Deck 24: The Triumph of Black Politics: 1980 to the Present

Question 1

How did Reagan's policies impact the EEOC and the U.S.Commission on Civil Rights?

A) His actions made the groups far stronger in American society.
B) He had no policies with respect to these agencies.
C) Both were hampered in operations or reduced to insignificance.
D) Reagan abolished both during his first few days in office.

Answer 1

Both were hampered in operations or reduced to insignificance.

Question 2

Why was George H.W.Bush criticized by many blacks in the 1988 election campaign?

A) African-American leaders said that Bush, if elected, would overturn many black gains in civil rights.
B) Bush had accused Jesse Jackson of taking bribes and other types of corruption.
C) Bush refused to renounce a very negative ad depicting Willie Horton, a black rapist.
D) Bush had wrongly accused Jesse Jackson of sexual harassment and embezzlement.

Answer 2

Bush refused to renounce a very negative ad depicting Willie Horton, a black rapist.

Question 3

What is the connection between Jesse Jackson and Robert Goodman?

A)Goodman managed Jackson's 1984 run for president.
B)Goodman married Jackson's daughter and served as his personal aide.
C)Goodman was a U.S.Air Force pilot freed in part with Jackson's help.
D)Goodman attempted to assassinate Jackson at a campaign rally in Texas.

Answer 3

Goodman was a U.S.Air Force pilot freed in part with Jackson's help.

Question 4

In what year did the U.S.begin to officially celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.,day?

A) 1988
B) 1987
C) 1986
D) 1985

Question 5

Why was Geraldine Ferraro's participation on the 1984 Democratic presidential ticket with Mondale significant in U.S.history?

A) She was the first woman to appear on television at a major party rally.
B) She was the first woman to be mentioned in a major campaign statement.
C) She was the first woman on a major party's presidential campaign ticket.
D) She was the first woman nominated for president by a major political party.

Question 6

What did the case of Regents of the University of California v.Bakke involve?

A) discrimination against a black student attempting to enroll in law school
B) a white man who claimed that he was not allowed to vote with black students
C) a white man who said that the University of California's admission requirements discriminated against him
D) two groups of black and white students who refused to attend classes together

Question 7

What ethnic group occupied approximately half of the population of inner-city residents during the early 1980s?

A) whites
B) blacks
C) Hispanics
D) Native Americans

Question 8

Why did Ronald Reagan win the 1984 presidential election?

A) Most blacks voted for him.
B) Most women voted for him.
C) Most whites voted for him.
D) Most poor people voted for him.

Question 9

Why was Clarence Thomas's nomination to the Supreme Court strongly opposed by many Americans?

A) Thomas had too much experience as a judge at the federal court level.
B) Thomas was a black conservative who opposed affirmative action.
C) Anita Hill came forward to accuse Thomas of murder and rape.
D) Thomas was overtly favorable to homosexuals.

Question 10

What happened to the pace of affirmative action cases after Clarence Thomas took over as head of the EEOC?

A) The backlog of cases decreased over time.
B) New cases were processed at a faster pace.
C) More legal staff were hired to help answer phone calls.
D) The backlog of cases increased, as did the processing time for a case.

Question 11

Whom did the Republican Party elect to chair the party after the presidential election of Barak Obama in 2008?

A) Colin Powell
B) Jesse Jackson
C) Michael Steele
D) William Bell

Question 12

What approach to social problems adopted by the Reagan and Bush (Sr.)administrations negatively impacted blacks?

A) They cut funds for the redevelopment of inner cities.
B) They favored the poor over the elite and middle class.
C) They appointed many blacks to government posts from a diversity of viewpoints.
D) They reoriented the U.S.Commission on Civil Rights by replacing all the previous members with whites.

Question 13

What happened to the wealth of the upper-income holders,the highest paid one percent of the nation,during the 1980s?

A) Their wealth remained relatively the same.
B) Their wealth declined.
C) Their wealth increased.
D) No reliable data is available.

Question 14

Why did many civil rights organizations protest Reagan's appointment of William Bell to lead the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission?

A) Bell was an established politician with a reputation for corruption.
B) Bell was well known as a racist white senator from Alabama.
C) Bell was a conservative black man and had very few job qualifications.
D) Bell was white and most of the people who headed the EEOC were black.

Question 15

Why did Anita Hill testify against Clarence Thomas before a congressional committee in 1991?

A) She wanted to support his bid for Supreme Court justice.
B) She agreed to testify after considerable pressure from the judiciary.
C) She was forced to testify or remain in contempt of court and Congress.
D) Her answers to confidential questions in a sexual harassment case were leaked to the press, so she agreed to appear before the committee.

Question 16

Which interest group became part of the coalition that elected Ronald Reagan in 1980?

A) white southerners happy with changes created by the civil rights movement
B) western whites who supported women's rights, homosexuality, and abortion rights
C) white northerners unhappy about busing and affirmative action programs
D) white easterners who hoped to increase government spending on different programs

Question 17

Which of the following ideas was supported by Jesse Jackson in the 1984 presidential campaign?

A) He wanted to push through more cuts in civil rights and welfare.
B) He hoped to cut back the growth of government, business, and labor.
C) He wanted to represent people who felt politically marginalized.
D) He wanted to have a national holiday celebrating Malcolm X.

Question 18

Who received the Democratic nomination for president in 1984?

A) Ronald Reagan
B) Michael Dukakis
C) Walter Mondale
D) Geraldine Ferraro

Question 19

How did Ronald Reagan's presidency impact African Americans?

A) Reagan worked for better opportunities for blacks and to expand civil rights.
B) Reagan turned away from broadening government protections for civil rights.
C) Reagan appointed some blacks to cabinet positions but was unwilling to risk losing support of southern whites.
D) Reagan ignored all aspects of black civil rights, hoping to make the issue go away.

Question 20

Who received the Democratic nomination for president in 1988?

A) Walter Mondale
B) David Dinkins
C) George Bush
D) Michael Dukakis

Question 21

Who was the first American president to visit sub-Saharan Africa?

A) Harry Truman
B) George W.Bush
C) Bill Clinton
D) Ronald Reagan

Question 22

What was the relationship between the Clintons and Whitewater?

A) The Clintons went whitewater rafting without federal permission.
B) The Clintons journeyed to Whitewater, Wisconsin, without security.
C) The Clintons went on an international trip that became a national scandal.
D) The Clintons entered into a land development deal in Arkansas that became a national investigation.

Question 23

Which Democratic Congressmen introduced a bill in every session of Congress since 1993 to establish a federal commission to investigate slavery and the legacy of racial discrimination?

A) Jessie Jackson
B) Colin Powell
C) Barak Obama
D) John Conyers

Question 24

Which type of institution has occupied the center of the backlash against affirmative action?

A) educational institutions
B) restaurants and cafeterias
C) businesses and places of work
D) government jobs at the state level

Question 25

How has the percentage of African Americans in the University of California system been affected by the end of affirmative action policies?

A) The percentage of blacks has dropped slightly overall.
B) The percentage of blacks has fallen dramatically overall.
C) The percentage of blacks has risen slightly overall
D) The percentage of blacks has risen dramatically overall.

Question 26

Who became president of South Africa in part because of the antiapartheid movement in the United States?

A) F.W.de Klerk
B) W.E.B.Du Bois
C) Nelson Mandela
D) François Mitterrand

Question 27

How did blacks view President Clinton?

A) They refused to support him at first, but later reluctantly did after he cut welfare.
B) They thought he was the best president since Lyndon Johnson regarding black rights.
C) They never supported him or any of his polices because of his lack of support of Africa.
D) They supported him at first but then later voted against him because of public scandals.

Question 28

What is affirmative action?

A) policies promoting black people over white people in all instances
B) policies seeking to remedy historic discrimination in employment and education for minorities
C) policies to equalize voting opportunities for blacks
D) policies to give blacks an annual income and free health care to equalize them with whites

Question 29

Why did black leaders protest in front of the South African embassy in Washington D.C.in 1984?

A) They were angry about South Africa's boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics.
B) They were proud of South African's election of Nelson Mandela as president.
C) They were attempting to stop South Africa from oppressing black political prisoners.
D) They wanted the South African government to pay reparations for slavery.

Question 30

What did the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 accomplish?

A) It ended guarantees of federal aid to poor children.
B) It continued welfare benefits to legal immigrants.
C) It ended the welfare system in the U.S.
D) It provided more years of benefit for all families.

Question 31

Which country in the 1980s attracted the focus of many African Americans?

A) Yugoslavia
B) Zimbabwe
C) South Africa
D) Great Britain

Question 32

What did the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988 accomplish?

A) Although it would have made significant gains for blacks, Reagan vetoed it.
B) It helped black women gain jobs in federal employment.
C) It negated affirmative action programs in higher education and within the federal government.
D) It withheld federal funds if an institution discriminated against women or racial minorities.

Question 33

What is the concept of apartheid?

A) another term for the industrialization of modern nations
B) a system of racial discrimination, glorifying white supremacy
C) a type of African music that gained popularity among blacks in the 1980s
D) a type of international foreign policy, where some governments are set "a part" because of race

Question 34

What economic policy did Clinton support that was a departure from his predecessors' economic policies?

A) He lowered taxes for all Americans, making him very popular.
B) He tried to get America out of a recession but never succeeded.
C) He decided to raise taxes on higher-income Americans to generate revenue.
D) He reduced taxes for all minority groups to compensate for past discrimination.

Question 35

How did the Rodney King verdict reveal differences between whites and blacks regarding American justice?

A) Blacks and whites came together to support the verdict.
B) Blacks saw the acquittal of the police officers as an example of injustice while whites saw it as preserving law and order.
C) Blacks and whites came together to oppose the verdict.
D) Blacks saw the fact that Rodney King was released as evidence that the American court system favored rich people while whites saw it as injustice.

Question 36

How does the black community view the idea of reparations for blacks to compensate for slavery?

A) Opinion is divided over reparations.
B) The black community is solidly behind the idea.
C) The black community is solidly against the idea.
D) Elite blacks seem to favor it, while poor blacks seem to be against it.

Question 37

What problems were reported with election results in Florida in the 2000 election?

A) The election included announcements by police of road blocks in white neighborhoods.
B) In many cases, whites were denied the right to vote by blacks and Hispanics.
C) Areas with high percentages of blacks were least likely to have modern voting equipment.
D) The problems in Florida were purely political-the Democrats in power refused to allow Republicans to vote at most polling stations.

Question 38

The general white perception of black men as embodying what element in society actually increased following George H.W.Bush's election?

A) educators
B) policemen
C) construction workers
D) criminals

Question 39

What did the report published by Amnesty International in 1998 demonstrate?

A) Middle Eastern countries were by far the most common human rights offenders.
B) American police officers violated many international laws; most of their victims were minorities.
C) Americans enjoyed more economic and social benefits than people in other countries.
D) The U.S.government was the top nation in the world in stopping human rights abuses.

Question 40

What was the relationship between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky?

A) She married Clinton during his second term in office.
B) She served as chief investigator in the Justice Department.
C) She served as deputy chief of staff for both of Clinton's presidential terms.
D) She had a sexual affair with Clinton during his second term in office.

Question 41

From 1981 to 1992,Ronald Reagan and George H.W.Bush increased federal grants to cities.

Question 42

In 1996 Clinton became the first Republican president to win a second term since Franklin Roosevelt.

Question 43

According to Map 24-1,what parts of the nation did Obama win in 2008?

A) the West only
B) the West and Northeast only
C) the West, Alaska, and the Deep South
D) the West, Northeast, and parts of the South

Question 44

Why did President George W.Bush's popularity plummet after the 2004 election?

A) Voters disagreed with his decision to appoint Rice as secretary of state.
B) Voters were angry about the way he handled the war in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina.
C) Voters opposed his economic policies and the number of people in poverty skyrocketed.
D) Voters disagreed with his personal life and family scandals that were uncovered during his first administration.

Question 45

Why did President Clinton reduce funding for the social welfare program Aid to Families of Dependent Children in 1996?

A) He thought it violated freedom of speech.
B) He thought it interfered with integration.
C) He thought it did little to reduce poverty.
D) He thought black women would work less if the act was passed.

Question 46

Massachusetts Senator John F.Kerry won the Democratic Party's nomination for president in 2004.

Question 47

Which city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005?

A) Miami
B) Houston
C) Galveston
D) New Orleans

Question 48

What is true about the differences between McCain and Obama during the election of 2008?

A) Obama declared himself a "maverick" within the political process.
B) The Republicans defended McCain from accusations that he was not a strong leader.
C) McCain picked a far more experienced political leader for his vice-presidential candidate than Obama did.
D) After the economic recession hit, Obama appeared more calm and reliable to voters than McCain did.

Question 49

The impact of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 included the highest storm surge in U.S.history.

Question 50

The actions of Jesse Jackson in transporting thousands of Hurricane Katrina survivors to Chicago is an example of black self-help efforts when the federal government was unable to meet the needs of black people.

Question 51

What is true about George W.Bush's appointments of African Americans in his administration?

A) He refused to appoint blacks as cabinet level advisers.
B) He generally followed Reagan's policy of appointing token blacks only to insignificant positions.
C) He appointed blacks to key posts, including Colin Powell as secretary of state and Condoleezza Rice as national security adviser.
D) He was the first president to have a majority of black advisers on his staff.

Question 52

One of the New Right's chief goals was to expand the social welfare programs created during and after the New Deal and Johnson's Great Society

Question 53

Anti-Bush comments made by rapper Kanye West became an "Emmett Till" moment for the hip-hop generation in 2005.

Question 54

What was the connection between Obama's presidential victory and the use of popular music entertainers during the 2012 election?

A) Popular entertainers voted for Romney for president.
B) Popular entertainers refused to work for the Obama administration.
C) Popular entertainers who played for the Romney campaign violated decency laws.
D) Popular entertainers attracted black support and white working class support for Obama.

Question 55

The response of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and its head Michael Brown to the Hurricane Katrina disaster was chaotic and ineffective.

Question 56

Ronald Reagan's defeat of Jimmy Carter in 1980 paved the way for the dominance of the New Left.

Question 57

What events countered President George W.Bush's assertion that Iraq War was proceeding smoothly?

A) Saddam Hussein was ousted from power.
B) Saddam Hussein was captured and executed.
C) Iraqi insurgents made key gains in Afghanistan.
D) Over 3,500 U.S.troops and thousands of Iraqis were killed in the summer of 2007.

Question 58

What is the connection between Barak Obama and the 2004 Democratic Party presidential primary?

A) He was elected chairman of the party.
B) He failed to attend the entire convention.
C) He gave an inspiring speech at the convention.
D) He was nominated for President of the United States.

Question 59

What was different from previous administrations regarding Clinton's appointment of black people to administrative positions?

A) He appointed fewer blacks than Ronald Reagan.
B) He failed to appoint any blacks to administrative positions.
C) He appointed blacks to positions that often had nothing to do with race.
D) Blacks refused to support his appointments, because he picked unqualified people.

Question 60

When Clinton left office in 2001,the country had the lowest poverty rate in 20 years.

Question 61

The impact of Hurricane __________on the 2012 election included public praise for President Obama's response to the natural disaster.

Question 62

What was the relationship between black people and Bill Clinton during his presidency?

Question 63

The most important factors in producing victory for Barak Obama in 2008 and 2012 were his skilled,dedicated,and cohesive staff and a mastery of __________technology.

Question 64

In the 2008 presidential election,Sarah ___________ was John McCain's running mate; she detracted from his bid for president.

Question 65

How did the case of Regents of University of California v.Bakke foreshadow changes in civil rights policies in the arena of education during the 1980s?

Question 66

Why did an impeachment campaign arise against President Clinton during his second term in office?

Question 67

How did the Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill controversy reveal tensions within black society?

Question 68

How did the events of September 11,2001,and the war in Iraq affect America,and especially black Americans? Were black reactions different from,or similar to,reactions to other wars?

Question 69

Why did America get involved in a war in Iraq in 2003? What was the impact of the war on the Iraqi people?

Question 70

In the 2008 campaign Obama was helped by the support of his wife __________,who become an exceptionally popular and revered First Lady.

Question 71

The Supreme Court case of __________ v.__________decided to stop the recount of Florida votes and gave the 2000 election to George Bush.

Question 72

What is the debate regarding reparations for slavery for blacks,and why are African Americans divided over the issue?

Question 73

The results of Republican efforts at the state and federal level to enact voter __________ laws failed to meaningfully reduce the ethnic minority vote in the 2012 election.

Question 74

Why did the federal government respond poorly to the Hurricane Katrina disaster? Did race play a role in the response of the federal,state,and local governments to this disaster?

Question 75

What was the Rodney King incident? How did the event and trial impact the nation?

Question 76

By the 1990s African Americans had become an indispensable base of the __________ Party.

Question 77

In 1969 Arthur A.Fletcher,a black assistant secretary of labor in the Nixon administration,developed the "__________Plan," in which firms with federal construction contracts were obligated to meet hiring goals for blacks or be penalized.

Question 78

What was the relationship between "old" civil rights issues and "new" civil rights issues within the Reagan and Bush administrations of the 1980s and early 1990s? Why did they make this distinction?

Question 79

President Lyndon Johnson had first used the term __________ __________ in a 1965 executive order that required federal contractors to guarantee equal treatment of all job seekers and employees.