Deck 31: To a New Conservatism, 1969-1988

Question 1

What was the Moral Majority?

A) an international peacekeeping group
B) a group of moderates who denounced Nixon
C) a liberal group of political activists
D) a group of civil rights activists
E) a religious fundamentalist group

Answer 1

a religious fundamentalist group

Question 2

What was the main focus of the Nixon presidency?

A) foreign policy
B) civil rights
C) economics
D) education
E) strengthening the military

Answer 2

foreign policy

Question 3

Who served as Nixon's national security advisor during his first term?

A) Warren Burger
B) G. Gordon Liddy
C) Henry Kissinger
D) William Rehnquist
E) John Mitchell

Answer 3

Henry Kissinger

Question 4

Nixon's program to improve relations with the Soviet Union was known as________ .

A) containment
B) détente
C) perestroika
D) démarche
E) de-escalation

Question 5

The SALT treaties involved________ .

A) the American withdrawal from Vietnam
B) reduction of U.S. and Soviet offensive ballistic missiles
C) removal of Soviet nuclear weapons from Cuba
D) preventing outright war in the Middle East
E) the collapse of the former Soviet Union

Question 6

Nixon's plan to end the war in Vietnam included________ .

A) a surge in the deployment of American troops
B) training South Vietnamese forces to take over combat
C) the end of air strikes and a focus on ground maneuvers
D) increased military spending
E) giving in to most demands by Hanoi

Question 7

The Watergate Scandal was based on President Nixon's________ .

A) 1972 affair with a young intern at the Republican National Committee
B) involvement in ordering an attack on unarmed civilians in Vietnam
C) attempts to cover up sources of his campaign funding in the 1972 presidential election
D) attempts to bribe the North Vietnamese to agree to end the Vietnam War
E) attempts to hide his involvement in a break-in at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee

Question 8

What did the greatest economic challenge faced by the Nixon administration involve?

A) the reduction of government spending
B) a dramatic increase in international oil prices
C) the bankruptcy of the Federal Reserve System
D) the crisis in American farming
E) rampant unemployment

Question 9

While 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.

A) 9
B) 22
C) 40
D) 75
E) 90

Question 10

Which of the following is the international oil organization that was most responsible for raising petroleum prices in the 1970s?

A) ACT UP
B) OPEC
C) SALT
D) SDI
E) ERA

Question 11

What was the most encouraging economic development for women in the late twentieth century?

A) Women's wages largely closed the gap with men's wages.
B) Women made great progress in entering male-dominated professions.
C) The number of female business owners increased greatly.
D) The number of women serving on corporate boards grew rapidly.
E) The Equal Rights Amendment was ratified in 1982.

Question 12

The court decision in Roe v. Wade guaranteed women's right to________ .

A) attend traditionally all-male schools
B) run for public office
C) serve in the military
D) earn equal pay for equal work
E) obtain an abortion

Question 13

The birth of the gay liberation movement was________ .

A) the Outing
B) the founding of ACT UP
C) the Stonewall Riots
D) the founding of the Gay Activist Alliance
E) the founding of the Gay Liberation Front

Question 14

Who was the first person to become president without being elected president or vice president?

A) Gerald Ford
B) Richard Nixon
C) Jimmy Carter
D) George H. W. Bush
E) Lyndon Johnson

Question 15

President Ford gave an executive order to the CIA in 1975 in which he________ .

A) ordered the CIA to focus on domestic rather than international intelligence operations
B) ordered the CIA to limit their surveillance to hostile nations
C) ordered the CIA to do whatever was necessary to topple Castro
D) outlawed assassinations as an instrument of U.S. foreign policy
E) outlawed covert surveillance as an instrument of U.S. foreign policy

Question 16

The Camp David Accords provided a framework for peace negotiations between________ .

A) the United States and the Soviet Union
B) North Vietnam and South Vietnam
C) Iran and the United States
D) Israel and Egypt
E) the Soviet Union and China

Question 17

In 1979, revolutionaries in________ took U.S. diplomats hostage.

A) Afghanistan
B) Iran
C) Iraq
D) Israel
E) Pakistan

Question 18

Which group overwhelmingly supported Carter in the 1980 presidential election?

A) African Americans
B) blue-collar workers
C) Jewish voters
D) the Sunbelt states
E) the South

Question 19

Supply-side economists believe that________ .

A) the national economy will recover without changing tax structures
B) tax cuts will always hurt the national economy
C) tax cuts will lead to an economic boom
D) certain tax increases will lead to an economic boom
E) tax increases are needed to keep the federal government functioning

Question 20

President Reagan's tax compromise with Congress called for an income tax cut of________ .

A) 10 percent for three consecutive years
B) 15 percent over two years
C) 5 percent the first year and 10 percent for the second and third years
D) 20 percent over two years
E) 5 percent each year for four years

Question 21

The antimissile system based on the use of lasers and particle beams to destroy incoming missiles from outer space was called________ .

A) IED
B) SALT I
C) SALT II
D) SDI
E) VIPER

Question 22

The Boland Amendment________ .

A) prohibited American military aid to overthrow the Nicaraguan government
B) prohibited the sale of weapons to Iran under any circumstances
C) made it illegal for the United States to interfere in any foreign war without voter approval
D) allowed covert operations in Central America to stop the spread of communism
E) allowed the Reagan administration to send troops to topple communist regimes

Question 23

The Iran-Contra affair was________ .

A) a covert operation through which the Reagan administration planned to topple the Iranian government
B) a diplomatic disaster in which Iranian and Nicaraguan leaders were deeply insulted by one of Reagan's speeches
C) a foreign policy crisis in which Reagan sent combat troops to both Iran and Nicaragua in order to keep the peace
D) a crisis between Iran and Nicaragua that nearly resulted in nuclear war
E) a scandal in which the government planned to sell weapons to Iran in order to finance exiles fighting in Nicaragua

Question 24

With the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), both the Soviet Union and the United States agreed to________ .

A) destroy their entire stockpile of intermediate-range missiles
B) remove and destroy all intermediate-range missiles in Europe
C) prevent developing nations from having access to intermediate-range missiles
D) limit their weapons arsenals to intermediate-range rather than long-range missiles
E) work together to create the world's first intermediate-range missile

Question 25

Which statement best characterizes Reagan's two terms as governor of California?

A) He bullied the Democratic legislature to implement his conservative policies.
B) He lacked natural abilities as a political leader.
C) He was flexible instead of trying to implement all of his conservative beliefs.
D) He led the state further and further to the left through his reforms.
E) He ignored taxes and education to focus on immigration issues.

Question 26

One neoconservative criticism of liberals is that liberals________ .

A) are too willing to sacrifice high domestic standards to achieve social equality
B) are too tough on communist dictatorships in other countries
C) are too focused on what is right about America rather than what needs to be improved
D) ignore the social inequalities faced by ethnic minorities and women
E) are focused on reducing government spending and cancel social services

Question 27

What was most important about the SALT I agreements?

A) They revealed the extent of the secret Soviet nuclear-weapon stockpiling.
B) They demonstrated that the United States would not compromise on its weapons program.
C) They demonstrated that the Soviet Union would not compromise on its weapons program.
D) They were a symbolic first step in a peaceful resolution of the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.
E) They were critical in exacerbating the stresses and tensions of the Cold War.

Question 28

Why did the Nixon administration decide to resume relations with China?

A) China had cautiously inquired about resuming normal diplomatic relations.
B) The United States believed it would force better relations with the Soviet Union.
C) The United States wanted to thwart the growing economic power of Japan.
D) The United States wanted to patch up its Asian relationships after the Vietnam War.
E) The suffering U.S. economy forced Nixon to make an economic arrangement with China.

Question 29

What inspired the infamous protests at Kent State during which four students were killed?

A) the bombing of Hanoi
B) the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
C) the U.S. invasion of Cambodia
D) the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam
E) the military draft

Question 30

How did Nixon feel about antiwar protestors?

A) He secretly supported them.
B) He publicly supported them.
C) He was neutral about them.
D) He had very little sympathy for them.
E) He ordered the army to suppress them with force if necessary.

Question 31

Why did Saudi Arabia cut off oil shipments to the United States in 1973?

A) Saudi Arabia wanted to force U.S. intervention in the October War.
B) Saudi Arabia feared Soviet retaliation if it continued to supply the United States with oil.
C) President Carter was refusing to pay full price for Saudi oil shipments.
D) The United States had become involved in the conflict in Nicaragua.
E) The United States had sent emergency aid to Israel during the October War.

Question 32

The most serious consequence of the 1970s oil shock for America was the________ .

A) collapse of several Arab states that were friendly to the United States
B) loss of international respect for Americans
C) decline of the automobile culture in the United States
D) beginning of the mass exodus from American suburbs
E) rampant inflation that resulted from it

Question 33

How did the American family unit change after 1970?

A) The divorce rate sharply increased.
B) The birthrate steadily declined.
C) The number of births to women over age 30 increased.
D) The number of single-parent households was cut in half.
E) Most fathers started staying home to raise children while the mothers went to work.

Question 34

Why did some working-class women oppose the Equal Rights Amendment?

A) They worried about losing the protections of state laws designed to help women.
B) They worried that their bosses would fire them if they openly supported it.
C) They thought it helped middle-class women but ignored working-class women.
D) They feared that it would lead to the drafting of women into the military.
E) They mistrusted the National Organization for Women, which sponsored it.

Question 35

How did President Clinton change the experience of gays and lesbians in the military?

A) He launched an investigation to root out and prosecute homosexuals in the military.
B) He instigated a ban on homosexuals in the military.
C) He established the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.
D) He pressured the military to accept a small number of openly gay recruits.
E) He forced the military to accept homosexuals in every branch of the service.

Question 36

President Gerald Ford's brief "honeymoon" with the American public ended when he________ .

A) confessed to taking steroids during his college football days as a Michigan Wolverine
B) suppressed about-to-be-declassified files pertaining to the Kennedy assassination
C) proposed normalizing relations with Castro's Cuba
D) granted disgraced President Richard Nixon a full pardon
E) appointed liberal Republican Nelson Rockefeller as his vice president

Question 37

How did Carter try to redeem himself after his crisis of confidence speech?

A) He tried to blame the Soviet Union for ruining his presidency.
B) He tried to pin responsibility on the public and his dismissed cabinet members.
C) He donated several million dollars to popular American charities.
D) He tried to demonstrate that he understood the common man.
E) He ordered a supportively slanted film to sway public opinion.

Question 38

Why did militants take 53 Americans prisoner from the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979?

A) The Carter administration had threatened war if the oil embargo was not lifted immediately.
B) The Carter administration had seized a group of insurgents the week before and refused to release them.
C) The Carter administration refused to end American involvement in Nicaragua.
D) President Carter publicly denounced their Ayatollah's revolution.
E) Carter had allowed the exiled shah to seek medical treatment in the United States.

Question 39

The turmoil of the 1960s and the economic and political troubles of the 1970s________ .

A) turned America to conservatism
B) turned America to liberalism
C) turned America away from both the Republican and Democratic parties
D) caused the public to want more involvement in international conflicts
E) caused the public to crave more government control over their lives

Question 40

The results of President Reagan's economic policies were________ .

A) overwhelmingly positive-unemployment declined and the budget was balanced
B) fairly positive-unemployment declined but the economy overall did not improve
C) mixed-there were record federal deficits but the economy overall improved
D) very minor-the economy remained about the same during his presidency
E) decidedly negative-inflation increased and the economy declined dramatically

Question 41

A central tenet of Reagan's approach to foreign policy at the beginning of his presidency was the belief that________ .

A) the Palestine Liberation Organization represented a serious threat to the United States
B) trading arms for hostages was an effective way to negotiate quietly with terrorists
C) the Middle East needed U.S. intervention to achieve freedom
D) the Soviet Union was a deadly enemy that threatened the United States
E) Israel could not be trusted to keep its word

Question 42

In the early 1980s, the Soviet Union broke off disarmament negotiations in Geneva because the United States________ .

A) revealed plans to develop the Strategic Defense Initiative
B) placed missiles in Europe within striking distance of the Soviet Union
C) sent American troops into Afghanistan
D) opened up diplomatic relations with China
E) forcibly broke the Saudi Arabian oil embargo

Question 43

Reagan's approach to the conflict in Nicaragua differed from Carter's because Carter________ .

A) refused to get involved in the conflict, whereas Reagan sent economic aid to the Sandinista government
B) deployed ground troops to Nicaragua, whereas Reagan implemented an airstrike strategy
C) favored an airstrike strategy in Nicaragua, whereas Reagan deployed ground troops instead
D) deployed troops to Nicaragua, whereas Reagan sent economic aid to the Sandinista government
E) gave economic aid to the Sandinista government, whereas Reagan cut off that economic aid

Question 44

Why did Congress refuse Reagan's request for money and authority for further intervention in Nicaragua?

A) an honest belief that the Nicaraguan conflict was no threat to the United States
B) a desire to block as many of Reagan's foreign policy moves as possible
C) fear of repeating the mistakes of the Vietnam War
D) fear of angering the public in an election year
E) the lack of available funds, given the unhealthy state of the U.S. economy

Question 45

President Reagan's policies toward the Soviet Union changed in his second term when Reagan --------------

A) focused more on destroying the Soviet Union's economy than on the arms race
B) trusted the Soviet Union more, so that it became America's closest ally
C) trusted the Soviet Union less, and refused to negotiate with its leaders
D) was more willing to cooperate with the Soviet Union
E) was more eager to break up the Soviet Union

Question 46

What caused President Reagan's change of policy toward the Soviet Union in his second term?

A) The Soviet Union was becoming a major economic power that the United States could not afford to isolate any longer.
B) The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and escalated the arms race.
C) New Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was interested in making peace with the United States.
D) New Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was committed to blocking American interests abroad.
E) The Soviet Union lacked a recognized leader and had fallen into chaos and civil war.

Question 47

How does the Watergate scandal compare to previous presidential scandals?

A) Unlike previous presidential scandals, Watergate was about lust rather than money.
B) Unlike previous presidential scandals, Watergate was about power rather than money.
C) Unlike previous presidential scandals, Watergate was about money rather than power.
D) Like previous presidential scandals, Watergate was effectively covered up and never fully revealed to the public.
E) Like previous presidential scandals, Watergate demonstrated how ineffective investigative journalism was in America at the time.

Question 48

How was the Watergate Scandal similar to the Iran-Contra affair?

A) Both were excused by the American public because they were overshadowed by significant progress in U.S.-Soviet relations.
B) Both ultimately restored the American public's faith in the integrity of the federal government.
C) They both brought the United States to the brink of nuclear war.
D) They both involved major errors in international diplomacy.
E) Both involved secret, illegal government actions that tarnished the president's reputation.

Question 49

How did Reagan challenge the liberal premises of the New Deal?

A) He asserted that the federal aid programs established under the New Deal had actually worsened the Great Depression.
B) He abolished all federal programs, leaving it entirely up to individual states to provide services.
C) He expanded the New Deal programs, demonstrating that they had not been extensive enough.
D) He asserted that the private sector should solve America's problems rather than the federal government.
E) He wanted the federal government to take a more active role in helping America than it had during the New Deal.

Question 50

How was Nixon's Cold War strategy different from that of Kennedy and Johnson?

Question 51

How did economic factors keep Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter from having successful presidencies?

Question 52

How was Reagan's foreign policy different from Nixon's? Whose was more successful?