AP US History (APUSH) Unit 9: Period 9, 1980-Present Practice Questions with Explanations
Questions
Period 9 (1980–present) is defined mainly by
- westward expansion and conflict over slavery in the territories
- the New Deal and the expansion of federal relief programs
- the rise of industrial capitalism and Gilded Age politics
- conservatism, the Cold War's end, and globalization
Which trend has shaped U.S. politics throughout Period 9?
- A return to isolationism in foreign policy
- The disappearance of political parties
- Debate over the size and role of government
- Agreement between parties on nearly all major issues
Which development most changed how Americans communicate and work since the 1990s?
- The telegraph and railroads
- The interstate highway system
- The radio and silent movies
- The internet and digital technology
Ronald Reagan's election in 1980 was helped by
- a booming economy under Jimmy Carter and falling oil prices
- strong public support for expanding Great Society programs
- inflation, the Iran hostage crisis, and a rising New Right
- the end of the Cold War under Carter's leadership
"Reaganomics," or supply-side economics, held that
- higher taxes on the wealthy would end deficits quickly
- the government should take over failing industries
- more welfare spending would boost consumer demand
- tax cuts would spur investment and growth
The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981
- raised taxes on high earners
- ended Social Security
- created a national sales tax
- cut income tax rates
Which policy was a major part of Reagan's agenda?
- Expanding the Great Society
- Nationalizing major industries
- Deregulation of business
- Cutting defense spending sharply
During Reagan's presidency, the federal deficit
- disappeared completely
- was turned into a surplus
- grew sharply
- remained unchanged
In 1981, Reagan responded to a strike by air traffic controllers (PATCO) by
- firing the strikers
- nationalizing the airlines
- meeting all their demands
- raising their wages
Sandra Day O'Connor, appointed by Reagan in 1981, was the first woman to
- run for vice president
- lead the Senate
- serve on the U.S. Supreme Court
- serve as Secretary of State
Which groups formed the core of Reagan's coalition?
- Antiwar protesters and environmental activists
- Labor unions, urban liberals, civil rights activists, and environmentalists
- New Deal Democrats in northern cities only
- Religious conservatives, business interests, and anticommunists
The New Right of the 1980s emphasized
- nationalizing health care
- withdrawing from the Cold War
- expanding welfare programs and strengthening labor unions
- traditional values, lower taxes, and anticommunism
The Iran-Contra affair (1986) involved
- a trade agreement with Nicaragua's government
- a U.S. invasion of Iran to free hostages
- secret arms sales to Iran to fund Nicaraguan rebels
- a secret alliance between Iran and the Soviet Union against Iraq
The AIDS epidemic of the 1980s
- affected only people living outside the United States
- led to a ban on blood donations nationwide forever
- was quickly cured by new medicines in 1982
- hit gay communities hard and sparked activism
Reagan's policies reduced the national debt.
Which were features of Reagan's domestic policy?
- Tax cuts
- Deregulation
- Expansion of the Great Society
- Cuts to some social programs
Reagan called the Soviet Union an "evil empire" and pursued
- withdrawal from NATO
- a major military buildup
- an alliance with the Warsaw Pact
- immediate disarmament
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), nicknamed "Star Wars," proposed
- a joint U.S.–Soviet mission to land astronauts on Mars
- a new space station for NASA
- a ban on all nuclear weapons
- a space-based system to block missiles
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev introduced glasnost, which meant
- stricter censorship of the press and the arts
- military expansion abroad
- greater openness and free expression
- economic central planning
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty (1987)
- allowed the Soviet Union to place nuclear missiles in Cuba
- created the United Nations
- ended the Korean War
- eliminated a whole class of nuclear missiles
In 1987 in Berlin, Reagan challenged Gorbachev to
- "tear down this wall"
- "remember the Alamo"
- "make the world safe for democracy"
- "ask not what your country can do for you"
The Berlin Wall fell in
- 1989
- 1991
- 1979
- 1985
The Soviet Union dissolved in
- 1991
- 2001
- 1980
- 1989
Which factor contributed most to the collapse of the Soviet Union?
- A U.S. invasion of Moscow
- Victory in the war in Afghanistan
- A Chinese attack on Soviet territory along the border
- Economic stagnation and reform pressures
The Persian Gulf War (1991) began after
- al-Qaeda attacked the U.S.
- Kuwait attacked Saudi Arabia
- Iraq invaded Kuwait
- Iran invaded Iraq
George H. W. Bush described the post–Cold War era as
- a "Great Society"
- a "new world order"
- an "evil empire"
- a "return to normalcy"
The Reagan Doctrine supported
- communist governments in Latin America
- Soviet troops in Afghanistan
- anticommunist rebels around the world
- neutrality in all foreign conflicts
After the Cold War, the U.S. intervened in the Balkans in the 1990s to
- seize oil fields
- support the Warsaw Pact
- defend the Soviet Union's government from collapse
- stop ethnic violence in Bosnia and Kosovo
The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.
In what year did the Berlin Wall fall?
Since the 1980s, the U.S. economy has shifted toward
- heavy manufacturing and steel production
- mining and railroad building
- service and information industries
- farming and agriculture
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA, 1994) created a free-trade zone among
- Canada, Mexico, and Brazil
- the U.S., Britain, and Japan
- the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
- the U.S. and the European Union
Globalization since the 1980s has led to
- outsourcing of some manufacturing jobs
- the end of international trade and foreign investment
- higher tariffs worldwide
- fewer imports into the U.S.
Union membership in the private sector since the 1980s has
- stayed exactly the same
- declined
- become mandatory
- risen to record highs
Income inequality in the United States since 1980 has
- increased
- stayed perfectly stable
- disappeared
- decreased sharply
The Great Recession (2007–2009) was triggered largely by
- collapsing housing prices and risky mortgages
- a stock market crash caused by war in the Middle East
- a ban on bank lending by Congress
- an oil embargo by OPEC
The federal government responded to the 2008 financial crisis with
- the abolition of the Federal Reserve
- the closing of all banks
- a bank bailout program (TARP)
- a return to the gold standard
The dot-com bubble burst around 2000 when
- the internet was shut down by Congress
- personal computers were banned
- many internet company stocks collapsed
- oil prices hit zero
Under Bill Clinton in the late 1990s, the federal budget
- ran its largest deficit ever
- was abolished
- doubled in size every year
- showed a surplus
The welfare reform law of 1996, signed by Clinton,
- created Social Security
- added work requirements and time limits to aid
- guaranteed a minimum income to all citizens
- ended Medicare
The growth of the Sun Belt continued after 1980 mainly because of
- jobs, lower costs, and migration from the North
- the closing of all southern factories
- laws that limited residence in northern states and cities
- a decline in air conditioning
NAFTA included the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Which were features of the U.S. economy after 1980?
- Decline in manufacturing employment
- Growth of service and technology jobs
- Rapid growth in private-sector union membership
- Globalization of trade
The Immigration Reform and Control Act (1986)
- created the Bracero Program
- banned all immigration from Latin America and Asia
- ended national origins quotas
- legalized millions and penalized employers
Since 1965, most immigrants to the U.S. have come from
- Canada and Australia
- Northern and Western Europe
- Latin America and Asia
- Africa only
By the early 2000s, the largest minority group in the U.S. was
- Native Americans
- Asian Americans
- Hispanic Americans
- Irish Americans
Debates over immigration since the 1990s have focused on
- immigration from Ireland and Germany
- whether to allow any immigration at all from Europe
- the return of the Bracero Program
- border security, legal status, and economic effects
California's Proposition 187 (1994) tried to
- raise property taxes
- deny public services to undocumented immigrants
- end affirmative action in colleges
- grant citizenship to all immigrants already in the state
Population shifts since 1980 have increased the political influence of
- Rust Belt cities
- Sun Belt states
- Great Plains farm states
- New England states
Which demographic trend has shaped U.S. society since 1980?
- A steady drop in the nation's total population
- An aging population as baby boomers grow older
- The end of immigration from Asia
- A rapid rise in the share of people living on farms