Question 1

The "new world order" declared by president George H. W. Bush in 1991 was

Accepted Answer

The "new world order" declared by president George H. W. Bush in 1991 was a collection in which numerous nations would work together for the purpose of securing collective peace, security, and the rule of law. It was a concept of a more cooperative and interconnected global community, rather than individual nations acting in isolation.

Question 2

Which of the following was NOT true of the U. S. intervention in Iraq in 2003?

Accepted Answer

The U. S. intervention in Iraq in 2003 did not involve trying to interdict the Iranian nuclear program. The other options are true: there was a failure to find weapons of mass destruction, critics questioned U. S. interests in the region, the U. S. military struggled to contain rebel insurgents, and President Bush claimed the U. S. had removed a brutal dictator.

Question 3

In the 1970s, a period of somewhat eased tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union led to several strategic arms treaties. This period of eased tension was referred to as

Accepted Answer

The period of somewhat relaxed tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1970s was known as détente. This led to the signing of several strategic arms treaties.

Question 4

The United States was NOT involved in plots to assassinate which of the following foreign leaders?

Accepted Answer

The United States was not involved in plots to assassinate Yitzhak Rabin. However, the US has been involved in plots to assassinate the other leaders listed.

Question 5

Created in 1949, which alliance bound the United States to the military defense of Western Europe and placed it squarely at odds with the Soviet Union?

Accepted Answer

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created in 1949 to bind the United States and other Western European nations to mutual military defense in the event of an attack from the Soviet Union or its allies. This alliance played a significant role in the Cold War, with the U.S. and NATO members facing off against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact throughout the rest of the 20th century.

Question 6

The October, 1962 tense standoff with the Soviets that nearly ignited a nuclear war was caused by

Accepted Answer

The tense standoff with the Soviets in October 1962, also known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, was caused by JFK's demands for the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba. The US discovered Soviet missile sites in Cuba, which could have easily targeted major US cities. JFK demanded their removal and initiated a naval blockade to prevent further Soviet missile deliveries. The situation escalated to a brink of nuclear war before a resolution was reached, with the Soviets agreeing to remove the missiles in exchange for a US pledge not to invade Cuba and to remove US missiles from Turkey.

Question 7

Arms limitation treaties and reduced tensions with the Soviet Union in the 1970s gave way to increased tensions and confrontations in the early 1980s. President Reagan outlined a new initiative called the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). What was the basic goal of SDI?

Accepted Answer

The goal of the Strategic Defense Initiative was to create an antimissile system that used lasers and particle beams to shoot down Soviet nuclear missiles in outer space. It was often referred to as "Star Wars" due to its focus on space-based defense.

Question 8

How many former Soviet republics declared their independence when the Soviet Union dissolved and the Cold War came to a close?

Accepted Answer

When the Soviet Union dissolved and the Cold War came to a close, ten former Soviet republics declared their independence. These republics are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Question 9

The Soviet Union, the principal opponent of the United States during the Cold War, dissolved in

Accepted Answer

The Soviet Union dissolved on December 26, 1991, marking the end of the Cold War era.

Question 10

What was a military alliance of Eastern European nations that lay within the Soviet Union's sphere of influence?

Accepted Answer

The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance formed in 1955 between the Soviet Union and seven Eastern European nations: Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The member nations were all within the Soviet Union's sphere of influence and were bound together by mutual defense agreements.

Question 11

The __________ was a proactive and aggressive action by the United States following World War II to provide $13 billion in aid to help rebuild the nations of former allies who were ravaged by the war.

Accepted Answer

The Marshall Plan was a proactive and aggressive action by the United States following World War II to provide $13 billion in aid to help rebuild the nations of former allies who were ravaged by the war. The League of Nations and the Warsaw Pact were both formed before or during World War II and were not directly related to providing aid for post-war reconstruction. The United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) were formed after the Marshall Plan and were not directly involved in providing financial assistance for the reconstruction of Europe.

Question 12

What is a foreign policy that is virtually the opposite of isolationism, one that advocates economic and military actions to secure boundaries and interests worldwide?

Accepted Answer

Internationalism advocates for active participation in global affairs and seeks to promote cooperation and collaboration among nations to secure common interests. It involves economic and military actions to maintain and strengthen international relationships and alliances, rather than isolating and withdrawing from the global community. Expansionism, manifest destiny, secularism, and militarism all have different implications and do not necessarily align with a policy of engaging with the world community.

Question 13

Which theory referred to the policy held by certain U.S. presidents, positing that the Communist takeover of Vietnam or Korea during their respective wars would lead to the fall of other Asian countries as well?

Accepted Answer

The theory referred to is the Domino theory, which was the belief that if one country fell to communism in Southeast Asia, then neighboring countries would also fall like a row of dominoes. This theory influenced U.S. policy towards Vietnam and led to the deployment of troops and military intervention to prevent the spread of communism.

Question 14

Out of World War II emerged two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, which became locked in a half-century struggle of indirect hostilities. This struggle was referred to as

Accepted Answer

The struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II was called the Cold War. It was characterized by a rivalry of ideology and influence rather than direct military conflict.

Question 15

Which of the following was NOT true of the Vietnam War?

Accepted Answer

The Vietnam War actually discredited the domino theory, as the fall of Vietnam did not lead to a spread of communism throughout Southeast Asia as anticipated.

Question 16

What was an American foreign policy following World War II that restricted Soviet power and resisted efforts to expand Communism?

Accepted Answer

Containment was the American foreign policy following World War II that aimed to restrict Soviet power and prevented the spread of communism. It was a comprehensive strategy that included economic, political, and military measures to contain the Soviet Union and its communist allies. Isolationism, Manifest destiny, De-expansionism, and Strategic isolation were not policies that aimed to restrict Soviet power and resist efforts to expand communism.

Question 17

In 1993 Congress enacted, with approval of the Clinton Administration, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Though it has been politically controversial at times within the United States, what is the purpose of NAFTA?

Accepted Answer

The purpose of NAFTA is to lift trade barriers such as protective tariffs and investment restrictions between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Its goal is to increase trade and investment between the three countries by eliminating barriers to commerce and promoting fair competition. It was not designed to guard American interests in the global market, form military alliances, or force American companies to increase trade with Mexico.

Question 18

Which of the following was NOT true of the U. S. policy toward Israel?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. policy toward Israel has primarily focused on the support of the Jewish state and its security, as well as the promotion of democracy and stability in the region. The uprooted Palestinian refugees issue has been a challenge for U.S. officials, and Israel's emergence as a democratic presence in a hostile region has been a factor in the U.S. support. U.S. support for Israel has also ensured a friendly ally in the Middle East. However, protecting petroleum reserves under Kuwait and Saudi Arabia is not directly related to the U.S. policy toward Israel but rather the broader U.S. interests in the region.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about the "Vietnam syndrome" is incorrect?

Accepted Answer

The Vietnam Syndrome was not cured shortly after the end of the Vietnam War. In fact, its effects continued to shape American foreign policy and military decision-making for decades afterwards.

Question 20

With the collapse of the Soviet Union's status as superpower in the early 1990s, the global community witnessed the rise a new economic force that is often opposed to the United States in ideology and political goals. What is this nation?

Accepted Answer

China is the nation that rose as a new economic force after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Its ideology and political goals often clash with those of the United States, especially in areas such as trade, human rights, and military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Quiz 16: American Foreign Policy