Module 11: The End of the Cold War

Martina and Terrance are about to embark on a journey through the 1980s and 1990s, exploring the United States interactions with other countries while searching for examples of American responsibility. On this journey, you will investigate the reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union, the “Reagan Revolution,” and the changes to the United States’ foreign policy over the administrations of three presidents. You will also examine how immigration impacted the 1980s and 1990s.

Getting Started

What is the United States’ responsibility toward other countries? As a citizen of the United States, should you care about people in other countries? Should the United States government spend its own resources like money, time, and people’s efforts to help other countries or their citizens? Should we always help, sometimes help, or never help? What do you think and why?

Post your responses to the discussions area. Then, return to the topic several times over the next few days to read your coursemates’ posts. Reply to at least two of them, making sure to offer new insights, ask questions, and encourage further conversation. Be sure to explain why you agree or disagree with their views on the United States’ responsibility.

 

Key Vocabulary

To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

 

Al Qaeda	Gorbachev, Mikhail	Reagan Revolution
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990	Job Creation Act of 2010	Reagan, Ronald
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009	judicial restraint	September 11th Attacks
apartheid	No Child Left Behind	Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)
Bin Laden, Osama	North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)	Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
Bush, George H. W.	Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010	Tea Party
Bush, George W.	Patriot Act	Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990	Persian Gulf War	War on Terror
Clinton, William J.	rhetoric