Deck 28: The Triumph of Conservatism, the End of the Cold War, and the Rise of the New World Order

Question 1

The Reagan administration's harsh reprisals against the Sandinistas in Nicaragua were motivated by

A) concern over the growing Communist presence in Central America and the Caribbean.
B) loyalty to Anastasio Somoza, the former American-supported dictator of Nicaragua.
C) displeasure over the number of Central Americans seeking asylum in the United States.
D) a commitment to uphold human rights and protect freedom of expression in Nicaragua.

Answer 1

concern over the growing Communist presence in Central America and the Caribbean.

Question 2

The guiding principle of the Reagan administration's foreign policy agenda was its commitment to

A) human rights.
B) anticolonialism.
C) anticommunism.
D) world peace.

Answer 2

anticommunism.

Question 3

Which of the following was not influenced by the groundswell of American popular support for divestment from South Africa?

A) Corporations including General Motors
B) A majority of members of Congress
C) More than 150 colleges and universities
D) President Reagan and his administration

Answer 3

President Reagan and his administration

Question 4

The phrase "greed is good" captures the spirit of the economic policies of which president?

A) Nixon
B) Carter
C) Reagan
D) Bush

Question 5

Based on United Nations ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick's definition, which of the following countries had a "totalitarian" regime unacceptable to the United States during the 1980s?

A) South Africa
B) El Salvador
C) Iraq
D) Cuba

Question 6

One consequence of the Reagan administration's support of an oppressive right-wing government in El Salvador was the

A) end of Cuban support of guerilla insurgents against that regime.
B) resignation of Grenada's left-wing leader Maurice Bishop.
C) resignation of United Nations ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick.
D) influx of Salvadoran asylum seekers into the United States.

Question 7

The Reagan administration's secret "arms for hostages" deal was an effort to get which nation to use its influence on behalf of Americans kidnapped in the Middle East?

A) Lebanon
B) Libya
C) Iran
D) Iraq

Question 8

President Nixon's trip to China was surprising because

A) it would interfere with the process of ending the Vietnam War.
B) Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was opposed to the visit.
C) he had been an anti-Communist throughout his political career.
D) it would antagonize the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

Question 9

The Soviet Union's downing of a South Korean passenger flight led the United States to

A) deploy additional missiles in Western Europe.
B) deploy additional missiles in South Korea.
C) refer to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire."
D) refuse to participate in the 1984 Olympic Games.

Question 10

The Reagan administration's secret plan for funding the Contras in Nicaragua was motivated by

A) the Cuban trade embargo.
B) the Boland Amendment.
C) a coup in Grenada.
D) Central American refugees.

Question 11

The goal of President Nixon's foreign policy was to

A) uphold democratic values and contain communism through the use of military force.
B) prevent South Vietnam from falling to communism, whatever the cost in American lives.
C) achieve a stable balance of power among the United States, the Soviet Union, and China.
D) guarantee that the United States had access to oil from the Middle Eastern nations.

Question 12

Although President Reagan was famous for his commitment to building up the American military,

A) the process actually began during Carter's term.
B) he was uninterested in developing new weapons.
C) he never sent troops into battle.
D) Congress never approved his defense budgets.

Question 13

Which nuclear weapons policy had the support of the majority of Americans during the early 1980s?

A) A process of gradual disarmament
B) Increased production of nuclear arms
C) An immediate nuclear freeze
D) Destruction of existing nuclear arms

Question 14

In 1982, some 750,000 people rallied in New York City in support of

A) a nuclear freeze resolution.
B) AIDS research.
C) an end to the war in Afghanistan.
D) the hostages in Iran.

Question 15

The slogan "peace through strength" captures the foreign policy philosophy of

A) President Carter.
B) President Reagan.
C) Ayatollah Khomeini.
D) Mikhail Gorbachev.

Question 16

One result of improved relations between the United States and China was

A) a plan for achieving peace in Vietnam.
B) a mutually beneficial trade relationship.
C) increased hostility with the Soviet Union.
D) the start of the 1973 war in the Middle East.

Question 17

President Reagan measured the strength of the United States in the world in terms of the

A) effectiveness of its diplomacy.
B) number of its trusted allies.
C) sophistication of its intelligence.
D) size of its military arsenal.

Question 18

The 1980s women's peace camp movement began at

A) Greenham Common.
B) Seneca Falls.
C) Central Park.
D) the United Nations.

Question 19

The Carter administration deviated from the Cold War foreign policies of prior administrations by

A) refusing to support dictatorial regimes just because they were anti-Communist.
B) attempting to improve the relationship between the United States and China.
C) negotiating arms reduction treaties between the United States and the Soviets.
D) using the CIA to provide covert economic and military assistance to other countries.

Question 20

Who masterminded the plan to use the proceeds of the "arms for hostages" deal to fund the Nicaraguan rebels in what became known as the Iran-Contra scandal?

A) President Reagan
B) George Schultz
C) Robert McFarlane
D) Oliver North

Question 21

The anti-Communist movement that swept Eastern Europe during the late 1980s was resisted by the leaders of

A) Poland.
B) Hungary.
C) Bulgaria.
D) Romania.

Question 22

President Nixon and President Reagan were able to ease Cold War tensions with China and the Soviet Union, respectively, because they

A) were known for their longstanding commitments to anticommunism.
B) had reputations for avoiding the use of military force whenever possible.
C) surpassed other Cold War-era presidents in their diplomatic abilities.
D) feared the growing power of the Communist bloc in world affairs.

Question 23

Rapid industrialization in poor, formerly undeveloped nations resulted in

A) a higher standard of living and better health outcomes for their citizens.
B) an increase in pollution and other forms of environmental degradation.
C) a decline in the standard of living of Americans and Europeans.
D) the formation of the European Union and adoption of the euro.

Question 24

Gorbachev's policy of glasnost inspired the

A) Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan.
B) formation of the Group of Seven (G7).
C) tearing down of the Berlin Wall.
D) rise of the multinational corporation.

Question 25

Opponents of the Kyoto Protocol argued that the United States should not sign it because

A) the dangers of global warning were being exaggerated.
B) Americans created less pollution than the other signatories.
C) Americans were unaffected by environmental changes.
D) newly industrialized nations were insufficiently regulated.

Question 26

Like Richard Nixon, George H. W. Bush appealed to conservative voters during his presidential campaign by claiming that he would

A) oppose abortion rights.
B) end affirmative action.
C) be tough on crime.
D) ease Cold War tensions.

Question 27

Although he pledged to uphold the Reagan legacy as president, George H. W. Bush was more inclined than his predecessor to

A) support the organized labor movement.
B) adhere to supply-side economic theory.
C) oppose access to birth control and abortion.
D) increase federal regulation of the private sphere.

Question 28

For Gorbachev, the increasing democratization of the Soviet Union resulted in his

A) renouncing communism and moving to the United States.
B) being ousted from his leadership of the Soviet Communist Party.
C) becoming recognized as the greatest leader in the nation's history.
D) having to run against Boris Yeltsin for the presidency of Russia.

Question 29

The increasing reliance of American manufacturers on Chinese labor was based on

A) the growing unionization of American workers.
B) China's low salaries and lack of workplace regulation.
C) China's reliance on lead paint in toy production.
D) declining interest in blue-collar jobs among American workers.

Question 30

The mission of 1989's Operation Just Cause was to

A) free Nelson Mandela from prison.
B) overthrow Saddam Hussein.
C) effect regime change in Panama.
D) tear down the Berlin Wall.

Question 31

Evidence that the movement toward democracy had extended beyond Eastern Europe by the 1990s included

A) the democratic election of a new president in Chile.
B) the resignation of Panamanian President Manuel Noriega.
C) Deng Xiaoping's handling of the Tiananmen Square protests.
D) the end of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship in Iraq.

Question 32

In response to the federal deficit, President George H. W. Bush was forced to deviate from standard conservative policy on

A) tax increases.
B) the environment.
C) criminal justice.
D) race relations.

Question 33

The invasions of Grenada and Panama by the United States reflected a desire to

A) demonstrate toughness by engaging in a low-risk conflict.
B) rid the Western Hemisphere of Communist dictators.
C) halt drug trafficking between Latin America and the United States.
D) prevent American students from going abroad to study medicine.

Question 34

The huge federal deficit at the end of the 1980s was the result of the Reagan administration's

A) investment in AIDS research.
B) "arms for hostages" scandal.
C) increased defense spending.
D) disinvestment from South Africa.

Question 35

Mikhail Gorbachev's efforts to normalize relations with the United States were motivated by his desire to

A) express his admiration for President Reagan.
B) prevent the Soviet economy from collapsing.
C) convince Billy Joel to perform in the Soviet Union.
D) prove that the Soviet Union was not "evil."

Question 36

Lech Walesa's election as president of Poland was made possible by the

A) support of United States President George H. W. Bush.
B) geographical breakup of the Soviet Union.
C) intervention of the Warsaw Pact nations.
D) efforts of Mikhail Gorbachev to reform the Soviet system.

Question 37

Prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russian President Boris Yeltsin had been a

A) Soviet Army officer.
B) member of the KGB.
C) longtime political dissident.
D) protégé of Gorbachev.

Question 38

President Reagan became more willing to negotiate with the Soviet Union over the de-escalation of weapons after

A) he was reelected in a landslide.
B) the implementation of his SDI program.
C) Mikhail Gorbachev began implementing glasnost.
D) the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Question 39

One result of the North American Free Trade Agreement for the United States was

A) decreased trade between the United States and Mexico.
B) a decline in American workers' access to manufacturing jobs.
C) increased wages for American workers owing to rising exports.
D) fewer investment opportunities in Mexico for Americans.

Question 40

One example of how the end of Cold War hostilities between East and West affected international relations was

A) the destabilization of Afghanistan.
B) America's refusal to sign the Kyoto Protocol.
C) Russia's participation in the G7, to make it the G8.
D) the rise of international news programming.

Question 41

President Bush's hesitance to directly confront Saddam Hussein was motivated by

A) concern for Israel's long-term security.
B) a lack of support from the United Nations.
C) a desire to retain good relations with Arab allies.
D) widespread opposition from the American people.

Question 42

Map 28.3, The Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, 1989-1991, shows the disintegration of the Eastern Bloc at the end of the Cold War. Which Eastern European country first held elections in which the Communist Party did not win?

A) East Germany
B) Poland
C) Romania
D) Hungary

Question 43

Operation Desert Storm could be characterized as a

A) hard-fought battle between equally matched opponents.
B) deployment of overwhelming force on a weak adversary.
C) democratic state's attempt to overthrow a brutal dictator.
D) Cold War-style proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Question 44

The Tiananmen Square massacre was the Chinese government's response to

A) college students' demands for political and economic reform.
B) a general strike by workers in the country's manufacturing sector.
C) rioting by protesters in the streets of China's major cities.
D) calls for the construction of a Statue of Liberty replica in Beijing.

Question 45

The liberation of Kuwait was the result of

A) unilateral action by the United States.
B) the Soviet Union's refusal to get involved.
C) the decision of Israel to attack Iraq.
D) a coalition effort with Arab support.

Question 46

The Bush administration challenged the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in order to

A) preserve Kuwait's democratic government.
B) retain access to Middle Eastern oil reserves.
C) improve relations with Iraq's major foe, Iran.
D) deter a subsequent Iraqi invasion of Israel.

Question 47

Map 28.1, The United States in the Middle East, 1978-1991, shows American involvement in Middle Eastern affairs during the time period. Which region, according to this map, was most important for access to oil?

A) The Mediterranean
B) The Nile River Delta
C) The Persian Gulf
D) The Sinai peninsula

Question 48

The Bush administration's response to the Tiananmen Square massacre consisted of

A) an embargo on all trade with China.
B) threatening a military response.
C) CIA involvement in a plot to overthrow Deng Xiaoping.
D) a temporary ban on American weapon sales to China.

Question 49

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

A) It began supplying Iraq with weaponry.
B) It criticized the United States for intervening in the Middle East.
C) It joined in the international condemnation of the invasion.
D) It withdrew from the U.N. Security Council.

Question 50

The image "Antiapartheid Protest, Cornell University" from 1986 shows students with a self-made shantytown hut resembling those in South Africa. What does this image suggest?

A) American businesses employed South African workers under unspeakable conditions.
B) American businesses were involved in South African businesses.
C) Cornell students had brought their own experiences in South Africa home.
D) Cornell University was using South Africans for unethical research and experiments.