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Jimmy Carter
39th President of the United States -
Establishment of the Department of Energy
Signed into law by Jimmy Carter, the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 established the Department of Energy. It was established to deal with the 1973 Oil Crisis the called for public need to consolidate energy policy. -
1980 Summer Olympics Boycott
Initiated by Jimmy Carter, the boycott of the Olympics held in Moscow was at first a threat to the Soviets if they did not withdraw from Afghanistan within a one month notice. It was follwed by the 1984 Summer Olympics held in the U.S. in which the Soviets and other Communist-friendly countries boycotted as a response. -
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Ronald Reagan
40th President of the United States (1st Term) -
Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (ERTA)
Signed into law by Ronald Reagan, this law lowered income tax rates and allowed for expensing of depreciable assets. In addition, it also provided several incentives for small business and incentives for saving. -
Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA)
Signed into law by Ronald Reagan, this act modified some aspects of the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (ERTA) which caused concern over potential large budget deficits. TEFRA increased the tax received but not the tax rates. -
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Ronald Reagan
40th President of the United States (2nd Term) -
Iran–Contra Affair
A political scandal during the Reagan administration in which senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, the subject of an arms embargo. Some U.S. officials also hoped that the arms sales would secure the release of hostages and allow U.S. intelligence agencies to fund the Nicaraguan Contras. Reagan claimed full responsibility for any actions that he was unaware of in a nationally televised address. -
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
An agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. The INF Treaty eliminated all nuclear-armed ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (about 300 to 3400 miles) and their infrastructure. The INF Treaty is the first nuclear arms control agreement to actually reduce nuclear arms, rather than establish ceilings that could not be exceeded. -
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George H. W. Bush
41st President of the United States -
Malta Summit
A meeting between George H. W. Bush and U.S.S.R. leader Mikhail Gorbachev just a few weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall. During the summit, Bush and Gorbachev would declare an end to the Cold War, -
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
Signed into law by George H.W. Bush, the act is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability. Disability is defined by the ADA as "...a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity." -
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Bill Clinton
42nd President of the United States (1st Term) -
Don't ask, Don't tell (DADT)
Announced by Bill Clinton as an "honorable compromise" in the debate surrounding gays in the military. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members. Meaning service would be allowed but they could face military investigations if they acknowledged their orientation, as well as be expelled for it. -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
An agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America, the world's largest free trade zone. -
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Bill Clinton
42nd President of the United States (2nd Term) -
Chemical Weapons Convention
A arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons. -
Lewinsky Scandal
News breaks that President Clinton may have had a sexual relationship with a former White House intern named Monica Lewinsky. Clinton, adamantly denying the allegations, states, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky." -
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George W. Bush
43rd President of the United States (1st Term) -
No Child Left Behind Act
Signed into law by George W. Bush, the act supports standards-based education reform based on the premise that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. The act expanded the federal role in public education through annual testing, annual academic progress, report cards, teacher qualifications, and funding changes. It passed in the U.S. Congress with bipartisan support -
Establishment of United States Department of Homeland Security
A cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the United States of America and U.S. territories from and responding to terrorist attacks, man-made accidents, and natural disasters. George W. Bush appointed Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge as the first director of the Office of Homeland Security -
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George W. Bush
43rd President of the United States (1st Term) -
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina strikes the southern coast of the United States with devastating effects. The storm breaches the levee system in New Orleans, causing massive flooding and destruction of property. The Bush administration is harshly criticized for an inadequate response by the federal government to the storm’s destruction. -
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Barack Obama
44th President of the United States (1st Term) -
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Signed into law by President Barack Obama. The primary objective for ARRA was to save and create jobs almost immediately. Secondary objectives were to provide temporary relief programs for those most impacted by the recession and invest in infrastructure, education, health, and 'green' energy. The approximate cost of the economic stimulus package was estimated to be $787 billion at the time of passage, later revised to $831 billion between 2009 and 2019. -
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
Signed into law by President Barack Obama, the act is aimed at increasing the rate of health insurance coverage for Americans. In addition, it also reduces the overall costs of recieving healthcare. It is the most recent expansion of the U.S. Healthcare system.
