The World in Uncertain Times, 1950–Present
Click the button next to the response that best answers the question.
1. The Presidency of Gerald Ford was different from all previous presidencies because he was
the first President who

won the office by running on a third-party ticket.

resigned from the office of President.

ran for office as a non-partisan candidate.


was not elected to either the presidency or the vice presidency.
ANSWER D – HE WAS PICKED BY NIXON BECAUSE NIXON'S FIRST VICE
PRESIDENT (AGNEW) HAD TO RESIGN
2. The supply-side economics of President Ronald Reagan and President George Bush favored

raising tariffs to increase the number of imports.

increasing Federal taxes to support social welfare programs.

providing incentives to stimulate business growth.


establishing government programs to provide jobs for the unemployed.
ANSWER C = SUPPLY SIDE MEANS TO GIVE SUPPORT (TAX BREAKS) TO
BUSINESSES OR INVESTORS THAT SUPPLY PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
3. The widespread use of computers has led to a national concern over

increased pollution of the environment.

guarding the right to privacy.

protection of the right to petition.


a decline in television viewing.
ANSWER B
4. A major long-term effect of the Vietnam War has been a(n)

end to communist governments in Asia.

change in United States foreign policy from containment to imperialism.

reluctance to commit United States troops for extended military action abroad.

continued boycott of trade with Asia.

ANSWER C - LONG LASTING, MANY KILLED, VIETNAM STILL FELL TO
COMMUNISTS
5. The concept of collective security is best exemplified by the role of the United States in

forming the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

negotiating the Camp David accords.

granting China most-favored-nation status.


becoming a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
ANSWER A
6. The foreign policy actions of Presidents James Monroe, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald
Reagan were similar in that they all

enforced a strict policy of neutrality.

involved the United States in armed conflict in Europe.

added to the American colonial empire.


acted to support United States interests in Latin America.
ANSWER D – PRESIDENT REAGAN INTERVENED IN GRENADA AND
SUPPORTED ANTI-COMMUNISTS AGAINST THE SANDINISTAS IN
NICARAGUA
7. What has been one of the greatest obstacles to achieving racial integration of public schools in
the United States?


Federal courts have avoided dealing with public education.
Many cities have local laws requiring children of different races to attend different
schools.

"Separate but equal" public education is still legal in many states.


Segregated housing patterns are still common in many communities.
ANSWER D
8. During the 1990s, which issue has led to the greatest tension between the United States and
Japan?

immigration quotas

use of natural resources

trade policies


military preparedness
ANSWER C – JAPAN WAS SELLING CARS, ETC TO AMERICA AT LOW PRICES,
DRIVING AMERICAN COMPANIES OUT OF BUSINESS
9. In the United States in the 1990s, cuts in defense spending were proposed because

Japan assumed the peacekeeping responsibilities of the United Nations.

military technology became less expensive.

the United States returned to an isolationist foreign policy.


communist governments in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union collapsed.
ANSWER D – THE BERLIN WALL CAME DOWN IN 1989
10. The main reason that the United States sent troops to Bosnia in 1995 was to try to

bring a peaceful end to a civil war.

contain the spread of communism.

take over the area as a protectorate.

resettles refugees in North Africa.
ANSWER A – WAR AFTER THE BREAK-UP OF YUGOSLAVIA – SERBIAN LEADERS
INDICTED FOR WAR CRIMES (ETHNIC CLEANSING)

11. According to the supply-side economic principles promoted by President Ronald
Reagan, economic growth would occur when

corporate business taxes were reduced.

business was regulated by antitrust legislation.

unemployment benefits were increased.


investment in capital goods was decreased.
ANSWER A- BUSINESSES SUPPLY GOODS AND SERVICES
12. A study of the women's movement in the United States would show that

the national government granted rights to women long before state governments did.

the gains made by women usually took considerable periods of time.

women received voting rights before African Americans did.


wartime employment slowed progress toward gender equality.
ANSWER B
13. Which statement is most accurate about the economy of the United States during the 1970s
and early 1980s?

The increased cost of imported oil hurt economic growth.

The federal budget was balanced.

Inflation declined sharply throughout these years.


The number of jobs in farming increased while service jobs decreased.
ANSWER A – ARAB OIL BOYCOTT FOR OUR SUPPORT OF ISRAEL –
FORMATION OF OPEC OIL CARTEL TO STOP COMPETITION AND MAINTAIN
HIGH PRICES
14. The primary purpose of the War Powers Act (1973) is to

limit presidential power to send troops into combat.

allow for a quicker response to a military attack.

assure the adequate defense of the Western Hemisphere.


stop the use of troops for nonmilitary purposes.
ANSWER A – PASSED AS THE VIETNAM WAR WAS ENDING – THE
PRESIDENT MUST INFORM CONGRESS OF MILITARY ACTION WITHIN 48
HOURS AND MAY ONLY COMMIT TROOPS FOR 60 DAYS WITHOUT
CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL
15. United States annexation of the Philippines (1898) and military involvement in Vietnam
(1960s and 1970s) are similar because in each event the United States

achieved its long-range foreign policy objectives.

put the domino theory into action.

demonstrated the strength and success of its military power.


provoked domestic debate about its involvement in the internal affairs of other
nations.
ANSWER D – REMEMBER HAWKS FOR THE WAR, DOVES AGAINST IT
16. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, during
the 1957 school integration crisis, he was exercising his constitutional power as

Chief Legislator.

Commander in Chief.



Chief Diplomat.
Head of State.
ANSWER D – HEAD OF THE COUNTRY
17. Which will be the most likely outcome of the increasing life expectancy in the United States?

decreased need for health facilities

decreased political power of senior citizens' organizations

increased demands for mandatory retirement at age 65


increased concern for the economic security of the elderly
ANSWER D
18. The Great Society legislation enacted under President Lyndon B. Johnson is an example of

the increased power of the states to deal with economic problems.

a reliance on laissez-faire capitalism to combat continuing inflation.

direct federal involvement in the United States economy to address the problems of
poverty.


decreased support for the concerns of minority groups.
ANSWER – C – PART OF JOHNSON'S WAR ON POVERTY
19. A valid generalization about reform movements throughout United States history is that

reform movements have failed to use the media effectively.

most successful reform movements affect relatively few people.

many reform movements have led to long-lasting changes in society.


most reform movements have had little impact on the economy.
ANSWER C
20. Several United States Presidents committed military troops to serve in Vietnam in an effort to

react to violations of United States neutrality.

support the policy of containment.

oppose the Chinese occupation of Indochina.


protect United States economic interests in East Asia.
ANSWER B
21. During the Cold War, the easing of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union
resulted in

the organization of the Warsaw Pact.

the invasion of Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

the Berlin Airlift.


a treaty banning nuclear tests.
ANSWER D – THE KEY WORDS – "EASING OF TENSIONS" – UNDER NIXON
THE POLICY WAS CALLED DÉTENTE (DAY-TANT)
22. A study of voting patterns in the United States today indicates that

the United States has a low voter turnout.

urban areas have higher voter turnouts than suburban areas do.

people who live in poverty tend to have a high voter turnout.


18- to 25-year-old voters are more likely to vote than senior citizens are.
ANSWER A
23. Most recently, one goal of women in the United States Armed Forces has been gain the right
to

serve in combat positions.

become officers.

travel overseas during wartime.


receive the same pay as men of comparable rank.
ANSWER A
24. A major result of the Camp David accords was the

establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Israel.

creation of the permanent United States military bases in Latin America.

commitment of United States combat troops to Bosnia.


end of the Cold War in Europe.
ANSWER A – AT CAMP DAVID IN 1979 PRESIDENT CARTER GOT EGYPT –
THE MOST POWERFUL ARAB NATION – TO SIGN A FRAMEWORK FOR PEACE
WITH ISRAEL (THEY HAD FOUGHT 6 WARS TO DRIVE JEWS OUT)
25. During the twentieth century, agriculture in the United States has experienced a decrease in
the

average size of farms.

total output of farm products.

productivity of farm workers.


number of farm workers.
ANSWER A – DUE TO MECHANIZATION
26. A governmental action that was consistent with the Cold War mentality was the

establishment of loyalty reviews of government employees.

reduction in military defense spending.

elimination of the Central Intelligence Agency.


adoption of the GI Bill of Rights.
ANSWER A – RED SCARE
27. Since 1980, relations between Japan and the United States have been most influenced by the

imbalance of trade between the two nations.

refusal of the United States to accept Japanese technology.

immigration restrictions imposed by the Gentleman's Agreement.


construction of Japanese military bases in the Pacific area.
ANSWER A – JAPAN SELLS MORE (TOYOTAS) THAN IT BUYS
28. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower said "If you knock down the first row of dominoes,
all the others will fall in quick order," he was expressing a view that led to

decreased aid to Western Europe.

less restrictive immigration policies toward Africa and Latin America.

stronger support for United States involvement in Southeast Asia.


the end of colonialism in Africa.
ANSWER C – DOMINO THEORY LED TO VIETNAM
29. Since World War II, what has been a major goal of United States relations with the Middle
East?

a peaceful resolution to Arab-Israeli conflicts

an end to European influence over Arab nations

establishment of United Nations control over the Middle East


equal access for all nations to the oil reserves of the Middle East
ANSWER A - THE CAUSE OF MUCH INSTABILITY, WHICH MAY AFFECT THE
AVAILABILITY OF OIL – ALSO WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION – A SOURCE OF TERRORISM
30. What is the main criticism of affirmative action in recent years?





The program has been extremely costly to the federal government.
Hiring quotas for minorities may have denied opportunities to other qualified
professionals.
Very few minority persons have been hired.
Most state governments have been unwilling to enforce the program.
ANSWER B – REMEMBER THE BAKKE DECISION ON REVERSE
DISCRIMINATION
31. The Great Society of Lyndon Johnson is most similar to which other Presidential program?

Warren Harding's Return to Normalcy

Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal

Ronald Reagan's New Federalism


George Bush's Thousand Points of Light
ANSWER B
32. Programs designed to increase the representation of minorities and women in the workforce
have come under attack during recent years mainly because

minorities and women have not been able to point to serious examples of
discrimination in employment.

most laws guaranteeing equal opportunity have been found unconstitutional.

affirmative action has sometimes been considered reverse discrimination.


the economy has been too weak to absorb more workers.
ANSWER C – READ THE QUESTION FOR A GOOD DEFINITION OF
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
33. Which method is contrary to the principles of Martin Luther King, Jr.?

sit-ins at a segregated restaurant

use of violence to express frustration in achieving racial equality

demonstrations by minorities in front of a government building


marches on Washington to draw attention to the needs of minorities
ANSWER B
34. The decisions of the United States Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona, Gideon v.
Wainwright, and Escobedo v. Illinois all advanced the

voting rights of minorities.

guarantees of free speech and press.

principle of separation of church and state.


rights of accused persons.
ANSWER D – MIRANDA=READ YOU YOUR RIGHTS, GIDEON-COURT
APPOINTED LAWYER FOR THE POOR, ESCOBEDO – RIGHT TO A LAWYER
DURING QUESTIONING
35. Which action in United States history is an example of civil disobedience?

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed
suit against the state of Kansas for violating the constitutional rights of students in public
schools.

The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) supported efforts to have the courts order
the desegregation of buses and trains in the South.

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) organized a boycott in
Montgomery, Alabama, until transportation facilities were integrated.

In Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white
man.
ANSWER D
