SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
Question 1. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain the role of ONE of the following in the conservative
resurgence:
• Proposition 13
• religious fundamentalists
• affirmative action
b) Briefly explain the significance of ONE of the following in the
Reagan administration:
• supply-side economics
• PACTO strike
• Iran-contra affair
c) Briefly explain President Reagan's role in ending the Cold War.
Question 2 is based on the following graphs.
FAMILY INCOME, 1970 and 2000
1970
2000
I"""",", oIlhe Riche.t
~ Poon:ent 01 FamiliM:
I"""",e oIlhe R;"hMl
21.1 %
I........... 01 the Mi ......
n Poorooont 01 Famil ••:
I........... 01 the Mi ......
n Poorooont 01 FamiliM:
7Y.0%
74.5%
Income 01 the _ _
20 PwaorII 01 Famiti.. :
c.-....'"
•. ~
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
2. Using the graph, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain how the economy changed in ONE of the following
administrations.
• Ronald Reagan
• George H. W. Bush
• Bill Clinton
b) Briefly explain ONE significant cause of income growth during that
administration.
c) Briefly explain ONE significant cause of the growing income
inequality during the 1980s and 199Os.
CONSERVATIVE RESURGENCE, 1980-2000
677
Question 3. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain the foreign policy impact of ONE of the following:
• Tiananmen Square
• Fall of Berlin Wall
• Operation Desert Storm
b) Briefly analyze the political significance of ONE of the following:
• H. Ross Perot
• National Rifle Association
• Contract with America
c) Briefly explain why the impeachment of Bill Clinton was unpopular.
Question 4 is based on the excerpt below.
"At the end of the 20th century, Americans lived on a scale of consumption and
resource usage unprecedented in human history.... As houses and vehicles
and shopping centers and credit card bills, became larger and larger. so did
bodies of Americans .... Americans had become, with the exception of some
South Sea islanders, the fattest people in the world .... [f]he unevenly distributed economic bounty of the I 980s and I 990s allowed a large upper stratum of
society to have a sense of limitlessness in its lifestyle and consumption. Others
like to live large too, even if it only took the form of consuming a very large
serving of fa~t food washed down by a very large cup of soda.
-Joshua Freeman, historian, American Empire, 2012
4. Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain what this author meant by phrase "living large."
b) Briefly explain ONE additional development from 1980 to 2000 that
would support the author's point of view.
c) Briefly explain ONE difference or similarity in consumer
consumption between the periods 1980 to 2000 and 1945 to 1960.
THINK AS A HISTORIAN: WRITING EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPHS
Effective paragraphs include a topic sentence that expresses one
main idea. All other sentences support that idea, often with facts,
examples, or reasons. Which TWO of the following statements best
support this topic sentence? "Popular presidents often mix liberal
and conservative policies. ~
I. Ronald Reagan negotiated an arms control deal with the
Soviet~.
2. George H. W. Bush tried to cut social programs during a recession.
3. Bill Clinton reduced government spending on welfare.
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u.s. HISTORY: PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM
SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONS
Question 1. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain the significance of ONE of the following electoral
issues.
• Southern white conservatives
• "safe sears"
• Bush v. Gore
b) Briefly explain the effect~ of ONE of the following domestic issues.
• Hurricane Karrina
• housing bubble
• liquidity crisis
c) Briefly explain the impact of the Roberts Court on ONE of these issues.
• elections
• gun control
• health care
Question 2 is based on the following chart.
Changes in the American Economy. 2008 to 2013
Category
2008/2009
2013/2014
Stock prices (Dow Jones
Industrial Average)
9,035
(January 2, 2009)
16,44 1
(January 2,2014)
Unemployment rate
7.8%
(January 2009)
6.6%
(January 2014)
People receiving SNAP
(food stamps)
32 million
(January 2009)
47 million
(November 2013)
Corporate profits after
taxes
$4.3 tril lion
(2008)
$7.3 trillion
(est imate for 2013)
Source: Con gressIonal Budget Office and other sources
2. Using the chart, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain the significance of ONE of the measures of the
American economy used in the above chart.
b) Briefly explain ONE program passed by Congress to address the effecrs
of the Grear Recession.
c) Briefly support or challenge the statement: "Wall Street recovered from
the Grear Recession, but Main Street did nol."
698
u.s. HISTORY: PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAM
Question 3. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain the significance of ONE of the following in the war on
terrorism:
• AI-Qaeda
• asymmetric warlare
• Sunni vs. Shiite
b) Briefly explain the policies of ONE of the following:
• Bush Doctrine
• Patriot Act
• Homeland Security Department
c) Briefly explain the significance of ONE of the following foreign
policy issues during this period:
• Arab Spring
• China
• Iraq
Question 4 is based on the following excerpt.
"A comprehensive survey published in 2006 ... concluded a ' substantial percentage of Latinos perceive discrimination and one response to this perception
.. . is a strengthening of ethnic attachment. .. .'
"Latinos are anything but latent supporters of the GOP. There are two
things that Republicans look at to make that concl usion. They look at entrepreneurial behavior in Latinos, which is very high. ... The second is that thi s
is a very churchgoing, famil y-orientated subculture . .. .'
" in every one of [hose survey questions supennajorities of Hispanics articulate a position in favor of a more progressive government involved to solve
social and economic problems.
"When we asked, ' Is government really about economic issues, gas prices,
taxes, jobs? Or is government abom family values, same·sex marriage, abortion?' -three quarters of Hispanics believe it is about bread and butter issues;
it's not about morality.. .. So they are a religious community. But religion is
religion and polirics is politics, and they are not dragging one into [he other."
-Ray Suarez, news correspondem, wlino Americans, 2013
4. Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c.
a) Briefly explain what the survey said about Latinos.
b) Briefly explain why politicians and political analysis in the early 2 1st
century became more interested in the Latino populations.
c) Briefly explain how similar or different the immigrant experience of
Latinos has been compared to prior immigrant groups.
CHALLENGES OF THE 21 ST CE N TURY, 200O-PRESENT
699