US History Topic 12 – Flashcards

"This is the issue of this election, whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves."— Ronald Reagan, "A Time for Choosing" Reagan made this statement

According to the information in this graph, in which year did President Bill Clinton succeed in balancing the budget?

President Reagan's decision to fire federal air traffic controllers who were on strike is an example of

Elements in the Contract with America, such as tax cuts and welfare reform, were based on the premise that

"For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, 'give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy.' They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us."—Ronald Reagan, January 28, 1986 In this speech, President Reagan was most likely speaking about which tragic event?

"And now the Soviets themselves may, in a limited way, be coming to understand the importance of freedom... Are these the beginnings of profound changes in the Soviet state? Or are they token gestures, intended to raise false hopes in the West, or to strengthen the Soviet system without changing it? We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"—Ronald Reagan, June 12, 1987 In which city did Ronald Reagan gave this speech?

The people who supported Ronald Reagan's bid for the presidency most likely also supported

Which position best explains why many were against healthcare reform in the 1990s?

In the text, you read this about the 1980s: Despite Reagan's vision of "morning in America" and Bush's "thousand points of light," in truth a great cultural and economic divide existed in 1980s society—a division only partially defined by race, ethnicity, and gender. The economic recovery of the mid-1980s did not affect all segments of society equally. As the number of poor increased, so did violence and drug use in the nation's inner cities. At the same time, a culture of acquisition intensified among Americans. According to this quote, in the 1980s there was

The Persian Gulf War was triggered by

Jerry Falwell, one of the leaders of the New Right, promoted

In 1992, Bill Clinton campaigned on the idea that government was important but should be more efficient in order to attract both

The decision to intervene in the Balkans and Haiti were two examples of a larger debate over

"Your generation is living in one of the most exciting times in [history]. It is a time when the first breath of freedom stirs the air and the heart beats to the accelerated rhythm of hope, when the accumulated spiritual energies of a long silence yearn to break free. . . . We do not know what the conclusion of this journey will be, but we're hopeful that the promise of reform will be fulfilled . . . leading to a new world of reconciliation, friendship, and peace."—Ronald Reagan, May 31, 1988 The language that Ronald Reagan used in this speech to students from the Soviet Union makes it clear that he's talking about

During the Reagan administration, the United States experienced a trade imbalance with

Which republics in the former Yugoslavia were the first to declare independence?

"The [leaders] refused even to discuss key elements of the peace agreement. . . . Now they've started moving from village to village, shelling civilians and torching their houses. We've seen innocent people taken from their homes, forced to kneel in the dirt, and sprayed with bullets . . . men dragged from their families, fathers and sons together, lined up and shot in cold blood. This is not war in the traditional sense. It is an attack by tanks and artillery on a largely defenseless people whose leaders already have agreed to peace. Ending this tragedy is a moral imperative. It is also important to America's national interest. . . . All the ingredients for a major war are there: ancient grievances, struggling democracies, and [a dictator] who has done nothing since the cold war ended but start new wars and pour gasoline on the flames of ethnic and religious division."—Bill Clinton, March 24, 1999 In this statement, President Clinton is describing

American intervention in Lebanon ended after

"If history teaches anything, it teaches self-delusion in the face of unpleasant facts is folly. We see around us today the marks of our terrible dilemma—predictions of doomsday, antinuclear demonstrations, an arms race in which the West must, for its own protection, be an unwilling participant. At the same time we see totalitarian forces in the world who seek subversion and conflict around the globe to further their barbarous assault on the human spirit. What, then, is our course? Must civilization perish in a hail of fiery atoms? Must freedom wither in a quiet, deadening accommodation with totalitarian evil?"—Ronald Reagan, June 8, 1982 The purpose of this excerpt from President Reagan's famous "Evil Empire" speech is to urge that

Which Bush Administration policy goal is best reflected in the arrest of Manuel Noriega in Panama?

The idea that federal government programs should address social problems is best seen in

During the Reagan administration, Muammar al-Qaddafi threatened security in

President Clinton was impeached on charges of

"It's morning again in America. In a town not too far from where you live, a young family has just moved into a new home. . . . Right down the street one of the neighbors has just bought himself a new car, with all the options. The factory down the river is working again. . . . Life is better, America is back. And people have a sense of pride they never felt they'd feel again." This text appeared in a political commercial for Ronald Reagan's first presidential campaign.

"[I]t took 8 years and two vetoes to make this legislation the law of the land. Now millions of our people will no longer have to choose between their jobs and their families. The law guarantees the right of up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year when it's urgently needed at home to care for a newborn child or an ill family member. This bill will strengthen our families, and I believe it will strengthen our businesses and our economy as well."—Bill Clinton, February 5, 1993 President Clinton gave these remarks upon signing which act into law?

Which trend best explains the increasing popularity of the Moral Majority in the early 1980s?

The theory of supply-side economics involved

The conservative agenda included all of the following except

President Reagan believed in fighting the spread of communism by

In the text you read this about President Reagan's military buildup: Reagan supported this massive military buildup, in part, because he did not believe that the Soviet Union could afford to spend as much on defense as the United States could. Reagan felt this applied particularly to the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a proposed program in which land and space-based lasers would destroy any missiles aimed at the United States before they could reach their targets. Some dubbed the missile program "Star Wars," after the popular science-fiction movie trilogy, and claimed that it was unrealistic. What did President Reagan believe would be a result of the Strategic Defense Initiative?

"Last week in one of the most profound electoral routs in American history, Republicans won the right to occupy the Capitol and mount what their . . . commanders think of as a counter-revolution: a full-scale attack on the notion that a central government should play a central role in the life of the nation."—Newsweek magazine The event discussed in this article from Newsweek was inspired by