Deck 32: The United States in a Global Community 1989-Present

Question 1

In the introduction to the chapter, the story of Juan Chanax illustrates what about American immigration history?

A) His story mirrors the classic tale of immigrants to America, achieving the American dream.
B) Most immigrants have come to America seeking religious freedom.
C) Most immigrants came to America for only a short time and did not settle here permanently.
D) Most immigrants to America settled in eastern cities like New York and Boston.

Answer 1

His story mirrors the classic tale of immigrants to America, achieving the American dream.

Question 2

The vast majority of illegal immigrants into the U.S. come in through

A) the Canada-U.S. border.
B) the Mexico-U.S. border.
C) Florida.
D) New York.

Answer 2

the Mexico-U.S. border.

Question 3

The text alludes to the fact that in the 1990s, one of the most important commodities that flowed from the U.S. to immigrants' countries of origin was

A) money.
B) illegal drugs.
C) medicines.
D) clothing.

Answer 3

money.

Question 4

Religious diversity in America was heightened by the infusion of believers in which of the following religions?

A) Buddhism
B) Islam
C) Hinduism
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 5

The major domestic reform goal of Clinton's first term was

A) overhauling the health care system.
B) immigration restriction.
C) environmental reform.
D) Social Security preservation.

Question 6

In his final report to the House of Representatives, Kenneth Starr recommended the president be impeached on grounds of

A) perjury.
B) obstruction of justice.
C) witness tampering.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 7

Despite the president's eventual admission that he had lied about the Lewinsky affair, in the end a majority of the American people

A) disapproved of him and wanted him removed from office.
B) were generally indifferent to his behavior.
C) did not support Republican calls for impeachment.
D) believed the entire affair had been fabricated by the Republican Party to hurt the president.

Question 8

In the election of 2000,

A) George W. Bush won the popular vote.
B) Al Gore won the popular vote.
C) neither candidate had a majority of the popular vote.
D) the election was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Question 9

Supporters of an Internet that is open and free to all advocate for the concept of

A) the First Amendment.
B) Net neutrality.
C) an authoritarian government.
D) the free market.

Question 10

The economic prosperity of the late 1990s produced which of the following social consequences?

A) Inner-city crime rates fell.
B) The economic situation of the poor improved.
C) Births to unwed mothers reached a postwar low.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 11

In 1992, the worst civil disturbance in Los Angeles history occurred in response to what event?

A) the trial of O. J. Simpson
B) the acquittal of the police officers involved in the Rodney King beating
C) the shooting of Los Angeles mayor Tom Hayden
D) the clearing of hundreds of acres of inner-city land for public housing projects

Question 12

A 1998 ballot initiative in California that mandated schools phase out all bilingual education programs was proposed by

A) Lawrence Auster's immigration reform group, who warned of the "browning of America."
B) a group of white parents who wanted English-only instruction in their school.
C) the California Teachers Association, representing educators in more than 1,000 California school districts.
D) a group of Spanish-speaking parents who wanted their children taught to read and write in English.

Question 13

The tax cuts proposed by President Bush and passed by Congress in 2001 and 2002

A) were criticized for doing little for job creation.
B) formed the cornerstone of the Bush agenda.
C) turned federal budget surpluses into massive deficits.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 14

After the 2004 election, President Bush appointed two new Supreme Court justices,

A) Samuel Alito and David Souter.
B) John Roberts and Samuel Alito.
C) Antonin Scalia and John Roberts.
D) Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan.

Question 15

Probably the greatest blow to President Bush's popularity, reminding Americans of the importance of effective government, was

A) the politically risky campaign to reform Social Security.
B) mounting American casualties in Iraq.
C) the response to Hurricane Katrina.
D) the series of scandals that exposed lobbyists and members of Congress who had traded cash, campaign contributions, and gifts for legislative favors.

Question 16

Which of the following policy changes was made during President Obama's first term?

A) privatization of social security
B) provision of public funds to churches involved in education and social work
C) establishment of a consumer protection agency to rein in abuses by credit card companies
D) All of these were policy changes made by President Obama in his first term.

Question 17

Which of the following best demonstrates Americans' growing concern over income inequality in the United States?

A) the Occupy Wall Street movement
B) the debate over fracking
C) the passage of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)
D) Democratic insistence on tax cuts for all

Question 18

Fed up with business as usual in Washington, and convinced that Obama was a dangerous socialist, disgruntled conservative and independents formed a loosely coordinated alliance dubbed the ________ Party movement.

Question 19

The Immigration and Control Act of 1986 granted ________ to those immigrants who had arrived before 1986 and allowed them to become legal residents.

Question 20

By 1992, the amount of funds sent worldwide from the U.S. was so great that it was surpassed in volume only by the currency flows of the global ________ trade.

Question 21

What were the major features of "new immigration"described in this chapter? Discuss the continuities with previous immigration trends and changes. How did government policy help, hinder, or shape these patterns?

Question 22

Describe the new religious orientation of the United States as a result of the new immigration.

Question 23

Explain the circumstances leading up to the impeachment of President Clinton.

Question 24

Discuss the relative successes and failures of the Clinton administration in getting their legislative agenda through Congress.

Question 25

Explain the origins of the Internet and discuss its overall impact on the American economy and on American society.

Question 26

Based on your reading in this chapter, have the "new immigrants"to America generally benefited from their experiences in the United States?

Question 27

Compare and contrast the "new immigration"near the end of the twentieth century with the immigration that occurred in America around 1900.

Question 28

Was the United States a successful participant in world affairs during the Clinton administration?

Question 29

Critically assess the Clinton administration's political and social agenda and argue, based upon your understanding of the issues, who won more legislative battles, the Democrats or the Republicans?

Question 30

How do you believe historians in the future will interpret the Clinton presidency? In your opinion, how does Clinton compare with twentieth-century presidents like FDR or Eisenhower?

Question 31

What was the state of medical care in the United States, as compared with other developed nations, before attempts at reform began in 2009? What proportion of the U.S. population had health insurance? In your opinion, was reform necessary?

Question 32

What factors limited President Obama's success in achieving his agenda in his first few years as president? What successes did he have, despite those factors?

Question 33

What are the major short-, medium-, and long-term crises that President Obama must deal with in his second term?