Congress builds oversight of intelligence and emergencies, the courts revisit federal power, and the 2000 presidential election is decided after a Supreme Court ruling.
The constitutional questions this era’s decisions and laws turned on.
Every case, amendment and event in Constilumen dated 1975 to 2000.
1975
The Senate creates a select committee to investigate intelligence agencies. Its reports document domestic surveillance of political activity and lead to permanent intelligence oversight committees.
Source: U.S. Senate
1976
No. Capital punishment is permitted under statutes that guide the sentencer’s discretion.
Source: Opinion of the Court
1976
Ends the national emergencies then in effect after two years and sets procedures for declaring, renewing and ending future ones, including annual renewal and review by Congress.
Source: Brennan Center for Justice
1978
Fixed racial quotas were unlawful, but race could be considered as one factor in admissions.
Source: Opinion of the Court
1978
Requires a warrant from a special court for electronic surveillance of foreign powers and their agents inside the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
1986
1988
Congress formally apologizes for the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and provides $20,000 in redress to each surviving person who was detained.
Source: National Archives
1989
No. Flag burning is expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment.
Source: Opinion of the Court
1990
Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, public services, public accommodations and telecommunications.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
1992
No. The Court kept Roe’s central holding but replaced its framework with an “undue burden” standard.
Source: Opinion of the Court
1992
A law changing the pay of members of Congress takes effect only after the next election of Representatives.
Source: National Archives
1995
No. Possessing a gun in a school zone is not economic activity that substantially affects interstate commerce.
Source: Opinion of the Court
1998
The House approves two articles, perjury and obstruction of justice. The Senate acquits on both.
Source: U.S. Senate
2000
No. The recount’s varying standards violated equal protection, and there was no time to conduct one that complied.
Source: Opinion of the Court
Tracked terms printed most often in 1975–2000 compared with their own average across 1789–2022. A value of 2× means the word appeared twice as often as usual.
Totals for each full presidency, including years outside the era. Counts before 1945 include unnumbered orders.
| President | Took office | Orders | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald R. Ford | 1974 | 169 | 69 |
| Jimmy Carter | 1977 | 320 | 80 |
| Ronald Reagan | 1981 | 381 | 48 |
| George Bush | 1989 | 166 | 42 |
| William J. Clinton | 1993 | 364 | 46 |
Source: The American Presidency Project. All presidencies