Deck 31: America in a New Century, Since 2000

Question 1

Opposition from which group led President Clinton to back away from his campaign promise to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military?

A) The Left
B) Conservatives
C) Women's organizations
D) Most members of Congress

Answer 1

Conservatives

Question 2

Which of the following describes 1992 presidential candidate Bill Clinton and his running mate, Al Gore?

A) They identified as "New Democrats" who wanted to rid the party of its liberal image.
B) They were the first southerners to run together on a major-party ticket.
C) They were both former U.S. senators from the South.
D) They were both former Republicans who had become Democrats during the Reagan administration.

Answer 2

They identified as "New Democrats" who wanted to rid the party of its liberal image.

Question 3

Why did Bill Clinton's ambitious plan for health care reform fail early in his presidency?

A) The public did not want such reforms.
B) Democrats opposed the single-payer plan.
C) Liberals and conservatives both opposed it.
D) The plan was not sufficiently comprehensive.

Answer 3

Liberals and conservatives both opposed it.

Question 4

Iraqi president Saddam Hussein announced the withdrawal of his troops from Kuwait in the first Gulf War as a result of

A) crippling air bombardment and the beginning of an all-out ground assault on Iraqi troops.
B) two years of fighting and a costly stalemate that forced Hussein to abandon the invasion.
C) strong antiwar sentiment among Iraqi citizens who did not support the Kuwait invasion.
D) the U.S. threat to use nuclear force against Iraq if Hussein did not withdraw his troops.

Question 5

Which organization authorized the use of force against Iraq if it did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991?

A) The Organization of American States
B) NATO
C) The League of Nations
D) The United Nations

Question 6

What was the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act?

A) It prohibited discrimination against the disabled but did not address whether public buildings had to be accessible.
B) It required that private and public businesses be accessible to people with disabilities.
C) It required public buildings to be handicap accessible; private businesses, however, were exempt.
D) It upheld businesses' rights not to hire people with severe disabilities.

Question 7

Why did the United States intervene in the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait?

A) It wanted to help the Kuwaitis defend their land.
B) It needed to maintain access to Middle Eastern oil resources.
C) Saudi Arabia asked it to send troops to Kuwait.
D) The United Nations asked it to send troops to Kuwait.

Question 8

The welfare reform measures passed during the Clinton presidency

A) were initiated by Republicans to deal with the cycles of dependency that critics claimed were a product of traditional welfare programs.
B) were diametrically opposed to the measures the president believed were actually needed.
C) strengthened the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program.
D) authorized a two-year limit on welfare payments and set a lifetime limit of five years on payments.

Question 9

What was one result of the changes Mikhail Gorbachev encouraged in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s?

A) East Germany's opening its border with West Germany
B) Widespread bloodshed in Russia, most of Eastern Europe, and the Baltic states
C) An emergency meeting of the United Nations to determine the status of the new nations
D) The strengthening of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Question 10

President George H. W. Bush appointed which of the following justices to the Supreme Court?

A) Antonin Scalia
B) Anthony M. Kennedy
C) Ruth Bader Ginsburg
D) Clarence Thomas

Question 11

President George H. W. Bush was more inclined than President Reagan had been to

A) veto environmental legislation.
B) liberalize restrictions on abortion.
C) approve government activity in the private sphere.
D) separate government from the private sphere.

Question 12

Which of the following describes President Clinton's plan to appoint women, blacks, and Hispanics to the federal courts?

A) It was stymied by a lack of support among Democrats in Congress.
B) It was met with resistance on the part of the voting public.
C) It was mandated by the affirmative action programs of the Great Society.
D) It underscored his efforts to create a government that looked like America.

Question 13

How did the Soviet Union respond to the American condemnation of Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait?

A) It began shipping arms to Hussein.
B) It criticized the United States for meddling in international affairs.
C) It voted for a U.N. embargo on Iraqi oil.
D) It withdrew from the U.N. Security Council.

Question 14

Which of the following characterizes Operation Desert Storm of 1991?

A) It was a fiasco for the United States that resulted in thousands of deaths and an erosion of morale.
B) It was a war that President George H. W. Bush waged without the support of Congress.
C) It was a war that President George H. W. Bush waged with the consent of Congress and widespread American support.
D) It was essentially an aborted attempt to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein.

Question 15

Why did George H. W. Bush ultimately abandon his no-new-taxes pledge?

A) He had inherited a huge budget deficit from the Reagan administration.
B) He came to believe that higher taxes would solidify his conservative base.
C) He never intended to honor the pledge in the first place.
D) He hoped to expand costly domestic programs.

Question 16

The Clinton administration ended its eight-year term in office with

A) a record deficit in the federal budget.
B) a federal budget surplus and the longest economic boom in history.
C) an abysmal record on women's rights, gay rights, and the environment.
D) an unprecedented increase in spending on welfare programs.

Question 17

What was the result of the congressional elections of 1994?

A) Democratic majorities in the House and Senate
B) A Democratic majority in the House and a Republican majority in the Senate
C) A Republican majority in the House and a Democratic majority in the Senate
D) Republican majorities in the House and Senate

Question 18

What consequence did the breakup of the Soviet Union have for Mikhail Gorbachev?

A) He was hailed as a new Lenin.
B) He had nothing left to govern, and resigned.
C) He was assassinated in 1991.
D) He was ousted by a Russian military coup.

Question 19

As he worked to support his pledge of no new taxes, President George H. W. Bush earned a reputation for

A) pushing innovative domestic legislation through Congress.
B) vetoing bills passed by Congress.
C) signing virtually any bill passed by Congress.
D) reducing the deficit to encourage economic growth.

Question 20

Which piece of legislation enabled workers in larger companies to take time off for the birth or adoption of a child, for the care of aging parents, and for family emergencies?

A) Family and Medical Leave Act
B) Aid to Families with Dependent Children Act
C) Americans with Disabilities Act
D) Universal Health Care Act

Question 21

For unskilled and semiskilled workers in the United States, the economic boom of the 1990s meant

A) a significant narrowing of the gap between them and the wealthy.
B) the introduction of a nationwide comprehensive job training program.
C) new benefits in the form of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
D) fewer opportunities and lower wages.

Question 22

Which was the largest minority group in the nation by 2004?

A) African Americans
B) Asians
C) Native Americans
D) Latinos

Question 23

At the end of the twentieth century, the fastest-growing immigrant groups in the United States were Latinos and

A) people from the former Soviet Union.
B) Cuban refugees.
C) people from the Middle East.
D) Asians.

Question 24

What was one result of America's uncertainty about whether and how to intervene in foreign disputes that did not threaten its vital interests in the 1990s?

A) The ousting of Slobodan Milosevic from power in Serbia
B) The ousting of military leaders in Haiti
C) The massacre of half a million people in a brutal civil war in Rwanda
D) The end of the racist apartheid system in South Africa

Question 25

What characteristic made the majority of post-1965 immigrants to the United States much like their nineteenth-century predecessors?

A) They were unskilled and poor.
B) They were skilled laborers who did not qualify for professional jobs in the United States.
C) They had been wealthy in their home countries but came to the United States in poverty.
D) They were chronically unemployed.

Question 26

U.S. troops landed in Haiti in 1994 after

A) a military coup overthrew the government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
B) the country was invaded by troops from the Dominican Republic.
C) a volcano erupted, destroying many of the island's villages and food crops.
D) major civil unrest followed the flooding of the island by a massive hurricane.

Question 27

Why did most Americans oppose the impeachment of President Clinton?

A) They believed a sitting president should be above the law.
B) They separated his private actions from his public duties.
C) They believed Congress should not have the power to impeach a president.
D) They admired his immediate acknowledgment of and apology for his behavior.

Question 28

What finally decided the outcome of the 2000 presidential race between Al Gore and George W. Bush?

A) A ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court
B) A hand recount of the Florida vote
C) A runoff election in Florida
D) A vote in the U.S. House of Representatives

Question 29

Why did some businessmen criticize globalization?

A) They believed it only benefited the United States and not the third world.
B) They believed it created wealth in developing nations but not solutions for their other social needs.
C) They thought it would ultimately threaten U.S. security by creating new sources of international power.
D) They did not want to see the growth of private wealth in formerly Communist countries.

Question 30

President George W. Bush's environmental policies reflected his overall commitment to

A) limiting the power of big business.
B) conserving fossil fuels.
C) protecting disadvantaged Americans.
D) reducing government regulation.

Question 31

What was the purpose of the North American Free Trade Agreement?

A) It nurtured established industries and jobs within the borders of the United States.
B) It eliminated all tariffs and trade barriers among the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
C) It removed provisions to protect the environment from trade agreements.
D) It bolstered the strength of labor unions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Question 32

After years of violence, hopes for peace in Kosovo were raised in October 2000 when

A) Slobodan Milosevic was assassinated.
B) Slobodan Milosevic was voted out of office.
C) Albanian Muslims gave up their power.
D) ethnic Albanians demanded independence.

Question 33

Which statement describes globalization at the end of the twentieth century?

A) It was facilitated by new communications technology that linked almost all parts of the world.
B) It had become more political than economic.
C) It had become a way to limit the impact of economic disaster in any one area of the globe.
D) It only connected countries in the West to one another.

Question 34

Why did President Clinton order missile attacks on sites in Afghanistan in the summer of 1998?

A) He did not believe Osama bin Laden and his followers would surrender to international peacekeeping forces.
B) He wanted to reinstate self-determination in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
C) He suspected they were the sites of terrorist training camps.
D) He wanted to put an end to fighting in Afghanistan.

Question 35

Why did President Clinton launch air strikes against Iraq in 1993?

A) The United States uncovered an Iraqi plot to assassinate President Bush.
B) Saddam Hussein attacked the Kurds in southern Iraq.
C) The United States determined that Iraq was harboring terrorists.
D) Saddam Hussein expelled U.N. weapons inspectors.

Question 36

The House of Representatives voted to impeach President Clinton in 1998 on the grounds of

A) perjury and obstruction of justice.
B) his sexual relationship with a White House intern.
C) his links to a phony real estate deal in Mississippi.
D) alleged sexual harassment of an Arkansas state worker.

Question 37

What was the purpose of the two tax bills that President George W. Bush signed after taking office in 2001?

A) To cut taxes significantly
B) To raise taxes in order to reduce the federal deficit
C) To cut taxes that disproportionately benefited low-income workers
D) To raise taxes to ensure the future of Social Security and Medicare

Question 38

How did President Clinton appease critics of globalization in 2000?

A) He outlined the benefits that would come to Americans with the growth of the telecommunications and computer industries.
B) He agreed to provide poor nations with debt relief and a greater voice in decisions about loans and grants.
C) He promoted a national boycott of Nike, the Gap, and other companies that made use of sweatshop labor around the world.
D) He signed an executive order requiring an environmental impact review before signing any new trade agreement.

Question 39

Which of the following came of the meeting between Yasir Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin in 1993?

A) They hammered out their differences and promised to end the fighting in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
B) They agreed to Palestinian recognition of Israel and Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and Jericho.
C) They were unable to come to any agreement.
D) They agreed to form a joint government in Jerusalem.

Question 40

What was the result of the 2000 presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore?

A) Gore won the popular vote and the Electoral College vote.
B) Bush won the popular vote.
C) Bush won the Electoral College vote.
D) Bush officially lost the election to Gore.

Question 41

What was the purpose of the USA Patriot Act of 2001?

A) To establish new civil liberties protections for American citizens
B) To create new civil liberties protections for American-born Muslims
C) To monitor suspected terrorists and their associates
D) To increase taxes to pay for the war on terrorism

Question 42

The Democratic presidential primaries in 2008 came down to a tight race between Barack Obama and

A) Hillary Rodham Clinton.
B) John Edwards.
C) Joe Biden.
D) John McCain.

Question 43

Which of the following occurred in the aftermath of the March 2003 invasion of Iraq?

A) The Bush administration proved that Saddam Hussein was producing weapons of mass destruction.
B) The Bush administration was able to show that Saddam Hussein had concrete connections to Osama bin Laden and the attacks on September 11.
C) Bush and his advisors were unprepared for the subsequent social and political chaos in Iraq.
D) Bush won support from the major European powers that had initially opposed the invasion.

Question 44

What were the primary criticisms of free trade articulated by its detractors in the late 1990s? How did the Clinton administration respond?

Question 45

Which of the following statements describes President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind Act?

A) It applied only to the nation's richest schools.
B) It passed with bipartisan support.
C) It did not set standards for educational improvement.
D) It applied only to the nation's poorest school districts.

Question 46

How did the 1994 congressional elections influence President Clinton's key policy decisions?

Question 47

In what ways did Operation Desert Storm signal a shift away from Cold War patterns?

Question 48

Discuss the arguments for and against the impeachment of President Clinton.

Question 49

Briefly compare and contrast Barack Obama's foreign policy with that of George W. Bush.

Question 50

What was the George W. Bush administration's rationale for the invasion of Iraq in March 2003?

Question 51

Which piece of legislation represented the largest expansion of government since the Great Society?

A) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
B) The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
C) The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
D) The Troubled Assets Relief Program

Question 52

How did George W. Bush win the presidential election of 2000?

Question 53

Explain the factors that contributed to government gridlock during the presidency of George H. W. Bush.

Question 54

What motivated Al Qaeda's attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001?

A) Its desire to initiate an era of democracy and religious tolerance in the Middle East
B) Its wish to rid the Middle East of Western influences
C) Its hope that the attack would force the United States to launch an attack on Iraq
D) Its desire to retaliate for the United States' support of the Soviet Union in the Soviet-Afghan conflict of the 1980s

Question 55

Who formed the base of the Tea Party political movement?

A) Young African Americans
B) Young white women
C) Older white voters
D) Moderate Democrats

Question 56

What was the outcome of the 2004 presidential race between George W. Bush and John Kerry?

A) Bush beat Kerry in a landslide victory.
B) Bush beat Kerry by a slim margin in both the Electoral College and the popular vote.
C) Kerry received a majority of the popular vote but lost in the Electoral College.
D) Kerry received a majority of votes in the Electoral College but lost the popular vote.

Question 57

How did President Clinton's use of military force reflect uncertainty about the future direction of U.S. foreign policy in the 1990s?

Question 58

Which of the following represents President George W. Bush's policy of preemption?

A) The choice to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on global warming
B) The decision to cut taxes to benefit wealthy Americans
C) His resolution to invade Iraq in March 2003
D) The decision to invade Afghanistan in October 2001

Question 59

With reference to specific domestic policies, to what extent could President George W. Bush be considered a compassionate conservative?

Question 60

In what major way did Barack Obama's foreign policy differ from that of George W. Bush?

A) Obama refused to maintain an American military presence in Asia or the Middle East.
B) Obama was committed to a multilateral approach to foreign affairs.
C) Because of his belief in transparency in government, Obama refused to make use of the CIA.
D) Obama dismantled NATO, suggesting that since the Cold War was long over, it was no longer necessary.

Question 61

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
Legislation signed by President George H. W. Bush in 1990 that banned discrimination against the disabled. The law also required handicapped accessibility in public facilities and private businesses.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 62

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
1991 war between Iraq and a U.S.-led international coalition. The war was sparked by the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. A forty-day bombing campaign against Iraq followed by coalition troops storming into Kuwait brought a quick coalition victory.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 63

With his pledges to pursue reforms in health care, education, and environmental and immigration policy, Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election with 53 percent of the popular vote and a two-to-one victory in the Electoral College, while Democrats also increased their majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate. What factors explain the Obama administration's failure to realize its agenda during its first four years? What reforms did Obama manage to carry out, despite the challenges he faced?

Question 64

From the perspectives of American business leaders, politicians, and critics, assess the costs and benefits of globalization in the 1990s.

Question 65

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
Legislation signed by President Clinton in 1996 that replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. It provided grants to the states to assist the poor and limited welfare payments to two years, with a lifetime maximum of five years.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 66

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
Environmental legislation signed by President George H. W. Bush. It was the strongest and most comprehensive environmental law in the nation's history.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 67

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
1993 treaty that eliminated all tariffs and trade barriers among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It was supported by President Clinton, a minority of Democrats, and a majority of Republicans.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 68

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
War launched by the United States, Britain, and several smaller countries in March 2003 against the government of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. It was based on claims (subsequently refuted) that Hussein's government had links to Al Qaeda, harbored terrorists, and possessed weapons of mass destruction.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 69

To what extent was the foreign policy of President George W. Bush consistent with the foreign policy of his father and President Clinton? Did it represent a new direction in American foreign policy?

Question 70

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
Sweeping 2010 health care reform bill that established nearly universal health insurance by providing subsidies and compelling larger business to offer coverage to employees. Championed by President Obama, it also imposed new regulations on insurance companies and contained provisions to limit health care costs.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 71

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
2001 law that gave the government new powers to monitor suspected terrorists and their associates, including the ability to access personal information. Critics charged that it represented an unwarranted abridgment of civil rights.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 72

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
International economic body established in 1994 through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade to enforce substantial tariff and import quota reductions. Many corporations welcomed these trade barrier reductions, but critics linked them to job loss and the weakening of unions.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 73

Compare the two recent wars in the Persian Gulf. What factors distinguish the war in 1991 from the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003?

Question 74

In what ways could President Clinton be considered a New Democrat? a liberal? a conservative?

Question 75

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
2002 legislation championed by President George W. Bush that expanded the role of the federal government in public education. The law required every school to meet annual testing standards, penalized failing schools, and allowed parents to transfer their children out of such schools.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)

Question 76

Use the following to answer questions :
Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section.
Federal antipoverty program initiated in 1975 that assisted the working poor by giving tax breaks to low-income, full-time workers or a subsidy to those who owed no taxes. President Clinton pushed through a significant increase in the program in 1993.

A)Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
B)Clean Air Act of 1990
C)Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
D)Iraq War
E)Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
F)Persian Gulf War
G)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
H)No Child Left Behind Act
I)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
J)USA Patriot Act
K)World Trade Organization (WTO)