energy crisis
the realization that the Earth's resources are not limitless
environmentalism
a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements
proposition 13
On June 6th, 1978, nearly two-thirds of California's voters passed this legislation proposed by Howard Jarvis, reducing property tax rates on homes, businesses and farms by about 57%
Ethics in Government Act
a United States federal law that was passed in the wake of the Nixon Watergate scandal and the Saturday Night Massacre. It created mandatory, public disclosure of financial and employment history of public officials and their immediate family
deregulation
the process of removing or reducing state regulations, typically in the economic sphere. It is the undoing or repeal of governmental regulation of the economy
Howard Jarvis
American businessman, lobbyist, and politician. He was an anti-tax activist responsible for passage of California's Proposition 13 in 1978
OPEC
an organization founded in 1960 of nations that export large amounts of petroleum: formed to establish oil-exporting policies and set price
Six Day War
A war fought in 1967 by Israel on one side and Egypt, Syria, and Jordan on the other
Yom Kippur War
a war that began on Yom Kippur in 1973 with the attack of Israel by Egypt, Syria, and Iraq: Israel recovered most of its initial losses
Rachel Carson
an American marine biologist and conservationist whose book Silent Spring and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement
Silent Spring
a 1962 environmental science book by Rachel Carson. The book documented the detrimental effects on the environment—particularly on birds—of the indiscriminate use of pesticides
Earth Day
an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year
EPA
an agency of the United States federal government whose mission is to protect human and environmental health
Clean Air Act
a United States federal law passed in 1970 designed to control air pollution on a national level
Endangered Species Act
the primary legislation made in 1973 that affords federal legal protections to threatened and endangered species in the United States, and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Three Mile Island
a partial nuclear meltdown that occurred on March 28, 1979, in reactor number 2 of a Nuclear Generating Station (TMI-2) in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was the worst accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history
New Federalism
a political philosophy of devolution, or the transfer of certain powers from the United States federal government back to the states
Stagflation
persistent high inflation combined with high unemployment and stagnant demand in a country's economy
Deindustrialization
decline in industrial activity in a region or economy
Rust Belt
parts of the northeastern and midwestern US that are characterized by declining industry, aging factories, and a falling population. Steel-producing cities in Pennsylvania and Ohio are at its center
Tax revolt
a political struggle to repeal, limit, or roll back a government-imposed tax
Watergate
a major political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s, following a break-in at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at the office complex in Washington, D.C. and President Richard Nixon's administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement
CREEP
The Committee for the Re-Election of the President (also known as the Committee to Re-elect the President), abbreviated CRP, but often mocked by an acronym, was a fundraising organization of United States President Richard Nixon's administration
John Mitchell
the Attorney General of the United States under President Richard Nixon. Prior to that, he had been a municipal bond lawyer, director of Nixon's 1968 presidential campaign, and one of Nixon's closest personal friends
Woodward and Bernstein
Between 1972 and 1976, they emerged as two of the most famous journalists in America and became forever identified as the reporters who broke the biggest story in American politics
Executive privilege
the constitutional principle that permits the president and high-level executive branch officers to withhold information from Congress, the courts, and ultimately the public. This presidential power is controversial because it is nowhere mentioned in the U.S. Constitution
US v Nixon
a landmark United States Supreme Court decision. It resulted in a unanimous 8-0 ruling against President Richard Nixon and was important to the late stages of the Watergate scandal
Spiro Agnew
an American politician who served as the 39th Vice President of the United States from 1969 to 1973, under President Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
an American politician who served as the 38th President of the United States from 1974 to 1977
War Powers Act
passed in 1973 by both Houses of Congress, overriding the veto of President Nixon. It was passed to reassert Congressional authority over the decision to send American troops to war
Freedom of Information Act
a federal freedom of information law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government
Jimmy Carter
an American politician and author who served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Iranian Hostage crisis
More than sixty American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days (November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981) after a group of students belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, who supported the Iranian Revolution, took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran
Camp David Accords
signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David. The two framework agreements were signed at the White House, and were witnessed by United States President Jimmy Carter
SALT II
During a summit meeting in Vienna, President Jimmy Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed this agreement dealing with limitations and guidelines for nuclear weapons. The treaty, which never formally went into effect, proved to be one of the most controversial U.S.-Soviet agreements of the Cold War
Affirmative action
an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment or education; positive discrimination
Bakke v University of California
a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States. It upheld affirmative action, allowing race to be one of several factors in college admission policy
ERA
the most highly publicized and debated constitutional amendment before the United States for most of the 1970s and early 1980s. First submitted by Congress to the states for ratification on March 22, 1972, it failed to be ratified by its final deadline of June 30, 1982. If ratified, would have become the Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution
Phyllis Schlafly
a conservative activist best known for her opposition to the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment during the 1970s
STOP ERA
the name of Phyllis Schlafly's campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment
Roe v Wade
A case in which the court held that a woman's right to an abortion fell within the right to privacy granted in the Fourteenth Amendment
Harvey Milk
an American politician who became the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
An American Family
an American television documentary filmed from May 30 through December 31, 1971 and first aired in the United States on the Public Broadcasting Service from January 11, 1973 to March 29, 1973.
Sexual Revolution
the liberalization of established social and moral attitudes toward sex, particularly that occurring in western countries during the 1960s, as the women's liberation movement and developments in contraception instigated greater experimentation with sex, especially outside of marriage
Evangelicalism
a worldwide, transdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity maintaining that the essence of the gospel consists in the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ's atonement
Billy Graham
an American evangelical Christian evangelist, ordained as a Southern Baptist minister, who rose to celebrity status in 1949 reaching a core constituency of middle-class, moderately conservative Protestants