Deck 30: The Reagan Revolution and a Changing World 1981-1992

Question 1

Ronald Reagan won the election of 1980 because:

A) he was more intelligent than Jimmy Carter.
B) he advocated extending New Deal programs.
C) Americans felt threatened by political and economic forces they couldn't control.
D) Americans became disenchanted by the many political scandals of the Carter years.

Answer 1

Americans felt threatened by political and economic forces they couldn't control.

Question 2

Aspects of the national economy in the 1980s included:

A) the highest inflation rates ever recorded.
B) a widening of the gap between the rich and the poor.
C) the development of millions of new jobs.
D) increased participation in the stock market.

Answer 2

a widening of the gap between the rich and the poor.

Question 3

Ronald Reagan's nickname as president was:

A) the Sleepwalker.
B) the Teflon President.
C) the Acting President.
D) the Actor.

Answer 3

the Teflon President.

Question 4

Ronald Reagan's first foray into politics and governing occurred in 1966 when he successfully ran for:

A) governor of California.
B) state senator of Illinois.
C) governor of Illinois.
D) lieutenant governor of California.

Question 5

Some of Reagan's most articulate support for president came from this group, who feared that the United States was losing influence in the world.

A) anti-communists from both parties
B) conservative Democrats
C) liberal Republicans
D) the Moral Majority

Question 6

In the election of 1988, George H. W. Bush defeated:

A) Walter Mondale.
B) Michael Dukakis.
C) Jimmy Carter.
D) George McGovern.

Question 7

Neoconservatives such as Edward Banfield believed that:

A) the federal government was spending too much money on defense.
B) liberal policies failed only because conservatives failed to provide support.
C) government regulation was more economically effective than promoting free markets.
D) social problems could not be solved through public policies enacted by the government.

Question 8

In its first term, the Reagan administration did all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) increase the national debt.
B) increase defense spending.
C) increase federal funds for school lunches.
D) decrease environmental regulation.

Question 9

The Economic Recovery and Tax Act of 1981 did all of the following things EXCEPT:

A) attempt to stimulate business activity.
B) reduce the amount of money taken in by the federal government.
C) provide more funds for social welfare programs.
D) put more money in the hands of consumers.

Question 10

The appointment of this man as secretary of the interior was controversial, particularly because of his sympathy to the Sagebrush Rebellion.

A) James Lee Witt
B) James Watt
C) David Stockman
D) George Bush

Question 11

This situation comedy is considered one of popular culture's best takes on the problems of blue-collar America.

A) Roseanne
B) Everybody Loves Raymond
C) Seinfeld
D) Yes, Dear

Question 12

One effect of deregulation was:

A) the strengthening of organized labor unions.
B) more economic power for the poor.
C) the destruction and bailout of the savings and loan industry.
D) big business withdrawing its support for President Reagan.

Question 13

In the period 1964-1989, organized labor:

A) defeated all attempts at "union busting."
B) won victories in areas such as the Los Angeles garment district.
C) benefited from an increase in blue-collar jobs.
D) experienced a decline in membership.

Question 14

"Yuppies" tended:

A) not to reap the economic benefits of the 1980s.
B) to purchase items from upscale retailers.
C) not to emulate the upper class in their lifestyles.
D) to come from the lowest economic sectors.

Question 15

Federal tax and spending policies of the 1980s made life more difficult for:

A) wealthy corporations.
B) middle-class workers caught in industrial restructuring.
C) people seeking employment in Sunbelt cities.
D) the wealthiest members of American society.

Question 16

Which statement about the American poor is true?

A) The percentage of poor people had decreased in the period 1960-1973.
B) In the 1980s, there was an increase in the number of Americans living in poverty.
C) Homelessness was less visible in the 1980s and affected only a handful of Americans.
D) Analysts began to refer to an underclass that was left out of the economic mainstream.

Question 17

By the end of the 1980s:

A) women constituted nearly two-thirds of poor adults.
B) the percentage of women attending college decreased.
C) the average salary of men and women was virtually equal.
D) the Republican Party promoted the Equal Rights Amendment.

Question 18

George Bush's campaign strategies in 1988 included all of the following EXCEPT:

A) exploiting Americans' fear of crime.
B) attacking his opponent's support for gun control.
C) assailing his opponent's environmental record as governor.
D) expressing a thorough program of domestic policy.

Question 19

Evidence of a renewed Cold War in the 1980s included all of the following EXCEPT:

A) the American public's belief that the government had been infiltrated by communists.
B) the United States' placement of new cruise missiles in Europe.
C) the belief, expressed in NSD D-13, that a nuclear war was winnable.
D) a significant increase in the nuclear arms race.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT considered by geographers to be a "global city"?

A) London
B) Tokyo
C) San Francisco
D) New York

Question 21

In 1982, nearly 1 million people turned out in New York for a rally:

A) against the Vietnam War.
B) in support of American offensives in the Persian Gulf War.
C) against Richard Nixon's policy of détente.
D) in support of a freeze on the development of nuclear weapons.

Question 22

President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative:

A) was defeated in the House of Representatives.
B) created an expensive defense plan based on super-lasers and satellites.
C) emphasized the use of traditional weapons rather nuclear arsenals.
D) was opposed by heads of the defense industry.

Question 23

The Reagan Doctrine called for:

A) an overall reduction in nuclear arms.
B) America to support anti-Marxist movements throughout the world.
C) cooperation with Gorbachev.
D) the support of global human rights to be the number one foreign policy priority.

Question 24

In the Iran-Contra affair, Oliver North:

A) testified that President Reagan was solely to blame.
B) was innocent of any unconstitutional actions.
C) was completely honest in his testimony.
D) funneled illegal arms sales funds to Nicaraguan rebels.

Question 25

Which statement about the Iran-Contra affair is NOT true?

A) President Reagan and Vice President George Bush were unaware of illegal activities.
B) The Reagan administration defied its trade embargo with Iran.
C) The arms deal contradicted the United States' claim that it wouldn't negotiate with terrorists.
D) Many illegal activities were involved in the arms-for-hostages dealings.

Question 26

Which Soviet leader instituted the political openness of glasnost?

A) Mikhail Gorbachev
B) Leonid Brezhnev
C) Constantin Chernenko
D) Yuri Andropov

Question 27

President Reagan reacted to Mikhail Gorbachev's offers of Soviet military cutbacks:

A) with great suspicion.
B) by refusing to meet with the Soviet leader.
C) by embracing the Soviet Union's new positions.
D) after Gorbachev was removed from office.

Question 28

Supporters of the International Nuclear Force agreement did NOT include:

A) Secretary of State George Schultz.
B) American peace activists.
C) President Reagan.
D) the Defense Department and the C.I.A.

Question 29

George H. W. Bush viewed diplomacy:

A) as not being part of a president's responsibilities.
B) in terms of the traditional view of reconciling national interests.
C) as unimportant in the modern world of foreign policy.
D) as being accomplished through conversations and friendships among leaders.

Question 30

Gorbachev's "Sinatra doctrine" essentially stated that eastern European countries:

A) would have to follow directions from the Soviet Union.
B) would have to operate within a set of guidelines provided by the Soviet Union.
C) should seek to join NATO.
D) could liberalize in their own ways without interference from the Soviet Union.

Question 31

Developments in foreign relations in the late 1980s included:

A) relatively peaceful revolutions that toppled Soviet control of eastern Europe.
B) a heightening of the Cold War and the arms race.
C) the emergence of a strong isolationist foreign policy by the United States.
D) President Bush's aggressive verbal attacks on Mikhail Gorbachev.

Question 32

President Bush's call for U.S. military involvement in the Persian Gulf came when:

A) Saddam Hussein's forces engaged in a bitter war with Iran.
B) Iraq invaded Kuwait and gained control of its oil production.
C) the Soviet Union sent its forces into southern Iraq.
D) the United Nations decided to support Saddam Hussein's claim in Kuwait.

Question 33

Effects of Operation Desert Storm included:

A) large destruction of Iraqi military and civilian areas.
B) showing the invincibility of Saddam Hussein's antiaircraft weapons.
C) getting the Soviet Union to commit a huge force of troops.
D) very high American casualties.

Question 34

In 1991, President George H. W. Bush avoided the "Vietnam Syndrome" in the Persian Gulf War by:

A) avoiding mention of Vietnam in his speeches about the conflict.
B) using a large number of troops and weapons to achieve quick victory.
C) seeking to gain his military objectives in secrecy.
D) refusing to allow any allies to help in the military effort.

Question 35

Outcomes of the Persian Gulf War included all of the following EXCEPT:

A) the toppling of Saddam Hussein from power.
B) the outburst of civil war in Iraq.
C) a general belief that American military technology was superior.
D) the achievement of President Bush's goal to restore the "status quo."

Question 36

In his 1969 book, The Emerging Republican Majority, Kevin Phillips predicted:

A) a trend toward conservative voting habits.
B) the emergence of a three-party system.
C) a coalition between the Republican Party and organized labor.
D) that the Democratic Party would not exist by 1990.

Question 37

Which of the following regions had the largest number of fast-growing metropolitan areas between 1990 and 2000?

A) Southwest
B) Northeast
C) Midwest
D) Pacific Northwest

Question 38

In the early 1990s, the United States:

A) experienced its biggest immigration boom since World War I.
B) rejected the philosophy of free trade in the Western Hemisphere.
C) enacted legislation that placed harsh restrictions on Asian immigration.
D) began to increase trade with Europe while decreasing trade with Pacific nations.

Question 39

Which of the following changed the composition of the American people by abolishing the national quota system, which had been in effect since 1924?

A) the Immigration and Naturalization Service
B) Proposition 187
C) the Moral Majority
D) the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

Question 40

In recent decades, the largest number of new Americans has come from:

A) Canada.
B) Mexico.
C) Vietnam.
D) the Philippines.

Question 41

In the second half of the 1970s, hundreds of thousands of political refugees immigrated to the United States from:

A) Canada.
B) western Europe.
C) Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
D) South Africa.

Question 42

The population of Los Angeles in the 1990s:

A) decreased faster than any city in the United States.
B) included a significant sector of Mexican Americans.
C) was not as diverse as populations in most American cities.
D) contained very few Asian immigrants.

Question 43

Communities such as El Paso, Texas, and San Diego, California are examples of:

A) cities that enforce strict nativist policies.
B) a policy of resistance against new immigration.
C) the existence of a cross-border economy.
D) a one-party political system.

Question 44

In the years 1965-1990, which statement about Americans over the age of 65 is NOT true?

A) Retired people often moved to Sunbelt communities.
B) The number of retired Americans increased significantly.
C) Older Americans became a weaker political force than in previous eras.
D) Real estate developers increased the creation of retirement communities.

Question 45

Title IX of the Education Amendments (1972) forbade discrimination by gender:

A) in all colleges and universities.
B) in all K-12 schools.
C) in all after-school programs.
D) in all educational programs receiving federal aid.

Question 46

The Roe v. Wade decision was based on the right to:

A) privacy.
B) assemble peaceably.
C) freedom of expression.
D) freedom of religion.

Question 47

The Equal Rights Amendment:

A) easily won ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures.
B) created little controversy.
C) fell three states short of ratification before the 1982 deadline.
D) was proposed by a national constitutional convention.

Question 48

A "rainbow coalition" that encouraged a wider commitment to social justice was led by:

A) Jim Jones.
B) Pat Robertson.
C) Jesse Jackson.
D) Jerry Falwell.

Question 49

In the case Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that:

A) suburban areas needed wider representation in state governments.
B) labor unions could not call strikes during the process of collective bargaining.
C) state laws could not forbid abortions in the first three months of pregnancy.
D) the federal government could make no laws that encourage integration.

Question 50

Inflation and declining incomes led to:

A) a depression in the late 1970s.
B) a decline in luxury spending by the middle class.
C) President Reagan's "war on poverty."
D) more women entering the workplace.

Question 51

Life in gay communities took an abrupt turn in the 1980s when:

A) the Supreme Court ruled that companies could not provide insurance for gay workers.
B) the American Psychiatric Association classified homosexuality as a mental illness.
C) Congress supported passage of national equal rights law for homosexuals.
D) a worldwide AIDS epidemic began to impact the population of the United States.

Question 52

Which statement about fundamentalists is true?

A) They never get involved in politics.
B) They represent a large segment of the Roman Catholic Church.
C) They are never part of a larger evangelical denomination.
D) They believe there is one literal interpretation of the Bible.

Question 53

Which American president helped the Roman Catholic Church move toward the center of American life?

A) John Kennedy
B) Lyndon Johnson
C) Ronald Reagan
D) George Bush

Question 54

Which of the following men claimed leadership of the Moral Majority?

A) Pat Robertson
B) Jim Bakker
C) Jerry Falwell
D) Oral Roberts

Question 55

Liberal or "modern" Protestants:

A) attack the immorality and corruption of modern life.
B) believe there is one literal interpretation of the Bible.
C) emphasize building the Kingdom of God through social justice.
D) express that personal sexual indulgence is ruining the nation.

Question 56

Cultural conservatives have aggressively backed efforts to:

A) protect the environment.
B) provide further social relief programs.
C) secularize public education.
D) prevent states from protecting homosexuals' rights.

Question 57

In which decade did Roe v. Wade go before the Supreme Court?

A) 1960s
B) 1970s
C) 1980s
D) 1990s

Question 58

Which of the following happened first?

A) Ronald Reagan is elected president
B) George Bush is elected president
C) Rodney King trial
D) SDI introduced

Question 59

Which of the following happened last?

A) Reagan wins reelection
B) Tax Reform Act is adopted
C) Iraq invades Kuwait
D) Soviet Union dissolves into independent nations

Question 60

In what year did communism collapse in eastern Europe?

A) 1986
B) 1989
C) 1991
D) 1994

Question 61

Which headline could have appeared in 1989?

A) "Reagan Reelected President"
B) "ERA Fails"
C) "241 Marines Killed in Beirut Bombing"
D) "United States Invades Panama"

Question 62

Contrast the differing views of America expressed by fundamentalists and modern Protestants.

Question 63

What events characterize the condition of organized labor in the period 1965-1990?

Question 64

What were the major goals of American policy in the Persian Gulf War?

Question 65

Define the terms perestroika and glasnost and describe their impact on relations between the United States and the U.S.S.R.

Question 66

Describe the differences of opinion that existed between supporters of a nuclear freeze and advocates of the Strategic Defense Initiative.

Question 67

Choose three of the following groups and analyze their changing roles in American society after 1965: older people, organized labor, women, religious conservatives, blue-collar workers, educated suburbanites.

Question 68

Analyze three examples of issues in American life that have been a point of contention between progressives and conservatives.

Question 69

What changes have occurred in American family patterns since the 1960s? How have economic factors and new social values been reflected in these changes?

Question 70

In what ways did Ronald Reagan's presidency change the economic realities for workers and business corporations? How did the federal economic policies of the 1980s affect the lives of the poorest and richest Americans?