Into the Twenty-First Century

Which candidate wins the presidency under the election process used in the United States?

• the candidate with the most votes nationwide

• the candidate who wins the popular vote in the largest number of states

• the candidate with the most votes in the two houses of Congress

• the candidate with the most votes in the Electoral College

Which statements about the presidential election process are true?

• Members of the Electoral College are appointed by the Supreme Court for an eight-year term.

• In most states, electors give their votes to the candidate who won the popular vote in the state.

• Members of the Electoral College are chosen every four years by the individual states.

• Each state's number of representatives and senators determines how many Electoral College voters it has.

Which statement accurately describes a controversy surrounding the 2000 presidential election?

• The Senate and the House of Representatives split over who had actually won the popular vote.

• The Supreme Court decided by a single vote to stop the recount in Florida and give the election to George W. Bush.

• Al Gore's supporters claimed that he had won the popular vote in Texas, but lost the electoral vote.

• George W. Bush's supporters argued that absentee ballots from white voters in Vermont had not been counted.

If U.S. presidents were elected based on the popular vote alone, who would have won the 2000 presidential election?

• Al Gore

• Richard Cheney

• George W. Bush

• Bill Clinton

Which statements about the events of September 11, 2001 are true?

Choose all answers that are correct.

• A hijacked airliner was flown into the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

• The terrorists who carried out the attacks claimed that killing American civilians was justified.

• Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda planned and carried out the attacks on the United States.

• Passengers on three of the four hijacked planes managed to overpower the terrorists.

Which statements describing al-Qaeda's beliefs are true?

Choose all answers that are correct.

• Al-Qaeda preaches tolerance and acceptance of other religions.

• Al-Qaeda believes it is the duty of every Muslim to kill Americans.

• Al-Qaeda members refuse to sacrifice their own lives for their cause.

• Al-Qaeda members are a small group of religious zealots who won't compromise their convictions.

Which number on the map indicates Afghanistan?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Which statements about President Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003 are true?

Choose all answers that are correct.

• Bush told the American people that there was evidence that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

• Bush claimed that Saddam Hussein was harboring Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda terrorists.

• As soon as U.S forces ousted Saddam Hussein, a civil war in Iraq began, which Bush hadn't planned for.

• Bush promised that removing Saddam Hussein from power would force the Taliban to surrender.

Which statements accurately describe arguments made against President Bush's decision to invade Iraq in 2003?

Choose all answers that are correct.

• UN inspectors needed more time to determine if Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

• Invading Iraq would divert attention and resources from the goal of destroying al-Qaeda.

• Saddam Hussein was a moderate leader and an important ally of Israel.

• The Iraqi army and air force were too strong for the U.S. military to defeat.

Which explains why the Iraq War went on far longer than the Bush administration expected it to?

• Saddam Hussein was able to maintain his leadership and a large, powerful army with help from his allies.

• The U.S. military was poorly trained and equipped.

• Many U.S. officials did not understand Iraqi culture, and coalition forces faced a strong insurgency.

• Iraqis of all religions, cultures and ethnicity preferred Saddam Hussein to American occupation.