AMH 2020 TEST 4 PART 4

Had President George W. Bush kept his focus on the issue that most concerned the foreign policy "realists" in his administration, he would have: a. continued the pursuit of Al Qaeda, which was maintaining its capabilities. b. kept the world's attention on North Korea. c. prepared a liberation of the Darfur region in western Sudan. d. invaded Iran. e. continued his fight for an independent Tibet.

A

Operation Enduring Freedom was launched in October 2001: a. against Afghanistan, because the nation was harboring Osama bin Laden. b. against Saudi Arabia, because it was harboring Osama bin Laden. c. against Afghanistan, because the United States did not approve of the Taliban's treatment of women. d. against Afghanistan, because the Afghan government had ordered the terrorist attacks of September 11. e. as a way to combat rising unemployment.

A

President Barack Obama surprised both his supporters and his opponents with: a. his conduct in the war on terror from Guantanamo Bay to Libya. b. his nominations to the Supreme Court. c. his lack of special legislation to address the plight of African-Americans. d. "Obamacare." e. revelations about his affair with a White House intern.

A

The claims of conservative Tea Party activists in 2010 included that: a. President Obama was born in Africa, not the United States. b. President Obama secretly worked to prevent a new health care law. c. President Obama had not won the 2008 election with a majority vote. d. the President wanted to repeal the Fourteenth Amendment birthright to citizenship. e. Democratic senators were gerrymandering their districts to secure their seats.

A

What made Barack Obama's presidential campaign "the first political campaign of the twenty-first century"? a. Its widespread use of the Internet to raise money and communicate directly with voters. b. Its use of televised debates. c. Its use of television advertisements. d. Its use of direct calling. e. Its use of direct mailings.

A

Which of the following statements about the Black Lives Matter movement is NOT accurate? a. It focused on narrow platform policy, rather than a broad claim to black humanity. b. Members demanded that police practices be changed and officers using excessive force be held accountable. c. Public reaction to the movement was mixed and racially divided. d. It emerged in response to the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police and other authorities. e. It made extensive use of current technology and social media to organize.

A

All of the following statements about John Kerry and the 2004 presidential campaign are true EXCEPT Kerry: a. was a Vietnam War veteran. b. was very in touch with the people and embraced by the common man. c. was from Massachusetts and a Catholic. d. was nominated by the Democrats. e. voted for the Iraq War in the Senate, but denounced the war while campaigning.

B

How did the 2013 Supreme Court ruling invalidate the heart of the Voting Rights Act of 1965? a. The entire act was declared unconstitutional, since evidence of racial bias in southern election law no longer met the Court's burden of proof standard. b. The southern states cited in the original law no longer needed approval from the Justice Department before changing their election laws. c. The Court threw out the law's original provision providing federal protection for African-American voters at the polls in four southern states. d. Limitations were removed from the range of acceptable voter identification required for same-day registration at the polls. e. The Court declared that literacy tests were no longer necessary.

B

In 2008, testifying before Congress, Alan Greenspan, the former head of the Federal Reserve Bank: a. argued that regulation would damage banks, Wall Street, and the mortgage market. b. admitted that there had been a "flaw" in his long-held conviction that free markets would produce the best results. c. argued that the federal government should allow unregulated economic competition. d. argued that banks and investment firms should regulate themselves. e. called for deregulation and artificially low interest rates.

B

In a Supreme Court decision in 2003, the right to use affirmative action in college admissions was: a. found unconstitutional. b. reaffirmed. c. supported by President Bush. d. declared unnecessary in the twenty-first century. e. left intentionally vague.

B

The Kyoto Protocol of 1997: a. was an apology to Japan for the dropping of the atomic bombs. b. addressed the issue of global warming and was rejected by President Bush. c. addressed the issue of global warming and was supported by President Bush. d. was a trade agreement between Japan and the United States. e. was a declaration of war guilt by the Japanese.

B

The borderlands of the Southwest: a. had only rarely been a source of tension for Americans since the passage of the Hart-Cellar Act. b. emerged as an area of renewed anxiety for some Americans in the wake of the September 11 attacks. c. only infrequently enjoyed close cultural and community connections to Mexico. d. seemed less of a national security threat than the borderlands of the Pacific Northwest. e. were not largely affected by the September 11 attacks because of their location.

B

What did the USA Patriot Act empower law enforcement agencies to do? a. Convict U.S. citizens without trial. b. Wiretap and spy on citizens without their knowledge. c. Detain family members to secure the surrender of a suspect. d. Employ physical torture to extract evidence from suspected gang members. e. Prevent defendants from learning the charges brought against them.

B

What was the response to the 2006 House of Representatives bill that criminalized offering assistance to illegal immigrants? a. Silence from the mainstream media. b. Mass protests staged by legal and illegal immigrants nationwide. c. "self-deportation" en masse. d. Mass arrests of people distributing water to immigrants in Texas. e. Many Americans assisted in deporting thousands of illegal immigrants.

B

Which of the following statements about the Occupy movement is FALSE? a. It resembled 1930s sit-down strikes. b. It eventually died out and failed to inspire any other similar movements. c. It ensured the phrase "the one percent" would enter America's political vocabulary. d. It began as a grassroots protest against Wall Street malfeasance and growing inequality in America. e. It tapped into a widespread feeling of alienation, especially among the young.

B

By mid-2003, the American economy: a. had fully recovered from the impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11. b. was slowly recovering, as the number of new jobs increased. c. was mixed, as the recession ended but the unemployment rate rose. d. was especially strong in the technology sector. e. rebounded, as fewer jobs went overseas.

C

Conservative Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority in the Lawrence v. Texas and Obergefell v. Hodges rulings: a. described the Constitution as a document bound by the "original intent" of the nation's founding fathers. b. suggested constitutional interpretation must normally rest on a narrow reading of the text. c. reaffirmed the liberal view of the Constitution as a "living document," whose protections expand as society changes. d. offered no explanation for the Court's upholding of state laws banning same-sex marriages. e. upheld the conservative view of reading the "original intent" of the Founders and amendment authors.

C

Early in 2003, President Bush announced that the United States would go to war against Iraq: a. with the full support of the United Nations. b. because its dictator, Saddam Hussein, had ordered the terrorist attacks on September 11. c. because it was believed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. d. with the full support of the international community. e. and unlike during the Vietnam War, an anti-war movement did not develop.

C

How did Obama use "human rights" as a political weapon? a. He threatened to withdraw aid from Israel if it did not end its occupation of the West Bank. b. He temporarily moved the American Fifth Fleet out of its base in Bahrain, until the government agreed to stop jailing peaceful political dissenters. c. He condemned China, but said virtually nothing about human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia and other nations that were U.S. allies in the war on terror. d. He accused congressional Republicans of aiding the rise of ISIS at their refusal to fund additional ground troops in Iraq. e. He threatened to send more ground troops to Iraq unless the government passed legislation to protect "human rights."

C

How did revelations about the U.S. military prison in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, change the position of the United States in the world? a. Aware of American capabilities, terrorists began to proceed more cautiously. b. Understanding that American forces took human rights less seriously overseas, Al Qaeda began to focus its activities in the developing world. c. The incident undermined the reputation of the United States as a nation that adhered to standards of civilized behavior and the rule of law. d. Realizing that the United States was overwhelmed by the task at hand, previously neutral European nations decided to assist the United States with the occupation of Iraq. e. International observers started to pay more attention to American prison practices and strengthened their criticism of mass imprisonment within the United States.

C

The Hurricane Katrina disaster highlighted which of the following to Americans in 2005? a. The housing crisis was a minor problem compared to natural disaster. b. Global warming required immediate action and generous government funds. c. The nation and its economic recovery remained dependent on the price of oil. d. Racial segregation in the lower wards of New Orleans had not changed since the 1950s. e. A Democratically dominated Congress was as unsympathetic to the poor as a Republican one.

C

The effect of undocumented immigrants on the economy of the United States: a. is a settled question among economists. b. has not yet been a subject of study, so no data exists. c. appears to push down wages for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. d. is negligible in terms of consumer spending and additional tax revenue. e. is limited because there are only a few thousand working in the United States.

C

What did congressional Republicans denounce as a "government takeover" in March 2010? a. A financial reform bill that required the breakup of big banks. b. Western state officials assuming control of national parks within their borders. c. A sweeping health care bill that required all Americans to purchase health insurance. d. An executive order that mandated an expansion of Medicare and Medicaid in twenty-three states. e. A labor bill requiring unions to appoint government officials in executive positions.

C

Which of the following statements about Saddam Hussein turned out to be true? a. He possessed a mobile chemical weapons laboratory. b. He had hidden weapons of mass destruction in his many palaces. c. He was a horrible tyrant who ruled Iraq ruthlessly. d. He was hiding in his palace as a safe haven from the war. e. He was seeking to acquire uranium in Africa to build nuclear weapons.

C

Why did Goldman Sachs have to pay a fine of half a billion dollars in 2010? a. It had underwritten most of the subprime mortgages during the real estate boom. b. It had failed to document its business structure to the Securities and Exchange Commission. c. It had knowingly sold toxic mortgage-based securities and then bet on their failure. d. It had illegally financed the presidential campaign of Democratic president Obama. e. It had failed to reform its management and business practice in the wake of the mortgage crisis.

C

Why did the number of Americans receiving food stamps rise after 2008? a. President Obama had eased eligibility requirements. b. The Midwestern farm lobby had pushed for an expansion of the program. c. The number of needy Americans skyrocketed with the recession. d. Americans had become increasingly comfortable with handouts. e. Illegal immigrants became eligible for food stamps in 2009.

C

Why is the characterization of the war on terror as a "clash of civilizations"—the West versus Islam—unhistorical? a. It denies the militancy of Christian sects. b. It ignores the militant tendencies of Buddhism. c. It denies a long past of cultural exchanges between the two. d. It exaggerates the diversity of Islamic countries. e. It undermines the liberation struggle of the Arab Spring.

C

Why was the Iraq War compared to Vietnam? a. Both had begun as nation-building projects. b. Both featured free elections overseen by American officials that resulted in stable governments. c. Both featured American policymakers with little knowledge of the country to which they sent troops. d. Both the Vietnamese and Iraqi people welcomed American troops as liberators. e. A and C

C

"Obamacare": a. included a provision for government-run health insurance called "the public option." b. was bitterly opposed by congressional Republicans because most favored a "single-payer" plan. c. survived two challenges to its constitutionality. d. was partially repealed in 2013 in order to avert a government shutdown. e. led to the expansion of Medicaid in Republican controlled states.

D

After the September 11 attacks, who authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to listen to domestic telephone conversations without a court warrant? a. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. b. State Secretary Powell. c. National Security Advisor Rice. d. President Bush. e. Central Intelligence Director Tenet.

D

All of the following contributed to the banking crisis of 2008 EXCEPT: a. the Federal Reserve Bank had kept interest rates at unprecedentedly low levels. b. banks and other lending institutions issued "subprime" mortgages. c. Wall Street bankers developed complex ways of repackaging and selling "subprime" mortgages to investors. d. the Federal Reserve Bank and other regulatory agencies slowed the speculative frenzy. e. public and private policies favored economic speculation and get-rich-quick schemes.

D

All of the following statements about President Obama's inaugural address are true EXCEPT: a. he promised a foreign policy based on diplomacy rather than on unilateral force. b. his address harked back to the Revolutionary-era ideal of putting the common good before individual self-interest. c. he blamed a culture of "greed and irresponsibility" for helping to bring on the economic crisis. d. he spoke about freedom repeatedly. e. he spoke of the need to combat income inequality and lack of access to health care.

D

Hamdan v. Rumsfeld ruled that: a. Hamdan was so dangerous he ought to be sent back to Saudi Arabia. b. a prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay could challenge his incarceration in federal court. c. it was constitutional for the National Security Agency to wiretap domestic calls without a court order. d. the president had to uphold the Geneva Conventions. e. in times of war, the president had unlimited authority.

D

How did President Bush characterize the toppling of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan? a. As a "mission accomplished." b. As an end to the "axis of evil." c. As the triumph of a "coalition of the willing." d. As only the beginning of the war on terror. e. As the end of the Al Qaeda terror network.

D

In the 2008 election, when Barack Obama "redrew the nation's political map," he: a. only won in Democratic strongholds. b. did extremely well in cities. c. only won in the North and West. d. won in states that had been reliably Republican for years as well as in Democratic strongholds. e. won 53 percent of the popular vote and a large majority in the electoral college.

D

Prior to the new national security atmosphere of the war on terror, what had separated Americans from the historical abuses of the CIA and FBI during the 1950s and 1960s? a. The national security reforms of the Reagan administration. b. The liberal civil rights enhancements of the Clinton administration. c. The radical expansions of civil liberties under the Warren and Burger courts. d. The discoveries of the Church Committee in the wake of Nixon's resignation. e. The political reforms of the Republican Congress under Newt Gingrich.

D

What did President George W. Bush's frequent references to freedom and liberty in his second inaugural address indicate? a. He was more determined than ever to impose American democracy on the Middle East. b. He was willing to expand his foreign policy focus from Iraq to North Korea. c. He had decided to push for the repeal of the USA Patriot Act. d. He wanted to restore support for the Iraq War with a focus on liberation, not terror. e. He was the nation's staunchest defender of civil liberties for gays and lesbians.

D

What important piece of legislation tried to target the origins of the great recession in 2010? a. "Obamacare." b. TARP—the Troubled Asset Relief Program. c. The bailout of the nation's automakers. d. The bank regulation reform law. e. The No Child Left Behind Act.

D

What made Bush's 2002 "National Security Strategy" fundamentally different from previous American policy? a. It began by defining freedom. b. It called for a huge military buildup. c. It did not refrain from nuclear weapons. d. It advocated the use of preemptive war. e. It called for multilateral action.

D

What setback did the Bush administration suffer in its war on terror in 2008? a. The House voted for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. b. The press disclosed the secret family ties between the Bush family and the Saudi Arabian monarchy. c. The Senate began its investigations into the corruption and abuses of Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, Halliburton. d. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Guantanamo Bay detainees could invoke rights under the U.S. Constitution. e. U.S. troops had to withdraw from Iraq.

D

Which of the following was a liability for President Obama as he entered his reelection campaign of 2012? a. He had authorized a constitutionally questionable raid that killed Osama bin Laden. b. The U.S. Supreme Court had struck down most of the Affordable Care Act. c. He had failed to provide an authentic Hawaiian birth certificate to prove the legitimacy of his presidency. d. Unemployment remained high even though the recession was officially over. e. Americans disapproved of the troop withdrawal from Iraq late in 2011.

D

Why did more American women hold paying jobs in mid-2009 than men? a. A significant proportion of American men were serving with the armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. b. The boom in the service and retail sectors of the economy at the time had significantly pushed employment among women. c. The much larger proportion of women among immigrants tipped the balance. d. Men were more likely to lose their jobs during the great recession. e. Employers were increasingly discriminating against white men.

D

According to President George W. Bush's message to the American people in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, what would have kept terrorists from attacking the United States? a. Better education. b. Better economic opportunities. c. A love of country. d. A true Christian faith. e. A love of freedom.

E

During his first year in office, George W. Bush: a. raised tax rates for wealthy Americans. b. sponsored legislation to protect the environment. c. supported the accelerated reduction of nuclear weapons. d. had the full support of Congress, which had a commanding Republican majority. e. persuaded Congress to enact the largest tax cut in American history.

E

The outcome of the presidential election of 2008 would have been less decisive if: a. the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, wasn't African-American. b. the Republican candidate, John McCain, had not been so old. c. Sarah Palin had been selected as vice president on John McCain's ticket. d. voter turnout had not been so low. e. President Bush's popularity had not suffered from the recession and the war on terror.

E

The problem of inequality in America after 2010: a. finally lost momentum with the economic recovery. b. rose as union power declined. c. grew due to rising unemployment and stagnant home sales. d. was a result of corporations such as McDonald's and Wal-Mart paying its workers low wages that hovered around or below minimum wage. e. B and D

E

What did President Obama do in his second term that involved historic enemies of the United States? a. He apologized to the governments of Colombia and Honduras for the use of unauthorized military force in the war on drugs. b. He moved to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. c. His administration helped broker a nuclear energy agreement with Iran. d. He supported a military coup in Egypt that ended badly for the United States. e. B and C

E

What was the result of Lawrence v. Texas? a. The Supreme Court overturned the law on a procedural technicality. b. The Supreme Court declared the criminalization of homosexual acts unconstitutional. c. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of state "religious liberty" laws. d. The Supreme Court paved the way for Obergefell v. Hodges twelve years later. e. B and D

E

Which of the following is NOT true of the Bush and Obama administrations' efforts to police the southwest border? a. They publicly supported protests against illegal immigration. b. They paid private militias through the Department of Homeland Security to provide extra enforcement at border crossings. c. They sent more U.S. Border Patrol agents to the southwest borderlands. d. They deported more undocumented immigrants. e. A and B

E

Which of the following was a job category for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted strong growth in 2012? a. Teacher. b. Financial service. c. Factory operative. d. Computer programmer. e. Home health aides.

E

Why was the lack of preparedness of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Hurricane Katrina disaster so damaging for the George W. Bush administration? a. As a native of Louisiana, he was expected to display particular care for New Orleans. b. There was nothing unusual about this particular hurricane, but the city and state had not done anything to prepare the city's population. c. President Bush had vociferously denied that hurricanes of this size could ever reach the United States. d. President Bush had been the head of FEMA during his father's presidency. e. The Bush administration had prided itself on its unique focus for homeland security.

E

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry served in the first Gulf War.

FALSE

The USA Patriot Act is a remarkably short and concise document.

FALSE

Vice President Cheney was found guilty of perjury in Bush's second term for a leak to the press about a CIA operative in Africa.

FALSE

Worldwide reaction to Bush's "axis of evil" declaration and the National Security Strategy was mostly positive.

FALSE

Illegal immigrants coming to the United States push down wages at the bottom of the economic ladder, but they spend money and pay taxes.

TRU

After the September 11 attacks, Americans experienced a new feeling of common social purpose.

TRUE

By 2007, polls showed that a large majority of Americans considered the invasion of Iraq a mistake.

TRUE

Despite the fact that there were 20 million new voters in the presidential election of 2004, only three states changed their electoral votes compared to 2000.

TRUE

George W. Bush was the first president since Herbert Hoover to see the economy lose jobs over the course of a four-year term.

TRUE

Soon after Americans held Baghdad, insurgents and sectarian fighting between Sunni and Shiite brought the country toward civil war.

TRUE