What does Module 6 of the Florida US History EOC cover?

Module 6 covers the modern United States, from the 1970s to the present, the final part of Reporting Category 3 (The United States and the Challenges of the Contemporary World). It includes the conservative resurgence and the presidency of Ronald Reagan (Reaganomics and supply-side economics); the end of the Cold War (Reagan's buildup, Gorbachev's reforms, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the Soviet collapse); the impact of new technology and globalization (the internet revolution, the service economy, NAFTA); the September 11 attacks and the War on Terror; and the contemporary United States, including the Great Recession of 2008 and ongoing debates over the role of government.

What was Reaganomics?

Reaganomics, also called supply-side economics, was President Ronald Reagan's economic program. It held that cutting taxes (especially on businesses and high earners) and reducing regulation would encourage investment and growth that would benefit the whole economy. Reagan cut taxes and domestic spending while increasing military spending. Supporters credited it with 1980s growth; critics blamed it for rising inequality and large budget deficits.

How did the Cold War end?

The Cold War ended around 1991. President Reagan combined a massive military buildup, which strained the Soviet economy, with later diplomacy. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev introduced reforms (glasnost and perestroika) to revive the failing system, but loosening control instead unleashed demands for freedom. In 1989 the Berlin Wall fell and communist governments collapsed across Eastern Europe, and in 1991 the Soviet Union itself dissolved, leaving the United States as the world's only superpower.

How did September 11 change the United States?

On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists led by Osama bin Laden attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people. In response, the United States launched the War on Terror, invading Afghanistan and later Iraq, created the Department of Homeland Security, and passed the USA PATRIOT Act expanding surveillance powers. These measures sparked a lasting debate between national security and civil liberties, echoing earlier wartime tensions over rights.

How is Module 6 tested on the Florida US History EOC?

Module 6 is the most recent part of Reporting Category 3. Every question is four-option multiple choice, and many are stimulus based: a chart of tax rates or job sectors, an image of the Berlin Wall, a quotation, or a question about a law or economic idea. The highest-value skills are cause and effect (the end of the Cold War, the response to September 11, the Great Recession) and connecting recent events to the longer themes of the course, especially the enduring debate over the role of government.

FloridaUS History

Florida US History EOC Module 6, the Modern United States: a complete overview of the conservative resurgence, the end of the Cold War, globalization, September 11, and contemporary America

A deep-dive guide to Module 6 of the Florida US History EOC: the conservative resurgence and Reagan, the end of the Cold War, technology and globalization, September 11 and the War on Terror, and the contemporary United States, with the reporting category and item patterns the EOC repeats.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.817 min readNGSSS SS.912.A.7 the modern United StatesUpdated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Jump to a section

What Module 6 actually demands
The conservative resurgence
The end of the Cold War
Technology and globalization
September 11 and the War on Terror
The contemporary United States
Check your knowledge

What Module 6 actually demands

Module 6 brings the story to the present: the modern United States, from the 1970s to today. On the EOC this is the final part of Reporting Category 3 (The United States and the Challenges of the Contemporary World). It explains how a conservative movement reshaped politics, how the Cold War ended, how technology and globalization transformed the economy, how September 11 changed foreign and domestic policy, and how recent events connect to the longer story of US history. The dominant skills are cause and effect and connecting eras, plus reading charts, images, and quotations.

This guide ties together the matching dot-point pages, each with its own practice questions: the conservative resurgence, the end of the Cold War, technology and globalization, September 11 and the War on Terror, and the contemporary United States.

The conservative resurgence

Beginning in the late 1970s, a conservative resurgence reshaped politics, reacting against the expansion of government under the New Deal and the Great Society. Conservatives favored lower taxes, less regulation, a stronger military, and traditional values, and carried Ronald Reagan to the presidency in 1980. His program, "Reaganomics" or supply-side economics, cut taxes and regulation to spur growth while raising military spending, producing growth, rising inequality, and large deficits.

The end of the Cold War

The Cold War ended around 1991. Reagan's military buildup strained the Soviet economy, while Gorbachev's reforms (glasnost and perestroika) loosened control and unleashed demands for freedom. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, communist governments collapsed across Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, leaving the United States the world's only superpower.

Technology and globalization

New technology and globalization transformed the economy. The computer and internet revolution created an information economy, and the country shifted from manufacturing toward services. Globalization and free trade (NAFTA) brought cheaper goods and new markets but also outsourcing, while a new wave of immigration from Latin America and Asia reshaped society, reviving older debates.

September 11 and the War on Terror

On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people. The United States launched the War on Terror, invading Afghanistan and later Iraq, and at home created the Department of Homeland Security and passed the USA PATRIOT Act, sparking a debate between security and civil liberties.

The contemporary United States

The recent era continues the course's themes. The 2008 election of Barack Obama marked a civil rights milestone. The Great Recession of 2008, triggered by the housing and financial collapse, was the worst downturn since the Great Depression and prompted government intervention. Running through it all is the enduring debate over the role of government, rooted in the New Deal, the Great Society, and the conservative resurgence.

Module 6 of the Florida US History EOC covers the modern United States (1970s to the present), the final part of Reporting Category 3. A conservative resurgence carried Ronald Reagan to power on lower taxes, less regulation, and supply-side Reaganomics. The Cold War ended around 1991 through Reagan's military buildup, Gorbachev's reforms (glasnost and perestroika), the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the Soviet collapse in 1991. New technology and globalization created an information economy, shifted the country toward services, and brought free trade (NAFTA) and a new wave of immigration. September 11, 2001, led to the War on Terror (Afghanistan and Iraq), the Department of Homeland Security, and the USA PATRIOT Act, raising a security-versus-civil-liberties debate. The contemporary era includes the 2008 election of Barack Obama, the Great Recession, and the enduring debate over the role of government. The recurring skills are cause and effect and connecting eras.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall and application questions covering Module 6. Attempt them under timed conditions, then check against the solutions.

Describe the main ideas of modern conservatism. (2 marks)
Explain the theory behind Reaganomics. (2 marks)
Explain how Reagan's policies helped end the Cold War. (2 marks)
Explain the purpose and unintended result of Gorbachev's reforms. (2 marks)
State what the fall of the Berlin Wall symbolized. (2 marks)
Explain how the computer and internet revolution changed the economy. (2 marks)
Define globalization and give one example of its effect on the United States. (2 marks)
Describe the US response to the September 11 attacks. (2 marks)
Explain why the USA PATRIOT Act was controversial. (2 marks)
Explain what triggered the Great Recession of 2008. (2 marks)
Explain the enduring debate over the role of government and its origins. (2 marks)

Solutions

Q1: Limited government, lower taxes, less regulation of business, a strong national defense, and often traditional social values.
Q2: That cutting taxes and reducing regulation would encourage business investment and growth (supply-side economics), creating jobs and prosperity that would benefit the whole economy; critics warned of deficits and inequality.
Q3: A massive military buildup strained the Soviet economy as it tried to keep up, and tough rhetoric combined with later diplomacy and arms talks increased pressure on the Soviet system.
Q4: Glasnost and perestroika were meant to reform and revive the failing Soviet system through openness and restructuring, but loosening control instead unleashed demands for freedom that helped lead to the Soviet collapse.
Q5: The end of the Cold War and the collapse of communist control in Eastern Europe (in 1989), leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Q6: It created an information economy in which communication, commerce, and work increasingly depend on digital technology, accelerating the shift from manufacturing toward services.
Q7: Globalization is the growing interconnection of the world's economies. Examples include free trade agreements such as NAFTA, cheaper imported goods, and the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs overseas.
Q8: A War on Terror, including the invasion of Afghanistan against al-Qaeda and the Taliban (and later Iraq), plus new domestic security such as the Department of Homeland Security and the USA PATRIOT Act.
Q9: It expanded the government's power to monitor and investigate suspected terrorists, raising concerns that it threatened civil liberties and privacy.
Q10: The collapse of the housing market and risky lending in the financial system, which led to a severe recession and prompted government intervention to stabilize banks and the economy.
Q11: The debate is over how large a role the federal government should play in the economy and society; it traces to the New Deal and Great Society (which expanded government) and the conservative resurgence (which pushed back).

Sources & how we know this

US History End-of-Course Assessment Test Item Specifications — Florida Department of Education (2013)
US History Reporting Category Statements — Florida Department of Education (2013)