Causation in Period 9 Practice Test

Secondary-source excerpt (Period 9, 1980–present): Growing scientific consensus about climate change and visible environmental disruptions increased pressure for government action. However, the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels, lobbying by energy interests, and partisan divisions limited the scope of federal legislation. As a result, many initiatives shifted toward state-level policies, court cases, and executive actions, while climate politics became a recurring source of national controversy.

Which option best identifies a cause of the shift toward state-level and executive initiatives described in the excerpt?

Secondary-source excerpt (Period 9, 1980–present): Legal and cultural changes advanced LGBTQ+ rights in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Activism during the AIDS crisis increased visibility and pressured institutions to respond, while shifting public opinion and court decisions gradually expanded protections. The legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 reflected these long-term trends, but it also prompted continued debates over religious liberty, discrimination law, and the role of the courts in social change.

Which choice best describes a cause of the 2015 outcome referenced in the excerpt?