Lesson 8: Challenges at Home

Question 1

Affirmative Action Definition

Answer 1

a program to provide more job and education opportunities for people who faced discrimination in the past

Question 2

Affordable Care Act Definition

Answer 2

2009 legislation that established comprehensive health insurance reform

Question 3

Deficit Definition

Answer 3

an amount of spending greater than the amount of income

Question 4

How did George W. Bush win the presidential election of 2000?

Answer 4

The election of 2000 was one of the most disputed in American history. The Republican candidate, Governor George W. Bush of Texas, was the son of former President George H.W. Bush. Bush faced Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic candidate. When the election ended, Gore had won the popular vote by a margin of about 540,000 votes, or one half of one percent. According to the U.S. Constitution, however, the electoral vote, or the vote of the Electoral College, determines who becomes President.With such a close election, the result rested on the electoral votes of one state: Florida. The initial results gave Bush a small lead, but winning Florida would have given Gore the votes he needed to win the election. Democrats expressed concern over confusion among Florida voters and problems with counting the ballots. They asked the Florida Supreme Court to force a recount of the Florida votes. The recount began, but in December 2000, the United States Supreme Court ordered the recount to stop. Bush, therefore, won the electoral votes of Florida and the presidential election of 2000. Al Gore conceded the election but voiced his disapproval of the Court’s decision.

Question 5

How did the election of 2000 show sharp divisions within the United States?

Answer 5

The election of 2000 showed sharp divisions within the country. Most Americans in the South and Mountain West voted for Bush. Most Americans in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and on the West Coast voted for Gore. In the Senate, the Republican and Democratic parties were divided evenly with fifty seats each.

Question 6

When President Bush entered office in 2001, what were his plans? What event changed his presidency?

Answer 6

President Bush entered office in 2001 with plans for tax and education reform. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, however, changed his presidency and the lives of Americans.

Question 7

How did Bush lead the nation after the 9/11 attacks? How was American patriotism during this time? How did Bush benefit form this? In September 2001, what percentage of Americans approved of Bush’s job as president?

Answer 7

Bush led the nation as it fought back against the attacks. Americans showed an outpouring of patriotism in the months that followed. Bush benefited from that and from his strong response to the attacks, including the launch of a global war on terrorism. In September 2001, 90 percent of Americans approved of the job that Bush was doing as President.

Question 8

In 2001, what happened to the dot-com bubble? What did this cause? How did Bush look to stimulate the economy? What did he argue to support his view? What was significant about the tax cuts Congress issued? How did this add to the federal deficit?

Answer 8

In the same year, as the dot-com bubble burst, the United States slipped into an economic recession. Bush advocated for tax cuts to stimulate the economy. He argued that if wealthy Americans and corporations paid lower taxes, they would be able to invest more money in the economy. Congress responded by passing the largest tax cuts in American history. These tax cuts, when paired with the war on terrorism, increased the federal deficit, the amount of spending greater than income. The deficit added to the national debt.

Question 9

How was recovery from the 2001 recession in the United States? When Bush ran for re-election in 2004, how was his popularity? How did the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan influence his re-election? What was the result of the Election of 2004?

Answer 9

Recovery from the 2001 recession occurred slowly. Still, when Bush ran for reelection in 2004, his popularity was high. Many Americans were reluctant to change leaders when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were still underway. Bush easily won reelection over his Democratic opponent, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. Unlike the election of 2000, Bush was the clear winner in 2004. He won the popular vote and received 286 electoral votes compared to Kerry’s 251 votes.

Question 10

What lead to the decrease in President George W. Bush’s popularity?

Answer 10

When Bush began his second term in 2005, more than half of Americans approved of the job he was doing as President. Over the next four years, however, Bush’s popularity steadily declined. His average approval rating during his first term was 62 percent. During his second term, Bush’s approval rating averaged 37 percent. It reached a low of 25 percent in November 2008. Several factors caused President Bush’s popularity to drop. The economy recovered from the 2001 recession by 2004, but not all Americans felt the recovery. Unemployment remained high and the percentage of people living in poverty increased. Then, beginning in 2007, the country experienced another recession as the housing bubble burst and home values tumbled. The huge federal deficit that resulted from Bush’s prior tax cuts and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan added to the problems.

Question 11

By 2008, what was the federal deficit under President Bush?

Answer 11

By 2008, the deficit totaled $455 million, the highest in history. Americans worried about their own economic future and the federal debt’s effect on the next generation.

Question 12

In August 2005, what was hurricane Katrina? What were its effects? How did the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) respond?

Answer 12

As Americans weathered the economic storm, residents of Louisiana and Mississippi weathered an actual storm. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans, Louisiana. When the storm hit, the city flooded with water. About 1,500 people died. Two thirds of the city’s residents were displaced from their homes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was not prepared to deal with the results of Katrina.

Question 13

How did the Bush Administration’s handling of Hurricane Katrina receive severe criticism? In the midterm elections of 2006, what happened in Congress for the first time since 1994, most likely influenced by President Bush, a Republican?

Answer 13

President Bush, vacationing in Texas, seemed unaware of the disaster’s extent, even though television broadcasts showed the horrifying scenes. The Bush administration received heavy criticism for its handling of Katrina. Bush’s popularity rating dropped. During the 2006 midterm elections, Democrats took control of Congress for the first time since 1994.

Question 14

What state was the United States in during 2008? What did Republican candidate John McCain emphasize in the Election of 2008? What did Democratic candidate Barack Obama emphasize? Who won the election? What was significant about the victory?

Answer 14

In 2008, Americans struggled with a deepening economic recession, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan grew unpopular. A Democratic presidential victory seemed certain. Senator John McCain of Arizona was the Republican candidate. McCain was a U.S. Navy veteran who emphasized his foreign policy experience and support for the war in Iraq. The Democratic candidate was Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. Obama expressed his opposition to the war in Iraq and promised voters that he would bring “hope” and “change” to Washington. Voters responded to his promises and handed him a clear victory. The son of a Kenyan father and an American mother, Barack Obama became the nation’s first African American president.

Question 15

When President Obama entered office, what challenges did he face? In response to the economic problems, what did President Obama do? When did the economic recession end? Despite this, what was the state of economic improvement?

Answer 15

President Obama entered office facing the economic recession and ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In response to America’s economic problems, he allowed some of the Bush-era tax cuts to expire and signed an economic stimulus bill. The recession ended in 2010, in the technical sense that the economy resumed slow growth. Many Americans saw little economic improvement, though. Many faced foreclosure. Unemployment peaked at close to ten percent. The poverty rate remained high.

Question 16

What promise did Obama campaign on, concerning Iraq? How did he keep that promise in 2011? During his first term, what did Obama broaden? In 2012, what missions were Americans involved in? What did Obama do to the USA Patriot Act? How did he not keep his promise, concerning Guantanamo Bay prison?

Answer 16

Obama campaigned on a promise to end the war in Iraq. In keeping with that promise, the last combat troops left Iraq in 2011. During his first term, however, Obama broadened the fight against terrorists. In 2012, Americans were involved in combat missions in Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia. Obama also extended the USA Patriot Act and gave up on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. He found that making promises as a candidate was different from enacting those changes as a president.

Question 17

In March 2010, what was the Affordable Care Act, nicknamed “Obamacare”?

Answer 17

Beyond foreign policy and the economy, Obama devoted his first term to reorganizing the country’s healthcare system. In March 2010, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act, nicknamed “Obamacare.” The act required all Americans to purchase health insurance and provided funding to help lower-income Americans pay for insurance.

Question 18

How was support for the Affordable Care Act of 2010 divided along political lines? What did critics of the Act claim?

Answer 18

Support for the act was divided along party lines. All Republicans voted against it. In 2012, the Supreme Court upheld most provisions of the act, but it remained controversial. Critics argued that the act increased health insurance prices for some Americans who were already insured.

Question 19

What was the political stalemate within Congress and between Congress and the Presidency, after the 2010 elections?

Answer 19

In the 2010 elections, Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives. In the middle of his first term in office, Obama suddenly faced the challenge of working with a Republican-dominated House. Republicans also won seats in the Senate and several state governorships. Political gridlock resulted from the politically divided Congress. Republicans blocked passage of bills Obama supported. Republicans were limited in what they could accomplish since Democrats controlled the Senate. Congress experienced a political stalemate.

Question 20

How was the congressional deadlock apparent during debates about the federal budget and the debt ceiling, from 2010 to 2012?

Answer 20

The congressional deadlock was apparent during debates about the federal budget and the debt ceiling from 2010 to 2012. Republicans wanted to cut spending and reduce taxes. Democrats wanted to protect federal programs and raise taxes on wealthy Americans to pay for them. They argued that economic hardship in America made support for existing federal programs essential.

Question 21

In 2012, what was President Obama’s approval rating, going into a campaign for re-election? How was American support for the war in Afghanistan? How did Obama win re-election in 2012?

Answer 21

In 2012, as President Obama ran for reelection, his approval rating hovered around 50 percent. Unemployment remained high, and economic recovery was still slow. Voters were frustrated by the political gridlock in Washington. American support for the war in Afghanistan had dwindled. In spite of these challenges, Obama won the election against his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney. Obama received 51 percent of the popular vote to Romney’s 47 percent.

Question 22

What were the economic issues that persisted after the 2007 and 2008 recessions?

Answer 22

Unemployment was persistent after the recession of 2007 and 2008. Long-term unemployment reached record levels, and some Americans gave up on looking for work. The movement of American jobs overseas contributed to these problems. Outsourcing of jobs lowered prices for consumers, but it resulted in job losses and global competition for American workers. Computers and robots also eliminated the need for many jobs. The wealth of the richest Americans exploded during the 2000s. On the other hand, the financial situation for members of the middle and working classes worsened. These changes led to a growing gap between the wealthiest Americans and others and to a debate about income inequality.

Question 23

Remember: As the American population in the 2000s changed and grew, the country faced new challenges and revisited old ones. The United States saw increases in immigration, a changing ethnic makeup, and growing numbers of older Americans. Tensions over immigration echoed those the nation had faced during earlier waves of immigration.

Answer 23

As the American population in the 2000s changed and grew, the country faced new challenges and revisited old ones. The United States saw increases in immigration, a changing ethnic makeup, and growing numbers of older Americans. Tensions over immigration echoed those the nation had faced during earlier waves of immigration.

Question 24

How was immigration from Latin America and Asia in the early 2000s and 2010?

Answer 24

During the early 2000s, about one million immigrants entered the United States each year. Most of these immigrants came from Latin America and Asia. In 2010, just over half of the immigrants in the United States were Latino. Latino refers to people who were born in Latin America or are of Latin American descent. Latino immigrants came to the United States to escape political unrest and economic hardship and to seek opportunity. Asian immigrants came to the United States for many of the same reasons. In 2010, just over a quarter of the immigrants in the United States were Asian.

Question 25

What were the reactions to immigration during the early 2000s and the 2010s?

Answer 25

Americans’ responses to immigrants varied. Some Americans valued immigrants’ strong work ethic and the cultural diversity that they brought to the country. Other Americans worried about job competition and decreases in wages as the number of workers increased. They also worried about the cost of providing education, healthcare, and other services to immigrants. In response to these concerns, conservative politicians worked to restrict immigration and strengthen patrols of America’s borders.

Question 26

How did immigration make America make America more diverse? How did the longer lifespan in America cause concern?

Answer 26

Immigration made America more diverse. In 2010, a little more than one in eight Americans were born in foreign countries. Latinos were the largest minority group in the United States, outnumbering African Americans. The United States population increased in number. Immigration contributed to this increase but so did longer lifespans. The “baby boomers,” people who were born between the late 1940s and early 1960s, began to enter retirement. Older Americans made up 13 percent of the U.S. population in 2014. That figure was expected to increase to 20 percent by the year 2040. This meant that Americans were enjoying longer lives than they did in the past. These changes raised concerns about healthcare costs and federal Social Security payments in the future.

Question 27

How did states experience demographic changes as the American population increased?

Answer 27

As the American population increased in size, states also experienced demographic changes. In states such as California and New Mexico, and in the city of Washington, D.C., non-Latino whites were a minority of the population by the early 2000s. States in the South and Southwest were growing faster than the rest of the country. These Sunbelt states benefited from increases in population and more representation in Congress.

Question 28

How did family demographics change during the early 2000s?

Answer 28

Family demographics also changed. In the early 2000s, families came in many varieties. In the 1960s, most families consisted of two parents and two or three children. This was no longer true. Single-parent families were increasingly common. More than one quarter of children lived in a single-parent household. Statistics projected that these trends would continue in future decades.

Question 29

Remember: In the 2000s, questions over affirmative action and same-sex marriage brought changes to the legal landscape. The U.S. Supreme Court played a significant role in these changes. In the 1960s, policymakers began to promote affirmative action, or a preference for hiring African Americans, women, or members of other groups that had faced discrimination. Eventually, local governments and universities adopted affirmative action policies to make sure that employees and students came from diverse ethnic backgrounds. In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court decided on two affirmative action cases from the University of Michigan. After hearing the arguments, the Court decided that colleges and universities had the right to consider race when deciding whether to admit a student. The justices concluded that globalization made it essential for college-educated military and business leaders to have racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. The Court, however, ruled that universities could not use rigid formulas that gave preference to minority members over others.

Answer 29

In the 2000s, questions over affirmative action and same-sex marriage brought changes to the legal landscape. The U.S. Supreme Court played a significant role in these changes. In the 1960s, policymakers began to promote affirmative action, or a preference for hiring African Americans, women, or members of other groups that had faced discrimination. Eventually, local governments and universities adopted affirmative action policies to make sure that employees and students came from diverse ethnic backgrounds. In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court decided on two affirmative action cases from the University of Michigan. After hearing the arguments, the Court decided that colleges and universities had the right to consider race when deciding whether to admit a student. The justices concluded that globalization made it essential for college-educated military and business leaders to have racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. The Court, however, ruled that universities could not use rigid formulas that gave preference to minority members over others.

Question 30

How was acceptance of the LGBT increasing?

Answer 30

In 2013, the Supreme Court again considered the question of minority rights. This time, the court ruled on the question of same-sex marriages. In its decision, the Court declared parts of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional. DOMA required the federal government to deny recognition to same-sex marriages performed in states where those marriages were legal. Through its decision, the Court ruled that married same-sex couples must receive federal benefits, such as health insurance, retirement funds, and tax refunds, just like other married couples. The Court’s decision reflected society’s growing acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Gays and lesbians served openly in the U.S. military after the Court’s decision. The number of states that allowed same-sex marriages steadily increased.

Question 31

True or False: During the 1900s, the United States experienced dramatic changes that transformed Americans’ lives. Technological advances led to the development of the Internet, electric cars, cell phones, and personal computers. Astronauts walked on the moon, scientists explored the depths of the ocean, and researchers developed cures for diseases. Literacy rates in the United States increased from 25 percent to 86 percent. Life expectancy rose.

Answer 31

True

Question 32

Who was the first African American Secretary of State under George W. Bush?

Answer 32

Colin Powell

Question 33

How did women’s rights in the 2000s increase?

Answer 33

Rights for women also expanded. In the early 2000s, more than half of medical school and law school students were women. Women served as governors and on the Supreme Court. In the Clinton administration, Madeleine Albright served as the first female Secretary of State. In 2007, Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House of Representatives. The number of women serving in Congress continued to rise.