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US History Unit 9: Period 9: 1980–present

Conservatism rose, the Cold War ended, and globalization, technology, terrorism and demographic change reshaped the nation.

Covers: The Reagan revolution and conservatism, the end of the Cold War, globalization and the digital economy, 9/11 and the War on Terror, demographic change and immigration, political polarization

Study guide

Ronald Reagan's election in 1980 marked the rise of modern conservatism, built on a coalition of free-market advocates, anticommunists and the religious right. Reaganomics cut taxes and regulations and argued that growth would "trickle down," while increasing military spending and federal deficits. Reagan took a hard line against the Soviet Union before negotiating arms reductions with Mikhail Gorbachev. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ending the Cold War and leaving the US the sole superpower.

In the 1990s, Bill Clinton moved the Democratic Party toward the center with welfare reform and balanced budgets. Globalization grew through trade agreements like NAFTA, and manufacturing jobs moved overseas while the digital revolution, the personal computer and the internet created new industries. Immigration, especially from Latin America and Asia, made the country more diverse and sparked debates over policy.

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks led to the War on Terror, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Department of Homeland Security and debates over the Patriot Act and civil liberties. The 2008 financial crisis caused the Great Recession, and Barack Obama, the first Black president, passed the Affordable Care Act. Recent decades have seen growing political polarization, debates over climate change, inequality and immigration, and continuing movements for civil rights, including the legalization of same-sex marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015).

Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers (PATCO) in 1981, which signaled weaker federal support for unions. He appointed conservative judges such as Sandra Day O'Connor and Antonin Scalia. The Iran-Contra affair revealed secret arms sales to Iran whose profits funded anticommunist Contra rebels in Nicaragua, and the 1987 INF Treaty eliminated a whole class of nuclear missiles. Population and political power moved to the Sun Belt, so states like Texas and Florida gained House seats after each census. As the baby boom generation aged, the costs of Social Security and Medicare rose.

Factory closures in the Northeast and Midwest created the 'Rust Belt,' while jobs grew in services, finance and technology. Union membership declined sharply. The 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore was settled by the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore, which stopped a Florida recount. Gore won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College, which renewed debate over that system.

Liberals and conservatives clashed over abortion, school prayer, gun rights and changing family patterns, including more divorce, more single-parent households and more women in the workforce.

Key ideas

• Reagan's coalition brought modern conservatism to power.
• The Cold War ended with the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.
• Globalization and technology transformed the economy.
• 9/11 led to the War on Terror and new security debates.
• Demographic change and polarization shape recent politics.

Formulas and rules

Common mistakes

• Overemphasizing this period; it's only about 4–6% of the AP exam.
• Thinking the Cold War ended through a single event; it ended over several years.

Words to know

Reaganomics

Reagan's policies of tax cuts and deregulation (supply-side economics).

New Right

The conservative coalition of the 1980s, including the religious right.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Soviet leader whose reforms helped end the Cold War.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

The 1989 event symbolizing the end of the Cold War.

NAFTA

The 1994 free-trade agreement among the US, Canada and Mexico.

Globalization

Growing worldwide economic and cultural connections.

Digital revolution

The spread of computers and the internet that transformed the economy.

September 11 attacks

The 2001 terrorist attacks on the US by al-Qaeda.

War on Terror

US military and security campaigns after 9/11.

Patriot Act

The 2001 law expanding government surveillance powers.

Great Recession

The economic downturn after the 2008 financial crisis.

Affordable Care Act

The 2010 health care law that expanded insurance coverage.

Political polarization

The growing ideological gap between the parties.

Sample practice questions

5 more questions like these, from level 1 to 5, are in the practice set.