Multiple Choice Questions

What was President Nixon’s overall approach in handling the Cold War?
  • Nixon believed that the only way to end the Cold War was to build a nuclear arsenal five times stronger than that of the Soviet Union.
  • Nixon supported a policy of détente that focused on negotiating terms beneficial to national interests rather than further escalating the military standoff.
  • Nixon was content to maintain the status quo in American foreign policy.
  • Nixon was incredibly inconsistent in his approach to the Cold War and, as a result, opened the United States up to global criticism.
What was the result of the “Ping-Pong diplomacy” carried out between American and the Chinese in the early 1970s?
  • America and China used the table tennis matches as an opportunity to hatch a plan to re-enter Korea.
  • America and China used the table tennis team competitions as a competitive outlet for the rising militaristic tensions between the two nations.
  • America and China used the table tennis matches as leverage to force the Soviet Union to negotiate new regulations on nuclear weapons.
  • America and China used the table tennis trips as cover for the secret talks that opened up bilateral trade and set the stage for formal visits between the leaders of the two nations.
What was the main cause of the 1973 oil crisis?
  • Arab members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) embargoed oil shipments to the US in response to US support for Israel during the Yom Kippur War.
  • America's oil fields were fully depleted, so there was a sudden need to depend on imports for all of their oil.
  • America was using the majority of their fuel reserves to supply nuclear research efforts.
  • The American power grid was stretched too thin to supply enough power to satisfy the growing demands of homes and industries.
What was the ultimate result of the Watergate scandal?
  • Nixon resigned under threat of impeachment.
  • Nixon was convicted in a federal court for obstruction of justice, and was forced out of office.
  • Nixon was impeached by the House, but acquitted by the Senate.
  • Nixon was impeached by the House, and convicted by the Senate.
What was President Carter’s response to the nuclear disaster at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in 1979?
  • Carter responded to the rising fear of nuclear power by ordering America’s nuclear power plants to be shut down until the Three Mile Island incident could be properly investigated.
  • Carter continued his support for nuclear power despite protests and growing concern among Americans over the safety of nuclear power.
  • Carter suspected Russian interference and sent undercover operatives to destabilize Soviet nuclear reactors as retaliation.
  • All of the above.
What was the significance of the Camp David Accords signed in March on 1979?
  • They formally ended the cold war.
  • They were the first peace treaties signed between Israel and an Arab country.
  • They ensured China and America would remain long-term trade partners.
  • They created an agreement between Democrats and Republicans to overhaul the American tax system.
What effect did the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis have on Jimmy Carter’s presidency?
  • Carter’s successful negotiation to return the American hostages from Iran was a key part of his reelection campaign and the trademark success of his presidential legacy.
  • Carter used the Iranian hostage crisis as grounds to abandon his sweeping foreign policy platforms in favor of a more isolationist, America-first tone.
  • Carter was forced push for a massive increase in American military spending despite his personal political goal to focus on American domestic issues.
  • Carter’s failure to solve the hostage crisis before the 1980 election dealt a crippling blow to his popularity amongst the American people and would be a key factor in his reelection loss.
What was true of President Ronald Reagan’s economic policies?
  • His policies led to a reduction in the national debt
  • His policies increased inflation and lowered economic growth
  • He sought to stimulate the economy with a large, across-the-board tax cut
  • All of the above
What was the reaction to Reagan administration’s deal to end the Iran-Contra affair?
  • Despite successfully freeing the American prisoners in Lebanon, there was widespread outrage over Reagan’s decision to sell American weapons to Iran and fund the Nicaraguan contras.
  • Reagan was put on trial by the House Judiciary Committee and found guilty of interfering with Congress’s responsibility to negotiate foreign policy.
  • Reagan was lauded as a hero for his creative solution to the foreign policy calamity that was the Iran-Contra scandal.
  • The Reagan administration plan to trade weapons to the Iranians for the American hostages held in Lebanon was blocked by Congress. Instead, Congress opted to arm Nicaraguan contras to launch hostage recuse efforts.
How did Mikhail Gorbachev’s ascent to power in the Soviet Union affect relations with the United States?
  • America was forced to take a defensive posture as Gorbachev discarded the SALT II treaty and immediately began ramping up the production of nuclear arms.
  • Gorbachev remained largely non-communicative with the United States which led to an overall sense of distrust and confusion between the two superpowers.
  • Gorbachev dismissed the idea of diplomatic relations with the United States and, instead, focused the Soviet Union’s efforts on forming tighter bonds with the communist People’s Republic of China.
  • Gorbachev advocated policies known as glasnost and perestroika which opened the Soviet Union up to more democratic policies and an overall warming of relations with the United States.
On what grounds did President Bush invade Panama and overthrow General Manual Noriega?
  • Bush wanted to protect the American-built Panama Canal from being used by the corrupt military leader’s troops.
  • Bush used America’s “war on drugs” as justification for overthrowing the corrupt Panamanian General for his prominent role in American drug trafficking.
  • Bush sent military support into Panama at the request of the United Nations in order to address rampant human rights violations in the country.
  • All of the above.
What was President George Bush’s response to China’s 1989 massacre of protestors in Tiananmen Square?
  • Bush immediately condemned the action and imposed strict sanctions on Chinese trade.
  • Bush mobilized U.S. troops to protect democratic protestors in other regions of China in an attempt to prevent similar tragedies.
  • Bush was measured in his response to the tragedy as he was focused on preserving diplomatic and trade relations with China.
  • The Bush administration sided with the Chinese and offered military support to prevent future protests.
How did the United States government solve the savings and loan crisis in the late 1980s?
  • Congress voted to make savings and loan institutions illegal in the Unites States.
  • The federal government used taxpayer funds to bail out failing and struggling savings and loan institutions at a cost of nearly $500 billion.
  • President Bush opted to let the institutions fail and refused to agree to bailouts for the companies or their customers.
  • Customers who were negatively affected by the failing savings and loan institutions were offered substantial tax breaks for five years.
What led to the American intervention in the Persian Gulf War?
  • America launched an assault on Iraqi military targets after Saddam Hussein refused to withdraw from Kuwait.
  • America entered the Persian Gulf War to put an end to the repeated hostage crises involving Americans in the Middle East.
  • America sent troops to the Middle East to end the Saudi Arabian naval blockade in the Persian Gulf.
  • President Bush ordered troops into the Persian Gulf strictly to reinforce defenses at American embassies in the Middle East.
What was the historical significance of Ross Perot’s presidential bid in the 1992 election?
  • Perot became the first candidate to run for president four separate times.
  • Perot was the oldest candidate to ever run for president.
  • Perot gained the largest percentage of popular votes for a third party candidate since Teddy Roosevelt’s run 80 years earlier.
  • Perot was the first third party candidate to ever appear in a televised presidential debate.
What caused the federal government shutdowns during the winter of 1995–1996?
  • President Bill Clinton was under investigation on impeachment charges.
  • The Republican-controlled Congress voted to shut down the government until Bill Clinton agreed to roll back progressive reforms he had passed like the Brady Bill and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
  • President Bill Clinton refused to approve any federal spending until Newt Gingrich resigned as Speaker of the House.
  • President Bill Clinton and the Republican-controlled Congress were in a standoff over the 1996 federal budget.
What were the crimes President Bill Clinton was accused of that resulted in his eventual impeachment by the House of Representatives?
  • Perjury and obstruction of justice
  • Theft and assault
  • Treason and espionage
  • None of the above
What change did the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) make to the way America traded with other North American nations?
  • NAFTA required all trade between Canada and Mexico to travel through American markets and be subject to American tariffs.
  • NAFTA protected some American businesses by increasing tariffs on products imported from Mexico and Canada.
  • NAFTA reduced the barriers to trade between Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
  • NAFTA had little to no effect on American trade relations.
What was the state of the American economy when Bill Clinton left office in 1998?
  • America was still struggling with the recession that Clinton had inherited from his predecessor, President Bush.
  • America was experiencing its largest budget surplus in decades.
  • America was on the verge of the largest economic depression since the Great Depression.
  • America’s gross-domestic product had remained flat for the entirety of Clinton’s second term.
What was the outcome of the 2000 presidential election?
  • George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in both the popular vote and the Electoral College.
  • George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote.
  • Al Gore defeated George W. Bush in both the popular vote and the Electoral College.
  • Al Gore defeated George W. Bush in the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote.
What was the domestic American response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001?
  • There was a steep increase in American patriotism and solidarity.
  • The Department of Homeland Security was created to focus on counter-terrorism efforts at home and abroad.
  • The Patriot Act was signed giving federal agents unprecedented investigative powers to investigate potential terrorists.
  • All of the above.
What was the American foreign policy response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001?
  • Rather than seeking a military response, America used diplomatic channels to find and capture those responsible for the 9/11 attacks.
  • America declared war on Afghanistan for their role in harboring terrorists related to the 9/11 attacks.
  • America declared war on terrorism. The “war on terror” would eventually lead to American invasions in both Afghanistan and Iraq, targeting anti-American leaders.
  • America quickly captured Taliban leader Osama Bin Laden and put him on trial for his role in the 9/11 attacks.
0 h : 0 m : 1 s

Multiple Choice Questions
Answered Not Answered Not Visited Correct : 0 Incorrect : 0