Ch.22 The 1980s, Pt. 2

• The 1980s marked a period of significant political events, including the easing of tensions between the US and the Soviet Union.
• President Reagan played a key role in bringing an end to the Cold War.
• President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union leader, engaged in peace talks, which de-escalated the tension between the two superpowers.

The Cold War

• The Cold War had been ongoing since the end of World War II.
• The US and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's strongest countries after World War II.
• The democratic system in the US stood in opposition to the communist system of the Soviet Union.
• The US aimed to control the spread of communism globally through the policy of containment.
• Containment is defined as the action of keeping something harmful under control or within limits.
• The term "Cold War" is used because the two nations never engaged in direct warfare.
• The Cold War was a major factor in shaping the 20th century.
• The Cold War appeared to be nearing its end by the close of the 1980s.

The Berlin Wall

• The Berlin Wall was one of the most visible symbols of the Cold War.
• In 1945, after Germany was defeated in World War II, it was divided into two parts.
• West Germany, also known as the Federal Republic of Germany after 1949, was controlled by the Americans, British, and French.
• East Germany, referred to as the German Democratic Republic since October 1949, was under Soviet Union control.
• Berlin, Germany’s capital, was also split, with West and East Germany each controlling a section, despite all of Berlin being within East Germany.
• East Germany aimed to prevent its residents from crossing into democratic West Germany.
• A belief held that democracy would negatively influence the East German population.
• The border between the two Germanys was closed in 1952, restricting East Germans from leaving without government permission.
• In August 1961, the East German government erected the Berlin Wall to stop its citizens from seeking freedom in the West.
• The Berlin Wall symbolized the division between communist and democratic nations in Europe.
• Families were separated and unable to reunite when the Berlin Wall was erected.
• Some East Germans were killed while attempting to escape into West Germany.
• In 1987, President Reagan, standing at the Berlin Wall, urged the Soviets to tear it down as proof of their commitment to freedom and peace.
• His message increased calls for the removal of the wall.
• The Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
• The fall of the wall symbolized the end of the divide between the US and Eastern Europe, although the Cold War had not ended.
• The Cold War was coming to an end.
• The Soviet Union officially dissolved in December 1991 after Soviet countries fought to leave, marking the end of the Cold War.
• President Reagan concluded his two terms in office.
• George H. W. Bush, Reagan's vice president, secured victory in the 1988 elections and assumed office on January 20, 1989.
• There was a tradition of presidents serving only two terms until 1951, when the 22nd Amendment was introduced.
• George Washington, the first US president, initiated this tradition when he retired after two terms.
• FDR decided to serve for more than two terms because of the Great Depression and World War II.
• FDR is the only president to have served for four terms.

Three Branches of Government

• The presidency is one of the three branches of the U.S. government.
• The Constitution serves as the supreme law of the US.
• The Constitution created the three branches of government.
• The legislative branch, which creates laws, is the first branch.
• The legislative branch includes Congress, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
• The executive branch is the second branch, and it includes the president, vice president, and the president’s cabinet.
• The president's cabinet is made up of the president's special advisers.
• The executive branch carries out, or executes, laws.
• The judicial branch includes the Supreme Court and other federal courts, making it the third branch.
• The judicial branch interprets the law.
• The three-branch system ensures a separation of powers.
• The colonists sought a system where no single part of the government could become too powerful after the American Revolution.
• The three branches prevent the president from becoming a king, while still allowing for strong leadership.
• Through checks and balances, each branch prevents the others from having too much power.
• To ensure that one branch does not become too powerful, each branch is given distinct authorities and responsibilities.
• Each branch requires the other branches to function.
• They assure that the other branches act constitutionally through checks and balances, and according to the laws of the Constitution.
• Congress creates bills, which become laws through the legislative branch.
• The president can sign a bill to become a law, or vetoe it through the executive branch.
• Congress can override a presidential veto.
• The Supreme Court has the power to declare a law unconstitutional.
• The Constitution is made up of checks and balances.
• Despite appearing complicated, checks and balances and the separation of powers are part of what makes our government a democracy.