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USH STAAR Review - ALL ERAS

Total questions: 58

Worksheet time: 29mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What was the initial response of the U.S. government to the attacks of September 11, 2001?

a)

To impose economic sanctions on Libya for sponsoring terrorist activities

b)

To reopen military bases in Europe that had been closed after the Cold War

c)

To begin military operations in Afghanistan

d)

To form a coalition to eliminate training bases in Pakistan

2.

Which of the following is true about Sandra Day O'Connor?

a)

First woman named to the U.S. Supreme Court

b)

First female member of the U.S. Senate

c)

First woman nominated as a candidate for Vice President

d)

First female elected to serve as governor of a state

3.

Which sentence best completes this diagram?

a)

An outbreak of tornadoes felled numerous trees

b)

The levee system was unable to hold back floodwater

c)

The Mississippi River was diverted

d)

The National Weather Service failed to provide adequate warning

4.

What is the primary aim of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001?

a)

To limit the amount of foreign investment in the United States

b)

To prevent acts of terrorism across the United States

c)

To promote the growth of locally owned small businesses

d)

To increase funding for military contracts

5.

Which of the following correctly completes this description?

a)

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

b)

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

c)

North American Free Trade Agreement

d)

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

6.

Barack Obama described his 2008 election victory in this manner because the election was the first in which -

a)

religious beliefs played a significant role in the presidential campaign

b)

naturalized immigrants had access to multilingual ballots

c)

federal courts ofdered voter recounts to stop

d)

a minority candidate was elected president

7.

In this excerpt, President Reagan is referring to what would become known as -

a)

the Plame affair

b)

the Whitewater controversy

c)

the Iran-Contra affair

d)

the Watergate scandal

8.

How did the goal described in the excerpt most affect the U.S. economy?

a)

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates to control inflation.

b)

Lower gasoline prices left people with more disposable income.

c)

The federal debt increased dramatically as a result of military spending.

d)

Popular support for cutting the budgets of domestic programs declined.

9.

The War Powers Act of 1973 was intended to affect the balance of power between the President and Congress by

a)

allowing troops to be sent overseas without the president’s consent

b)

permitting the president to enter treaties without Senate approval

c)

requiring the president to remove all United States troops from Southeast Asia

d)

placing limitations on the president’s ability to keep troops in hostile situations

10.

“We must go forward now together. . . .I believe that truth is the glue that holds government together, not only our Government but civilization itself. That bond, though strained, is unbroken at home and abroad. In all my public and private acts as your President, I expect to follow my instincts of openness and candor with full confidence that honesty is always the best policy in the end. My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.”

—Gerald Ford, August 9, 1974


Why do you think Ford made this speech immediately after gaining the presidency?

a)

Nixon’s scandal shook the public’s trust in government.

b)

Newspaper were not covering economic issues.

c)

Ford faced criticism for pardoning Nixon.

d)

Ford needed to successfully fight inflation.

11.

Which statement is true about Jimmy Carter?

a)

He served in Congress for 25 years.

b)

His foreign policy focused on anti communism.

c)

He helped end inflation with the “Whip Inflation Now” plan.

d)

He had a reputation for hard work and integrity.

12.

What critical event affected both the Ford and Carter presidencies?

a)

Watergate

b)

Iran Hostage Crisis

c)

the energy crisis

d)

rise of Sandinistas in Nicaragua

13.

The American Hostage Crisis in Iran was caused in part by

a)

the American government allowing the deposed Shah of Iran to come to the US for cancer treatment

b)

American air strikes against Iran's ally, Libya

c)

Carter's involvement in arranging the Camp David accords between the Egyptians and the Israelis

d)

American attempts to overthrow the newly emplaced government of Ayatollah Khomeini

14.

All of the following played a role in the rise of the women’s movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s EXCEPT

a)

The invention of the birth control pill.

b)

The passage of an Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.

c)

The release of The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan.

d)

The creation of organizations like NOW.

15.

The combination of high inflation with a stagnant economy and high unemployment was referred to as

a)

stagflation

b)

a depression

c)

demand-side economics

d)

Keynesianism

16.

Which term completes this text box?

a)

Hawk mentality

b)

Credibility gap

c)

Living-room war

d)

Flexible response

17.

What was the primary goal of discussions between these two leaders?

a)

To recognize the independence of former satellite states.

b)

To negotiate the reunification of Germany.

c)

To reach a formal agreement on weapons control.

d)

To develop a global environmental-protection policy.

18.

How was the goal set forth in this excerpt advanced during President Nixon’s administration?

a)

By the normalization of relations with China.

b)

By escalating the bombing of North Vietnam.

c)

By supporting the Arab coalition during the Yom Kippur War.

d)

By attacking enemy bases in Cambodia.

19.

The policy objectives of Reaganomics were based on the theory that —

a)

Borrowing from foreign countries would help cover the costs of domestic programs.

b)

Broad tax cuts and financial deregulation would promote economic expansion.

c)

Significant increases in government spending would help reduce unemployment.

d)

Reducing trade barriers would result in a budget surplus.

20.

Which box lists characteristics of the 1960s?

a)

F

b)

H

c)

G

d)

J

21.

What was the overall goal of U.S. military intervention in Vietnam from 1964–1973?

a)

Eliminating trade barriers between the United States and Southeast Asia.

b)

Promoting economic growth in the Pacific region.

c)

Isolating the Soviet Union by improving Chinese relations with the United States.

d)

Preventing communism from spreading throughout Southeast Asia.

22.

What happened as a direct result of these recommendations?

a)

North Vietnamese leaders appealed for a ceasefire.

b)

South Vietnamese leaders rejected military assistance.

c)

U.S military involvement in Vietnam escalated.

d)

Soviet ground troops were deployed to Vietnam.

23.

The domino theory, which provided the basis for U.S. entry into the Vietnam War, was the belief that intervention was necessary to prevent —

a)

The expansion of communism across Southeast Asia.

b)

The loss of UN military bases in Asia.

c)

The inclusion of Taiwan in the Warsaw Pact.

d)

The rise of China as a dominant economic power.

24.

Which of these best explains why worldwide reactions to U.S. involvement in Vietnam grew increasingly hostile during the late 1960s and early 1970s?

a)

The United States was viewed as appeasing a brutal dictator.

b)

The United States was viewed as an aggressor invading an underdeveloped nation.

c)

The United States demanded the unconditional surrender of Ho Chi Minh.

d)

The United States ignored a United Nations Security Council resolution to cease hostilities.

25.

During the time between the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the start of the Tet offensive, what happened in the Vietnam War?

a)

All U.S. civilians were evacuated from Vietnam.

b)

The U.S. government deployed more troops to Vietnam.

c)

Peace talks between South Vietnam and North Vietnam were conducted in Paris.

d)

South Vietnam surrendered to North Vietnam.

26.

How did the event in this headline impact the Civil Rights movement?

a)

The focus of the movement shifted to protesting U.S. involvement in foreign wars.

b)

The movement lost credibility with the American public.

c)

The focus of the movement shifted to the struggle of migrant workers.

d)

The movement lost an important national leader.

27.

What was the goal of the protests depicted on this map?

a)

To pressure Congress to prohibit discrimination against disabled citizens.

b)

To challenge the federal government to enforce Supreme Court rulings against discrimination in interstate transportation.

c)

To demonstrate the economic impact of discriminatory practices on interstate transportation.

d)

To persuade states to abandon discriminatory voter-registration procedures.

28.

How did W. E. B. Du Bois combat prejudice like that described in the excerpt?

a)

He demanded the passage of women’s suffrage.

b)

He advocated making political compromises with segregationists.

c)

He established an early civil rights group.

d)

He sought court orders to protect the rights of voters.

29.

In the late 1800s, the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson —

a)

Established a legal remedy for victims of discrimination.

b)

Affirmed the legality of federal regulation of state elections.

c)

Recognized public protests as a legal form of civil disobedience.

d)

Created a legal justification for segregation laws.

30.

The name of which civil rights leader best completes the title of the graphic?

a)

Martin Luther King Jr.

b)

Booker T. Washington

c)

Stokely Carmichael

d)

Malcolm X

31.

Which technological advance from World War II fulfilled this mission?

a)

Sonar

b)

Radar

c)

Jet engines

d)

Cipher machines

32.

How did President Harry S. Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb affect international relations?

a)

It initiated the arms race with the Soviet Union

b)

It prompted other nations to begin investigations of war crimes

c)

It enabled the United Nations to administer territory in Japan

d)

It led to the establishment of the first global peacekeeping force

33.

In this excerpt, General Eisenhower is describing his reaction to -

a)

the Bataan Death March

b)

the bombing of Hiroshima

c)

Japanese American internment camps

d)

Nazi Concentration Camps

34.

Why did the United States seize Pacific islands during World War II?

a)

To gain access to vital natural resources

b)

To fulfill commitments to military alliances

c)

To establish military bases for use in further attacks

d)

To protect shipping routes for neutral countries

35.

The skill and courage of the Tuskegee Airmen served to -

a)

decrease opposition to integrating the armed forces

b)

give the United States an advantage in military encryption

c)

encourage immigrant enlistment in the U.S. Army during World War II

d)

increase the number of women joining the U.S. military during World War II

HIDE ANSWER

36.

What was Congress's purpose in passing the Lend-Lease Act?

a)

To lease U-boats from Germany and then lend them to Britain

b)

To provide equal amounts of aid to Britain and Germany

c)

To charge Britain more for U.S. weapons than Britain could afford

d)

To provide Britain with the aid it needed but could not afford

37.

An increase in political corruption, big business, immigration, and urbanization took place during the-

a)

Gilded Age

b)

Progressive Era

c)

Roaring 20's

d)

Great Depression

38.

Americans who were anti-immigration due to the fear of losing jobs to immigrants were called-

a)

Nativists

b)

Bootlegger

c)

Monopolists

d)

Communists

39.

Which of the following was a defining characteristic of the United States during the 1930s?

a)

A sharp increase in the power given to state governments.

b)

The adoption of an interventionist foreign policy.

c)

An extended period of economic depression.

d)

The formation of a national Civil Rights movement.

40.

What was one factor that helped turn the Great Plains into the Dust Bowl in the 1930s?

a)

Paying farmers to plant native grasses.

b)

Numerous tornadoes occurring in the region.

c)

Increased demand for tobacco after World War I.

d)

Intense drought in the region.

41.

What was the goal of the actions on this timeline?

a)

To ensure deposits into customer savings accounts

b)

To end speculation in the stock market

c)

To increase government regulation of business

d)

To stabilize the national economy

42.

Which statement best explains how bank failures contributed to the Great Depression?

a)

People lost their savings because the government did not insure bank deposits.

b)

The interest rates on bank loans were too high.

c)

Business could not be done when President Franklin Roosevelt declared a bank holiday.

d)

Foreign investors did not invest enough in U.S. banks.

43.

Which of the following best completes this diagram?

a)

Strengthened U.S. relationships overseas.

b)

Helped stabilize the U.S. economy.

c)

Led to a decline in U.S. unemployment.

d)

Led to a decrease in U.S. international trade.

44.

The creator of this political cartoon was expressing his concerns about —

a)

The Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.

b)

The expansion of executive power during the Great Depression.

c)

The U.S. declaration of war on Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

d)

The involvement of U.S. government officials in the Iran-Contra scandal.

45.

Why did the federal government create this program in 1933?

a)

To provide jobs and improve the regional standard of living.

b)

To establish industrial centers in the region.

c)

To promote organic farming practices.

d)

To offset the effects of urbanization and rapid population growth.

46.

The Reconstruction Finance Corporation is similar to later New Deal legislation in that both —

a)

Provided more efficient services through public utility regulation.

b)

Protected the economy through government intervention in private business.

c)

Gave direct relief payments to unemployed citizens.

d)

Borrowed money from foreign banks to reduce the national debt.

47.

Which New Deal agency was created to specifically serve this population?

a)

Securities and Exchange Commission.

b)

Federal Housing Administration.

c)

Social Security Administration.

d)

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

48.

The Roaring Twenties were characterized by —

a)

Internment camps, the rationing of goods, and the first use of an atomic bomb.

b)

Installment plans, Prohibition, and flappers.

c)

Bank failures, the New Deal, and bread lines.

d)

Brinkmanship, McCarthyism, and a policy of containment.

49.

The establishment of speakeasies in the 1920s was an unintended consequence of which federal government action?

a)

The taxation of imported luxury goods.

b)

The deportation of suspected communist sympathizers.

c)

The implementation of immigration restrictions.

d)

The prohibition of the sale of alcoholic beverages.

50.

Which inference about the 1920s is supported by this illustration?

a)

Women challenged traditional attitudes and social norms.

b)

Women confronted discrimination in employment and education.

c)

Reform organizations targeted women’s issues.

d)

Mass media reflected trends popular in rural communities.

51.

What was the primary reason for the raids described in this excerpt?

a)

To block civil rights advocates from staging public protests.

b)

To prevent workers from joining labor organizations.

c)

To halt the spread of communist ideas by radicals.

d)

To suppress the teaching of evolution in colleges.

52.

Many Progressives opposed social Darwinism because it promoted the idea that —

a)

People in lower classes were not capable of economic success.

b)

The government should take responsibility for the well-being of people.

c)

Immigration weakened national unity.

d)

Poverty could be eradicated through increased economic regulation.

53.

Which of these resulted from the prohibition of alcohol during the 1920s?

a)

A growing fear of communism.

b)

The expansion of the consumer economy.

c)

A decline in immigration rates.

d)

The rise of organized crime

54.

The Dawes Severalty Act targeted which group in America?

a)

European Immigrants

b)

Enslaved Africans

c)

Native Americans

d)

Chinese Immigrants

55.

Which amendment grants womens suffrage?

a)

19th

b)

17th

c)

16th

d)

18th

56.

Which amendment prohibited alcohol?

a)

16th

b)

17th

c)

19th

d)

18th

57.

The 16th amendment created -

a)

women's suffrage

b)

prohibition of alcohol

c)

an income tax to pay for reform programs

d)

direct election of senators

58.

The 17th amendment created -

a)

direction election of senators

b)

women's suffrage

c)

prohibition of alcohol

d)

an income tax to pay for reform programs