Unit 11 Key Terms and Phrases

1. Proliferation-nuclear proliferation, the spread of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons technology,

or fissile material to countries that do not already possess them. The term is also used to refer to
the possible acquisition of nuclear weapons by terrorist organizations or other armed groups.
Related Topics: nuclear strategy.
2. Iran-Contra Affair-The Iran–Contra affair, often referred to as the Iran–Contra scandal, the
McFarlane affair, or simply Iran–Contra, was a political scandal in the United States that occurred
during the second term of the Reagan administration.
3. Judicious-of or relating to justice, judgments, or judges. Judicious means having good judgment;
prudent or wise. So, for instance, the system of courts and judges is the judicial system, and a
fair judicial system is one with judicious judges.
4. Coalition-A coalition is formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to
achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in
political or economic spaces.
5. Scrutiny-Scrutiny is a careful examination or inquiry. In Roman times, the "scrutari" of cities and
towns were those who laboriously searched for valuables amidst the waste and cast-offs of
others. The modern English "scrutiny" is derived from this root, indicating a careful examination
or inquiry.
6. Persian Gulf War-The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 39-country
military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait
7. Sandra Day O’Connor-Sandra Day O'Connor is an American retired attorney and politician who
served as the first female associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981
to 2006. She was both the first woman nominated and the first confirmed to the court.
8. Heritage Foundation-The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative think tank based in
Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading
role in the conservative movement during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, whose policies were
taken from Heritage's policy study Mandate for Leadership.
9. Medicare-the federal health insurance program created in 1965 for people ages 65 and over,
regardless of income, medical history, or health status. The program was expanded in 1972 to
cover certain people under age 65 who have a long-term disability.
10. NAFTA-The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was enacted in 1994 and
created a free trade zone for Mexico, Canada, and the United States, is the most important
feature in the U.S.-Mexico bilateral commercial relationship.
11. Free Enterprise-A market economy is an economic system in which the decisions regarding
investment, production, and distribution to the consumers are guided by the price signals
created by the forces of supply and demand
12. Arab Spring-The Arab Spring was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed
rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in Tunisia in
response to corruption and economic stagnation.
13. Global War on Terror (GWOT)-The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism, is a
global counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the
September 11 attacks and is also the most recent global conflict spanning multiple wars.
14. Hurricane Katrina-Hurricane Katrina was a devastating Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that
resulted in 1,392 fatalities and caused damage estimated between $97.4 billion to $145.5 billion
in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding areas
15. Levees-A levee, dike, dyke, embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually
earthen and that often runs parallel to the course of a river in its floodplain or along low-lying
coastlines.
16. Patriot Act-Congress enacted the Patriot Act by overwhelming, bipartisan margins, arming law
enforcement with new tools to detect and prevent terrorism: The USA Patriot Act was passed
nearly unanimously by the Senate 98-1, and 357-66 in the House, with the support of members
from across the political spectrum.
17. Sonia Sotomayor-Sonia Maria Sotomayor is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as an
associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President
Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since August 8, 2009.
18. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009-The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. It is an unprecedented
effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on
addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century.
19. Medicare-Medicare is the federal health insurance program created in 1965 for people ages 65
and over, regardless of income, medical history, or health status. The program was expanded in
1972 to cover certain people under age 65 who have a long-term disability.
20. Hillary Clinton-Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is an American politician and diplomat who served
as the 67th United States secretary of state under president Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013,
as a United States senator