Deck 32: Twenty-First-Century America, 1993-Present

Question 1

By 2015,for the first time in the nation's history,the majority of immigrants came not from Europe but from other parts of the world.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The DREAM Act of 2012 centered on what issue?

A)sleep
B)the American dream
C)undocumented immigrants
D)oil
E)trade

Answer 2

undocumented immigrants

Question 3

One of the most powerful arguments in favor of health-care reform was:

A)the need to contain soaring medical costs.
B)Hillary Clinton's leadership on the issue.
C)the fanatical opposition of conservative Republicans.
D)the benefits of government ownership of hospitals and clinics.
E)the support of drug companies and the insurance industry for reform.

Answer 3

the need to contain soaring medical costs.

Question 4

George W.Bush won the popular vote in the 2000 presidential election.

Question 5

In May 2012,President Obama jumped headfirst into the simmering cultural wars by changing his longstanding position and announcing his support for the rights of gay couples to marry.

Question 6

President Obama stated that the Affordable Care Act "was an experiment."

Question 7

Clinton's plan for universal medical coverage:

A)was partially approved.
B)was shot down in Congress.
C)increased his already impressive approval ratings.
D)was a minor part of his legislative agenda.
E)would make doctors federal employees.

Question 8

In 2013,the United States held its first high-level talks with Iran since 1979,when Iranian militants took U.S.embassy employees in Tehran hostage.

Question 9

In 2008,Barack Obama ran an impressive Internet-based campaign.

Question 10

The politician who led the Republican takeover of Congress in the mid-1990s was:

A)Kenneth Starr.
B)Newt Gingrich.
C)Dick Cheney.
D)Pat Buchanan.
E)Alan Greenspan.

Question 11

What was the major factor in the Republican takeover after the 1994 midterm election?

A)the health care bill disaster
B)the end of the cold war
C)the Gulf War
D)the national debt
E)women's rights

Question 12

Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives.

Question 13

By 2015,the largest number of legal immigrants to the United States came from:

A)Canada.
B)Mexico.
C)India.
D)Korea.
E)Nigeria.

Question 14

The major purpose of the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement was to:

A)give Clinton an easy political victory.
B)protect American industries such as steel and textiles.
C)reward Clinton's supporters in organized labor.
D)promote freer trade with Canada and Mexico.
E)send American jobs overseas.

Question 15

In Afghanistan in 2001,the United States installed a democratic government led by the Taliban.

Question 16

By 2015,what was the percentage of people who were living in cities across America?

A)over 60
B)over 70
C)over 90
D)over 65
E)over 80

Question 17

The United States entered the 1990s:

A)threatened by rival alliances in Europe and Asia.
B)slipping behind much of the world in technological development.
C)with limited influence beyond its borders.
D)as the world's only remaining superpower.
E)still preoccupied by the cold war.

Question 18

The Republican Contract with America:

A)aimed to reduce the size of the government and limit the welfare state.
B)was enacted by the new Republican Congress.
C)gave the Republicans a winning platform in the 1996 election.
D)revived the moderate Republicanism of the Eisenhower era.
E)stated general principles but lacked specific proposals.

Question 19

President Clinton,trying to persuade Congress to reject a free-trade bill,said that if the bill passed,the country would hear a "giant sucking sound" of American jobs being drawn to Mexico.

Question 20

One legislative victory for President Clinton came when Congress approved the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Question 21

The conservative mood of the mid-1990s especially manifested itself in a number of court rulings that limited:

A)capital punishment.
B)government spending.
C)church-state separation.
D)affirmative action.
E)sexual freedom.

Question 22

In 1999,NATO air strikes helped stop "ethnic cleansing" in:

A)Bosnia.
B)Somalia.
C)Haiti.
D)Kosovo.
E)Northern Ireland.

Question 23

The welfare-reform measure passed by Congress in 1996:

A)was opposed by the Republicans.
B)was applauded by liberals.
C)limited the amount of time one could receive welfare payments.
D)quickly began to lower poverty rates.
E)significantly increased federal funding for welfare.

Question 24

In 1993,Clinton was able to preside over the signing of a peace agreement between the leaders of Israel and:

A)Egypt.
B)Syria.
C)Lebanon.
D)Jordan.
E)the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Question 25

What nearly cost Clinton his presidency was:

A)his long history of improper sexual behavior.
B)lying about his relationship with a White House intern.
C)using public office to illegally enrich himself.
D)improper hiring and firing practices in the White House.
E)trying to pressure members of a grand jury.

Question 26

The crowning achievement of President Obama's anti-terrorism efforts was:

A)victory in Iraq.
B)defeat of ISIS.
C)the discovery of Osama bin Laden's hideout.
D)defeat of Afghanistan.
E)closing Guantánamo Bay.

Question 27

During the 2000 presidential campaign,George W.Bush:

A)emphasized how different a president he would be from his father.
B)promised he would be known as the environmental president.
C)proposed to scale back military involvements overseas.
D)promised to attack and "take out" Saddam Hussein.
E)accused Al Gore of being a tool of the oil industry.

Question 28

The dramatic growth in American exports in the last years of the twentieth century was mainly indicative of:

A)American military power.
B)globalization.
C)government regulation of trade.
D)the breakup of the Soviet Union.
E)the falling cost of transportation.

Question 29

All of the following were features of the economy during the Clinton years EXCEPT:

A)an increase in blue-collar jobs despite foreign competition.
B)surging stock prices.
C)low unemployment.
D)federal budget surpluses.
E)a proliferation of "dot-com" enterprises.

Question 30

Bush's stated rationale for attacking Iraq in 2003 was:

A)that country's presumed threat to the United States.
B)his personal hatred of Saddam Hussein.
C)the need to acquire Iraq's oil.
D)the desire to make Iraq a democracy.
E)revenge for Iraq's involvement in the September 11 attacks.

Question 31

Ultimately,the outcome of the 2000 election depended on the final result in:

A)Iowa.
B)Texas.
C)California.
D)Ohio.
E)Florida.

Question 32

Joseph Stiglitz is best associated with:

A)economics.
B)mathematics.
C)biology.
D)physics.
E)psychology.

Question 33

Bush's major legislative victory in 2001 came with Congress's passage of:

A)new environmental regulations.
B)health-care reform.
C)term limits.
D)a tax cut.
E)banking industry regulation.

Question 34

The terrorist attacks of September 11,2001,did all of the following EXCEPT:

A)paralyze the United States in fear and disunity.
B)force desperate people who worked in the skyscrapers to jump to their deaths.
C)include the Pentagon as a target.
D)destroy the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
E)turn the lower end of Manhattan into a hellish scene.

Question 35

The centerpiece of President Obama's effort to restore the economy was:

A)rejected by Congress.
B)a huge economic stimulus package.
C)immediately successful in ending the recession.
D)tax cuts for the wealthy.
E)noncontroversial.

Question 36

The Occupy Wall Street protesters excelled at creative:

A)legislation.
B)public relations.
C)accounting.
D)protests in rural America.
E)disruption.

Question 37

The fundamental source of instability in the Balkans in the 1990s was:

A)the poverty of the region.
B)conflict over supplies of petroleum.
C)the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991.
D)German and Italian ambitions in the area.
E)conflict between Orthodox Christians and Catholics.

Question 38

The Bush Doctrine emphasized:

A)close coordination of U.S.foreign policy with the United Nations.
B)preemptive military action against terrorists and terrorist regimes.
C)a determination to contain terrorism by keeping it where it already existed.
D)strengthening America's nuclear deterrent.
E)using terrorism against terrorists.

Question 39

In January 2009,angry activists coalesced into a decentralized nationwide protest movement soon labeled the:

A)Tea Party.
B)Reform Party.
C)New Republican Party.
D)Party of Hope.
E)Green Party.

Question 40

As a result of the Starr Report:

A)Clinton was completely exonerated.
B)the Senate convicted Clinton of obstruction of justice.
C)Clinton had no influence for the rest of his presidency.
D)Clinton was impeached.
E)the personal lives of presidents were declared to be off-limits.

Question 41

After Katrina,Bush's presidency was marked by:

A)renewed confidence and vigor.
B)growing public disapproval.
C)a series of legislative victories.
D)continued Republican unity.
E)serious attempts at impeachment.

Question 42

As the 2008 presidential campaign started,the early front-runner for the Democratic nomination was:

A)Barack Obama.
B)Joe Biden.
C)Al Gore.
D)John Edwards.
E)Hillary Clinton.

Question 43

Detail the election of 2004.Who were the major parties,and which issues dominated this campaign?

Question 44

What factors might account for the Republican gains in the 1994 elections?

Question 45

Bush won a second term in 2004 by defeating:

A)Al Gore.
B)John Edwards.
C)Howard Dean.
D)John Kerry.
E)Hillary Clinton.

Question 46

What factors accounted for the public's view of the Bush presidency by the time of the 2008 election?

Question 47

Detail Operation Iraqi Freedom.Include the reasons given for the invasion and the status of the war as described in Chapter 32.

Question 48

The fight with Saddam Hussein's army:

A)lasted just a few weeks.
B)resulted in thousands of American deaths.
C)was primarily a series of tank battles.
D)was won strictly through air assaults.
E)required the use of some small nuclear weapons.

Question 49

In the aftermath of Iraq's defeat and occupation:

A)the country soon became peaceful and stable.
B)Saddam Hussein escaped to Syria.
C)no weapons of mass destruction were found.
D)U.S.troop levels were reduced to about 10,000.
E)terrorists fled that country for other locations.

Question 50

President Bush's response to the financial crisis was to:

A)state publicly that nothing could be done until the markets corrected themselves.
B)support a federal bailout of the banking industry.
C)put the unemployed to work building roads and bridges.
D)say he had lost faith in the free enterprise system.
E)blame it on Americans being greedy and not saving.

Question 51

Describe the new patterns of immigration to the United States.What might account for this?

Question 52

Briefly assess Clinton's achievements in domestic policy.

Question 53

Did American foreign policy change significantly when Bill Clinton became president? Fully explain.

Question 54

The housing-industry crash in 2007:

A)affected only some reckless speculators.
B)proved the virtue of free-market capitalism.
C)sent bank profits soaring,given all the homes they were able to acquire through foreclosure.
D)froze credit and provoked a recession.
E)had long been predicted by the Bush administration.

Question 55

The most evident sign of the economic crisis by October 2008 was:

A)plummeting stock prices.
B)fuel shortages and long lines at gas stations.
C)a drying-up of illegal immigration.
D)a large number of bankers being sent to prison.
E)growing public support for socialism.

Question 56

Discuss the devastating situation in the Gulf coast region of the United States as a result of Hurricane Katrina.How did the government respond to the crisis,and what impact did this have on the presidency of George W.Bush?

Question 57

In the war against Iraq and Saddam Hussein,the United States was most closely supported by:

A)Germany.
B)France.
C)Great Britain.
D)Russia.
E)Japan.

Question 58

Discuss the issue of global terrorism.How has this affected all aspects of American society?

Question 59

In 2005,Hurricane Katrina:

A)devastated the Texas Gulf coast.
B)caused the most deaths of any natural disaster in American history.
C)destroyed much of New Orleans.
D)brought an efficient response from government at all levels.
E)again allowed Bush to show his leadership skills during crisis.

Question 60

Detail the election of 2000.Discuss the major candidates and issues.How was the outcome of this election ultimately decided?

Question 61

MATCHING
Match each person with one of the descriptions below.
George W.Bush

A)was an Alaska governor and darling of the Tea Party
B)carried Florida by 537 votes in 2000
C)became House Speaker as a result of the 2006 election
D)was the independent counsel who prosecuted Bill Clinton
E)finished third in the 1996 presidential elections
F)authored the Contract with America
G)was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama
H)was the Federal Reserve Board chairman
I)was appointed secretary of defense by Barack Obama
J)was a central figure in a major sex scandal

Question 62

MATCHING
Match each person with one of the descriptions below.
Sarah Palin

A)was an Alaska governor and darling of the Tea Party
B)carried Florida by 537 votes in 2000
C)became House Speaker as a result of the 2006 election
D)was the independent counsel who prosecuted Bill Clinton
E)finished third in the 1996 presidential elections
F)authored the Contract with America
G)was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama
H)was the Federal Reserve Board chairman
I)was appointed secretary of defense by Barack Obama
J)was a central figure in a major sex scandal

Question 63

Discuss the issue of increasing polarization in American politics.How has President Obama tried to lessen the tension,and has he been successful?

Question 64

MATCHING
Match each person with one of the descriptions below.
Monica Lewinsky

A)was an Alaska governor and darling of the Tea Party
B)carried Florida by 537 votes in 2000
C)became House Speaker as a result of the 2006 election
D)was the independent counsel who prosecuted Bill Clinton
E)finished third in the 1996 presidential elections
F)authored the Contract with America
G)was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama
H)was the Federal Reserve Board chairman
I)was appointed secretary of defense by Barack Obama
J)was a central figure in a major sex scandal

Question 65

MATCHING
Match each person with one of the descriptions below.
Nancy Pelosi

A)was an Alaska governor and darling of the Tea Party
B)carried Florida by 537 votes in 2000
C)became House Speaker as a result of the 2006 election
D)was the independent counsel who prosecuted Bill Clinton
E)finished third in the 1996 presidential elections
F)authored the Contract with America
G)was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama
H)was the Federal Reserve Board chairman
I)was appointed secretary of defense by Barack Obama
J)was a central figure in a major sex scandal

Question 66

MATCHING
Match each person with one of the descriptions below.
H.Ross Perot

A)was an Alaska governor and darling of the Tea Party
B)carried Florida by 537 votes in 2000
C)became House Speaker as a result of the 2006 election
D)was the independent counsel who prosecuted Bill Clinton
E)finished third in the 1996 presidential elections
F)authored the Contract with America
G)was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama
H)was the Federal Reserve Board chairman
I)was appointed secretary of defense by Barack Obama
J)was a central figure in a major sex scandal

Question 67

MATCHING
Match each person with one of the descriptions below.
Hillary Clinton

A)was an Alaska governor and darling of the Tea Party
B)carried Florida by 537 votes in 2000
C)became House Speaker as a result of the 2006 election
D)was the independent counsel who prosecuted Bill Clinton
E)finished third in the 1996 presidential elections
F)authored the Contract with America
G)was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama
H)was the Federal Reserve Board chairman
I)was appointed secretary of defense by Barack Obama
J)was a central figure in a major sex scandal

Question 68

MATCHING
Match each person with one of the descriptions below.
Robert Gates

A)was an Alaska governor and darling of the Tea Party
B)carried Florida by 537 votes in 2000
C)became House Speaker as a result of the 2006 election
D)was the independent counsel who prosecuted Bill Clinton
E)finished third in the 1996 presidential elections
F)authored the Contract with America
G)was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama
H)was the Federal Reserve Board chairman
I)was appointed secretary of defense by Barack Obama
J)was a central figure in a major sex scandal

Question 69

MATCHING
Match each person with one of the descriptions below.
Kenneth Starr

A)was an Alaska governor and darling of the Tea Party
B)carried Florida by 537 votes in 2000
C)became House Speaker as a result of the 2006 election
D)was the independent counsel who prosecuted Bill Clinton
E)finished third in the 1996 presidential elections
F)authored the Contract with America
G)was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama
H)was the Federal Reserve Board chairman
I)was appointed secretary of defense by Barack Obama
J)was a central figure in a major sex scandal

Question 70

Explain the historic victory of Barack Obama in 2008.

Question 71

MATCHING
Match each person with one of the descriptions below.
Alan Greenspan

A)was an Alaska governor and darling of the Tea Party
B)carried Florida by 537 votes in 2000
C)became House Speaker as a result of the 2006 election
D)was the independent counsel who prosecuted Bill Clinton
E)finished third in the 1996 presidential elections
F)authored the Contract with America
G)was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama
H)was the Federal Reserve Board chairman
I)was appointed secretary of defense by Barack Obama
J)was a central figure in a major sex scandal

Question 72

MATCHING
Match each person with one of the descriptions below.
Newt Gingrich

A)was an Alaska governor and darling of the Tea Party
B)carried Florida by 537 votes in 2000
C)became House Speaker as a result of the 2006 election
D)was the independent counsel who prosecuted Bill Clinton
E)finished third in the 1996 presidential elections
F)authored the Contract with America
G)was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama
H)was the Federal Reserve Board chairman
I)was appointed secretary of defense by Barack Obama
J)was a central figure in a major sex scandal