AP U.S. History › Representative Viewpoints in U.S. Political History from 1899 to the Present
Blue laws are .
generally based on religion or notions of immorality
laws designed to discourage non-white political participation
created to prevent further immigration from a certain region or nationality
accepted universally throughout the United States
designed to preserve a portion of land for a national park or forest
Blue laws are a type of law designed to ensure the observance of some religious code of morality. Typically in American history they have been used to ensure the observance of a religious holiday or feast day, or to ensure that minority religious groups do not break with Christian law. Today, most (but not all) Blue laws have been rendered illegal, unconstitutional, or both; many Blue laws persist in the form of alcohol prohibition, however.
What was the name of the document written by Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey that detailed policy perspectives and promises by House Republicans in advance of the 1994 midterm elections?
Contract with America
Fiscal Responsibility Pledge
Pledge to America
National Security Restoration Plan
Republican Revolution
The document detailing House Republican policies and promises was titled the "Contract with America." Proposed bills in the document included the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the National Security Restoration Act. The Pledge to America was a similar document drafted by House Republicans in advance of the 2010 midterm elections.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
To which political and social reformer could the above quote most reasonable be attributed?
Martin Luther King Jr.
Margaret Sanger
Eleanor Smeal
Doris Stevens
Malcolm X
The above quote was spoken by Martin Luther King Jr, in an address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1967. The speech was titled Where do we go from here? It was something of a call to arms (as was much of what King said and did). He called on people to start correcting the racial injustices that had existed in the United States throughout its history—before the injustices started to correct themselves—in a less peaceful manner.
Which of the following was a major argument advanced by groups opposed to the Equal Rights Amendment?
The Amendment would enforce new rules which would radically damage societal structures
The Amendment did not do enough to ensure its stated goals with concrete provisions
The Amendment was too general, offering little in the way of new governmental protections
The Amendment was redundant with laws that were already in existence that protected individual rights
The Amendment was an overreach of the Federal government's power over and above state law
The Equal Rights Amendment stated simply that "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." First introduced in 1923, the Amendment finally gained momentum in the early 1970s, being ratified by 35 of the 38 states needed to make it official; however, a group of conservative women led by Phyllis Schlafly began a campaign against the ERA, which largely centered on the argument that the Amendment would enforce new strictures that would eliminate the traditional role of women and reshape society to a deleterious effect. The ERA was never ratified.
Leaders of the women's suffrage movement Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony opposed a Constitutional amendment. Which amendment did they oppose, and why did they oppose its passage?
Stanton and Anthony refused to support the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, arguing against granting legal protection and voting rights to African American men while women of all backgrounds were still denied suffrage.
Stanton and Anthony opposed the Eighteenth Amendment because they believed prohibition was a violation of personal choice.
Stanton and Anthony opposed the Nineteenth Amendment because they felt it did not go far enough in guaranteeing equal rights for women.
Stanton and Anthony refused to support the passage of the Twenty-First Amendment because they strongly supported the temperance movement as empowering to women.
Stanton and Anthony opposed Twenty-First Amendment because they did not believe in repealing amendments that had already been passed.
Stanton and Anthony opposed the Reconstruction Amendments, particularly the Fifteenth Amendment, because it did not grant voting rights to women. This led to a schism in the suffrage movement among activists who felt that granting the vote to emancipated African Americans should take priority, and those such as Stanton and Anthony who felt it was unfair.
“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.”
The above quote could most reasonably be attributed to which United States President?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Ronald Reagan
Dwight Eisenhower
William Taft
George H.W. Bush
The above quote reflects the political and economic views of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was President during the Great Depression, and during his thirteen years as President he did a great deal to expand welfare, social security, and healthcare, as well as helping to reduce the massive financial gap between the wealthy and the poor.
The American President impeached by the House of Representative for lying to congress in 1998 was __________.
Bill Clinton
George H.W. Bush
George W. Bush
Ronald Reagan
Barack Obama
President Bill Clinton was revealed to have had an affair with a White House Intern, Monica Lewinsky, in 1998. Initially, Clinton attempted to deny the affair, but evidence was provided to make it clear he had the affair. Thanks to his denial in front of Congress, a Republican led House brought impeachment charges. Clinton was acquitted by the Senate, and remained President.
What were the primary objectives of Richard Nixon’s “New Federalism”?
A reduction of Federal authority over the States and fewer social programs
To end the war in Vietnam and bring the troops home before the 1972 election
An expansion of social programs and greater government involvement in the economy
To encourage nuclear non-proliferation and trade agreements with China and USSR
To terminate the funding to NASA and end the war in Vietnam
The term “New Federalism” refers to a policy of increasing the power of the States, at the expense of Federal authority. Nixon used the term to include an additional reduction in programs providing for social-welfare. By 1971 approximately two-thirds of Americans disapproved of the ongoing war in Vietnam. Nixon was aware that in order to win the election of 1972, he had to bring the troops home, which he did; however, this decision does not fit under the umbrella of “New Federalism." Nixon also encouraged more familiar relations with the USSR, in an attempt to discourage armament, a move thatalso opened relations with China.
“I’m the ultimately responsible person in this organization. Other people can pass the buck to me, but I can’t pass the buck to anyone else.”
To which United States President does the above quote belong?
Harry S. Truman
Dwight Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Theodore Roosevelt
William Henry Harrison
The above quote is credited to President Harry S. Truman. He famously kept a note on his desk that read “The buck stops here.” It was Truman’s view that in politics, responsibility is generally passed upwards in order to transfer responsibility in the event of failure.
Which of the following reasons were given for President Truman's decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan?
He wanted to frighten the axis powers in Europe.
He wanted to conquer Japan as an American colony.
He wanted to end the war and save American lives.
He wanted to control all South Pacific trading through a show of strength.
He wanted to divide the occupied zones before the Potsdam conference.
The media and President Truman's staff presented a united face behind the decision to drop the atomic bombs, announcing that the cultural climate in Japan would not allow the Japanese to surrender until every American and Japanese soldier had died; therefore, dropping the bomb would allow the American soldiers to return home.