peace Through Strength" goal in one short sentence.
To build U.S. military strength to weaken communist power.
Who won the 1980 presidential election and name the previous president he defeated?
Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter.
Define one key belief of conservatives in the 1980s about taxes and government size.
Conservatives: favor smaller government, lower taxes, and fewer social programs to encourage economic growth.
Name the 1981 law that cut federal income taxes and state its approximate reduction percentage.
Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981; about a 25% reduction in marginal tax rates.
Who was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court by Reagan?
Sandra Day O'Connor.
Name Gorbachev's two reforms that opened relations with the US.
Glasnost and Perestroika.
State one major result of the PATCO strike of 1981 in one short phrase
It weakened the labor movement. Reagan fired striking controllers.
List two historical events from the 1960s–70s that reduced faith in liberal policies.
Vietnam War, Watergate and Iran hostage crisis
Give two effects of Reaganomics on federal spending or deficits.
Federal deficits rose (from $79B to over $200B), and the national debt rose to about $2.5 trillion.
Summarize the U.S. government's early response to the AIDS epidemic under Reagan.
he government delayed action and provided inadequate funding for AIDS research and education.
List two ways Reagan tried to challenge the Soviet Union internationally.
Massive military buildup; Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars); funding anti-communist rebels. Ex: Mujahideen, Contras
In one short sentence, explain why the Iran-Contra affair hurt Reagan’s credibility.
Because his administration publicly opposed negotiating with terrorists but secretly sold weapons to Iran and funded Contras.
Explain why the Moral Majority gained political influence in the 1980s
It mobilized religious conservatives who opposed legal school prayer bans and decline in "traditional family values."
Explain in one sentence a common critique of supply-side economics that argues wealthy tax cuts do not help lower-income groups.
Common critique: Wealthy tax cuts are often spent on luxury consumption or saved, so benefits do not "trickle down" to lower-income groups.
Give one reason why people blamed liberal policies (Great Society) for social problems in the 1970s–80s
Belief that Great Society programs increased dependency, inflation, or welfare abuse.
Give two contributing factors to the end of the Cold War listed in the unit.
Gorbachev’s reforms, U.S. political/economic pressure, and arms buildup led to the collapse of Eastern European communist governments.
Identify one illegal action described in the unit related to Iran-Contra.
Secretly selling arms to Iran and diverting funds to the Contras despite congressional bans.
Describe how the Equal Access Act affected student clubs in public high schools
It forbids denying federally funded public school clubs based on religious, political, or philosophical content (Equal Access Act).
Identify two government programs or areas that were cut under Reagan's budget priorities
Food stamps, Medicaid, school lunches, urban mass transit, welfare benefits
Describe why a common conservative criticize of welfare programs during the 1980s.
Common conservative criticism: welfare is abused or creates dependency it wastes taxpayer money.
Describe in one sentence why the Berlin Wall's fall was historically significant for the Cold War.
It symbolized the collapse of communist control in Eastern Europe and accelerated the end of the Cold War.
Summarize how Reagan performed in the Electoral College vs. the popular vote in 1980.
Reagan won about 50.6% of the popular vote but captured roughly 90% of the Electoral College