Exam Terms

Question 1

1960 Election

Answer 1

JFK defeated Republican Richard Nixon in a close election.

Question 2

JFK Assassination

Answer 2

JFK was assassinated in Dallas in 1963; most blame Lee Harvey Oswald, but conspiracy theories exist. Vice- President Lyndon Johnson became President

Question 3

Cold War

Answer 3

Period of economic, political, and social tension between the US and Soviet Union that lasted from the end of World War 2 to 1991.

Question 4

Civil Rights Act

Answer 4

1965 Legislation that increased fairness for African- Americans in the south. (Integration) Passed by Lyndon Johnson.

Question 5

Vietnam War

Answer 5

America fought communist in Vietnam for over a decade during the Presidencies of JFK, Johnson, and Nixon but was ultimately unsuccessful.

Question 6

Lyndon Johnson

Answer 6

Replaced JFK as President and passed the Civil Rights Act. he is Democrat

Question 7

Richard Nixon

Answer 7

Elected President in 1968 and 1972; he resigned over the Watergate Scandal.

Question 8

Gerald Ford

Answer 8

Replaced Nixon as President, and pardoned Nixon for his crimes. He is republican.

Question 9

Jimmy Carter

Answer 9

Democrat. Elected to only one term in 1976, his presidency was marred by a bad economy and a Iran Hostage Crisis.

Question 10

Iran Hostage Crisis

Answer 10

Iranian student revolutionaries took American’s hostage in the American Embassy in Tehran for over a year.

Question 11

Ronald Reagan

Answer 11

Republican elected in 1980 and 1984; he is a Republican hero.

Question 12

George H Bush

Answer 12

Elected president in 1988 after 8 years as VP to Reagan. Former head of the CIA George W’s father.

Question 13

Watergate Scandal

Answer 13

In 1972, the office of the Democratic National Committee was burglarized. Ultimately, Washington Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein investigate and found a connection all the way to President Nixon, directly linking him to illegal activities. Nixon became the only President to resign from office.

Question 14

Bill Clinton

Answer 14

This democrat was elected into the Presidnecy in 1992 as a Centrist Democrat. His Presidency is well regarded due to a successful American economy and Foreign Policy. However, his Presidency was marred by a personal scandal.

Question 15

1992 Election

Answer 15

The election of 1992 featured three candidates; Democrat Bill Clinton, Republican George HW Bush, and the independent Ross Perot. Perot, the conservative Texan billionaire took more votes from Bush than he did from Clinton. Clinton won the presidency with only 42% of the popular vote.

Question 16

1994 Republican Revolution

Answer 16

in 1994 the Republicans gained over 50 seats in the House of Reps and Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the House of Reps. Republicans wanted to push back on the liberal policies of Clinton, and claimed that he was not as much of a centrist as he purported to be.

Question 17

1996 Election

Answer 17

Bill Clinton easily won re- election against Republican senator and WWII veteran Bob Dole. Clinton benefited from an economy that had rebounded from a recession in the early nineties.

Question 18

Rwandan Genocide

Answer 18

Bill Clinton labels his failure to intervene in the genocide of hundreds of thousands of Rwandans in the mid-nineties as the biggest failure as President.

Question 19

Kosovo Intervention

Answer 19

Clinton, along with allies from NATO intervened to prevent the genocide of ethnic minorities in the former country of Yugoslavia. This is among President Clinton’s greatest successes.

Question 20

Dotcom Bubble

Answer 20

A historic speculative bubble that began in the late 90’s and popped in the year 2000. Technology stocks soared in value as interest in the internet grew, but ultimately these stocks collapsed in value as the internet had not yet been fully adapted into the daily life of everyone.

Question 21

Monica Lewinski Scandal

Answer 21

Bill Clinton was accused of having inappropriate sexual relations with his White House intern Monica. Clinton at first denied the accusations, but later admitted he had been lying and confessed to the infidelity. Clinton was impeached by the House of Reps, but not by the Senate.He was able to remain President, but it cast a shadow over his Presidency.

Question 22

Kyoto Protocol

Answer 22

An environmental compact first ratified by major nations in 1997 in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. This agreement has not been ratified by the United States.

Question 23

2000 Election

Answer 23

Republican Governor of Texas George W. Bush defeated Democratic Vice-President Al Gore in the closest Presidential election in American history. Gore won the popular vote, but won the vote in the electoral college. There was a recount in Florida, but Bush was ultimately declared the winner of Florida after The Supreme Court ordered an end to the recount by a 5-4 decision.

Question 24

Al Gore

Answer 24

A Democrat known for his passionate environmentalism, Gore lost the election of 2000 to Bush in excruciating fashion. Since that time, Gore has made promoting environmental issues his main priority.

Question 25

George W. Bush

Answer 25

A Republican elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2004, he oversaw the nation during a turbulent time that feature a terrorist attack, two wars, and an economic collapse. His popularity cratered in his second term, although some of his policies such as tax cuts and efforts to reduce AIDS in Africa were popular among many.

Question 26

9/11 Attacks

Answer 26

Planned by terrorist group Al-Qaeda and masterminded by terrorist Osama Bin Laden, attacks of September 11th 20001 on the World Trade Center in NYC and The Pentagon in Washington D.C. killed about 3,000 Americans and had a profound impact on American society and American Foreign Policy. A wave of patriotism swept across America in the wake of the attacks.

Question 27

Patriot Act

Answer 27

Signed just nine days after the 9/11 attacks, this legislation gives the United States much broader powers to protect the United States from Terrorism than had previously been available. It’s use has been highly controversial because opponents of The Patriot Act argue that is violates The Constitution.

Question 28

Afghan War

Answer 28

A war originally launched in late 2001 to attack Al-Qaeda, and The Taliban (a political organization in Afghanistan accused of helping Al-Qaeda). The Taliban has been removed from power, but a Civil War endures and U.S. forces are fighting in Afghanistan up to this day.

Question 29

Iraq War

Answer 29

The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 and overthrew the government of Saddam Hussein amid repots that Iraq possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction. No Weapons of Mass Destruction were found, but the war lasted until 2011 and featured steady waves of sectarian violence and deaths on both sides. The government of Iraq is highly unstable today and The United States has tremendous long term debts owing to this conflict.

Question 30

Bush Doctrine

Answer 30

The idea that the United States has the right to protect itself from terrorism by any means necessary, and that The United States would not distinguish between terrorist groups and the countries that harbor terrorist groups. A key component of The Bush Doctrine is to confront terrorist groups before they have fully materialized.

Question 31

No Child Left Behind Act

Answer 31

Passed with support from both parties and signed into law by President Bush, The No Child Left Behind Act set high standards for education throughout the country. However, some have argues the act places too much focus on standardized tests.

Question 32

Bush Tax Cuts

Answer 32

In 2003 President Bush passed a significant tax cut for almost all Americans. These tax cuts were popular with the public, but they proved unsustainable as we sunk into regular budget deficits. President Obama repealed some of the tax cuts in 2011, but left some of them in place. Some argue that these tax cuts helped make Bush popular before the 2004 election.

Question 33

2004 Election

Answer 33

Incumbent Republican President George W. Bush defeated Democrat John Kerry in a very close election. Bush’s political team successfully questions Kerry’s military record and won, although the election came down to the state of Ohio which Bush won by 2%.

Question 34

John Kerry

Answer 34

The former Senator from Massachusetts lost the race for The Presidency in 2004, alongside his running mate John Edwards. However, he was named as Barack Obama’s Secretary of State in his second term.

Question 35

Hurricane Katrina/Government Response

Answer 35

Hurricane Katrina had devastating effects on the city of New Orleans, killing around 1,500 people and forcing the city to be evacuated. President Bush and Federal Government were criticized for their slow and disorganized response in helping the residents of New Orleans.

Question 36

Guantanamo Bay Prison

Answer 36

This prison, located on U.S. territory in Cuba, is used to house detainees that have been captured as part of The War on Terror. The existence of the prison is controversial as some argue that it violates the principle of our justice system laid out in The Constitution. In 2008, Barack Obama made closing the prison one of his campaign promises, but in 2014 the remains open.

Question 37

TARP

Answer 37

As a result of the collapse of the housing bubble, the economy had to be rescued by The Federal Government. Standing for Troubled Asset Relief Package, this bill allowed the government to bail out financial institutions with an infusion of $700 Billion. Most see this action as having been necessary to prevent more sever economic crisis.

Question 38

2008 Democratic Primary

Answer 38

New York Senator Hillary Clinton was the early favorite to win the nomination and become the first female Presidential candidate. However, the surprise campaign of Illinois Senator Barack Obama energized the Democratic base. Obama won a close primary race and became the first African-American candidate for President.

Question 39

2008 Election

Answer 39

As the nation dealt with difficult economic times, many Americans blamed George W. Bush, and by extension The Republican Party. Republican John McCain couldn’t match the enthusiasm and money that poured into Obama’s campaign based on “hope” and “change”. Obama won the election decisively, becoming the first African-American President.

Question 40

Hillary Clinton

Answer 40

The former First Lady and Senator from New York, Clinton was the favorite to be nominated by Democrats to seek the Presidency in 2008. However, she joined the cabinet of Barack Obama as Secretary of State during his first term. Many speculate that Clinton will seek the Presidency in 2016.

Question 41

John Edwards

Answer 41

He ran for Vice-President in 2004 as a Democrat and lost, and he also lost in his attempt to secure the Democratic nomination for President in 2008. His career ended as revelations of serial martial infidelities became public.

Question 42

John McCain

Answer 42

The Republican Senator from Arizona sought the Republican nomination for President in 2000, but lost to George W. Bush. However, he secured the nomination in 2008, but lost the Presidency to Barack Obama. He continues to serve as a U.S. Senator and is considered a “hawk” on foreign policy.

Question 43

Sarah Palin

Answer 43

The former Governor of Alaska was the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate in 2008. A TEA Party darling, Palin was greeted with lots of enthusiasm from conservative citizens.

Question 44

Affordable Care Act

Answer 44

Also known as “Obama Care”, The ACA is the signature legislative achievement of Barack Obama’s Presidency. It is designed to provide universal healthcare to American society, but it has proved highly controversial because the law forces some people to buy insurance, raises insurance rates for some, and was passed without any Republican votes. The opinions of liberals and conservatives are highly split over this law, but the ultimate success or failure of the law is still being determined.

Question 45

Appointments of Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan

Answer 45

Barack Obama has appointed two Supreme Court justices during his Presidency. Sonia became the first Latin judge in the Courts history, and Kagan represents the 3rd woman on the nine member court.

Question 46

TEA Party

Answer 46

Standing for Taxed Enough Already, The TEA party emerged in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008. Focusing on limiting the role of government, reducing taxes and upholding the principles of The Constitution, The TEA party has had its largest impact on the house of reps. It is not an official political party, but a branch within the republican party very focused on limited government.

Question 47

2012 Election

Answer 47

Barack Obama defeated Republican candidate Mitt Romney. Obama did not win by as large a margin as in 2008, but he still was elected decisively. Obama’s campaign featured a sophisticated voter turnout operation that relied heavily on internet technology.

Question 48

Mitt Romney

Answer 48

The former Governor of Massachusetts, this Republican unsuccessfully sought the Republican Presidential nomination in 2008 before winning the nomination in 2012. Though he lot to Barack Obama in that election, he became the first Mormon candidate for President .

Question 49

Obama’s Use of Drones

Answer 49

President Obama has continued President Bush’s policies of seeking to destroy terrorist networks before they are fully developed. Mr. Obama has used drone technology to kill targets in locations such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. However, these policies have been criticized because of a large number of civilian deaths, among other reasons.

Question 50

Edward Snowden/ NSA

Answer 50

In 2013 CIA employee Edward Snowden leaked top secret documents to reporters. The documents revealed the extent of the NSA’s spying operation both abroad and domestically. Mr. Snowden raised legitimate questions about the tension between privacy and security, but NSA practices have not been changed. This issues is still playing out in political arena and in the court of popular opinion.