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CHAPTER 31
Conservative Revival, 1977–1990
TRUE/FALSE
1. In his 1977 inaugural address, President Carter admitted he had no grand vision and
highlighted America’s limitations rather than its potential.
2. Jimmy Carter took measures early in his presidency to demonstrate his frugality, such as
selling the presidential yacht and installing solar panels on the White House roof.
3. Carter refused to push for addressing human rights issues abroad until he had tackled those in
the United States itself.
4. Ronald Reagan was known as the “Great Communicator” due to his strength as a public speaker.
5. The religious Right fervently supported Reagan because his political stance upheld its
conservative social values.
6. The assassination attempt Reagan survived in 1981 hurt his popularity because it came so
soon after the election.
7. Reaganomics successfully decreased the federal budget deficit so that it was far lower than it
had been during the presidencies of Reagan’s predecessors.
8. Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative was also known as “Star Wars.”
9. American involvement in Lebanon during Reagan’s presidency was a major success.
10. The Iran-Contra affair involved the illegal sales of arms to the Contra rebels in Iran.
11. Ronald Reagan made AIDS research a top priority of his administration.
12. George H. W. Bush promoted what he called “compassionate conservatism,” promising to
use his position to fight issues such as bigotry, illiteracy, and homelessness.
13. The biggest domestic problem facing the Bush administration was the national debt.
14. In Germany, a bloody revolution brought the destruction of the Berlin Wall.
15. Mikhail Gorbachev’s changes within the Soviet Union, coupled with a failed coup to reverse
those changes, effectively brought about the end of the Soviet Union.
16. The 1991 Gulf War was provoked by Iraq’s invasion of Saudi Arabia.
17. Bill Clinton was a New Democrat, committed to winning back middle-class whites who
had voted Republican in the 1980s.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following statements characterizes the 1970s in the United States?
a.
The victories of the Vietnam War left Americans proud and eager to show their strength in other
similar crises around the world.
b.
Whereas the 1950s and 1960s had been a period of simplicity and conservation in America, the
1970s saw the onset of carefree consumerism.
c.
The nation’s bicentennial of its independence from Great Britain saw Americans demonstrating
unprecedented faith in the American dream.
d.
Although the American economy was flourishing, the public experienced a period of discontent due
to a series of scandals involving the Carter administration.
e.
The nation experienced public frustration and a loss in self-confidence in the wake of the failed
Vietnam War, Watergate scandal, and spike in oil prices.
2. What was among Carter’s goals as president?
a.
to prove an incorruptible outsider who would increase government efficiency by eliminating waste
and offering effective management
b.
to raise taxes to unprecedented levels to enact a series of ambitious government jobs programs to
repair the economy
c.
to make the American people more dependent on oil so as to cultivate close relationships with
leaders of oil-rich countries
d.
to establish himself as an unbending leader by jailing those who had fled the country instead of
serve in the Vietnam War
e.
to work closely with Congress to increase “big-government” spending in the name of education and
health care reforms
3. Which of the following was one of President Jimmy Carter’s early successes?
a.
pushing significant environmental initiatives through Congress
b.
ending stagflation
c.
ending the Iran hostage crisis
d.
getting Congress to commit to a robust National Energy Bill
e.
appointing intelligent and experienced figures to his Cabinet
4. Which of the following was a result of Carter’s management of the economy?
a.
a sharp decline in unemployment
b.
a deepening recession and rising unemployment
c.
a near collapse of the stock market and banking industry
d.
growing public confidence that the nation was recovering from the Nixon-Ford recession
e.
a surplus in the federal budget
5. One of President Carter’s greatest flaws involved
a.
a series of marital affairs that distracted public attention away from his initiatives.
b.
scandals over his attempts to profit from his political office.
c.
his efforts to do too much too quickly without consulting with Democratic legislators.
d.
indifference to the details of policy due to too much focus on the bigger picture.
e.
a preoccupation with the social elite, along with a lack of empathy with ordinary Americans.
6. Which of the following statements accurately describes the approach Carter took in his 1979
Crisis of Confidence speech?
a.
He resigned from the presidency, citing that the country had lost faith in his leadership and that the
reputation of the United States was in danger.
b.
He accepted blame for the missteps of his first two years as president and asked for forgiveness
from the American people.
c.
He appeared to blame Americans themselves for focusing on materialism rather than on what he
felt was important in life.
d.
He denounced Congress as corrupt and paralyzed by inaction and demanded that several key
congressmen step down for the betterment of the country.
e.
He condemned the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” that could not be trusted and vowed to bring
an end to the cold war if elected to a second term.
7. President Carter’s greatest foreign policy success was
a.
resolving the Iran hostage crisis.
b.
initiating a successful military intervention into Grenada.
c.
signing the SALT I treaty with the Soviet Union.
d.
helping negotiate the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt.
e.
bringing a quick end to the Soviet war in Afghanistan.
8. Which of the following provoked Iranian militants to seize the American embassy in
Tehran and take sixty-six Americans hostage?
a.
American support for Israel
b.
American support for Saudi Arabia
c.
American condemnation of the Iranian Revolution
d.
American depictions of the Prophet in popular media
e.
American medical care given to the deposed shah
9. What was one reason why the Iranian hostage question was significant?
a.
It demonstrated the strong ability of the United States to control world affairs.
b.
It resulted in lower gasoline prices worldwide.
c.
It loomed over Carter’s presidency and became a symbol of his failures.
d.
It ended in a successful rescue mission that boosted American morale.
e.
It signaled the end of the cold war.
10. A huge demographic factor behind Reagan’s electoral success was
a.
the growth of the Hispanic population.
b.
the baby boomers reaching retirement age.
c.
the declining percentage of Americans who went to church.
d.
population growth in the South and the West.
e.
the growing number of Americans with graduate degrees.
11. As he campaigned for president in 1980, Reagan promised to restore prosperity by
a.
bailing out ailing banks and industries.
b.
putting millions to work on government construction projects.
c.
balancing the federal budget.
d.
returning the country to the gold standard.
e.
reducing taxes and government regulation of businesses.
12. What was the Moral Majority?
a.
the name for the party within Congress that held the majority of seats at a given time and that was
tasked with ensuring that the government define morality in terms of the current leanings of voters
b.
a group of scientists who filed a series of lawsuits to keep Darwinian evolution in school textbooks
and curricula by making arguments regarding the ethics of the distribution of knowledge
c.
an organization that campaigned for the political and social objectives of the Christian Right,
including the reversal of the legalization of abortion and the reduction of the size of the government
d.
a social movement that was sympathetic toward communism and urged the American people to
identify with the Soviet population and call for a peaceful end to the cold war
e.
a club Reagan had begun while in college that merged politics and Christian worship and
continuously gained momentum throughout his career, culminating in his rise to fame
13. To many voters in 1980, Ronald Reagan, in contrast to Jimmy Carter, seemed to be a(n)
a.
decisive figure who would press his agenda forward by refusing to consider compromises.
b.
upbeat personality who offered appealing, simple solutions to issues.
c.
humorless leader who would refuse to interact with the business community.
d.
longtime expert on the details of policy and a designer of complex solutions.
e.
politician capable of getting Congress to pass a liberal reform program.
14. Which of the following statements accurately describes the individuals who comprised the
movement led by Phyllis Schlafly?
a.
Part of a backlash to the feminist movement, they helped keep the equal-rights amendment from
being ratified.
b.
A group of grassroots feminists, they successfully fought for the passage of Roe v. Wade as well as
issues such as the right of gay Americans to marry.
c.
A faction of anti-Reagan Republicans, they believed he was too liberal and worked to undermine
his policies that appealed to the left.
d.
Part of a coalition of Democrats, they believed in total separation of politics and religion and sought
to remove prayer from public schools.
e.
A section of the population who insisted on staying Independent, they voted about equally for
Democrats and Republicans.
15. Journalists nicknamed Reagan’s economic plan “Reaganomics.” What technical term,
however, did economists use for it?
a.
socialism
d.
Keynesian economics
b.
stagflation
e.
supply-side economics
c.
voodoo economics
16. How did unions tend to fare during the 1980s?
a.
They became a vital part of Reagan’s political coalition.
b.
They managed to dramatically elevate wages.
c.
They finally began to gain strength in the South.
d.
They suffered steady declines in membership.
e.
They remained generally popular with the public.
17. What was one major factor working in Reagan’s favor in his 1984 reelection bid?
a.
a robustly growing economy
b.
the collapse of the Soviet Union
c.
deep divisions within the Democratic party
d.
surpluses in the federal budget
e.
the support he received from minorities and organized labor
18. Democratic candidate Walter Mondale most seriously damaged his presidential prospects when he
a.
made public comments regarding the inability of women to make good political candidates.
b.
promised to raise taxes to lower the federal budget deficit and said Reagan would as well.
c.
described Reagan as a lunatic and a liar in a scathing speech that isolated millions.
d.
appeared to be soft on communism in the way he described his approach to foreign policy.
e.
ignored economic issues in favor of focusing solely on social issues of the time.
19. Which of the following had Reagan done by the end of his presidency?
a.
He had dramatically shrunk the federal government’s size.
b.
He had abolished the Department of Education as he had promised.
c.
He had privatized Social Security and Medicare.
d.
He had restored American confidence and set in motion the “Great Expansion.”
e.
He had cut the federal deficit in half over the course of two terms.
20. What did Reagan accomplish as president that was likely to please his more conservative
supporters at the time?
a.
He supported proposals to require comparable pay for jobs of comparable worth.
b.
He appointed a number of conservative judges to the federal court system.
c.
He slashed funding to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
d.
He reinstated prayer in public schools across the United States.
e.
He passed the Equal Rights Amendment and increased funds for civil rights enforcement.
21. Which of the following was true of Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative?
a.
It upheld treaties between the United States and the Soviet Union.
b.
It forced the Soviets to spend extensively to keep pace.
c.
It focused on destroying Soviet missiles solely before they left the ground.
d.
It involved the United States building even more powerful nuclear weapons.
e.
It went into operation in outer space and revitalized NASA.
22. Where in Central America was the Reagan administration seriously concerned that
Communist-backed revolutionaries might take over, spurring a new “domino” theory?
a.
El Salvador
d.
Costa Rica
b.
Honduras
e.
Panama
c.
Guatemala
23. Reagan’s hope for Nicaragua was that the Sandinistas would
a.
sign a free-trade agreement with the United States.
b.
moderate their views and become democratic.
c.
become a model for the rest of Central America.
d.
give the United States land for military and naval bases.
e.
be overthrown by the Contras.
24. Which of the following statements accurately describes Lebanon by the early 1980s?
a.
It had become a model of Middle East stability and democracy.
b.
It expelled Palestinian radicals and recognized Israel.
c.
It became an anarchic battleground for warring factions.
d.
It cut off oil sales to the United States to protest Reagan’s pro-Israel policies.
e.
It was regularly sending troops into northern Israel.
25. What was the result of the Grenada invasion during Reagan’s presidency?
a.
a dangerous U.S.–Soviet confrontation
b.
massive anti-war protests across America
c.
a big drop in Reagan’s approval ratings
d.
a decisive American victory
e.
the commitment of UN forces just as in Korea
26. The marine lieutenant colonel at the center of the Iran-Contra affair, Oliver North, was
using profits from the sale of arms to Iran to
a.
finance the Nicaraguan Contras.
b.
enrich himself and some corrupt friends.
c.
buy new weapons for the Marine Corps.
d.
contribute to Republicans.
e.
pay for the release of American hostages.
27. The Tower Commission report blamed much of the Iran-Contra scandal on
a.
Congress for cutting off funds to the Contras.
b.
Reagan’s loose management style.
c.
the Iranians for luring the United States into the arms deal.
d.
Secretary of State George Shultz.
e.
the psychiatric problems of Oliver North.
28. Who was the reform-minded Soviet premier who emerged in the mid-1980s and sought to
restructure the economy through perestroika?
a.
Mikhail Gorbachev
d.
Boris Yeltsin
b.
Vladimir Putin
e.
Leonid Brezhnev
c.
Nikita Khrushchev
29. What was glasnost?
a.
the Russian term for “the spread of communism,” which was applied to Eastern Europe in the wake
of Gorbachev’s rise to power
b.
the Russian term for “economic restructuring,” which was applied to plans to move toward a mixed
economy that would allow for capitalism
c.
the Russian term for “anti-modernization,” which summed up the turning away of the Soviet Union
from the rest of the world during the 1980s
d.
the Russian term for “openness,” which was applied to the loosening of censorship in the Soviet
Union
e.
the Russian term for “tolerance,” which was applied to the wide acceptance of all religions and
ethnicities in the Soviet Union
30. Why was the summit between Gorbachev and Reagan at Reykjavik significant?
a.
Gorbachev pledged to “bury” the United States and increase the production of weapons.
b.
Both sides agreed that a nuclear war was undesirable and began discussing disarmament.
c.
It was where Reagan demanded that Gorbachev “tear down” the Berlin Wall.
d.
Reagan promised to lend aid to the USSR if it would acknowledge basic human rights.
e.
Tensions between the two men reached levels not seen since the Cuban missile crisis.
31. Why was the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (1987) significant?
a.
It was the first time that United States and Soviet leaders agreed to destroy a whole class of
weapons systems.
b.
It recognized that the cold war was becoming direr and that Western countries would need to come
together to produce more weapons.
c.
It was considered the biggest diplomatic failure of Ronald Reagan’s presidency and prevented his
reelection.
d.
It was a formal acknowledgment of an agreement that had already been followed by the Soviets and
United States for decades.
e.
It was created largely in response to the Soviet Union’s booming economy and triumphs in a war
against Afghanistan.
32. During the 1980s, the U.S. economy shifted from being ________ to being increasingly ________.
a.
production oriented; service oriented
b.
digital; analog
c.
free of government regulation; subject to federal oversight
d.
open shop; dominated by labor unions
e.
globalized; isolated
33. What key invention led to computers becoming smaller and more common in American
households in the 1980s?
a.
the keyboard
d.
vacuum tubes
b.
the microprocessor
e.
binary code
c.
the monitor
34. What was the state of the American economy leading into “Black Monday” (October 19, 1987)?
a.
Income inequality significantly narrowed, which created the veneer across classes that the economy
was thriving.
b.
Most Americans were leading simpler lives, reducing energy use, and investing more time in faith
and family.
c.
The number of multimillionaires working on Wall Street and the financial industry had plummeted,
as small businesses flourished.
d.
So many Americans had continued to embrace Carter’s focus on propriety that the economy was
experiencing a downturn due to fewer purchases.
e.
Many Americans were spending more than they earned as the public mood shifted back to carefree
consumerism.
35. What triggered the 1987 “Black Monday” stock market crash?
a.
investors’ fears that the federal government would never address the growing budget deficits
b.
a lack of confidence in Reagan’s stability and health
c.
a growing belief that the Soviet Union exported better products
d.
the way in which the controversy over the Iran-Contra scandal undermined public faith
e.
oversupply and a lack of consumer spending
36. A high percentage of the homeless people of the 1980s were
a.
able to benefit from public housing.
b.
formerly wealthy.
c.
mentally ill without health services.
d.
easy to lift out of homelessness.
e.
likely to receive large welfare payments.
37. The Reagan administration’s initial response to AIDS was to
a.
pour money into medical research.
b.
give away condoms and clean hypodermic needles.
c.
urge all Americans to get vaccinations.
d.
crack down on people having sex outside of marriage.
e.
largely ignore it as a “gay” disease.
38. What were some ways in which Reagan’s presidency was transformational?
a.
He decreased the stature of the presidency and placed most responsibility on Congress.
b.
He enacted measures that effectively ended deindustrialization.
c.
He accelerated the nation’s shift toward conservatism and helped diffuse the cold war.
d.
He helped increase the longevity of the Soviet Union for many decades to come.
e.
He initiated the reputation of the United States as an official nuclear power.
39. What did George H. W. Bush’s goal or approach as president seem to be?
a.
to pursue his own ambitious legislative agenda
b.
to develop the Strategic Defense Initiative
c.
to consolidate Reagan’s policies and achievements
d.
to be a less “hands-on” president than Reagan
e.
to conserve natural resources and raise taxes
40. One of President Bush’s major domestic successes was
a.
eliminating poverty.
d.
reducing taxes.
b.
significantly reducing drug use.
e.
paying off the deficit.
c.
assisting people with disabilities.
41. Which of the following was a result of the massive national debt?
a.
The United States lost its ability to obtain credit.
b.
Double-digit inflation returned.
c.
The United States had to reduce its involvement in global affairs.
d.
Members of Congress had to reduce their own salaries.
e.
Bush had to recommend tax increases.
42. A change in the cold war climate was indicated in 1988 when the Soviets began withdrawing
their troops from
a.
Ukraine.
d.
Turkey.
b.
Cuba.
e.
Afghanistan.
c.
Eastern Europe.
43. What contributed to the end of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe?
a.
The American economy grew exponentially during the early Bush administration, leading to close
ties in trade to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
b.
Gorbachev rejected calls to democratize Soviet life and turned his attention to domestic policy to
preserve communism at home instead of investing in Eastern Europe.
c.
Bush’s close working relationship with most congressional Republicans enabled him to pass
sweeping legislation that made the end of the cold war inevitable.
d.
Bush’s lack of foreign policy experience led him to focus on domestic issues, which gave the
Soviets space to topple the Eastern European governments themselves.
e.
With his eyes on the future, Gorbachev sought harmony and trade with the West and renounced the
history of Soviet intervention in other Communist countries.
44. The fall of the Berlin Wall was soon followed by
a.
Soviet military intervention in East Germany.
b.
the threat of war in Central Europe.
c.
the formal dissolution of NATO.
d.
Germany’s reunification.
e.
the Communists constructing an even stronger one.
45. The crucial development in the Soviet Union in August 1991 was
a.
Gorbachev’s assassination.
d.
the collapse of the Soviet economy.
b.
a failed Communist coup.
e.
Gorbachev’s reelection.
c.
revolution in the Baltic republics.
46. By the fall of 1991, the MOST popular Soviet politician was
a.
Mikhail Gorbachev.
d.
Dmitry Medvedev.
b.
Vladimir Putin.
e.
Andrei Sakharov.
c.
Boris Yeltsin.
47. By the end of 1991, what was the state of the Soviet Union?
a.
It remained firmly under Communist control despite communism’s collapse in Eastern Europe.
b.
It had fallen apart, as most of its fifteen republics had proclaimed their independence.
c.
It still had the largest nuclear arsenal and therefore remained the dominant military superpower.
d.
It enjoyed a booming economy due to trade with the United States and its stable leadership.
e.
It was torn by civil war, as Gorbachev led a group of military leaders to restore communism.
48. The Panamanian government of Manuel Noriega was at odds with the Bush administration
because of its
a.
Communist leanings.
b.
threat to shut down the Panama Canal.
c.
aggressive actions toward its Central American neighbors.
d.
involvement in the drug trade.
e.
boycott of banana shipments to the United States.
49. The Gulf War was triggered by Saddam Hussein’s invasion of
a.
Saudi Arabia.
d.
Israel.
b.
Iran.
e.
Kuwait.
c.
Egypt.
50. Which of the following opposed Iraq in the Gulf War and launched Operation Desert Storm?
a.
a coalition of over thirty nations
d.
China and the Soviet Union
b.
the United States and Britain alone
e.
Israel and India
c.
an army composed of Arab soldiers
51. Which of the following was a result of the 1991 First Gulf War?
a.
The United States experienced massive casualties compared to the Iraqis and surrendered.
b.
The United States captured Baghdad and increased its military presence in the Middle East.
c.
Saddam Hussein remained in power, but some Arabs felt humiliated by the American triumph.
d.
Iraq saw a major regime change, as Bush had pledged early on in the war.
e.
Bush’s reelection was guaranteed so that he could see through the long war.
52. What was the state of the American economy after the Gulf War, and what was one way it
was significant?
a.
The economy was booming due to subsequent decreases in military spending, causing public
support for Bush to reach an all-time high.
b.
The economy was stable due to Bush’s adherence to his pledge to refrain from raising taxes
throughout his presidency, resulting in a rise in consumerism.
c.
The economy was depressed, creating anxiety among Americans and affecting the 1992 election
results between Bush and Bill Clinton.
d.
The economy was defined by low unemployment rates, allowing American productivity to continue
to outpace the rest of the world.
e.
The economy was better than it had been in decades, leading Bush to immediately invade other
countries in the Middle East.
53. Which of the following led to Clinton’s election to the presidency?
a.
Clinton’s far-left positions and condemnation of special-interest groups energized voters.
b.
Ross Perot’s third-party candidacy took Republican votes from Bush.
c.
Voters widely disapproved of Bush’s proposal for an electronic town hall.
d.
Bush directed too much attention to appealing to the “forgotten middle class.”
e.
Clinton offered a disciplined demeanor, whereas Bush came across as flippant.
ESSAY
1. What were the main foreign policy achievements of the Carter administration? Where did
Carter fail?
2. Compare and contrast Carter’s and Reagan’s administrations. Be sure to address their views
on the federal government as well as their domestic and foreign policies.
3. Describe and illustrate the main features of Reaganomics.
4. What was America’s role in world affairs during the Reagan and Bush years?
5. Ronald Reagan practiced “the politics of symbolism,” according to one scholar. Is this an
accurate assessment of Reagan’s presidential career?
6. Were the Reagan and Bush administrations more successful at handling domestic or foreign
problems? Explain.
7. What was the New Right, and what did the election of Ronald Reagan mean for this movement?
8. Describe the status of organized labor during the Reagan administration. What changes did
unions experience in membership, and what trends were taking place in terms of the
creation of jobs?
9. Trace the Iran-Contra affair from its earliest existence to its conclusion. Did this incident hurt
or help the Reagan administration’s reputation?
10. Discuss the status of the poor, the homeless, and the victims of AIDS during the 1980s.
How did the government respond to the needs of each of these groups?
11. Trace the issues and events that led to the Gulf War of 1991. What strategies did President
George H. W. Bush use to ensure victory, and what was the ultimate outcome of his efforts?
12. What events triggered the end of the cold war and the Soviet Union, and why? What role
did Reagan and Gorbachev each play?
MATCHING
Match each description with the item below.
a.
was Ronald Reagan’s budget director who proposed major reductions in federal spending
b.
was the youngest combat pilot to have flown in the U.S. military and was an oil executive in Texas
c.
was a televangelist and founder of the Moral Majority
d.
worked to fend off communism in the Screen Actor’s Guild and was governor of California
e.
met with Ronald Reagan to discuss ways to reduce the threat of nuclear war
f.
was a National Security Council aide and the main actor in the Iran-Contra affair
g.
was a landmark appointee to the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan
h.
was a Texas billionaire who appealed to Americans who were fed up with the two major parties
i.
made history as a vice-presidential candidate chosen by Walter Mondale
j.
said, “[My opponent] will raise taxes, and so will I. He won’t tell you. I just did.”
1. David Stockman
2. Mikhail Gorbachev
3. George H. W. Bush
4. Jerry Falwell
5. H. Ross Perot
6. Walter Mondale
7. Oliver North
8. Sandra Day O’Connor
9. Ronald Reagan
10. Geraldine Ferraro
