A state of friendly relations between two countries when previously there had been problems between them

The process of charging an elected official with a crime that makes them unfit for office

An increase in the prices of goods and services in a country

A formal agreement; for example to end a war

Term used to describe the changing political and social stricture of the former Soviet Union during the late 1980s

Policy of making a government more open and democratic

An economic policy in which a government spends more money raised by borrowing than it received in revenue

Political philosophy which believes that if changes need to be made to society, they should be made gradually

A diplomatic standoff between Iran and the United States. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days

The economic policies of the former US President Ronald Reagan, associated especially with the reduction of taxes and the promotion of unrestricted free-market activity

A political action group formed in the 1970s to further a conservative and religious agenda, including the allowance of prayer in schools and strict laws against abortion

States of the Midwest and the Northeast, characterized as an area marked by diminishing population, aging factories and decreasing production

Group consisting of people from different political or social groups who are cooperating to achieve a particular aim

The act of setting someone free from slavery or oppresion

A scandal in the administration of President Ronald Reagan, which came to light when it was revealed that in the mid-1980s the United States secretly arranged arms sales to Iran in return for promises of Iranian assistance in securing the release of Americans held hostage in Lebanon

The removal of controls and restrictions in a particular area of business or trade

The amount of interest that must be paid on a loan or investment. It is expressed as a percentage of the amount that is borrowed or gained as profit

A belief in gradual social progress by changing laws, rather than by revolution; philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise where people should have a lot of political and individual freedom

An official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country

Fortified concrete and wire barrier that separated East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. It was built by the government of what was then East Germany to keep East Berliners from defecting to the West

Revealed that the U.S. had secretly enlarged the scope of its actions in the Vietnam War with the bombings of nearby Cambodia and Laos, coastal raids on North Vietnam, and Marine Corps attacks—none of which were reported in the mainstream media

A person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution; refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor

A virus which reduces people's resistance to illness and can cause AIDS

A disease which destroys the natural system of protection that the body has against other diseases

A White House political scandal that came to light during the 1972 presidential campaign, growing out of a break-in at the Democratic party headquarters at the Watergate apartment-office complex in Washington, D.C., and, after Congressional hearings, culminating in the resignation of President Nixon in 1974

Aimed at reducing the manufacture of strategic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons

A peace treaty between Israel and Egypt issuing from talks at Camp David between Egyptian President Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Begin, and the host, U.S. President Carter: signed in 1979

A congressional resolution designed to limit the U.S. president's ability to initiate or escalate military actions abroad. Requires President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days

As part of a peacekeeping mission marines were sent to Lebanon. October 1983 Lebanese terrorists evaded security measures and drove a truck packed with explosives into the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 U.S. military personnel

Effort to combat illegal drug use by greatly increasing penalties, enforcement, and incarceration for drug offenders

Privately funded campaign to educate school children on the dangers of drug use

Accumulation of military power and security assets by a country to encourage a diplomatic atmosphere with other countries

Provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found

Government agency dealing with environmental issues

An organization of countries that produce oil

Book written by Rachel Carson that launched the global environmental movement. It documents the environmental effects caused by the use of pesticides. She accuses the chemical industry and the government

An economic condition marked by a continuing inflation together with a decline in business activity and an increase in unemployment