Ronald Reagan becomes president

Republicans gain control of Senate

Economic Recovery Tax Act (ERTA) cuts taxes

Military expenditures increase sharply

Reagan cuts budgets of regulatory agencies

Sandra Day O’Connor appointed to the Supreme Court

National debt triples

Emergence of New Right think tanks: Heritage Foundation, American Enterprise Institute, and the Cato Institute

United States assists Iraq in war against Iran (1980–1988)

Mikhail Gorbachev takes power in Soviet Union

Iran-Contra scandal weakens Reagan presidency

William Rehnquist named chief justice

United States and USSR agree to limit missiles in Europe

George H. W. Bush elected president

Destruction of Berlin Wall

“Velvet Revolutions” in Eastern Europe

Webster v. Reproductive Health Services limits abortion services

Persian Gulf War

Dissolution of Soviet Union ends Cold War