- "I think it's fair to say that personal computers have become the most empowering tool we've ever created. They're tools of communication, they're tools of creativity, and they can be shaped by their user."
Bill Gates
Bill Gates
1970s and 80s
Early in the 1970s, Saigon falls. Late in the 1980s, communism collapses. Ping Pong and Kitchen debates lead to formal recognition of the People's Republic of China. A break-in brings down a presidency. Environmental issues, crisis in the Middle East, oil embargo, and Iranian hostages dominated domestic and foreign policy agendas. An actor becomes the Great Communicator during the resurgence of conservatism. Arms sold to Iran provides illegal funding for anti-communist rebels in Central America. Video games, disco, and MTV define pop culture. An apple revolutionizes the personal computer industry. A river burns, cowboys go urban, politics are deadly at the Olympics, a canal becomes nuclear, yellow ribbons appear for 444 days, and a call to "tear down this wall" precedes a revolution. These decades reflect shifts and changes in power, priorities, and public issues.
What to know for the EOC
- Describe Richard M. Nixon's leadership in the normalization of relations with China and the policy of detente
- Describe Ronald Reagan's leadership in domestic and international policies, including Reaganomics and Peace Through Strength
- Compare the impact of energy on the American way of life over time
- Describe U.S. involvement in the Middle East such as support for Israel, the Camp David Accords, the Iran-Contra Affair, Marines in Lebanon,and the Iran Hostage Crisis
- Describe the causes and key organizations and individuals of the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phyllis Schlafly, the Contract with America, the Heritage Foundations, the Moral Majority, and the National Rifle Association
- Describe significant societal issues of this time period
- Analyze the causes and effects fo changing demographic patterns resulting from migration within the United States, including the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt
- Analyze the causes and effects of changing demographic patterns resulting from legal and illegal immigration to the United States
- Identify the roles of the government entities and private citizens in managing the environment such as the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Endangered Species Act
- Describe the economic impact of defense spending on the business cycle and education priorities from 1945 to the 1990s.
- Identify actions of government and the private sector such as affirmative action, and Title IX to create economic opportunities for citizens and analyze the unintended consequences of each
- Describe the dynamic relationship between U.S. International trade policies and the U.S. free enterprise system such as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil embargo, the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
- Describe the effects of political scandals, including Watergate on the views of U.S. citizens concerning trust in the federal government and its leaders
- Discuss the role of contemporary government legislation on the private and public sectors such as the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977
- Analyze the effects of landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions including Wisconsin v. Yoder, and White v. Regester
- Discuss historical reasons why the constitution has been amended
- Evaluate the contributions of significant political and social leaders in the United States such as Billy Graham, Sandra Day O'Connor
- Identify the political, social,and economic contributions of women such as Sonia Sotomayor, and Oprah Winfrey to American Society
- Explain the effects of scientific discoveries and technological innovations such as satellite communications, petroleum-based products, and computers on the economic development of the United States
- Understand the impact of technological and management innovations and their applications in the workplace and the resulting productivity enhancements for business and labor such as robotics, computer management, and just-in-time inventory management
- Explain how space technology and exploration improve the quality of life
- Understand how the free enterprise system drives technological innovations and its application in the marketplace such as cell phones, inexpensive personal computers, and global positioning products
Review Resources
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Source: online-history.org
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