1920s and 1930s Exam – Flashcards
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After World War I, why did American farmers fail to share in the general economic growth of the United States?
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Overproduction and competition caused falling prices.
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The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's was a period when African Americans
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created noteworthy works of art and literature
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Public disregard for Prohibition and for laws prohibiting gambling indicates that
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attempts to legislate public morality may be met with strong resistance
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United States participation in the Washington Conference (1921), in the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928), and in the SALT talks of the 1970's is evidence that the United States
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has been willing to cooperate with other nations to reduce world tensions
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The 1920's are sometimes called the "Roaring Twenties" because
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widespread social and economic change occurred
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Which condition increased the negative effects of the Great Depression?
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Factories had to decrease production because of low demand.
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The Washington Naval Conference of 1921-22 and the SALT talks of the 1970's between the United States and the Soviet Union both reflect the belief that
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escalating military buildups are one of the causes of war
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Which generalization most accurately describes the literary works of Langston Hughes, Sinclair Lewis, and John Steinbeck?
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Literature often reflects the times in which it is created.
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What was one similarity between the Red Scare following World War I and the Cold War following World War II?
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Fear of communism led to the suppression of the civil liberties of some Americans.
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Which events best support the image of the 1920's as a decade of nativist sentiment?
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the passage of the National Origins Act and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan
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In the United States, the decade of the 1920's was characterized by
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increased consumer borrowing and spending
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In the 1920's, the depressed situation of United States agriculture was chiefly caused by
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mechanization and overproduction
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In the 1920's, the Immigration Act of 1924 and the Sacco-Vanzetti trial were typical of the
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increase in nativism and intolerance
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The economic boom and the financial speculation of the 1920's were caused in part by
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installment buying and an unregulated stock market
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Speaker A:"To preserve our American culture, people whose national origins do not match the origins of our nation's founders must be refused admission." Speaker B:". . . let us admit only the best educated from every racial and ethnic group . . ." Speaker C:". . . there is an appalling danger to the American wage earner from the flood of low, unskilled, ignorant, foreign workers who have poured into the country . . ." Speaker D:"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . ." In the early 20th century, most labor unions supported the view of
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Speaker C
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After World War I, which factor was the major cause of the migration of many African Americans to the North?
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increased job opportunities in Northern cities
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Which feature of the immigration laws of the 1920's was different from prior laws?
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Quotas were set to limit immigration from many countries
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Which combination of factors contributed most to the start of the Great Depression of the 1930's?
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overproduction and the excessive use of credit
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Which conclusion can be drawn from the occurrence of the Red Scare and the decision of the Supreme Court in Schenck v. United States?
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Civil rights are sometimes compromised by the public's fear of radical political groups
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How the Other Half Lives, Jacob Riis (1890) The Jungle, Upton Sinclair (1906) The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck (1939) Unsafe at Any Speed, Ralph Nader (1965) What has been the impact of these authors and their books on American society?
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These works have had significant influence on social, political, and economic reforms.
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A result of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s was the
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increased recognition of African-American writers and musicians
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The 1925 trial of John Scopes reflects the conflict between
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science and religion
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"The business of America is business." — President Calvin Coolidge. By making this statement, President Coolidge was expressing his support for
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the free-enterprise system
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Which action is an example of nativism in the 1920s?
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passage of laws restricting immigration
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Which economic practice became significantly more widespread during the 1920s?
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stock market speculation
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"I, Too, Sing America" I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I'll sit at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me, "Eat in the kitchen," Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed— I, too, am America. — Langston Hughes, 1926 This poem was a literary contribution from the
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Harlem Renaissance
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"I, Too, Sing America" I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes, But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. Tomorrow, I'll sit at the table When company comes. Nobody'll dare Say to me, "Eat in the kitchen," Then. Besides, They'll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed— I, too, am America. — Langston Hughes, 1926 The main purpose of this poem was to
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maintain separation of the races
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The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s can best be described as
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a period of great achievement by African- American writers, artists, and performers
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What was a major reason American farmers failed to obtain a fair share of the economic prosperity of the 1920s?
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Farm crops were overproduced
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One Way Ticket I am fed up With Jim Crow laws, People who are cruel And afraid, Who lynch and run, Who are scared of me And me of them. I pick up my life And take it away On a one-way ticket Gone Up North Gone Out West Gone! — Langston Hughes, 1926 The author states that he has "Gone" because
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racial discrimination drove him away
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The treaties signed at the Washington Conference (1921-1922) and the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) were efforts to
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maintain peace through international agreements
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Which event represents an expression of nativism during the 1920s?
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adoption of a quota system to limit immigration
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Which statement most accurately describes conditions of American farmers during the economic boom of the mid-1920s?
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Overproduction helped keep farmers from participating in the prosperity of the times
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Which economic trend of the 1920s helped cause the Great Depression?
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widening income gap between the rich and the poor
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The works of Duke Ellington and Langston Hughes reflected the
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achievements of the Harlem Renaissance
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What was a major result of Prohibition in the United States during the 1920s?
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increase in organized crime
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The economic boom of the 1920s was primarily caused by the
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development of new consumer goods industries
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During most of the 1920s, which group experienced the most severe economic problems?
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owners of small family farms
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During the 1920s, controversies concerning the Scopes trial, national Prohibition, and the behavior of "flappers" were all signs of disagreement over
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traditional values and changing lifestyles
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A major goal of the immigration acts of the 1920s was to
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use quotas to limit immigration from southern and eastern Europe
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Which event of the 1920s symbolized a conflict over cultural values?
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Scopes trial
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Which group of Americans generally failed to experience the economic prosperity of the 1920s?
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farmers
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Which pair of events illustrates an accurate cause-and-effect relationship?
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Red Scare ---> demand for limits on immigration
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Which situation helped cause the stock market crash of 1929?
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excessive speculation and buying on margin
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Which pair of circumstances represents an accurate cause-and-effect relationship?
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more jobs in factories ---> migration of African Americans from the South to northern cities
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Much of the economic growth of the 1920s was based on
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the production of new consumer goods
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Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington are noted for their contributions to the cultural movement of the 1920s known as the
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Harlem Renaissance
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The failure of national Prohibition led to a public awareness that
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unpopular laws are difficult to enforce
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"Public Ignores Prohibition Restrictions" "Evolution and Creation Debated in Scopes Trial" "Women Bring Change to the Industrial Workforce" What do headlines such as these from the 1920s illustrate?
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conflict between traditional and modern values
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What common problem did farmers of the 1890s and farmers of the 1920s face?
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overproduction compared to consumer demand
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• Teapot Dome Scandal • Harlem Renaissance • Scopes trial During which decade did these events occur?
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1920s
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National Prohibition, as authorized by the 18th amendment, stated that
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the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages was banned
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During the 1920s, Congress passed a series of immigration laws that were primarily designed to
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limit immigration from southern and eastern Europe
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During the second half of the 1920s, which economic trend was a major cause of the Great Depression?
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overproduction and under consumption
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A significant cause of the Great Depression of the 1930's was that
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some banking policies were unsound and had led to the overexpansion of credit
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In the 1930's, the enactment of New Deal programs demonstrated a belief that
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the Federal Government must concern itself with the people's economic well-being
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Critics charged that President Franklin D. Roosevelt's plan to increase the number of Supreme Court Justices was clearly in conflict with
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the constitutional principle of checks and balances
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Which New Deal program was chiefly designed to correct abuses in the stock market?
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Securities and Exchange Commission
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During President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, which situation was viewed by critics as a threat to the principle of separation of powers?
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proposing the expansion of Supreme Court membership
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The main purpose of New Deal measures such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was to
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develop rules to limit speculation and safeguard savings
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A lasting result of the New Deal in the United States has been the
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assumption by the Federal Government of greater responsibility for the nation's well-being
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"You cannot extend the mastery of government over the daily working life of the people without, at the same time, making it the master of the people's souls and thought." -President Herbert Hoover The idea expressed in the quotation is a basis for President Hoover's belief that the problems of the Great Depression could best be solved by
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relying mostly on private enterprise and individual initiative to improve economic conditions
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The main reason President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to increase the number of Justices on the United States Supreme Court was to
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make the Court more supportive of New Deal programs
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A major result of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal was
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an expansion of the power of the Federal Government
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The election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Presidency in 1932 reflected the desire of many Americans to
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have government take an active role in solving economic problems
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A major effect of the National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act, 1935) was that labor unions
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obtained the right to bargain collectively
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The effectiveness of the New Deal in ending the Great Depression is difficult to measure because
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United States involvement in World War II rapidly accelerated economic growth
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"Section 202. (a) Every qualified individual shall be entitled to receive.. . on the date he attains the age of sixty-five,.. . and ending on the date of his death, an old-age benefit. . ." A major purpose of this section of Federal legislation was to
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provide economic assistance to retired workers
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Speaker A: "The business of America is business, and we would be wise to remember that." Speaker B:"Government ownership of business is superior to private enterprise." Speaker C:"Strict government regulation of business practices is a means to insure the public good." Speaker D:"Only through personal effort can wealth and success be achieved." Which speaker best expresses the main idea of rugged individualism?
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Speaker D
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Statement A: "The best way to economic recovery is to subsidize industry so that it will hire more workers and expand production." Statement B: "If jobs are not available, the government must create jobs for those who are unemployed." Statement C: "According to human nature, the most talented people will always come out on top." Statement D: "Our government is responsible for the nation's economic well-being." Which statements most strongly support the actions of President Franklin D. Roosevelt?
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Speaker B and Speaker D
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Deficit spending by the Federal Government as a means of reviving the economy is based on the idea that
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purchasing power will increase and economic growth will be stimulated
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When the Great Depression began in 1929, the most common economic belief supported by the Republican Party was that
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the economy would recover on its own
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Which statement is accurate about American culture during the Great Depression?
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The Federal Government provided money to support the arts.
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Which New Deal reforms most directly targeted the basic problem of the victims of the Dust Bowl?
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providing farmers low-cost loans and parity payments
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The popularity of escapist novels and movies during the Great Depression is evidence that
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popular culture is shaped by economic and social conditions
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The power of labor unions increased during the New Deal mainly because
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Federal legislation guaranteed labor's right to organize and bargain collectively
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An immediate result of the Supreme Court decision in Schechter Poultry Corporation v. United States (1935) and United States v. Butler (1936) was that
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some aspects of the New Deal were declared unconstitutional
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A major criticism of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's programs to combat the Great Depression was that these programs
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made people dependent on the Federal Government
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The National Industrial Recovery Act and the National Labor Relations Act are often cited as evidence that New Deal legislation
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sympathized with the interests of workers
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One similarity between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President Lyndon B. Johnson is that both
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expanded the power of the Presidency
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The Sherman Antitrust Act, the Social Security Act, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) are examples of
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the Federal Government's response to changes in the economy
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The clash between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the United States Supreme Court over New Deal laws best illustrates the operation of
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checks and balances
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An important factor contributing to the start of the Great Depression in the United States was the
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uneven distribution of wealth
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The New Deal changed political thinking in the United States because it supported the idea that the
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government should become more involved in the social and economic life of the people
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The creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority is an example of
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federal intervention to meet regional needs
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The Dust Bowl experiences of the Oklahoma farmers during the Great Depression demonstrated the
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effect of geography on people's lives
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Which situation was a basic cause of the Great Depression?
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overproduction of consumer goods
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In the 1930s, one factor that accounted for the westward migration of farmers from the Great Plains was
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the Dust Bowl
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Which action was a common objective of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal and President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society?
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helping those living in poverty
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In the 1930s, which geographic factor most influenced the westward migration of thousands of people from the southern Great Plains?
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extended drought in farming areas
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In the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the federal government's role in the economy by
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using deficit spending to stimulate economic growth
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Which factor encouraged an American policy of neutrality during the 1930s?
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disillusionment with World War I and its results
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Which event is most closely associated with the end of the Great Depression?
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beginning of World War II
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President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society is similar to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal in that both programs
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supported federal funding of programs for the poor
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In the 1920s, which economic factor led to the Great Depression?
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overproduction of farm products and manufactured goods
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One difference between the administrations of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President Herbert Hoover is that Roosevelt was
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more willing to use government intervention to solve economic problems
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The National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) of 1935 gave labor unions the right to
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represent workers in collective bargaining
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt's response to Supreme Court decisions that declared several New Deal laws unconstitutional was to
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propose legislation to increase the size of the Court
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"Come all of you good workers, Good news to you I'll tell Of how the good old union Has come in here to dwell . . . Don't scab for the bosses, Don't listen to their lies. Us poor folks haven't got a chance Unless we organize." — Florence Reece, "Which Side Are You On?" This song from the 1930s expresses
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support for the rights of workers
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Critics charged that New Deal policies favored socialism because the federal government
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increased its responsibility for the welfare of the economy
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Which economic trend of the 1920s helped cause the Great Depression?
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widening income gap between the rich and the poor
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The strongest opposition to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs came from
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business leaders
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Which generalization can best be drawn from the experiment with national Prohibition (1919-1933)?
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Social attitudes can make laws difficult to enforce.
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The Supreme Court declared some New Deal laws unconstitutional because these laws
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overextended the power of the federal government
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During the Great Depression, expressions such as Hoovervilles and Hoover blankets showed that President Hoover
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was blamed for the suffering of the poor
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The National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) of 1935 strengthened labor unions because it legalized
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collective bargaining
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How did the power of government change during the Civil War and the Great Depression?
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Presidential powers were expanded.
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New Deal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) were primarily intended to help
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unemployed workers
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Passage of the Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1937 indicated that the United States desired to
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isolate itself from conflicts in Europe and Asia
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Congress refused to enact President Franklin D. Roosevelt's court-packing plan because the plan
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threatened to upset the constitutional system of checks and balances
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Which conditions are most characteristic of an economic depression?
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high unemployment and overproduction
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The New Deal tried to solve many problems of the Great Depression by
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providing federal aid to many sectors of the economy
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to pack the United States Supreme Court, but Congress did not support him. This situation is an example of
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the use of the system of checks and balances
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A primary objective of United States foreign policy during the 1930s was to
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avoid involvement in Asian and European conflicts
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Which statement best illustrates a basic idea of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal?
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The economy sometimes needs public money to encourage business activity.
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Which action by President Franklin D. Roosevelt challenged the principle of checks and balances?
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trying to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court
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In the 1930s, shantytowns, often called "Hoovervilles," sprang up across the United States because of President Herbert Hoover's
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refusal to provide direct federal aid to the homeless
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The Neutrality Acts passed by Congress in the mid-1930s were efforts to
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avoid mistakes that led the country into World War I
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A lasting effect of the New Deal has been a belief that government should
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assume responsibility for the well-being of its citizens
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Much of the domestic legislation of the New Deal period was based on the idea that the federal government should
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assume some responsibility for the welfare of people
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The goal of President Harry Truman's Fair Deal was to
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continue reforms begun during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency
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The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), established during the New Deal, were important because they
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attempted to restore public confidence in financial institutions
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What were two basic causes of the Dust Bowl during the early 1930s?
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overfarming and severe drought
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Which economic factor was a major cause of the Great Depression?
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purchase of stocks on credit
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During President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) were created as a way to
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limit risks associated with savings and investments
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President Herbert Hoover's response to the Great Depression was often criticized because it
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failed to provide direct relief for the neediest persons
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A major reason for creating the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1933 was to
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improve economic conditions in a poor rural region
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. . . I also ask this Congress for authority and for funds sufficient to manufacture additional munitions and war supplies of many kinds, to be turned over to those nations which are now in actual war with aggressor nations. Our most useful and immediate role is to act as an arsenal for them as well as for ourselves. They do not need man power, but they do need billions of dollars worth of the weapons of defense. The time is near when they will not be able to pay for them all in ready cash. We cannot, and we will not, tell them that they must surrender, merely because of present inability to pay for the weapons which we know they must have. . . . — President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Annual Message to Congress, January 6, 1941 Which program was President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposing in this speech?
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Lend-Lease