US History
Which action was a goal of President Barack Obama’s administration?
F. Introducing reforms to health care insurance
G. Easing restrictions for gun ownership
H. Reducing regulations for offshore drilling
J. Requiring women to register for the draft
F. Introducing reforms to health care insurance
Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows.
“Veto of the War Powers Resolution” House Joint Resolution 542 [The War Powers Act] would attempt to take away, by a mere legislative act, authorities which the President has properly exercised under the Constitution for almost 200 years. One of its provisions would automatically cut off certain authorities after sixty days unless the Congress extended them. —President Richard Nixon, October 24, 1973
Why did Congress override the veto described in this excerpt?
F. Congress wanted to expand its power to provide funding to the military.
G. Congress wanted to limit the president’s power to send U.S. troops into armed conflicts.
H. Congress wanted to regain control over its treaty-making powers.
J. Congress wanted to give the president the power to make battlefield decisions
G. Congress wanted to limit the president’s power to send U.S. troops into armed conflicts.
Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows.
Evidence for “productivity miracles” arising from the computer and from information technology (IT) in general appears to be all around us . . . The New York Stock Exchange handles electronically a volume of transactions that was inconceivable in the pre-computer age. Businesses nowadays can compute and communicate far faster than they could, say, a decade or two ago. —Alan S. Blinder and Richard E. Quant, “The Computer and the Economy,” The Atlantic, December 1997 How has use of the technology described in this excerpt impacted the United States?
F. By increasing the number of workers in the agricultural sector
G. By increasing the amount of time used to manufacture goods
H. By increasing the efficiency of workers and businesses
J. By increasing the health and safety risks faced by industrial workers
H. By increasing the efficiency of workers and businesses
Which action BEST prepares a responsible citizen to vote?
F. Staying informed about issues affecting the country and communities
G. Defending the country through military service if the need arises
H. Getting a high-paying job with health care and retirement benefits
J. Participating on a grand jury on a regular basis
F. Staying informed about issues affecting the country and communities
How did the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine affect the role of the United States in the world?
F. By establishing military alliances with Asian nations
G. By proclaiming a policy of isolationism
H. By creating a plan to stop the spread of communism
J. By announcing a willingness to intervene in the affairs of Western Hemisphere nations
J. By announcing a willingness to intervene in the affairs of Western Hemisphere nations
Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows. New Orleans is surrounded by water—Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River, and the nearby Gulf of Mexico. Resting an average of six feet (two meters) below 1 , the city’s safety has long depended on one of the world’s most extensive 2 . —Brian Handwerk, National Geographic News, September 2, 2005 Which pair of phrases correctly completes this quote?
A. 1) the earth’s surface 2) highway systems
B. 1) fault lines 2) earthquake alarm systems
C. 1) sea level 2) levee systems
D. 1) high tide 2) canal systems
C. 1) sea level 2) levee systems
Which question is associated with the passage of the Espionage and Sedition Acts during World War I?
F. Should industries be allowed to prohibit workers from joining unions?
G. Can the government require citizens to purchase war bonds?
H. At what age should citizens be required to enlist in a branch of the military?
J. Can the government limit the constitutional rights of citizens during wartime?
J. Can the government limit the constitutional rights of citizens during wartime?
Read the list and answer the question that follows.
• Growth of social media
• Increased use of cell phones
• Election of first African American president Which time period is represented by this information?
A. 1970s
B. 1980s
C. 1990s
D. 2000s
D. 2000s
What has been one effect of population growth on the physical environment?
F. Increased supplies of underground water
G. Increased damage to coastal ecosystems
H. Decreased greenhouse gas emissions
J. Decreased air pollution levels
G. Increased damage to coastal ecosystems
How does the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) continue to affect U.S. citizens?
F. By regulating loans made to investors who buy stocks on margin
G. By changing interest rates to prevent people from paying higher prices for goods
H. By providing financial assistance to elderly people who are retired
J. By protecting the savings of bank customers during an economic crisis
J. By protecting the savings of bank customers during an economic crisis
Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 allowed investigators to obtain books, records, papers, documents and other items sought “in connection with” a terror investigation.
Argument For Section 215
Increased investigative authority is needed to avert a future terrorist attack.
Argument Against Section 215
If investigators have these broad powers, the ? will be ignored.
Which phrase correctly replaces the question mark in this table?
F. right to privacy
G. right to bear arms
H. right to a speedy trial
J. right to an attorney
F. right to privacy
Read the excerpt and answer the question that follows.
U.S. TV studios send a lot of their shows to Russia. . . . We’re not just talking... dubbed over in another language. . . . These are . . . remakes in which characters and storylines have been adapted to reflect local... sensibilities. —Tim Newcomb, Time Magazine, October 2013 Which concept is BEST described by this excerpt?
A. Cultural diffusion
B. Nativism
C. Social Darwinism
D. Containment
A. Cultural diffusion
Which action did Congress take to help protect native plants and animals from extinction?
F. Passed the Endangered Species Act
G. Constructed the Hoover Dam
H. Passed the Community Reinvestment Act
J. Established the Department of Energy
F. Passed the Endangered Species Act
Which U.S. action was the MOST direct and immediate response to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin?
A. Airlifting supplies to people in West Berlin
B. Creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
C. Withdrawing military forces from West Berlin
D. Providing financial support to help rebuild European nations
A. Airlifting supplies to people in West Berlin
Which statement describes how the Transcontinental Railroad affected the United States during the late 1800s?
F. The railroad contributed to the rapid settlement and growth of towns in the West.
G. The railroad caused a rapid decline in agriculture and mining in the West.
H. The railroad contributed to population growth and increased sharecropping in the East.
J. The railroad prompted Congress to buy land and create national parks in the East
F. The railroad contributed to the rapid settlement and growth of towns in the West.
Which statement describes how the GI Bill affected the United States during the 1950s?
A. The act allowed members of minority groups to join the armed forces because it desegregated the military.
B. The financial regulations in the act protected the deposits of bank customers.
C. The educational benefits included in the act helped provide training to military veterans.
D. The act provided employment opportunities for women because it made discrimination in the workplace illegal.
C. The educational benefits included in the act helped provide training to military veterans.
During the late 1960s, Mexican American students in Los Angeles participated in the Chicano movement by organizing school walkouts. What was the PRIMARY goal of these walkouts?
A. To end the use of poll taxes for voting
B. To raise awareness of insufficient educational opportunities
C. To protest the rising cost of college education
D. To support the passage of a minimum wage law
B. To raise awareness of insufficient educational opportunities
Read the list and answer the question that follows.
• Suffrage for African American men
• Suffrage for women
• Suffrage for 18-year-old men and women How were these rights formally obtained?
A. By granting citizenship to immigrants
B. By passing antitrust legislation
C. By ratifying constitutional amendments
D. By engaging in an international conflict
C. By ratifying constitutional amendments
What effect did the sinking of the Lusitania have on World War I?
A. Germany joined the Central Powers.
B. U.S. public opinion shifted against Germany.
C. Germany refused to join the League of Nations.
D. U.S. leaders proposed a military alliance with Germany
B. U.S. public opinion shifted against Germany.
In the 1960s which action of the Black Panthers was MOST DIFFERENT from the philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?
A. Writing a ten-point platform that demanded decent housing
B. Using armed patrols to protect neighborhoods
C. Operating the Free Breakfast for Children Program
D. Creating “survival” programs that included medical and legal aid
B. Using armed patrols to protect neighborhoods
What was one result of the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the 1930s?
F. State governments took over the responsibility of protecting minority rights.
G. The federal government was no longer responsible for protecting natural resources.
H. State governments could no longer control their budgets.
J. The federal government provided aid to people suffering from unemployment
J. The federal government provided aid to people suffering from unemployment
Read the list and answer the question that follows.
• Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
• National Child Labor Committee (NCLC)
• Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
• Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)
How have these groups influenced U.S. culture?
F. By supporting government funding of the arts and sciences
G. By supporting increased environmental protections
H. By supporting the implementation of social reforms
J. By supporting the development of free trade practices
H. By supporting the implementation of social reforms
Which statement describes one of the MOST important reasons why the United States annexed the Kingdom of Hawaii?
A. The islands offered excellent locations for tropical resorts.
B. The local residents needed help to prevent the spread of poverty and disease.
C. The location was strategically valuable to both military and business leaders.
D. The local rulers wanted financial assistance to rebuild after a natural disaster
C. The location was strategically valuable to both military and business leaders.
How did the United States respond to the launch of Sputnik I in 1957 by the Soviet Union?
A. By increasing health care benefits and pensions for the military
B. By implementing the Marshall Plan
C. By increasing funding for math and science education
D.. By joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
C. By increasing funding for math and science education
Why was President Ronald Reagan criticized for the Iran-Contra Affair?
A. His administration supported a revolution against an elected leader in Iran.
B. His policies involved the sharing of nuclear technology with Iran.
C. His policies threatened petroleum trade agreements with Iran.
D. His administration violated an embargo by selling weapons to Iran
D. His administration violated an embargo by selling weapons to Iran