Deck 26: Under Pressure: Europes Uncertain Present, Since 2000

Question 1

What development led to the Great Recession?

A) the collapse of a real estate bubble in the United States
B) the European transition to the euro
C) the imposition of austerity policies by the EU
D) deindustrialization in Britain and France
E) a flood of immigrants into Europe from Africa and the Middle East

Answer 1

the collapse of a real estate bubble in the United States

Question 2

Which of the following is considered to have contributed to the rise of radical, violent Islam?

A) Romanian revolution
B) Basque conflict
C) Irish Troubles
D) Chechnya conflict
E) Greek Civil War

Answer 2

Chechnya conflict

Question 3

What development in 2002 symbolized the increasing interconnectedness of European states?

A) the adoption of the euro as a common currency
B) the signing of the Maastricht Treaty
C) the opening of the Channel Tunnel
D) the signing of the Lisbon Treaty
E) the creation of the European Central Bank

Answer 3

the adoption of the euro as a common currency

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the European response to the Iraq War is accurate?

A) Citizens in Western Europe opposed the Iraq War, and as a result, only Eastern European countries provided military aid to the United States.
B) None of the nations that provided support to the United States in the Afghan War did so in the Iraq War.
C) Only "old Europe" countries like Germany and France provided aid for the Iraq War, resulting in a political fallout for leaders in subsequent elections.
D) European leaders were skeptical of the need for the Iraq War, and only some countries offered the U.S.military aid.
E) Both popular support and military aid for the Iraq war were similar to those of the Afghan War.

Question 5

Which category of country had yet to legalize gay marriage as of mid-2017?

A) multi-ethnic
B) Protestant
C) former Communist
D) Catholic
E) postindustrial

Question 6

What form did the Afghan and Iraq Wars take?

A) drawn-out guerilla conflicts
B) short campaigns that quickly achieved military and political goals
C) wars of attrition
D) proxy wars between the West and Russia
E) wars of succession

Question 7

How did terrorist attacks in Russia differ from those in Europe and the United States?

A) Attackers targeted civilians, rather than politicians and military bases.
B) Attacks incurred significantly higher death tolls.
C) Long-lasting political instability followed the attacks.
D) Attackers utilized poison gas, rather than bombs and guns.
E) Attacks were motivated by the Chechnya conflict, rather than general hostility to the West.

Question 8

Which nations provided military aid for the American invasion of Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks?

A) only Britain
B) all the NATO nations
C) only France and Germany
D) only Canada
E) all the NATO nations except France

Question 9

What type of economic leadership did Germany provide during the Great Recession?

A) It provided low-interest loans to the states that were suffering most.
B) It convinced the European Central Bank to devalue the euro.
C) It issued exemptions from agreed-upon economic policies for the states that were suffering the most.
D) It supported cuts in public spending as a solution to economic problems.
E) It modeled government demand spending by initiating extensive infrastructure projects.

Question 10

What condition was imposed on the bailout of Greece?

A) replacement of the Syriza leadership with a more centrist government
B) Greek withdrawal from EU membership
C) imposition of severe austerity measures
D) downgrading of Greece's credit rating
E) cancellation of all state pension payments

Question 11

What was significant about the addition of formerly Eastern bloc states to the EU?

A) It resulted in large-scale land grabs by prosperous Western investors.
B) It increased tensions between Russia and Europe.
C) It led to large-scale labor movements from the poorer, Eastern states to the more prosperous, Western states.
D) It encouraged the rise of the National Front in France.
E) It strengthened Euroskepticism in Germany.

Question 12

What concern did many economists have about the euro?

A) The euro's weakness against the U.S.dollar would result in a recession throughout Europe.
B) Elimination of individual currencies would constitute an unprecedented loss of culture and history.
C) A single currency would be more prone to devaluation and manipulation.
D) Standardized monetary policies would be incompatible with the varied political and economic systems of EU states.
E) The cost of designing and printing the new currency would be greater than any possible economic benefit.

Question 13

What view do Muslim jihadists and some European far-right politicians share?

A) Terrorism will end when Western politicians acknowledge the role their nations played in creating the problem.
B) The conflict between Muslims and the West is a "clash between civilizations."
C) Muslim countries require Western aid to transition to free market democracies.
D) Terrorism can be reduced through government programs providing economic aid to Muslim immigrants.
E) Climate change has played a key role in creating the crises in Muslim countries.

Question 14

What event in France shifted voters toward right-wing positions on immigration?

A) riots in impoverished suburbs bordering French cities
B) the assassination of filmmaker Theo van Gogh
C) a terrorist attack at a French elementary school
D) bombings on Parisian buses and subways
E) the U.S.claim that Iraq had developed weapons of mass destruction

Question 15

How many people were killed in the September 11 attack in the United States?

A) approximately 13,000
B) just over 10,000
C) nearly 3,000
D) almost 1,000
E) just under 500

Question 16

Which country has been the staunchest supporter of the EU?

A) Switzerland
B) Poland
C) Belgium
D) Germany
E) France

Question 17

What was one of the reasons why France and the Netherlands rejected the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe in 2002?

A) They worried that it would likely cause a resurgence of xenophobic nationalism and would fail to offer aid to those who needed it most, such as migrants.
B) They worried that it did not decrease the sovereignty of individual member states enough and that they should form a more strictly cohesive group.
C) They worried that there would not be a president or EU minister to oversee
The European Council and that it would fall into disarray.
D) They worried that European integration would make it possible for more
Central and Eastern European migrants to take jobs from citizens.
E) They worried that it was far too much like the Lisbon Treaty that had gone into
Effect years prior.

Question 18

Which of the following changes in Western European countries coincided with debates over increased European integration and the transformation of European countries into post-industrial societies?

A) The number of manufacturing jobs overwhelmingly increased.
B) Education levels for people under thirty dropped to the lowest levels since World War II.
C) Support for right-wing positions and policies reached negligible levels.
D) Internet technology had improved but, by 2015, access was still only available to the wealthy class.
E) Globalization often caused the industrial sector to shrink as jobs were moved to cheaper labor markets.

Question 19

What prevented European governments from addressing the Great Recession with Keynesian policies?

A) an obsessive focus on immigration policies as the cause of the recession
B) the EU requirement that budget deficits constitute less than 3 percent of GDP
C) the right-wing opposition to government interference in economy
D) chaos caused by an increasing number of terrorist attacks
E) a currency crisis that followed collapse of several major international banks

Question 20

Which describes the response of the European states to the threat of climate change?

A) Climate change has become a politically divisive issue, with only those on the left supporting the development of renewable energy.
B) A consensus on the need to take action has led to the development of renewable energy sources.
C) Climate change has become a politically divisive issue, with only those on the right supporting the development of renewable energy.
D) Although there is widespread support for climate change action, EU regulations have slowed the development of renewable energy.
E) Coastal nations, at risk of sea-level rise, have signed on to the Paris accord, while landlocked nations have opposed it.

Question 21

Why, according to the text, was there a reduction in Russian aggression at the time of the Eastern Ukraine crisis?

A) a condemnation of Russian actions by Russian Orthodox Church
B) Putin's stepping down due to constitutional term limits
C) international mediation headed by United Nations negotiators
D) a crash in oil prices and the subsequent recession in Russia
E) a threat of the U.S.military intervention to support the Ukrainian government

Question 22

How did French President François Hollande respond to the Charlie Hebdo attack?

A) He met with French Muslims.
B) He revoked a headscarf and burqa ban.
C) He committed troops to engagement in Iraq.
D) He declared a war against terrorists.
E) He imposed martial law.

Question 23

How was Scottish nationalism unique from the nationalism prominent in other European countries in the early twenty-first century?

A) It avoided xenophobia.
B) It pushed for economic separation but political integration.
C) It denounced the waste and expense of social welfare policies.
D) It had the support of nearly 80 percent of the population.
E) It was grounded in ideological terms.

Question 24

How do twenty-first-century terrorist attacks differ from other types of politically motivated violence?

A) Attacks are carried out by some of the wealthiest members of society.
B) Intelligence services are highly successful at disrupting the plans of lone wolf
Terrorists ahead of time.
C) The terrorists' clear aim is to kill civilians, and attackers often kill themselves during the attacks.
D) Attacks are far bloodier and enact higher death tolls than ever before.
E) International alliances have played no role in responding to the threat.

Question 25

What approach is associated with French president Emmanuel Macron?

A) centrist anti-establishment tendencies without xenophobic elements
B) authoritarian control of media and political protest
C) left-wing populism opposed to the EU's free market policies
D) non-liberal democracy embracing strident nationalism
E) isolationist nationalism committed to French-first values

Question 26

What role did Russia play in the 2014 crisis in the Crimean Peninsula?

A) Russian soldiers in disguise led the takeover of government buildings.
B) The Russian government funneled money and weapons to local militias.
C) Russian KGB officers are suspected of having murdered prominent dissidents.
D) The Russian army invaded and briefly occupied the peninsula.
E) Russian oligarchs controlled all the peninsula's oil reserves.

Question 27

Which development contributed most to the refugee crisis in 2015?

A) the British decision to leave the EU
B) the Syrian civil war
C) the Iraqi civil war
D) the Ukrainian crisis
E) the economic collapse in Greece

Question 28

What approach did Putin take to the oligarchs who had amassed such large fortunes following the collapse of the USSR?

A) He arrested them en masse and confiscated their wealth for "the state."
B) He cultivated their support by granting them additional oil rights.
C) He imposed severe taxes on their wealth in order to reduce their power.
D) He socialized the industries they owned.
E) He replaced them with individuals drawn from a close circle of friends.

Question 29

Which is an element of the illiberalism that has gained strength in Europe since 2010?

A) a focus on securing military alliances with the United States
B) a crackdown on human rights violations
C) a focus on democratic constitutionalism
D) totalitarian ideologies
E) cultural conservatism

Question 30

How did German leaders respond to the 2015 refugee crisis?

A) They established refugee camps at transportation hubs.
B) They opened Germany's borders to all refugees.
C) They committed EU states to collectively accepting one million refugees.
D) They established a new entrance exam for would-be immigrants.
E) They empowered the government to confiscate assets from refugees.

Question 31

What role did the election of Donald Trump to the presidency in the United States play in European politics?

A) Trump's controversial statements have empowered many other European leaders to take hard-line approaches to immigration and political protest.
B) Trump's contributions to the rise of populism in the United States significantly weakened European resistance to populism.
C) Trump's pro-business approach has inspired a revival of interest in neoliberal tax reform.
D) Trump's isolationist statements have pushed European leaders to rely on each other, rather than the United States.
E) Trump's criticism of NATO spurred many European leaders to abandon the treaty and take a more individualized approach to defense matters.

Question 32

What limits did the French government impose on Muslims in the first decade of the twenty-first century?

A) strict quotas on immigration from predominantly Muslim countries
B) bans on Muslim social and political groups that forbade female attendees
C) bans on "conspicuous religious symbols" such as headscarves and on full-face coverings such as burqas
D) a requirement that all Muslim asylum seekers demonstrate proficiency in French written and spoken language
E) laws forbidding French citizens to send money to those living in one of seven countries identified as sources of Islamic extremism

Question 33

Which organization sanctioned and encouraged the "lone wolf" terrorist attacks that occurred in the early twenty-first century?

A) the National Front
B) Syriza
C) the Law and Justice Party
D) the Iraqi government
E) the Islamic State

Question 34

Which approach has Viktor Orbán taken since becoming the leader of Hungary?

A) He increased the rights of corporations and encouraged international investment in the economy.
B) He consolidated the power of the state and reduced the influence of those who might oppose him.
C) He revived the Communist-era repression of dissidents and use of the secret police force.
D) He publicly opposed Putin and supported the EU.
E) He cracked down on immigration while supporting the rights of women and homosexuals.

Question 35

In which European country did left-wing populism become prominent in the early twenty-first century?

A) Spain
B) Poland
C) France
D) Ukraine
E) Germany

Question 36

Which characterizes Putin's leadership?

A) economic conservatism combined with social liberalism
B) an authoritarian imposition of order and repression of opposition
C) cautious, methodical embrace of continued democratic reforms
D) anti-elite populism tinged with racism and anti-Semitism
E) a laissez-faire approach to economic policy, paired with a paternalistic national image

Question 37

What did British voters narrowly support in the 2016 referendum?

A) removing David Cameron from leadership
B) privatizing the health care system
C) granting independence to Scotland
D) closing the borders to refugees
E) Britain's exit from the EU

Question 38

What event occurred just before the resignation of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014?

A) Two People's Republics declared independence.
B) Ninety-six percent of voters opposed him in referendum on his leadership.
C) The Ukrainian Supreme Court ordered a second vote in a national election.
D) Police killed protesters opposing the government's failure to sign a trade agreement with the EU.
E) Gunmen took control of government buildings.

Question 39

What is Vladimir Putin's background?

A) lawyer
B) chemist
C) KGB officer
D) oil oligarch
E) professional athlete

Question 40

How did Marine Le Pen attempt to "de-demonize" the Popular Front?

A) She embraced EU integration and economic policies.
B) She cultivated relationships with prominent homosexuals and backed gay
Marriage.
C) She advocated for more liberal immigration policies.
D) She broke all ties with and denounced the authoritarianism of Putin.
E) She renounced her father's anti-Semitism and cultivated Jewish support.

Question 41

The French "headscarf ban" also applies to other religious symbols, such as yarmulkes worn by Jewish men.

Question 42

EU economic integration led to a decline in blue-collar jobs in Western European states.

Question 43

Voters defeated a Scottish referendum on independence, voting to remain a part of Britain.

Question 44

A rising middle class of Russians largely supports Putin, crediting him with the increased health of the Russian economy.

Question 45

Following invasion, the United States found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Question 46

The Russian Orthodox Church has been the most vocal critic within Russia of Putin's authoritarian leadership.

Question 47

Prior to its economic crisis, Greece had relied on trick accounting to make the economy appear more stable than it was.

Question 48

Describe the economic crisis in Greece that reached its peak in 2015.What caused it? How severe was it? What dangers did it pose to Europe as a whole? How was it resolved?

Question 49

Populism always involves hostility to social and cultural elites.

Question 50

The Crimean Peninsula was a popular Russian tourist destination before Russia annexed it in 2014.

Question 51

The 2002 EU constitutional convention resulted in a politically binding document that, while not known as a constitution, serves that role for the EU.

Question 52

All European nations that have legalized gay marriage have done so since 2000.

Question 53

How did the effects of the Great Recession vary among EU members? In what ways did the Eurozone exacerbate the economic challenges?

Question 54

European states shared a similar level of suffering during the Great Recession.

Question 55

How did the EU expand and develop in the early twenty-first century? What roadblocks did European integration encounter?

Question 56

Western European officials have warned citizens that terrorist attacks are likely to continue to occur.

Question 57

The social and political upheaval experienced in Europe during the Great Recession was similar to that experienced during the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Question 58

High-profile assassinations in the Netherlands led to the rise of the far-right Party of Freedom.

Question 59

To what extent did the Western European countries support the American response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks? Discuss both the invasion of Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq.How did these engagements affect the politics of the European nations involved in them?

Question 60

How did Vladimir Putin rise to power in Russia? What type of ruler has he been? How has Russia changed under his guidance? Who are his supporters?

Question 61

What is the evidence of a shift toward a more centrist response to twenty-first-century problems?

Question 62

What were the characteristics of the illiberalism that gained traction in Europe after 2010? What forms did it take in various countries? Provide at least three examples.

Question 63

What challenges did the Syrian refugee crisis present? How did individual European countries respond to them?

Question 64

What were the major causes of the crisis in the Ukraine? What were the outcomes?