| A | B |
| Election of 2000 | George w. Bush defeats Al Gore |
| chad | cardboard punched out of a ballot |
| Bush v. Gore | Supreme Court decides all votes must be counted the same way |
| tax cuts | Bush's 1st priority; meant to stimulate the economy |
| No Child Left Behind | standardized tests are given in public schools (no funds given) |
| strategic defense | missiles that could shoot down nuclear missiles |
| September 11 | terrorist attack on the U.S. in 2001 |
| Osama bin Laden | leader of al Qaeda |
| terrorism | use of violence by non-governmental groups against civilians |
| state-sponsored terrorism | countries provide terrorists with money and weapons |
| Donald Rumsfeld | Secretary of Defense who began deploying troops to the Mid-East |
| Homeland Security | coordinates federal agencies and departments working to defeat terrorism |
| Patriot Act | Some 4th amendment rights do not apply when terrorist activity is suspected |
| anthrax | biological weapon sent in the mail |
| War in Afghanistan | U.S. bombs al-Qaeda camps and the Taliban's military forces |
| Northern Alliance | coalition of Afghan groups that had been fighting the Taliban several years |
| weapons of mass destruction | nuclear, chemical, and biological; can kill large numbers |
| Invasion of Iraq | U.S. coalition forces attack March 2003 |
| Election of 2004 | George W. Bush defeats John Kerry |
| Abu Ghraib | Iraqi prison; scandalous treatment |
| Guantanamo Bay | prison in Cuba where captured al-Qaeda terrorists were held |
| Hamdan v. Rumsfeld | Court case which ruled on prisoners right to a trial |
| NSA | National Security Agency |
| John G. Roberts and Samuel Alito, Jr. | Supreme Court Justices appointed by George W. Bush |
| Hurricane Katrina | August 2005 disaster; federal government acts slowly and seems unprepared |
| earmarks | "pet" projects attached to spending bills |
| Condoleezza Rice | 1st female Secretary of State |
| Nancy Pelosi | 1st female Speaker of the House |