Deck 28: Righting a Nation Adrift: America in the 1970s and 1980s

Question 1

What did Richard Nixon do as president that resulted in the most drastic government intervention in the economy since World War II?

A) He eviscerated most New Deal programs, including elimination of Social Security.
B) He doubled the size of the Medicare budget.
C) He increased the government's support to welfare assistance programs.
D) He instituted wage and price controls to curb inflation.

Answer 1

He instituted wage and price controls to curb inflation.

Question 2

The Herblock 1974 political cartoon Nixon Hanging Between the Tapes comments on the fact that President Nixon .

A) had many opponents intent on bringing him down
B) might have salvaged his career if he had kept quiet about Watergate
C) edited his tapes of White House conversations
D) had the right through executive privilege to withhold information regarding his activities

Answer 2

edited his tapes of White House conversations

Question 3

The 1978 energy law failed to implement which of President Carter's proposals?

A) lifting price controls on oil
B) raising taxes on the sale of gas-guzzling cars
C) creating tax incentives to use coal
D) raising taxes on oil and gas company profits

Answer 3

raising taxes on oil and gas company profits

Question 4

The rising spikes in the increasing rates of inflation and unemployment that took place during the 1970s represent .

A) "stagflation"
B) an economic depression
C) a boom-and-bust cycle
D) sustainable growth

Question 5

Rising unemployment in the United States during the 1970s had its roots in which two ailing industries that had long been the backbone of the American economy?

A) oil and telecommunications
B) automobile and steel
C) agriculture and manufacturing
D) banking and technology

Question 6

In the election of 1972, Richard Nixon easily defeated the antiwar candidate .

A) George Wallace
B) Hubert Humphrey
C) George McGovern
D) Jimmy Carter

Question 7

The 1973 Arab embargo on oil that led to gas shortages throughout the United States served as a reminder that .

A) Americans were not prudent when it came to budgeting for rising prices in gasoline
B) foreign nations could wreak havoc on the U.S. economy
C) environmental problems and pollution were rampant in the United States during the 1970s
D) the United States needed to have a deeper commitment in supporting Israel against its enemies

Question 8

How did issues surrounding U.S. diplomatic relations lead to the energy crisis of the 1970s?

A) U.S. support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War led to an oil embargo by the OPEC nations.
B) The Soviet Union cut off oil shipments to the United States after that nation formed strong alliances with Middle Eastern Arab nations during the Cold War.
C) Arab nations opposed the support that the United States had given to Jews during the Holocaust.
D) OPEC nations opposed the United States' role in trying to defeat communism in Southeast Asia.

Question 9

How did the end of the Vietnam War contribute to the nation's economic woes?

A) Taxes were on the rise after the end of this war.
B) The war had consumed much of the fuel that was on reserve, thus leading to an oil shortage.
C) U.S. participation in this war led to strained relations with members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
D) Returning veterans entered a job market already dealing with massive layoffs.

Question 10

Nixon hoped that, by appointing as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1969, the Court would offer a more restrained interpretation of the Constitution.

A) Earl Warren
B) Sandra Day O'Connor
C) Warren Burger
D) William Rehnquist

Question 11

The founding of Apple Computer and Microsoft were examples of what change in the American economy?

A) a focus on creating luxury goods
B) a shift to high-tech industries
C) an emphasis on making products for entertainment
D) the rewarding of innovation with wealth

Question 12

Under the 25th Amendment, President Richard Nixon was able to .

A) pardon Vice President Spiro Agnew for any crimes he may have committed
B) claim executive privilege in not having to surrender his tapes to Congress
C) remove Spiro Agnew as vice president
D) appoint Gerald Ford as vice president

Question 13

This map of the Middle East reveals that .

A) the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz had little relevance to American economic interests
B) the Middle East was still under the influence of European colonialism
C) U.S. dependence on Middle Eastern oil increased the importance of conflicts in this region for Americans
D) the Soviet Union expanded into the Middle East in order to secure its oil reserves

Question 14

President Carter worked with Congress to establish a "Superfund" that was intended to

A) support domestic oil production
B) channel money into struggling public schools
C) provide financial assistance to dictatorships fighting against communism
D) clean up the nation's most polluted areas

Question 15

Efforts to curb influence-peddling through campaign donations had the unintended consequence of .

A) the creation of the Federal Election Commission to monitor federal elections
B) the emergence of political action committees (PACs) that allowed private interest groups to donate more money than individuals
C) limiting campaign donations by individuals and official political organizations
D) establishing a system of public funding for presidential elections

Question 16

New industrial manufacturing centers that shifted from the North to Southern and Southwestern cities such as Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix, and San Diego led to the creation of and the population shift to the " Belt."

A) Rust
B) Bible
C) Sun
D) Silicon

Question 17

This collection of political buttons regarding the Watergate scandal that involved President Nixon reveals that .

A) the majority of American citizens wanted Nixon to be impeached and removed from office
B) the nation was divided over Nixon's role and guilt in this political scandal
C) Nixon's role in Watergate was perceived to be minimal and harmless
D) Nixon was regarded favorably by most of the American public

Question 18

This cartoon by Jeff MacNelly purports that the best reason to elect President Ford in 1976 was .

A) to maintain the status quo
B) to support his progressive domestic agenda
C) his stance on foreign policy issues
D) his economic recovery policy

Question 19

What action committed by President Gerald Ford most harmed his presidency and probably led to his defeat in the 1976 presidential election?

A) giving Richard Nixon a full pardon after the Watergate scandal
B) supporting a military dictatorship in Chile
C) accepting the east-west balance in Europe by signing the Helsinki Accords
D) accepting large donations from businessmen for his campaign in return for favors

Question 20

The Supreme Court's mandate ordering Northern cities to develop school busing programs so that the North could catch up with the South in school desegregation led to massive resistance and protests in in 1976.

A) Boston
B) Chicago
C) New York City
D) Philadelphia

Question 21

The AIDS Memorial Quilt and ACT-UP "funeral" demonstrations were similar in what way?

A) Both used positive images to strive toward acceptance of gay lifestyles.
B) Both were seen as subversive acts of civil disobedience.
C) Both employed symbolism related to dead bodies.
D) Both focused on demands for better care for AIDS patients.

Question 22

In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that .

A) human life begins at birth
B) all forms of abortion should be considered illegal
C) any restrictions on abortion were unconstitutional
D) states could not criminalize abortions in the first three months of pregnancy

Question 23

The "safe sex" message gained credence in the wake of .

A) a worldwide AIDS epidemic that affected the population of the United States
B) the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association
C) the Stonewall riot in June 1969 that initiated the gay rights movement
D) the condemnations by the religious right of those in homosexual relationships

Question 24

The Equal Rights Amendment .

A) ultimately fell three states short of ratification
B) created little controversy
C) was one of several victories for the feminist movement in the 1970s
D) was proposed by a national constitutional convention

Question 25

As a result of the 1978 Camp David Accords, which Arab nation became the first to recognize Israel's right to exist?

A) Iran
B) Saudi Arabia
C) Egypt
D) Jordan

Question 26

This image of pro-life demonstrators represents what aspect of the conflict over abortion?

A) the conflict between Congress and the Reagan administration
B) the conflict between the will of the majority and the law of the land
C) the conflict between the rights of women and those of the unborn
D) the conflict between feminists and environmentalists

Question 27

SALT II was technically killed when the Soviet Union invaded what country in 1979?

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

Question 28

What opposing views did female activists Gloria Steinem and Phyllis Schlafly have regarding gender roles in society?

A) Steinem believed that women's identities would always be based on their looks, while Schlafly believed that women should make abortion and childcare centers socially acceptable.
B) Steinem believed gender roles were culturally constructed, while Schlafly believed that they were rooted in biology.
C) Steinem believed that women should help their husbands in earning wages, while Schlafly believed that men should be stay-at-home fathers.
D) Steinem believed women should be fulltime mothers, while Schlafly believed that both men and women would be happier once they were free of culturally constructed gender roles.

Question 29

What did this image of a Three Mile Island nuclear reactor tower and media coverage of Love Canal in New York come to represent to many Americans in the late 1970s?

A) the promise of a cleaner environment
B) the threat by industrialists to move their companies overseas
C) danger to the health of nearby residents
D) the overreach of government regulation

Question 30

The Carter Doctrine declared that the United States would .

A) not purchase oil from countries other than members of OPEC
B) not engage in covert assassination plots against foreign leaders or rebels
C) use armed forces to prevent outside countries from intruding in the Persian Gulf
D) use force against any country that threatened Israel's right to exist

Question 31

In a speech later called the "malaise speech," President Carter expressed his feeling that

A) the record profits of such companies as Exxon were merited
B) the problems of the economy had been overrated
C) the nation was experiencing a spiritual and moral crisis
D) no actions were needed to solve the energy crisis

Question 32

What common factor did all of the environmental disasters shown on this map share?

A) They were isolated incidents occurring either in the Northeast or the West.
B) They were all caused by the oil industry.
C) They were not covered adequately by the media.
D) They were all man-made disasters.

Question 33

This photograph of women marching at a 1970 St. Louis, Missouri, protest march on the 50th anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment reveals that .

A) many of the demonstrators were members of the pro-life movement
B) the Equal Rights Amendment had been ratified by the states
C) legalized abortion had been passed by the U.S. Supreme Court
D) there were many unresolved issues that women still had to address through protest

Question 34

According to this caricature, big oil companies were accused of .

A) lying about gas shortages to gouge customers
B) using their private funds to save the oil industry
C) gambling away gasoline profits by making unwise investment decisions
D) paying Middle Eastern nations exorbitantly high amounts of money for oil

Question 35

April 22, 1970, was celebrated with the very first .

A) Gay Pride parade
B) Earth Day
C) Take Your Daughter to Work Day
D) AIDS Awareness Day

Question 36

How were Jimmy Carter and Woodrow Wilson similar in their foreign affairs policies?

A) They both had to deal with overseas wars that involved the United States.
B) They both tried to get America to champion democracy worldwide.
C) They both believed that the United States had the right to meddle in Latin American affairs.
D) They both faced diplomatic crises in the Middle East.

Question 37

Which of the following actions in Latin America was accomplished under the Carter presidency?

A) normalizing relations with Communist Cuba
B) preventing the Cuban-supported Sandinistas from controlling Nicaragua
C) ordering a CIA-backed coup of Chilean dictator Augosto Pinochet's regime
D) negotiating a treaty that returned the Panama Canal to Panama in 2000

Question 38

The chart Women and Work, 1900-2000 implies that the steady increase of women in the workforce after 1970 was due largely to .

A) the resolution of racial and ethnic prejudice and rising divorce rates
B) affordable day care services and comparable salaries to working men
C) changing attitudes about married women in the workforce and declining birthrates
D) the development of new appliances and passage of the Equal Rights Amendment

Question 39

The emerging conservative coalition that created alliances among groups with different concerns and views of what American and its government should be and reshaped the Republican Party in the process was known as the .

A) New Right
B) "Sagebrush Rebellion"
C) Moral Majority
D) Religious Right

Question 40

What was ironic about the final outcome to President Carter's handling of the Iranian hostage crisis?

A) The American hostages were not released until minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president, thus denying Carter a final triumph.
B) The hostages were killed after President Carter authorized an unsuccessful rescue mission by Special Forces in April 1980.
C) The Shah of Iran died of cancer before Carter could return him to Iran in exchange for the hostages.
D) Even though the United States pledged not to interfere in Iran's domestic affairs after the release of the hostages, it still continued to do so.

Question 41

Jerry Falwell's book America Can Be Saved illustrated a new connection between

A) the "silent majority" and Democratic converts to the Republican Party
B) neoconservatives and feminism
C) religious fundamentalism and political activism
D) the Moral Majority and environmentalism

Question 42

Which of the following best describes President Reagan's managerial style?

A) He trusted no one and made every decision by himself.
B) He micromanaged his staff and weighed in on most decisions.
C) He allowed his subordinates to make many decisions without his oversight.
D) He was a "workaholic" who never took a day off.

Question 43

What was ironic about Ronald Reagan's becoming the first American president to agree with the Soviets to reduce nuclear arms?

A) his simultaneous deployment of weapons against Latin America
B) his fervent and decades-long stance against Communism
C) his lack of interest in foreign affairs
D) his campaign promises to increase defense spending

Question 44

President Reagan frequently said that "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem" and believed instead that .

A) New Deal and Great Society programs should be expanded
B) the power of the executive should override that of Congress
C) an unfettered free market would result in prosperity
D) welfare and other social programs should be continued by the states

Question 45

President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) .

A) resulted in large expenditures to create a missile shield that failed
B) was ultimately thwarted by Congress
C) emphasized the use of traditional weapons rather nuclear arsenals
D) was opposed by defense industry leaders

Question 46

What did these photographs taken by news photographer Ron Edmonds during Ronald Reagan's attempted assassination by John Hinckley on March 30, 1981, fail to show the public?

A) that Reagan was unaware that shots had been fired
B) that Reagan's gunshot wound was actually life-threatening
C) that the Secret Service did not do a good job in protecting the president
D) that the assassination attempt took place in a foreign country

Question 47

During the late twentieth century, most of the interventions done by the United States in Central America and the Caribbean were conducted in order to .

A) use the CIA to assassinate Latin American dictators
B) remove the last vestiges of American imperialism in this region
C) provide financial assistance to victims of natural disasters
D) destabilize communist and leftist regimes in this region

Question 48

In 1980, Ronald Reagan appointed as the first female justice on the Supreme Court of the United States.

A) Phyllis Schlafly
B) Sandra Day O'Connor
C) Ruth Bader Ginsburg
D) Sonia Sotomayor

Question 49

In the Iran-Contra affair, National Security Council Director John Poindexter and Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North .

A) were primarily motivated to undermine the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein
B) went to the press to reveal illegal actions by the Reagan administration in selling arms to Iran
C) testified that President Reagan was solely to blame for the Iran-Contra Affair
D) funneled funds from arms sales made to Iran to the anti-Communists in Nicaragua

Question 50

Why did television commentators compare Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential victory over Jimmy Carter to Franklin D. Roosevelt's victory over Herbert Hoover in 1932?

A) Both men were social liberals wanting to expand government support for the needy.
B) Both men won razor-thin majorities in the Electoral College to become president.
C) Both men believed in supply-side economics that let entrepreneurs keep more of their profits.
D) Both men defeated unpopular incumbents through the creation of new coalitions.