module 13: Political Storms at Home and Abroad

Question 1

Which is an example of a tactic used by the American Indian Movement to draw attention to their grievances?

Answer 1

Demonstrations and marches

Question 2

Which of the following best describes significant changes sought by feminists in the 1970s?

Answer 2

The reform of longstanding divorce laws

Question 3

In 1969 a three-day concert in Bethel, New York became the symbol of an entire generation. What social trend did Woodstock reflect?

Answer 3

cultural rebellion

Question 4

The Stonewall riots were a watershed moment in our history. Which statement below best describes their impact?

Answer 4

Prior to the riots, the gay rights movement was relatively small and localized; following the riots, the fight for gay rights gained momentum and mainstream visibility.

Question 5

The Stonewall riots had a significant impact on the overall fight for gay rights in America. What is one direct effect of the Stonewall riots?

Answer 5

The Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists’ Alliance were formed.

Question 6

What was one of the arguments against the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment?

Answer 6

The ERA would disadvantage women by nullifying laws giving them special protections.

Question 7

Describe the fate of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Answer 7

Because of the efforts of conservative activists, the ERA narrowly failed ratification.

Question 8

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, many young people embraced a counterculture that rejected which aspects of mainstream American culture?

Answer 8

patriarchal family structures and unquestioning patriotism

Question 9

The American Indian Movement was founded in part because its members were frustrated with decades and decades of inequality and discrimination toward Native Americans. Which of the following is an example of inequality which led to the American Indian Movement.

Answer 9

Unemployment on reservations was as high as 50 percent.

Question 10

The “Trail of Broken Treaties” is an example of

Answer 10

a demonstration staged by AIM to call attention to a long history of discrimination.

Question 11

Joe lives in a suburb of Minneapolis in 1968. He has a comfortable middle-class job, but he is bewildered by recent protests and disturbed by the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Based on your knowledge of the 1968 Presidential campaign, who do you think Joe is most likely to vote for?

Answer 11

Richard Nixon

Question 12

What group liked richard nixon

Answer 12

Nixon’s campaign targeted voters like Joe, whom he called the “silent majority” - blue-collar or middle-class White Americans who felt overlooked by current politics.

Question 13

President Nixon took a bold approach to foreign policy during his tenure as President. Which of the following strategies did he employ in his foreign policy?

Answer 13

Playing communist nations against each other

Question 14

Paul is a 21-year-old college student who generally would vote for a Democratic nominee. In the 1968 election, instead of supporting the incumbent President, Lyndon Johnson, he cut his long hair and shaved in order to “get clean for Gene” and campaign for candidate Eugene McCarthy in New Hampshire. What political priorities might have caused Paul to support McCarthy instead of Johnson?

Answer 14

His opposition to the war in Vietnam

Question 15

In June of 1973, an American family might have to wait in line for hours to fill their car up with gas. They were asked to turn their thermostat down and to not put up Christmas lights. These examples of forced and voluntary rationing were the result of

Answer 15

an oil embargo by OAPEC countries in response to the Yom Kippur War

Question 16

President Nixon reversed two decades of foreign policy when he visited China in February of 1972. While unexpected, his visit had a number of strategic objectives. Which of the following did Nixon hope to achieve by opening a channel of communication with China?

Answer 16

He hoped that an alliance with China would isolate Vietnam and pave the way for a peace settlement.

Question 17

Which statement below best describes the “southern strategy” employed by Richard Nixon in his 1968 presidential campaign?

Answer 17

Nixon denounced segregation, but also opposed forced integration.

Question 18

In early 1968 Lyndon Johnson’s support among Democratic voters eroded dramatically. What event spurred this decrease in popularity?

Answer 18

The Tet Offensive in Vietnam

Question 19

In the seven years prior to Nixon’s presidency, the United States had enjoyed economic expansion. However, by the mid-1970s, the economy was suffering. What is one contributing factor to the economic doldrums of the 1970s?

Answer 19

Development in Asia and Western Europe created competition for American businesses.

Question 20

Which statement below best describes the state of the U.S. economy under President Nixon?

Answer 20

Inflation rose to 12% and the country entered an economic recession

Question 21

Wyatt Johnson comes from a long line of Southern Democrats. However, he opposes racial integration and is angry about federally mandated Civil Rights laws. Who would he be most likely to vote for in the 1968 Presidential election?

Answer 21

George C. Wallace

Question 22

Which of the following groups did Richard Nixon champion in his 1968 bid for the presidency?

Answer 22

“the silent majority”

Question 23

what is “the silent majority”

Answer 23

The silent majority is a term Nixon coined to refer to a political majority that feels unheard. In this case, he was referring in particular to northern, blue-collar, suburban White people.

Question 24

John Kerry was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy who fought in Vietnam. He was a decorated war veteran, but upon the conclusion of his service, he joined the anti-war organization “Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW).” He attended multiple protests and even testified in front of a Congressional committee. Which statement best describes why Kerry and thousands of other veterans joined the anti-war movement during the Nixon administration?

Answer 24

They disapproved of the brutality and violence conducted against the Vietnamese people

Question 25

Which political action triggered the protests at Kent State?

Answer 25

The U.S. invasion of Cambodia

Question 26

On May 8th, a large group of construction workers and office workers stormed the streets of New York in an impromptu protest. What conditions led these blue and white collar workers to barge into City Hall, in an incident that later became known as the “hard-hat riot?’

Answer 26

The rioters were angry at the actions of anti-war protestors, whom they saw as unruly, unlawful, and unamerican.

Question 27

Which of the following contributed to the Nixon Administration’s decision to begin withdrawing from the conflict in Vietnam?

Answer 27

Declining public approval of the war and America’s involvement there

Question 28

What actions did President Nixon take in response to the growing anti-war movement in the United States?

Answer 28

Nixon began turning more of the responsibility for the war over to the South Vietnamese.

Question 29

What is Vietnamization

Answer 29

, the United States started to shift responsibility to the South Vietnamese by increasing training, and providing U.S. weapons.

Question 30

Explain the effect the Pentagon Papers had on America’s involvement in Vietnam

Answer 30

The Pentagon Papers further undermined public confidence in the Vietnam war, contributing to the end of U.S. involvement there.

Question 31

In the 1970s, many movies featured a vigilante hero who worked outside of the confines of the law. This was a response to

Answer 31

liberal social policies that were perceived as a disruptive force that protected criminals.

Question 32

Kent State University in Ohio, and Jackson State College in Mississippi (an African American college) were both the location of major student demonstrations against the U.S. invasion of Cambodia in May of 1970. Describe the similarities and/or differences between what happened at each of those Universities.

Answer 32

Both had clashes with law enforcement; the conflict at Kent State had major media coverage, while the incident at Jackson was largely ignored.

Question 33

Which statement best describes the effect of the Kent State shootings on the overall anti-war movement?

Answer 33

The media coverage of the shootings amplified the sentiment against the war in Vietnam.

Question 34

While President Gerald Ford inherited a number of challenging issues, what did he label as the most dangerous public enemy?

Answer 34

Inflation

Question 35

Following the chaos of the 1968 Democratic Convention, the Democratic National Convention modified the rules by which Presidential candidates were nominated and elected. What effect did these changes have on the 1972 Presidential election?

Answer 35

The new rules made the Democratic party appear even more radicalized, and contributed to Nixon’s landslide victory.

Question 36

In what way did President Carter’s foreign policy approach differ from that of his predecessor?

Answer 36

He believed that foreign policy should be founded on moral principles and American values.

Question 37

Which of the following was a domestic policy issue Jimmy Carter prioritized during his tenure as President?

Answer 37

Energy conservation and the development of alternative energy sources

Question 38

How did the Iran hostage crisis affect the Presidency of Jimmy Carter?

Answer 38

It contributed to a growing sense of malaise.

Question 39

What is the connection between CREEP and Nixon’s resignation?

Answer 39

CREEP was caught illegally gathering evidence against the Democratic National Committee. Nixon’s attempts to cover up his involvement led to his resignation.

Question 40

Which of the following did President Gerald Ford prioritize in his administration?

Answer 40

Stimulating the economy and curbing inflation

Question 41

Which of the following best encapsulates the Carter Doctrine?

Answer 41

Any attempts to interfere with American interests in the Middle East would be considered an act of aggression and would be met with force if necessary.