APUSH Test Material 12/22

Proposition 13

(1978) A successful California state ballot initiative that capped the state's real tax at 1 percent of assessed value. The proposition radically reduced average property tax levels, decreasing revenue for the state government and signaling the political power of the "tax revolt," increasingly aligned with conservative politics.

Ronald Reagan

(1981-1985) and (1985-1989), first elected president in 1980 and elected again in 1984. He ran on a campaign based on the common man and "populist" ideas. He served as governor of California from 1966-1974, and he participated in the McCarthy Communist scare. Iran released hostages on his Inauguration Day in 1980. While president, he developed Reagannomics, the trickle down effect of government incentives. He cut out many welfare and public works programs. He used the Strategic Defense Initiative to avoid conflict. His meetings with Gorbachev were the first steps to ending the Cold War. He was also responsible for the Iran-contra Affair which bought hostages with guns.

Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

(1987) Arms limitation agreement settled by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev after several attempts. The treaty banned all intermediate-range nuclear missiles from Europe and marked a significant thaw in the Cold War. (1039)

Iran-Contra Affair

(1987) Major political scandal of Ronald Reagan's second term. An illicit arrangement of selling "arms for hostages" with Iran and using money to support the contras in Nicaragua, the scandal deeply damaged Reagan's credibility.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

(1990) Landmark law signed by President George H. W. Bush that prohibited discrimination against people with physical or mental handicaps. It represented a legislative triumph for champions of equal protections to all.

Operation Desert Storm

(1991) U.S.-led military-country engagement in January and February of 1991 that drove Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army out of neighboring Kuwait. In addition to presaging the longer and more protracted Iraq War of the 2000s, the 1991 war helped undo what some called the "Vietnam Syndrome," a feeling of military uncertainty that plagued many Americans.

George W. Bush

2000 and 2004; Republican; 9/11 terrorist attack invade Afghanistan and Iraq; economy: huge tax cuts, 2007-great recession; No Child Left Behind, Medicare prescription drug benefits, Hurricane Katrina disaster, energy self-sufficiency.

9/11

2001 - Common shorthand for the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, in which 19 militant Islamist men hijacked and crashed four commercial aircraft. Nearly 3000 people were killed in the worst case of domestic terrorism in American history.

Barack Obama

2008; Democrat; first African American president of the US, health care bill; Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster; economy: huge stimulus package to combat the great recession, is removing troops from Iraq, strengthened numbers in Afghanistan; repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell; New Start treaty with Russia.

William Jefferson ("Bill") Clinton

42nd president of the United States(1993-2001. He secured passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1993 and welfare reform in 1996.Impeached for perjury and obstruction of justice in 1998; he was acquitted by the Senate in 1999.

Which of the following events were primarily responsible for the reversal of the strong political gains with Latino votes that President George W. Bush had made on behalf of the Republican party in 2004? a) President Bush's controversial plan for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. b) The many harsh attacks on legal and illegal immigrants made by Republican politicians and pundits after the 2004 election. c) The emerging consensus in Congress in favor of building a comprehensive fence along the border between the United States and Mexico. d) The Republicans' nomination of John McCain as their presidential candidate in 2008. e) The adoption of an anti-immigration plank in the Democratic party's platform at the 2008 party convention.

A

Nancy Pelosi

A Speaker of the House representative, 1st women to hold the position, she became the first highest ranking women to ever hold in office in 2007. She along with other Democrats opposed the measure of troop increased in Iraq. Currently - Minority Speaker.

No Child Left Behind Act

A U.S. law enacted in 2001 that was intended to increase accountability in education by requiring states to qualify for federal educational funding by administering standardized tests to measure school achievement.

Democratic Leadership Council

A form of leadership in which the leader solicits input from subordinates.

Al Qaeda

A network of Islamic terrorist organizations, led by Osama bin Laden, that carried out the attacks on the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998, the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000, and the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001.

Whitewater

A political controversy that began with the real estate dealings of Bill and Hillary Clinton and their associates, [Jim and Susan McDougal] in the Whitewater Development Corporation, a failed business venture. David Hale, the source of criminal allegations against Clinton, claimed in November 1993 that Bill, while governor of AK, pressured him to provide an illegal $300,000 loan to Susan McDougal, Kenneth Starr major player, (1) scandal that allegedly involved Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas in the 1980s, when he invested in land in AR; he was accused of using his govt connections to get a loan for the land (which he ultimately earned no money on); (2) an investigation continued through most of his presidency, and after 1995 hearings Clinton was not indicted, though some of his associates were charged and convicted of fraud.

Department of Homeland Security

A proposal by President Bush in 2002 which would consolidate 22 federal agencies and nearly 170,000 federal employees, After 9/11 occurred, the Department of Homeland Security was established as the newest member of the cabinet with the goal to secure America.

What were the initial results in 1982 of President Reagan's supply side economic plan of deep federal budget cuts and substantial tax reductions?

A. A sharp recession and rise in unemployment

Which of the following represented a significant political victory for President Clinton at the beginning of the Clinton administration?

A. Congressional passage of the 1993 deficit reduction bill

Which of the following was Ronald Reagan's overall key domestic goal as president?

A. Dismantling the welfare state by reducing or eliminating entitlement and discretionary social welfare programs in order to reduce the size of government.

Which of the following issues was NOT an important concern that the New Right hoped to constrict or eliminate through legal action?

A. Divorce.

Which of the following most accurately characterizes the economic results produced by Reaganomics in the 1980s?

A. For the first time in the twentieth century, income widened between the richest and poorest Americans

Which of the following reasons prompted President George H W Bush to organize America's European and Arab allies into a political and military coalition that ultimately ousted Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991?

A. President Bush feared that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's larger goal was to assume control over the entire oil producing and economically vital Persian Gulf region.

Which of the following political decisions by President Clinton aroused the hostility and ire of many liberals in his own party?

A. President Clinton's signature of the welfare reform bill that included work requirements and time limits for welfare benefits.

Which of the following events is most indicative of a deep dissatisfaction with the government?

A. The bombing of a federal office building in Oklahoma city

What action during the first year of republican led congress led to an emerging public consensus that the republicans had overreached with their conservative policies?

A. The shutdown of the federal government during a dispute between the republican congressional leadership and president Clinton over the federal budget.

Which of the following was NOT among the polarizing conservative policies pursued by president George W Bush when he assumed the presidency?

A. passing the No Child Left Behind education reform law

The most important issue in the presidential election of 2008 was

A. the economic crisis

What revelation in 2004 concerning the Iraq war prompted a deep escalation of anti American sentiment in Iraq and throughout the Arab world?

A. the revelation that some American soldiers had humiliated and abused Iraqi captives in the Abu Ghraib prison.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Administers the rules governing trade between its 144 members. Helps producers, importers, and exporters conduct their business and ensure that trade flows smoothly.

John Kerry

After returning home from his tour of duty in Vietnam, this man testified to the U.S. Senate on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War in 1971. Democratic Massachusetts Senator who was defeated in the 2004 election against President George W. Bush.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

An economic pact that combined the economies of the United States, Canada, and Mexico into one of the world's largest trading blocs.

Contras

Anti-Sandinista fighters in the Nicaraguan civil war. The Contras were secretly supplied with American military aid, paid for with money the United States clandestinely made selling arms to Iran.

Robert Dole

Attorney and retired United States Senator from Kansas (1969-1996) longest serving Republican leader. Was the 1996 presidential nominee for the Republican party but lost to Bill Clinton. (Gerald Ford's VP running mate in 1976 election).

Which of the following represented the leading modern art movement of the early post-World War II period that included American artists Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning? a) Pop art b) Abstract expressionism c) Minimalism d) Dadaism e) Postmodernism

B

Which statement about the Persian Gulf War is NOT true?

B. Saddam Hussein was removed from power.

Which of the following most accurately describes the Supreme Court decisions in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services and Planned Parenthood v. Casey?

B. The Court permitted states to put some restrictions on abortion, while fundamentally upholding the abortion rights decision of Roe v. Wade.

What did the Iran-Contra affair essentially involve?

B. The US selling arms to Iran in exchange for hostages and diverting the profits to illegally fund the Nicaraguan contras.

What domestic achievement represented a partial redemption of President George W H Bush's 1988 campaign pledge to work for a "kinder, gentler America"?

B. The signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 to prohibit discrimination against US citizens with physical or mental disabilities.

George W Bush successfully won reelection in 2004 over senator John Kerry by claiming all of the following EXCEPT that he

B. enjoyed nearly universal support among foreign leaders, including the political leadership of US allies in Germany and France, while Kerry could not win the confidence of these foreign leaders

McCain-Feingold Act

Banned soft money, increased amount of individual contributions and limited issue ads.

H. Ross Perot

Billionaire Texas businessman, best remembered for running for President in 1992 and 1996 under Independent Party banner.

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD)

Biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons that can cause a massive number of deaths in a single use.

Oklahoma City Bombing

Bombing of Murrah Federal Building. The blast, set off by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, killed 168 people, including 19 children in the building's day-care center.

The gap between rich and poor Americans widened in the 1980s and 1990s for all the following reasons EXCEPT a) intensifying global competition. b) the decline of unions. c) the tax policies of the Carter and Clinton administrations. d) the growth of part-time and temporary work. e) the greater economic rewards for education.

C

What important legal boost was given by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003 to African Americans' goal of achieving access to higher education? a) Racial discrimination in awarding financial aid was illegal. b) Formerly all-white universities had to provide compensation for past discrimination. c) affirmative action in admissions was legitimate as long as rigid quotas or point systems were not used. d) Racially oriented African American studies programs were constitutional. e) Rigid quotas and point systems constructed for admissions programs were constitutional as long as they were developed to correct past discrimination at a college or university.

C

Which of the following most accurately characterizes the rise of Big Science in the post-World War II era? a) A resolution of questions concerning the ethical implications of scientific research b) Large expenditures on failed research initiatives c) A close alliance among the federal government, defense-oriented industries, and American research universities. d) An emphasis on individual scientific genius and entrepreneurship. e) A belief that knowledge should be advanced without government involvement and interference.

C

Why did the Latino population maintain its linguistic and cultural identities better than most previous immigrant groups? a) The Latino population was thinly scattered across the country. b) Bilingual education laws meant that Latinos did not have to learn English and American culture to assimilate. c) The larger numbers of Latino and the regional geographic concentration of Latinos in America facilitated the maintenance of their native languages and cultures. d) Latinos had a stronger desire to preserve their cultures than previous groups had possessed. e) Latinos remained politically loyal to the Latin American nations from which they emigrated.

C

Which of the following demonstrates most vividly how President Reagan, during his second term, departed from the militantly anti- Soviet stance of his first term?

C. President Reagan negotiating and signing arms control agreements with the new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev

What did the US supreme court cite as its reasoning for taking the unprecedented action of prohibiting further recounting of Florida's popular vote and awarding the 2000 election to George W Bush?

C. a legal finding that Florida's inconsistent standards for evaluating the disputed ballots violated the equal protection clause of the constitution

The 'tea party' movement that emerged in 2008 shares all of the following qualities with the patriots after whom they named themselves EXCEPT that

C. both were small, local groups with a without a wide support base

What was the primary political legacy of president Clinton, according to some historians?

C. president Clinton consolidated the Reagan-Bush revolution by encouraging reduced expectations of government

Newt Gingrich

Conservative Georgia representative who led the Republican seizure of the political opportunity due to Clinton's failed initiatives. House minority leader under Clinton; proposed "Contract w/America" list of promises to American people; promised lower taxes and smaller government; becomes the Speaker of the House, . He led the "Contract with America". Disputes with Clinton resulted in resignation 1998 and considered one of the most unpopular political leaders in America.

Hurricane Katrina

Considered to be the one crisis of the Bush administrations second term and in is inefficiency to deal with the crisis. It destroyed 80% of New Orleans and more than 1300 people died, while the damages were $150 billion.

Guantanamo Detention Camp

Controversial prison facility constructed after the US led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Located on territory occupied by the US military, but not technically part of the United States, the facility serves as an extra-legal holding area for suspected terrorists.

All of the following proved to be characteristics of the new information age EXCEPT a) instant global communications. b) high-tech computer and media businesses. c) the decline of traditional occupations mediating between products and clients. d) an end to the boom-or-bust capitalist business cycle. e) outsourcing of white-collar jobs to Third World countries.

D

Despite numerous victories of feminists in the 1990s and 2000s, women continued to feel frustrated by their level of workplace progress for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that they a) continued to bear more of the burdens of parenthood than men. b) were paid less than men for performing corresponding jobs. c) remained concentrated I traditionally feminine occupations. d) continued to be legally barred from holding high-level, high prestige positions. e) continued to bear the greatest responsibilities for the welfare of children.

D

Which of the following best characterizes one key overall effect of the electronic new media in the early twenty-first century? a) The new media had been used to reinforce the existing political and economic power structure. b) Access to the new media has been restricted to those with extensive education and training in their use. c) The new media have not influenced the operations and daily news cycle maintained by traditional media outlets, such as the television networks and newspapers. d) The new media have had a democratizing effect for ordinary citizens who desire to obtain and disseminate information and to influence opinion about a wide variety of topics. e) The new media have established rigorous journalistic standards for the reporting of news and information.

D

What prompted the first wave of heavy criticism and verbal abuse to be hurled at First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton during the onset of the Clinton administration?

D. Mrs. Clinton developing an excessively complex health care plan that was quickly dropped by Congress.

All of the following contributed to Ronald Reagan's landslide electoral victory over President Carter in 1980 EXCEPT

D. President Carter's decision to preserve some 100 million acres of Alaska land for national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges during an energy crisis.

All of the following were consequences of the end of the Cold War EXCEPT that

D. the entire European continent enjoyed an extended period of political stability.

What was one key reason that more African American politicians were winning electoral offices in the 1990s and 2000s? a) They relied on racial solidarity. b) They learned how to mobilize bloc voting. c) They began to appeal to a wide variety of voters with diverse political, economic, and social concerns. d) They began running for political office outside of the South. e) They made key alliances with city political bosses and urban political machines.

D?

Joseph R. ("Joe") Biden

Delaware Senator who Obama chose as his running mate; long-time member and former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

According to scholarly studies, which of the following is true about the illegal immigrants living in the United States? a) Most illegal immigrants do not seek education for their children. b) Most illegal immigrants plan to return to their country of origin as soon as possible. c) A majority of illegal immigrants claim welfare benefits at taxpayers' expense. d) Illegal immigrants are responsible for a disproportionate share of crime in the United States. e) Illegal immigrants pay more dollars in federal taxes than they claim in benefits, but do not often burden local government services.

E

By the 2000s, the traditional nuclear family unit was undergoing severe strain for all of the following reasons EXCEPT a) the divorce rate had increased. b the number of single-parent-, stepparent-, grandparent-, and gay and lesbian-led households had risen. c) parent substitutes, such as child-care centers, schools, television, and the Internet, had assumed a key role in child-rearing. d) the family no longer served many of its traditional social functions. e) the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 encouraged many mothers to seek part-time work outside the home.

E

What was one reasonable charge that critics of multiculturalism in American education made about its possible impact on American society? a) Multiculturalism distorts the political, economic, and social achievements of minorities. b) Multiculturalism places too much emphasis on the influence of white ethnic groups on the development of American society and culture. c) Multiculturalism may lead to ethnic violence and possibly civil war in America. d) Multiculturalism may lead to the development of socialism in the United States. e) Multiculturalism may cause a loss of national cohesion and appreciation of shared American values.

E

What was the primary reason that George W. Bush's attempt to privatize social Security in 2005 was defeated? a) Most Americans now relied on 401(k) pension plans rather than Social Security. b) Most younger Americans did not believe that Social Security would benefit them in any case. c) President Bush had not made privatization of Social Security a centerpiece of his victorious campaign. d) The stock market's uneven performance made the proposal fiscally risky. e) Seniors had substantial political power and there was a strong American commitment to a broad social safety net.

E

All of the following were examples of Ronald Reagan's determination to renew the Cold War during his first presidential term EXCEPT

E. American military forces ousting from power an insurgent group of Marxists who had taken over the tiny Caribbean island of Grenada.

Which of the following was NOT among the areas where president Clinton's foreign policy stumbled in the first years of his presidency?

E. Developing strong relations with America's allies Germany and France

Reagan's theory of "supply side" economics, also referred to as the "trickle down" theory, is most closely related to the policies of

E. Herbert Hoover

All of the following constituted US government responses to terrorist attacks on 9/11 EXCEPT

E. suspension of American's first amendment right to protest against government policies

What did the US military encounter in Iraq after ousting Saddam Hussein from power?

E. violent resistance from Iraqi insurgents and foreign militants drawn to the country

Supply-side economics

Economic theory that underlay Ronald Reagan's tax and spending cuts. Contrary to Keynesianism, supply-side theory declared that government policy should aim to increase the supply of goods and services, rather than the demand for them. It held that lower taxes and decreased regulation would increase productivity by providing increased incentives to work, thus increasing productivity and the tax base.

Lewinsky affair

High profile scandal involving Clinton's sexual relationship with a young White House intern; although he repeatedly lied about the affair, he eventually was forced to admit to his relationship, leading the House Republicans to pass two articles of impeachment on the basis of perjury and obstruction of justice; after midterm elections reduced the House Republicans' majority and public opinion swayed in favor of keeping Clinton in office, he was found not guilty.

Contract with America

In the 1994 congressional elections, Congressman Newt Gingrich had Republican candidates sign a document in which they pledged their support for such things as a balanced budget amendment, term limits for members of Congress, and a middle-class tax cut.

Reaganomics

Informal term for Ronald Reagan's economic policies, which focused on reducing taxes, social spending, and government regulation, while increasing outlays for defense.

Kyoto Treaty

International treaty to acknowledge that human induced climate change exists and the developed world must reduce greenhouse gasses, signed 1997.

USA Patriot Act

Law passed due to 9/11 attacks; sought to prevent further terrorist attacks by allowing greater government access to electronic communications and other information; criticized by some as violating civil liberties.

Sandinistas

Leftwing anti-American revolutionaries in Nicaragua who launched a civil war in 1979.

Sara Palin

McCain's vice presidential (unknown) nominee in an attempt to draw Hillary Clinton supporters and liberal minded Republicans. Proved to be a nuisance due to public mistakes and over exposure in the media resulting in mockery.

glasnost

Meaning "openness," a cornerstone along with Perestroika of Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev's reform movement in the USSR in the 1980s. These policies resulted in greater market liberalization, access to the West, and ultimately the end of communist rule.

Perestroika

Meaning "restructuring," a cornerstone along with Glasnost of Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev's reform movement in the USSR in the 1980s. These policies resulted in greater market liberalization, access to the West, and ultimately the end of communist rule.

Black Monday

October 19, 1987. Date of the largest single-day decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average until September 2001. The downturn indicated instability in the booming business culture of the 1980s but did not lead to a serious economic recession.

Commonwealth of Independent States

Organization formed from the former republics of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Moral Majority

Political action committee founded by evangelical Reverend Jerry Falwell in 1979 to promote traditional Christian values and oppose feminism, abortion, and gay rights.

Abu Ghraib prison

Prison in Iraq made famous by revelation of photos taken by Army Reserve MP guards in the acts of humiliating and torturing prisoners.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Prominent child care advocate and health care reformer in Clinton administration; won U.S. Senate seat in 2000; Secretary of State 2009-2013, presidential candidate 2008, projected to seek Democratic nomination for presidency in 2016.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

Reagan administration plan announced in 1983 to create a missile-defense system over American territory to block a nuclear attack. Derided as "Star Wars" by critics, the plan typified Reagan's commitment to vigorous defense spending even as he sought to limit the size of government in domestic matters.

Welfare Reform Bill

Signed by Clinton in 1995 and it replaced a restriction under which you could collect welfare if you could prove that you were looking for a job. They also limited the months in which you could collect the welfare.

Boll weevils

Term for conservative southern Democrats who voted increasingly for Republican issues during the Carter and Reagan administrations.

Richard Cheney

The Vice President and President of the Senate as of January 19, 2009, Secretary of Defense under George Bush. Oversaw Operation Desert Storm.

John McCain

This Republican senator was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War and is seeking the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election. Current Arizona Senator.

Monica Lewinsky

White House intern whose affair with Bill Clinton led to his impeachment.

Boris Yeltsin

a Russian politician and the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.

Nelson Mandela

a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black chief executive, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation.

Mikhail Gorbachev

a former Soviet statesman. He was the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991 when the party was dissolved.

Sandra Day O'Connor

associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan until her retirement in 2006. She was the first woman to be appointed to the Court.

Margaret Thatcher

was a British politician, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, and the Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990.

Jerry Falwell

was an American evangelical Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative political commentator. He was known for his stance against homosexuality. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia. He founded Lynchburg Christian Academy in 1967 and Liberty University in 1971 and co-founded the Moral Majority in 1979.

Saddam Hussein

was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003.