lecture quiz

Question 1

The interstate highway system was:

considered a military and economic benefit
a total disaster
to be used only by the military
funded by the state department
a plan put together by the CIA

Answer 1

considered a military and economic benefit

Question 2

Senator Joseph McCarthy’s power began to unravel when he made reckless charges about Communist influence in:

the Democratic party
the U.S. Army
Ivy League colleges
President Truman
the media

Answer 2

the U.S. Army

Question 3

Eisenhower’s foreign policy:

Called for the massive build-up of conventional forces
Relied on improving relations with the USSR through negotiations
Rejected containment
Promoted rollback while practicing containment
Reverted to an isolationist approach

Answer 3

Called for the massive build-up of conventional forces

Question 4

During the 1950’s:

The economy struggled due to cuts in military spending
Fewer Americans has access to higher education
Large numbers of people enjoyed a higher standard of living
Traditional urban centers experienced rapid growth
The number of Americans living on farms grew

Answer 4

Large numbers of people enjoyed a higher standard of living

Question 5

All of the following is true of television during the 1950’s EXCEPT:

By the end of the decade most homes still did not have a television
Shows reflected an idealized family life
Television impacted politics
Advertising contributed to a culture of consumption
Culture was shaped and influenced by television

Answer 5

By the end of the decade most homes still did not have a television

Question 6

All of the following contributed to the postwar economic boom EXCEPT:

Population boom
Consumer borrowing
Growth of consumption
Decrease in the number of women in the workforce
Cold War spending

Answer 6

Decrease in the number of women in the workforce

Question 7

In the Brown decision, the Supreme Court:

was closely divided
ordered an immediate end to Jim Crow segregation
rejected the legal arguments of the NAACP
struck down “separate but equal” in public education
recognized the high quality of black schools in the South

Answer 7

struck down “separate but equal” in public education

Question 8

The Montgomery Bus Boycott showed all of the following EXCEPT:

That African Americans were willing to make enormous sacrifices to assert their rights
Led to the emergence of Martin Luther King Jr. as a leader of the movement
Civil Rights movement was gaining momentum
The boycott would be an effective tool in all circumstances
Financial pressure could effect some change

Answer 8

The boycott would be an effective tool in all circumstances

Question 9

The protest tactic initiated by African-American students in Greensboro, North Carolina, was:

the sit-in
the occupation of campus administration buildings
the March on Washington
street theater
the freedom ride

Answer 9

the sit-in

Question 10

Greensboro and the Freedom Riders :

Marked the emergence of greater student involvement and leadership in the civil rights movement
Showed there was no support within the white community for civil rights
Diminished Martin Luther King’s national influence
Received tremendous support from the federal government
Failed to make any change

Answer 10

Marked the emergence of greater student involvement and leadership in the civil rights movement

Question 11

all of the following are aspects of the postwar Liberal Consensus EXCEPT:

Confidence in capitalism
Containment of communist expansion was necessary
Dedication to social unity
Need for radical change in the area of civil rights
Distaste for class conflict

Answer 11

Need for radical change in the area of civil rights

Question 12

All of the following are true of the Birmingham protests EXCEPT:

large numbers of students were involved
Protesters were met with violent police tactics
Kennedy was forced to finally take a stand on civil rights
Civil rights leaders were demanding “freedom now!”
Television was unimportant in shaping opinion

Answer 12

Television was unimportant in shaping opinion

Question 13

As president, Kennedy:

Was focused on domestic issues
Blocked American intervention in Vietnam
Raised taxes to support military spending
Destroyed Soviet missiles in Cuba
Was reluctant to fully support the civil rights movement

Answer 13

Was reluctant to fully support the civil rights movement

Question 14

By 1966 the civil rights movement:
Had achieved historic victories in the preceding decade
Was increasingly frustrated with the white liberal establishment
Fostered a group of young leaders advocating more radical and even violent forms of protest
Was split over identity, values, means and goals
All of the above

Answer 14

All of the above

Question 15

The legislation passed by Congress at Johnson’s urging in 1965 included all of the following EXCEPT:
Medicare and Medicaid
funds for urban renewal and public housing
anti-poverty aid to Appalachia
A balanced budget amendment
massive federal aid to education

Answer 15

A balanced budget amendment

Question 16

The Tet Offensive of early 1968:
was the American attempt to destroy the Ho Chi Minh Trail
was a major victory for the Viet Cong
resulted in Saigon’s fall to the Communists
inspired Johnson to dramatically raise troop levels in Vietnam
dramatically affected public support for Johnson’s war policy

Answer 16

dramatically affected public support for Johnson’s war policy

Question 17

In 1964, students at the University of California at Berkeley:
protested for freedom of political expression
demanded the university’s racial integration
launched a strike that shut it down for a semester
founded the counterculture
had a bloody confrontation with the National Guard

Answer 17

protested for freedom of political expression

Question 18

All of the following is true of the student protests against the Vietnam War EXCEPT:
As the war escalated, protests grew
Protests became more peaceful and less destructive
Students increasingly became estranged from the political system
It helped lead to the emergence of the counterculture
Increasing numbers demanded radical action

Answer 18

Protests became more peaceful and less destructive

Question 19

All of the following is true of American involvement in Vietnam EXCEPT:
A monolithic view of Communism led leaders of both parties to support involvement
American leaders feared “another China”
Leaders were not forthright with the public
American forces had little military success
Few college students were drafted

Answer 19

American forces had little military success.

Question 20

All of the following were consequences of the Vietnam War EXCEPT:
fifty-eight thousand Americans died
Saigon fell to the Communists and became Ho Chi Minh City
many young Americans questioned the value of military service
Americans were more determined than ever to spread democracy
deep divisions over foreign policy continued

Answer 20

Americans were more determined than ever to spread democracy.

Question 21

Carter’s management of the economy resulted in:
a sharp decline in unemployment
unacceptably high rates of inflation
a near collapse of the stock market and banking industry
growing public confidence that the nation was recovering from the Nixon-Ford recession
a surplus in the federal budget

Answer 21

in a near collapse of the stock market and banking industry.

Question 22

During the 1970’s, Americans experienced all of the following EXCEPT:
Growing political estrangement and cynicism
Energy crisis
Increased crime and urban decay
Resurgence of manufacturing jobs
Increased divisions over cultural changes

Answer 22

a resurgence of manufacturing jobs.

Question 23

A huge demographic factor behind Reagan’s electoral success was:
the growth of the Hispanic population
the baby boomers reaching retirement age
the declining percentage of people who went to church
population growth in the South and West
the growing number of Americans with graduate degrees

Answer 23

population growth in the South and West

Question 24

Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative:
was inspired by a science-fiction movie
forced the Soviets to spend extensively to keep pace
made the United States invulnerable to attack
involved the United States’ building even more powerful nuclear weapons
went into operation in outer space in 1984

Answer 24

forced the Soviets to spend extensively to keep pace

Question 25

by the end of his presidency, Reagan had:
dramatically shrunk the federal government’s size
abolished the Department of Education
privatized Social Security
restored American confidence
fulfilled the religious right’s agenda on issues such as school prayer

Answer 25

restored American confidence

Question 26

The reform-minded Soviet premier who emerged in the mid-1980s was:
Mikhail Gorbachev
Vladimir Putin
Nikita Khrushchev
Boris Yeltsin
Leonid Brezhnev

Answer 26

Mikhail Gorbachev