final for history – Flashcards

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Martin Luther King, Jr. founded the ____________ to obtain civil rights for African Americans.
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Southern Christian Leadership Conference
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n Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the Supreme Court ruled that school segregation
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violated the 14th Amendment by creating feelings of inferiority and inequality.
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President Eisenhower's approach to desegregation was to
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work behind the scenes to support the movement.
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People's attitude toward organized religion in the 1950s was
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incredibly positive and religious affiliation boomed.
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The economic abundance of the 1950s
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did not benefit the steel industry and agriculture as much as other industries.
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What was the initial goal of the Montgomery bus boycott?
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to create a semi-segregated seating arrangement on a first-come, first-served basis
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Which section of the nation benefitted the most from the economic boom of the 1950s?
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the Sunbelt states
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The "beats" were
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writers and poets who rebelled against materialistic 1950s values.
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The new American suburbs of the 1950s
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showed a surprising occupational diversity among inhabitants.
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y 1960, what percentage of black children in the Deep South were attending schools with whites?
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less than 1%
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he Truman administration failed to pass any civil rights legislation becaus
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southern politicians managed to block the legislation
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As a result of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka,
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the slow process of desegregating schools began.
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What was the first focus of NAACP efforts to end segregation practices?
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universities
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What was the dominant social theme of 1950s America?
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consumerism
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Which of the following famous men had the greatest influence on the philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr?
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Mahatma Gandhi
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Why did Eisenhower send 1,000 paratroopers to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957?
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to ensure that black students could attend a desegregated school
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What was Dr. Benjamin Spock's 1946 bestselling book about?
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infant and child care
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What effect did postwar life have on women in American society?
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Many women who had joined the workforce during the war returned to the home to assume the more traditional roles of wife and mother.
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How did the drive-in culture of the 1950s change the way America shopped?
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Shopping centers and malls were built all over the country.
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An immediate problem for rapidly growing suburban communities was providing adequate
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schools.
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In the 1950s, Americans experienced a contradiction in
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denouncing the Soviet Union for human rights violations while discriminating against African Americans
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Who inspired the Montgomery bus boycott?
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Rosa Parks
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Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy advocated
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nonviolent, passive resistance to unjust laws.
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How did the Deep South respond to court-ordered desegregation?
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with massive and widespread resistance.
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How did political activism for African American rights change from the 1950s to the early 1960s?
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Direct, peaceful confrontation replaced reliance on court action.
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The first president to attempt seriously to alter the historic pattern of racial discrimination in the United States was
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Harry Truman.
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The 1950s in America were characterized by
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a new affluence and a thriving economy.
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By 1960, America's gross national product was ________ the 1940 GNP.
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more than double
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Which was NOT an important stimulus to American economic growth in the late 1940s and early 1950s?
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direct government aid to industrial development
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The Montgomery bus boycott
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led to the emergence of Martin Luther King, Jr. as a black civil rights leader.
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Which was critical to life in the suburbs?
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the automobile
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What group was rigidly excluded from all three Levittowns?
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African Americans
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What kind of programming became popular after television stations abandoned live dramatic programs?
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quiz shows
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Who were the Little Rock Nine?
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black students at a recently desegregated high school in Little Rock, Arkansas
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Why was Rosa Parks arrested in 1955?
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She refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man.
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What organization was formed in 1960 as a result of "sit-in" demonstrations?
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the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
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The term "baby boom" refers to a significant increase in
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the American birth rate.
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The most significant social trend in postwar America was
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the flight to the suburbs.
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What was the driving force for social change that gained civil rights for African Americans?
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African American activism
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Who invented the concept of the mass construction of suburban homes?
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William Levitt
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What effect did memories of the Great Depression have on Americans in the 1950s?
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Many Americans became almost desperately obsessed with gathering material goods.
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Who led the Montgomery bus boycott?
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Martin Luther King, Jr.
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During the Truman administration,
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an order for desegregation of the armed forces was issued.
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Why did some people criticize American suburban life?
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They disliked the conformity and uniformity of suburban life.
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What was a drawback of suburban life for the family?
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Many people had only infrequent contact with extended family members.
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hat artistic movement is associated with the "beats"?
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abstract expressionism
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What event prompted a massive wave of "sit-ins" across the country?
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Three African American college students refused to leave a lunch counter after being denied service.
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Why did the government increase federal funding for science education in 1957?
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It was responding to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik.
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By 1960, the most racially integrated institution in American society was
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the armed forces.
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What change in labor practice came about in the postwar era?
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Most people started working less than 40 hours each week.
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Start of section 2 What is one reason why the Gulf of Tonkin affair was such a costly victory for Johnson?
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When the war started in earnest, Johnson was vulnerable to the charge of deliberately misleading Congress.
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John F. Kennedy's domestic program was known as the
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New Frontier
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In his healthcare program, President Lyndon Johnson secured
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the Medicare program for the elderly.
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What was the 1961 freedom ride?
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a protest in which a biracial group tested the desegregation laws on public transportation
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In part, Lyndon Johnson wanted the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to demonstrate the American commitment to
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defending South Vietnam.
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Which of the following was NOT a consequence of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
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the end of the U.S.-Soviet arms race
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The turning point of the Vietnam War which convinced U.S. leaders that the war would end in a stalemate was the
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Tet offensive.
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When Johnson became president after the assassination of Kennedy in 1963, he focused first on
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passing JFK's tax cuts and civil rights bill.
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n Vietnam, American military strategists counted heavily on
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superior American firepower, especially airstrikes.
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How did African American activism affect social change for other ethnicities?
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Other ethnic groups were inspired by African American activism and launched their own protests.
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What caused the Gulf of Tonkin affair?
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American support for covert operations in Vietnam led North Vietnam to attack a U.S. ship.
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Lyndon Johnson's political downfall resulted primarily from
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his pursuit of the Vietnam War.
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Lyndon Johnson's reform program was called the
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Great Society.
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What did President Kennedy do to help South Vietnam in 1961?
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He sent money and advisers.
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What were Johnson's feelings about committing the United States to the war in Vietnam?
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He worried about the consequences of either withdrawal or invasion so he committed to a large-scale but limited military intervention.
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Cesar Chavez
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organized California grape and lettuce workers to strike for higher wages.
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When President Johnson managed to get Congress to pass Kennedy's proposed tax cut in 1964, the result was
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a sustained economic boom.
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n 1965, President Lyndon Johnson sent American soldiers to ________ in order to prevent a communist takeover there.
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the Domican Repulic
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What was one of Lyndon Johnson's greatest assets in the White House?
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his ability to persuade Congress
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John F. Kennedy played down civil rights legislation because he
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feared the possibility of alienating southern Democrats.
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n the spring of 1968, students seized five buildings at ___________ for eight days before police regained control.
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Columbia University
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The most prominent student protest organization was the
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Students for a Democratic Society.
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Why did Kennedy authorize a covert mission in which 1,400 Cuban exiles invaded Cuba?
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to topple the regime of Fidel Castro
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How was the Cuban Missile Crisis resolved?
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Russia would remove its nuclear missiles from Cuba in exchange for America's promise not to invade Cuba.
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Which was a difference between John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson?
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Kennedy was a better public speaker than Johnson.
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How was participation in the Vietnam War most connected to socioeconomic class?
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Wealthy young men were more likely to be in college and thus could avoid the draft.
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The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation that came very close to being a nuclear conflict between which two countries?
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the United States and Russia
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How did the civil rights movement change in the mid- to late sixties?
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It became more militant and considered violence to force social change.
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What was Kennedy's top priority when he assumed the office of the presidency?
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foreign policy
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What finally caused Kennedy to support racial justice openly?
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Authorities attacked children in a segregation protest in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Nixon's election signaled a public reaction against the
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growth of the federal government.
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Who wrote the 1963 book The Feminine Mystique?
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Betty Friedan
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Why did the United States become involved in the conflict between North and South Vietnam in 1961?
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to stop the spread of communism from North Vietnam to South Vietnam
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Which individual was an African American appointed to a prominent post in the federal government during the Kennedy administration?
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Thurgood Marshall
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Which statement best describes the social change that American women experienced from the 1920s to the 1960s?
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In the 1960s, there were actually fewer women enrolled in college and professional schools than there were in the 1920s.
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What effect did the Vietnam War have on future U.S. foreign policy?
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It caused America to abandon its containment policies.
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Kennedy's failed 1961 covert operation to overthrow Cuba's Fidel Castro is called
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the Bay of Pigs.
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Lyndon Johnson's main theme in the presidential election of 1964 was
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ending poverty in America.
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What was the main issue that American college students protested during the sixties?
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the Vietnam War
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Who put the most pressure on Kennedy to openly support racial justice?
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Martin Luther King, Jr.
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How did Kennedy secure the African American vote in the 1960 presidential election?
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He supported the release of Martin Luther King, Jr. from jail.
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American bombing of North Vietnam
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was largely ineffective.
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Lyndon Johnson must bear great responsibility for the American problems in the Vietnam War because he
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failed to confront the American people with the stark reality of the war.
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What was one major factor that helped Kennedy defeat Nixon in the 1960 presidential election?
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Kennedy's performance in the first televised presidential debate.
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Which statement about the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is correct?
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It led to a dramatic increase in African American voting registration in the South.
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The foreign policy of Lyndon Johnson
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was, in many respects, simply a continuation of Kennedy's policies.
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Which 1968 presidential candidate cut deeply into Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey's voter base by running on the American Independent Party ticket?
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George C. Wallace
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What was the touchstone of the new counterculture of the sixties?
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music
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Who advocated "black power" as the leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the 1960s?
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Stokely Carmichael
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Which statement about Johnson's war on poverty is correct?
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It emphasized self-help and brought almost 10 million people out of poverty.
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Start of section 3 The antimissile system based on the use of lasers and particle beams to destroy incoming missiles from outer space was called
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SDI.
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With the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), both the Soviet Union and the United States agreed to
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remove and destroy all intermediate-range missiles in Europe.
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What caused President Reagan's change of policy towards the Soviet Union in his second term?
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New Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was interested in making peace with the United States.
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The Camp David Accords provided a framework for peace negotiations between
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Israel and Egypt.
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The results of President Reagan's economic policies were
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mixed-there were record federal deficits but the economy overall improved.
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Why did the Nixon administration decide to resume relations with China?
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The United States believed it would force better relations with the Soviet Union.
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How did President Clinton change the experience of gays and lesbians in the military?
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He established the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.
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In 1979, revolutionaries in ________ took U.S. diplomats hostage.
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Iran
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Why did Congress refuse Reagan's request for money and authority for further intervention in Nicaragua?
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They feared repeating the mistakes of the Vietnam War.
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The international oil organization most responsible for raising petroleum prices in the 1970s was
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OPEC.
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The most encouraging economic development for women in the late twentieth century was that
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the number of female business owners increased greatly.
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President Gerald Ford's brief "honeymoon" with the American public ended when he
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granted disgraced President Richard Nixon a full pardon.
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The Boland Amendment
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prohibited American military aid to overthrow the Nicaraguan government.
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How did Reagan challenge the liberal premises of the New Deal?
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He asserted that the private sector should solve America's problems rather than the federal government.
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Who served as Nixon's national security advisor during his first term?
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Henry Kissinger
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The court decision in Roe v. Wade guaranteed women's right to
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obtain an abortion.
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Which statement best characterizes Reagan's two terms as governor of California?
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He was flexible instead of trying to implement all of his conservative beliefs.
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How did Reagan's approach to the conflict in Nicaragua differ from Carter's?
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Carter gave economic aid to the Sandinista government; Reagan cut off that economic aid.
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Which component was NOT part of Nixon's plan to end the war in Vietnam?
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increased military spending
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A central tenet of Reagan's approach to foreign policy at the beginning of his presidency was the belief that
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the Soviet Union was a deadly enemy that threatened the United States.
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What did the United States do in the early 1980s that caused the Soviet Union to break off disarmament negotiations in Geneva?
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It placed missiles in Europe within striking distance of the Soviet Union.
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What executive order did President Ford give to the CIA in 1975?
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He outlawed assassinations as an instrument of U.S. foreign policy.
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What was the Moral Majority?
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a religious fundamentalist group
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Why did militants take 53 Americans prisoner from the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979?
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Carter had allowed the exiled shah to seek medical treatment in the United States.
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The birth of the gay liberation movement was
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the Stonewall Riots
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Which group overwhelmingly supported Carter in the 1980 presidential election?
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African Americans
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How did the American family unit change after 1970?
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The number of births to women over age 30 increased.
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Nixon's program to improve relations with the Soviet Union was known as
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détente.
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he turmoil of the 1960s and the economic and political troubles of the 1970s
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turned America to conservatism.
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What inspired the infamous protests at Kent State during which four students were killed?
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the U.S. invasion of Cambodia
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The Iran-Contra affair was
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a scandal in which the government planned to sell weapons to Iran in order to finance exiles fighting in Nicaragua.
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The greatest economic challenge faced by the Nixon administration involved
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a dramatic increase in international oil prices.
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The first person to become president without being elected president or vice president was
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Gerald Ford.
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The SALT treaties involved
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reduction of U.S. and Soviet offensive ballistic missiles.
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What was most important about the SALT I agreements?
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They were a symbolic first step in a peaceful resolution of the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union
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President Reagan's tax compromise with Congress called for an income tax cut of
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5 percent the first year and 10 percent for the second and third years.
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How did Nixon feel about anti-war protestors?
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He had very little sympathy for them.
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What is one neoconservative criticism of liberals?
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Liberals are too willing to sacrifice high domestic standards to achieve social equality.
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How was the Watergate Scandal similar to the Iran-Contra affair?
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They both involved secret, illegal government actions that tarnished the President's reputation.
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hile the United States was home to only 6 percent of the world's population, it was responsible for _______ percent of the world's energy consumption.
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40
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What was the Watergate Scandal?
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President Nixon's attempts to hide his involvement in a break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee
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What do supply-side economists believe?
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that tax cuts will lead to an economic boom
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How did President Reagan's policies toward the Soviet Union change in his second term?
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He was more willing to cooperate with the Soviet Union in his second term.
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How did Carter try to redeem himself after his unsuccessful presidency?
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He tried to pin responsibility on the public and his dismissed cabinet members
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How does the Watergate Scandal compare to previous presidential scandals?
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Unlike previous presidential scandals, Watergate was about power rather than money.
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Why did Saudi Arabia cut off oil shipments to the United States in 1973?
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The United States had sent emergency aid to Israel during the October War.
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What was the main focus of the Nixon presidency?
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foreign policy
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The most serious consequence of the 1970s oil shock for America was
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rampant inflation.
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Who was the first woman to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court?
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Sandra Day O'Connor
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Why did some working class women oppose the Equal Rights Amendment?
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They worried about losing the protections of state laws designed to help women
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Start of section 4How did most Americans feel about the future by 2010?
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About half of Americans thought that the country's best days were over.
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What did the Bush administration insist Iraq was hiding in 2002?
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weapons of mass destruction
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What campaign pledge did President George H. W. Bush have to break in 1990?
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his pledge not to raise taxes
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What did the Obama administration accomplish that Democratic presidents since Harry Truman had wanted to achieve?
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a comprehensive medical insurance program for all Americans
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How did George H. W. Bush respond to the 1989 repression of protestors in Tiananmen Square?
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He denounced the violence but maintained a working relationship with China.
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What issue became especially controversial after Chief Justice William Rehnquist died and Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retired?
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abortion
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The outcome of the 2000 presidential election hung on legal battles over the vote count in
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Florida.
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The U.S. and allied military campaign against Iraq in 1991 was known as Operation
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Desert Storm.
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How did Congress respond to concerns about the economic effects of undocumented workers in 1986?
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It penalized employers who hired undocumented workers
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What issue made science education controversial in the early twenty-first century?
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demands to teach intelligent design instead of evolution
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What event revealed to the nation that poverty in America was not colorblind?
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Hurricane Katrina
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The first move in the war on terror was the overthrow of a radical Islamist regime in
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Afghanistan.
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Bill Clinton was impeached for
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perjury and obstruction of justice.
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What was President George W. Bush's first order of business after being elected?
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a large tax cut
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The first crisis of the post-Cold War era occurred when
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Iraq invaded Kuwait.
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What was the purpose of the "No Child Left Behind" measure?
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It mandated state testing to evaluate student performance in reading and math.
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How did the Democratic Party change its tactics in the early 1990s and regain the White House?
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It became more moderate and began tailoring programs to the middle class.
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How did the American public react to Kenneth Star's report outlining the possible impeachment charges against Clinton?
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The public condemned Starr for revealing such graphic and intimate details of sexual practices on the news.
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How did the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States change American foreign policy?
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The United States took on the role of global police officer.
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How did life improve for African Americans over the last few decades of the twentieth century and the first decade of the twenty-first century?
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The average educational level of African Americans increased.
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How was George W. Bush's economic policy different from Clinton's?
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Clinton favored eliminating the deficit, while Bush favored tax reduction.
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What is NAFTA?
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a free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada
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Affirmative action policies are designed to
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ensure greater participation by minorities.
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Who was responsible for the liberation of Eastern Europe from repressive governments?
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Mikhail Gorbachev
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What caused a riot in South Central Los Angeles in which 53 people were killed?
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The court's acquittal of the police officers who beat Rodney King.
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In what way was Iraq's invasion of Kuwait influenced by the end of the Cold War?
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The Soviet Union was no longer a superpower that could influence Saddam Hussein.
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How did President Obama affect the experience of gays and lesbians in the military?
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He repealed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
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How was the age of the American population related to the economy?
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Health care costs rose alarmingly as the American population aged.
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Which countries did President George W. Bush call the "axis of evil" in 2002?
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Iraq, Iran, and North Korea
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Which statement best describes the 2004 presidential election?
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It was especially bitter and spiteful as each party blamed and criticized the other.
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People living in American urban centers
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had more education than people in rural areas.
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How did the dismal economy affect the 2008 presidential race?
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It helped Obama gain ground during the campaign.
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Bush's 2003 decision to go to war in Iraq initially seemed
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wise because the military quickly succeeded in taking Baghdad.
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How did the September 11, 2001, attacks affect the U.S. economy?
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The airline industry was devastated as people were afraid to fly.
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In 1989, popular demonstrations calling for democratic reform were violently suppressed in
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China.
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How did Ralph Nader's candidacy in the 2000 presidential election affect the race?
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Gore moved further to the left, leaving more room for Bush among independents.
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How did the 2000 presidential election break from historical trends?
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The state of the economy did not determine the outcome of the election.
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Why was George H. W. Bush's plan to bring down the federal budget deficit unsuccessful?
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His plan coincided with the beginning of a recession.
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By 2002, ________ had become the nation's largest ethnic minority.
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Hispanics
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In what way did the 2000 presidential election reveal a division in American life?
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The poor voted for Gore while the rich voted for Bush.
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The largest single group of Asian Americans was of __________ descent.
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Chinese
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Why did the George H. W. Bush administration feel so much pressure after Iraq invaded Kuwait?
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The United States was the sole remaining superpower following the Cold War.
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The only significant piece of social legislation enacted in the first Bush administration was the
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Americans with Disabilities Act.
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What was President George H. W. Bush's primary focus during his presidency?
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foreign affairs
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What did immigrants from the four major Hispanic groups have in common?
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They tended to be relatively young.
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Which of the following was NOT a component of the Contract with America?
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universal health care coverage
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Which statement most accurately compares Al Gore and George W. Bush?
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Gore seemed aloof but had experience, while Bush was personable but inexperienced.
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The terrorist attacks on the United States led the George W. Bush administration to initiate a new global strategy known to its critics as
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unilateralism.
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Which area of the United States experienced dramatic growth from the 1970s to the 1990s?
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the Sunbelt
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What was the central issue of the 2004 presidential election?
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the war in Iraq
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