Modern America (1980-Present) Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Modern America (1980-Present) distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/modern-america/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Reagan Revolution

The broad conservative political realignment beginning with Reagan's 1980 election, combining supply-side economics, deregulation, anti-communism, and social conservatism into a governing coalition that reshaped American politics for decades.

End of the Cold War

The period from 1989-1991 during which communist governments fell across Eastern Europe, the Berlin Wall was torn down, and the Soviet Union dissolved, leaving the United States as the sole global superpower.

Globalization

The increasing integration of economies, cultures, and populations worldwide through trade, investment, technology, and migration. In the American context, globalization accelerated after the Cold War through free-trade agreements and the digital revolution.

War on Terror

The broad military, intelligence, and policy campaign launched after September 11, 2001, encompassing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, expanded domestic surveillance, and new institutional structures like the Department of Homeland Security.

2008 Financial Crisis

The worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, triggered by the collapse of the housing bubble, subprime mortgage defaults, and the failure of major financial institutions, leading to massive government bailouts and stimulus spending.

Culture Wars

The intense political conflicts over social, moral, and cultural issues -- including abortion, gun rights, immigration, LGBTQ rights, and the role of religion in public life -- that have increasingly defined the divide between conservatives and liberals since the 1980s.

Partisan Gridlock

The inability of Congress to pass major legislation due to deep ideological divisions between the parties, increased use of procedural obstructions like the filibuster, and the disappearance of moderate cross-over legislators.

Welfare Reform

The 1996 legislation that replaced open-ended cash assistance (AFDC) with time-limited, work-required benefits (TANF), reflecting a bipartisan shift toward personal responsibility and away from entitlement-based social programs.

Key Terms at a Glance

Supply-Side Economics:An economic theory holding that reducing taxes on producers and investors stimulates economic growth by increasing the supply of goods, services, and jobs. Also called Reaganomics or trickle-down economics.

Deregulation:The reduction or elimination of government rules and oversight in industries such as airlines, telecommunications, and finance, based on the belief that markets function more efficiently with less government interference.

Glasnost:A policy of political openness and transparency introduced by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s, allowing greater freedom of speech and press within the Soviet Union.

Perestroika:Economic restructuring reforms introduced by Gorbachev to modernize the Soviet economy by incorporating limited market-based elements into the centrally planned system.

NAFTA:The North American Free Trade Agreement (1994), which eliminated most trade barriers between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, creating one of the world's largest free-trade zones.

USA PATRIOT Act:Legislation passed in 2001 after the September 11 attacks that expanded federal surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers, sparking debate over the balance between national security and civil liberties.

Subprime Mortgage:A home loan issued to borrowers with poor credit histories or insufficient income to qualify for conventional loans, typically carrying higher interest rates and greater risk of default.

Affordable Care Act (ACA):A 2010 law that expanded health insurance coverage through Medicaid expansion, insurance exchanges, subsidies, and coverage mandates, representing the largest healthcare expansion since Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.

Political Polarization:The increasing ideological distance between the two major political parties and their supporters, resulting in less willingness to compromise and greater hostility toward the opposing party.

War on Terror:The broad U.S. military and policy campaign launched after the September 11, 2001 attacks, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, expanded surveillance, and new homeland security measures.

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