U.S. History Challenge Questions Flashcards
- Once an amendment has been added to the United States Constitution, which process must be used to change that amendment?
- ratifying a new amendment
- convincing the states to ignore the amendment
- having Congress pass a law repealing the amendment
- having the President issue an executive order canceling the amendment
Explanation: The Constitution is referred to as a “living document”. This is due to the ability to add, remove and amend sections of the document in order to adapt to changing times and conditions. Changing a provision contained within the Constitution or a Constitutional Amendment requires a further amendment to the Constitution that specifically removes or adjusts the provision in question.
- The “supply side” economics of President Ronald Reagan and President George Bush favored
- raising tariffs to increase the number of imports
- increasing Federal taxes to support social welfare programs
- providing incentives to stimulate business growth
- establishing government programs to provide jobs for the unemployed
Explanation: Supply-side economics centered increasing the supply of goods and services available. The theory held that increasing supply would result in increased need for employees and that increased employment would result in increased money in circulation as employees spent. The theory is very closely related to the trickle-down theory attempted by the Hoover administration during the Great Depression. The major difference in the two is that Trickle-Down was a relative failure and Supply-Side was a minor success. The slight success of Supply-Side however had as much to do with the presence of a social safety net and improving economic conditions as any positive economic effect of the policy.
- Which New Deal program was chiefly designed to correct abuses in the stock market?
- Federal Emergency Relief Act
- Civilian Conservation Corps
- Works Progress Administration
- Securities and Exchange Commission
Explanation: The SEC oversees the sale of stocks and bonds. The crash of the market in 1929 lead to a reexamination of the sale of stocks, buying on margin and the need for government regulation, the SEC was established in an effort to avoid a repeat of the 1929 disaster.
- “Prices and wages should be determined by the marketplace.” The author of this statement would most probably support
- government ownership of utilities
- minimum-wage laws
- wage and price controls
- laissez-faire capitalism
Explanation: Laissez-Faire capitalism calls for the complete non-involvement of government in the economy. The approach is one of “hands-off”, in which prices, quality and competitive practices are solely determined by competition. This approach was advocated by the English economist Adam Smith in his work The Wealth of Nationsand followed by the US government up until the late 1800’s, early 1900’s.
21 In a farewell message to the American public, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of the growth of the “military-industrial complex.” This term refers to the
- influence of defense contractors on Congress
- threat from the Soviet Army
- internal danger from Communist spies
- economy’s dependence on oil imported from the Middle East
- The Washington Naval Conference of 1921-22 and the SALT talks of the 1970’s between the United States and the Soviet Union both reflect the belief that
- civil wars within nations can create international hostilities
- escalating military buildups are one of the causes of war
- cultural exchange programs can reduce world tensions
- rivalry between nations over the control of natural resources is the major cause of conflict
Explanation: All of the examples listed are focused on the reduction or limitation of weapons. While the results have been mixed as far as success, the overall reduction in tensions between nations may have helped to avoid wider spread disagreements or an escalating arms race.
“President Nixon Plans Trip to China To Meet with Chairman Mao”
“President Carter Signs New Panama Canal Treaty”
“President Clinton Concludes Trade Agreement with Japan”
- Each headline illustrates an action of a President fulfilling his role as
- head of his political party
- Commander in Chief
- chief diplomat
- chief legislator
Explanation: The roles and powers of the President are specifically addressed in Article II of the Constitution. The President is specifically granted powers as Chief Diplomat in which he serves the United States representative to foreign nations and negotiates treaties and agreements, as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, as Chief Executive of federal agencies, as Chief Legislator to recommend legislation, as well as a variety of other roles.
- During the latter half of the 19th century, many business organizations in the United States combined into large corporations because
- income levels for workers would be improved
- government intervention in economic affairs would decline
- efficiency in production methods could be increased
- economic possibilities outside the United States could be explored
Explanation: The advantage of larger corporations over smaller ones becomes clear when considering the idea of “Economies of Scale”. The idea is a simple one, a larger corporation will make more of a given product and as a result buy more of the raw materials needed in production and negotiate a lower cost for those materials. The result is that a bigger corporation will be able to offer the same product at a lower overall cost to consumers, giving it the advantage in the marketplace against smaller competitors. Corporations such as Standard Oil used this advantage to lower prices and drive many smaller companies out of business.
- The majority of cases heard by the United States Supreme Court come to the Court because of its constitutional power to
- exercise jurisdiction in legal situations involving foreign governments
- advise Congress on the legality of bills
- mediate disagreements between states
- act on decisions appealed from lower courts
Explanation: The Supreme Court serves mostly as an appellate court and hears the vast majority of its cases as appeals from lower Federal or State courts. The Supreme Court does not determine guilt or innocence (point-of-fact) as a lower court may, instead the Supreme Court rules on the law itself or how the law was carried out (point-of-law). The Supreme Court does have original jurisdiction in cases of a state versus state matter or in a case of one branch of federal government versus another (ex. US vs. Nixon), but this is a very limited number of cases the court rules upon.
- Which speaker best describes the basic foreign policy of the United States until the late 1800’s?
- *Speaker A:**“We must take action even if we are not sure it will work. To do nothing to stop them would be a repeat of the Munich mistake.”
- *Speaker B:**“We must recognize the increasing interdependence of nations and join the United Nations.”
- *Speaker C:**“Stopping the spread of communism can and must take several forms. We must be willing to do whatever is necessary.”
- *Speaker D**:”Involvement in European affairs would be a mistake. We should not jeopardize our peace and prosperity over issues that Europe’s ambitions and rivalries control.”
Explanation: In his farewell address George Washington warned the fledgling America to stay clear of “entangling alliances” with the Europeans, but to continue economic ties with the continent. This policy of neutrality in Europe (and in most external affairs) remained a fixture of US foreign policy up until the growth of US imperialism in the late 1800’s.
- One important conclusion that can be drawn as a result of the United States experience in both the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Persian Gulf War (1991) is that
- only the President should decide issues of war and peace
- the media are a powerful influence in shaping American public opinion toward war
- the public has little confidence in the ability of the American military
- international organizations play a decisive role in determining the outcome of a war
Explanation: The role of the “Yellow Press” in helping to bring about the Spanish-American War cannot be overstated. The exaggerations and hyperbole of reports from the Cuban Revolution against Spain were printed daily in the competing papers of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. The resulting fervor over the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana, Cuba and the press coverage that followed, all but assured a war with the Spanish. Similarly, during the Gulf War, favorable coverage of the war by the American press, coupled with the lack of actual “on the ground” combat helped to shape public perception and support of the war effort.
- The main significance of the Watergate affair was that it
- led to the impeachment and conviction of President Richard Nixon
- showed that the laws of the United States are superior to the actions of a President
- was the first time a President had disagreed with Congress
- proved that Presidential powers are unlimited
Explanation: The Supreme Court ruled in the 1973 United States v. Nixon case that executive privilege only protected Nixon in his official capacity as president and Nixon’s accused actions were outside that official capacity. This exemplifies the American ideal that no man is above the law and that the laws of the US apply to all offices of government, even the presidency.
23 The primary purpose of the War Powers Act (1973) is to
- limit Presidential power to send troops into combat
- allow for a quicker response to a military attack
- assure adequate defense of the Western Hemisphere
- stop the use of troops for nonmilitary purposes
Explanation: In both the Korean and Vietnam ‘conflicts’ no formal declaration of war by the US Congress was given. In the case of Korea, the conflict was a ‘police action’ carried out by the United Nations. In the case of Vietnam, the issuance of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964) gave then president Lyndon Johnson nearly unlimited power to “repel any armed attack against the United States and to prevent further aggression”. In reaction to both of these conflicts, Congress passed the War Powers Act in 1973 which calls for the president as Commander-in-Chief to notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops and to end such a conflict after 60 days, unless approved by Congress.
- “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; . . .”
This quotation is evidence that some of the basic ideas in the Declaration of Independence were
- limitations of the principles underlying most European governments of the 1700’s.
- adaptations of the laws of Spanish colonial governments in North America.
- adoptions of rules used by the Holy Roman Empire.
- reflections of the philosophies of the European Enlightenment
Explanation: Enlightenment thinker John Locke stated in his Two Treatises, that people had natural right including life, liberty, and property. This philosophy was adopted by Jefferson and incorporated into his writing of the Declaration of Independence.
- The speakers below are discussing foreign policies that the United States has followed at various times. Base your answers on their statements and on your knowledge of social studies.
Speaker A: Steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.
Speaker B: The United States will give economic aid to needy countries anywhere in the world, but will not provide military aid.
Speaker C: The United States must prevent the growth of communism.
Speaker D: The United States can take over other countries to help them become more like us. The Korean conflict and the Vietnam conflict were attempts to carry out the foreign policy described by Speaker
Explanation: Speaker C is describing the main idea behind the US policy of containment. The concept of containment was one in which the US government exercised a foreign policy that aimed to halt the spread of communism. Actions such as the Marshall Plan’s aid to European economies after WWII, the Truman Doctrine’s aid to Greece and Turkey as well as the Korean and Vietnam wars referenced above, all serve as examples of this policy in action.
