Give Me Liberty Chapter 28 Vocab

Lawrence vs. Texas

A 6-3 majority declared unconstitutional a Texas law making homosexual acts a crime.

USA PATRIOT Act

After September 11, congress passed a security legislation in order to make the country safer. The Patriot Act gives the authorities enhanced powers, such as looking up library records, to protect the country.

Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp

American military base in Cuba that housed hundreds of Taliban fighters captured in Afghanistan; the Bush administration called for trying suspected terrorists before military tribunals, where the usual rules of evidence and procedure did not apply., Controversial prison facility constructed after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Located on territory occupied by the U.S. military, but not technically part of the United States, the facility serves as an extra-legal holding area for suspected terrorists.

Hurricane Katrina

An historically large storm that hit the city of New Orleans in August, 2005. The natural disaster's damage was amplified by the ensuing governmental ineptitude surrounding the rescue and recovery efforts.

Great Recession

Following the housing bubble the ensuing mortgage crisis, banks suddenly found themselves with billions of dollars of worthless investments on their books. In 2008, the situation became a full-fledged crisis, as banks stopped making loans, business dried up, and the stock market collapsed.

Housing Bubble

For years, the Federal Reserve Bank kept interest rates at unprecedented low levels, first to help the economy recover from the bursting of the technology bubble in 2000 and then to enable more Americans to borrow money to purchase homes. The result was a new bubble, as housing prices rose rapidly.

Bush Doctrine

George W. Bush's foreign policy principle wherein the United States would launch a war on terrorism.

"Axis of evil"

George W. Bush's term for Iraq, Iran, and North Korea based on accusations that they harbored terrorists and were developing weapons of mass destruction.

"War on Terror"

Initiated by President George W. Bush after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the broadly defined "war on terror" aimed to weed out terrorist operatives and their supporters throughout the world

War in Afghanistan

Launched in response to the September 11th attacks, this war sought to capture Osama bin Laden and remove the Taliban as leaders of the country.

Iraq War

The USA went to war with Saddam Hussein because Hussein kicked out UN weapons inspectors, he was building weapons of mass destruction, he didn't obey the no-fly zones limitations, he was a savage dictator.

Sonia Sotomayor

The first Hispanic and third woman justice in the Supreme Court's history, confirmed in August 2009.

Kyoto Protocol

To great controversy, the Bush administration announced that it would not abide by the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, which sought to combat global warming.

"Stimulus" package

a package of tax rebates and incentives used by the governments of various countries to stimulate the economy.

Tea Party

a political movement in the United States that is against taxation, against a strong central government, and against government spending

political action committees

an organization that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation, especially at the federal level.

Federal Bailout

is a colloquial term for giving financial support to a company or country which faces serious financial difficulty or bankruptcy

Hillary Rodham Clinton

is an American politician, campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2016 election.

Occupy Wall Street

the name given to a protest movement that began on September 17, 2011, in Succoth Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district, receiving global attention and spawning the Occupy movement against social and economic inequality worldwide.