Ch42 The American People Face a New Century.docx

Chapter 42—The American People Face a New Century SHORT ANSWER Identify and state the historical significance of the following: 1. Jonas Salk ANS: Student answers will vary. 2. Cesar Chavez ANS: Student answers will vary. 3. Douglas Wilder ANS: Student answers will vary. 4. O. J. Simpson ANS: Student answers will vary. 5. Condoleezza Rice ANS: Student answers will vary. 6. Barack Obama ANS: Student answers will vary. 7. Randolph Bourne ANS: Student answers will vary. 8. Norman MacLean ANS: Student answers will vary. 9. Toni Morrison ANS: Student answers will vary. 10. Maxine Hong Kingston ANS: Student answers will vary. 11. Frank McCourt ANS: Student answers will vary. 12. Sandra Cisneros ANS: Student answers will vary. 13. Jackson Pollock ANS: Student answers will vary. 14. David Mamet ANS: Student answers will vary. 15. Frank Lloyd Wright ANS: Student answers will vary. 16. Eero Saarinen ANS: Student answers will vary. Define and state the historical significance of the following: 17. "dot.com" businesses ANS: Student answers will vary. 18. "outsourcing" ANS: Student answers will vary. 19. stem cell research ANS: Student answers will vary. 20. Big Science ANS: Student answers will vary. 21. research universities ANS: Student answers will vary. 22. gender gap ANS: Student answers will vary. 23. mainstream media ANS: Student answers will vary. 24. blogosphere ANS: Student answers will vary. 25. Information Age ANS: Student answers will vary. 26. multiculturalism ANS: Student answers will vary. 27. abstract expressionism ANS: Student answers will vary. 28. pop art ANS: Student answers will vary. 29. postmodernism ANS: Student answers will vary. Describe and state the historical significance of the following: 30. Microsoft Corporation ANS: Student answers will vary. 31. Human Genome Project ANS: Student answers will vary. 32. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ANS: Student answers will vary. 33. Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 ANS: Student answers will vary. 34. United Farm Workers Organizing Committee ANS: Student answers will vary. 35. Cinco de Mayo ANS: Student answers will vary. 36. National Endowment for the Arts ANS: Student answers will vary. MULTIPLE CHOICE 37. The rise of computer corporations like Microsoft and dot.com businesses signaled the advent of a. industrial technology. b. the global information age. c. mass democracy. d. entrepreneurial capitalism. e. the speculative stock market. ANS: B REF: p. 991 38. All of the following proved to be characteristics of the new information age economy except a. instant global communications. b. high-tech computer and media businesses. c. the decline of traditional occupations mediating between products and clients. d. an end to the boom-and-bust capitalist business cycle. e. outsourcing of white collar American jobs to Third World countries. ANS: D REF: p. 991 39. Among the biggest trends for white collar workers in the twenty-first century is a. the continued outsourcing of financial service and engineering jobs to other countries. b. declining salary rates across the board. c. increased opportunities to relocate internationally. d. jobs requiring a higher level of education than in the past. e. work days that have inched up from eight to ten or even twelve hours a day. ANS: A REF: p. 991 40. Major advances in genetic and stem-cell research led to all the following except a. the cloning of human beings. b. the prospect of major new medical therapies. c. the prospect of large profits for bioengineering companies. d. concern about the ethical implications of cloning and the destruction of embryos. e. the development of new high-yield crops. ANS: A REF: p. 992 41. The post-World War II rise of Big Science was characterized by a. an emphasis on the ethical implications of scientific research. b. large expenditures on failed research initiatives. c. a close alliance of the federal government, defense-oriented industries, and American research universities. d. an emphasis on individual scientific genius and entrepreneurship. e. a belief that knowledge should be advanced without government involvement and interference. ANS: C REF: p. 994 42. The gap between rich and poor widened in the 1980s and 1990s for all of the following reasons except a. intensifying global economic competition. b. the decline of unions. c. tax policies of the Carter and Clinton administrations. d. the growth of part-time and temporary work. e. the greater economic rewards for education. ANS: C REF: p. 992-993 43. The group most profoundly affected by the great economic changes of the late twentieth century was a. African Americans. b. Hispanics. c. Asian Americans. d. women. e. southerners. ANS: D REF: p. 996 44. One of the most dramatic changes in women's economic condition by the early twenty-first century was a. that equal pay was finally a reality. b. the employment of mothers. c. the decline in the number of women seeking high-demand careers. d. the removal of the glass ceiling preventing advancement to top positions. e. the complete end of largely single-sex occupations. ANS: B REF: p. 996 45. Despite numerous victories, feminists in the 1990s and 2000s continued to be frustrated for all of these reasons except that a. the percentage of women physicians in America remained low. b. women generally were paid less than men for performing corresponding jobs. c. women remained concentrated in traditionally feminine occupations. d. women continued to be legally barred from holding high-level, high-prestige positions. e. women continued to bear the greatest responsibilities for the welfare of children. ANS: D REF: p. 996 46. One reason that many women remained in low-skill, low-prestige, and low-paying occupations was that they a. were not allowed to seek advancement. b. had not yet obtained executive experience. c. did not have the same educational levels as men. d. were not protected as workers by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. e. bore more of the burdens of parenthood than men. ANS: E REF: p. 996 47. As women's status changed, men's lives changed in all of the following ways except a. employers offered paternity leave in addition to maternity leave. b. companies increasingly acknowledged shared obligations of two-worker households. c. more men took on traditional female household chores. d. Congress passed a Family Leave Bill that protected jobs for fathers and mothers who need time off for family reasons. e. men began to look outside of their marriages for the emotional connections they once shared with wives. ANS: E REF: p. 996-997 48. By the 2000s, the traditional nuclear family unit was undergoing severe strain because a. the divorce rate had increased. b. the number of single-parent households had risen. c. parent-substitutes had assumed the role of child-rearing. d. the family no longer served many of its traditional social functions. e. All of these ANS: E REF: p. 997 49. One dramatic trend regarding American poverty that occurred in the 1990s and 2000 was a a. sharp increase in poverty for those over age 65. b. decrease in poverty for children. c. concentration of poverty in a few regions like Appalachia. d. decrease in poverty for those over age 65. e. decrease in poverty for single mothers. ANS: D REF: p. 999 50. The money used to provide Social Security payments to retirees comes from a. the federal income tax. b. the contributions made by the elderly during their working lives. c. Social Security taxes paid by current workers. d. private employers' pension funds. e. the federal government's investment of Social Security contributions in the stock market. ANS: C REF: p. 999 51. In terms of immigration patterns, the period from the 1980s to 2004 has witnessed a. a return to the high immigration rates of 1924-1965. b. a resurgence of European immigration to America. c. a decrease in the number of Asian immigrants. d. a successful effort to block the flow of immigrants to America's shores. e. the heaviest influx of immigrants in America's experience. ANS: E REF: p. 1000 52. The New Immigrants of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries a. came to America primarily in search of jobs and economic opportunity. b. assimilated more quickly into the American mainstream than earlier waves of immigrants. c. received more in welfare payments, as a group, than they paid in taxes. d. made Mexican Americans the largest American minority by 1995. e. settled primarily on the East Coast. ANS: A REF: p. 1000 53. The Latino immigrant population maintained their language and culture better than most previous immigrant groups because a. they were so thinly scattered across the country. b. they lived in segregated neighborhoods. c. of their large numbers and geographic concentration. d. of a stronger desire to preserve their culture than previous groups had. e. they remained politically loyal to the Latin American nations from which they came. ANS: C REF: p. 1000 54. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 attempted to a. restrict access to welfare for legal immigrants. b. require immigrants to learn English as a condition of American citizenship. c. restrict access to welfare and education for illegal immigrants. d. deny amnesty to illegal immigrants living in the U.S. e. penalize employers for hiring illegal immigrants. ANS: E REF: p. 1000 55. In 2005, the foreign-born population accounted for ____ percent of the United States' population. a. about 17 b. more than 30 c. about 23 d. about 13 e. less than 5 ANS: D REF: p. 1001 56. Studies show that illegal immigrants a. do not seek education for their children. b. mostly plan to return to their country of origin as soon as they can. c. claim welfare benefits at the taxpayer's expense. d. are responsible for a disproportionate share of crime. e. pay more dollars in federal taxes than they claim in benefits but do often burden local government services. ANS: E REF: p. 1001 57. President George H.W. Bush's plan to offer a "path to citizenship" for 12 million illegal immigrants, while tightening border control and penalizing illegal immigrant hiring a. gained powerful political momentum through the support of the Catholic Church. b. won strong support from most elements of his Republican party. c. pleased almost no one and failed to pass Congress. d. was welcome by most immigrants and their advocates. e. sharply divided immigrant groups between those favoring and those opposing it. ANS: C REF: p. 1001 58. By the early twenty-first century, evidence of the growing numbers and influence of the Latino population in the U.S. could be seen in all of the following ways except a. electing mayors of major cities such as Miami, Denver and San Antonio. b. the United Farm Workers' success in improving working conditions for the mostly Chicano laborers. c. more Hispanic restaurants and foods in supermarkets. d. increasing Spanish-language television broadcasts. e. more election ballots in Spanish. ANS: C REF: p. 1004 59. The most populous group of Latinos in the United States comes from a. Cuba. b. Nicaragua. c. El Salvador. d. Mexico. e. the Dominican Republic. ANS: D REF: p. 1002 60. By 2002, approximately ____ percent of African Americans lived in central cities. a. 10 b. 52 c. 25 d. 75 e. 90 ANS: B REF: p. 1006 61. Signs of progress for African Americans in the early 2000s include all of the following except a. more people moving into the middle class. b. rising numbers of blacks holding political office locally and nationally. c. declining numbers of single, female-headed households. d. increasing numbers of blacks buying homes in the suburbs. e. an end to efforts to disqualify their votes or keep them from the polls. ANS: C REF: p. 1006 62. African Americans' goal of achieving higher education received a substantial boost when the Supreme Court ruled in 2003 that. a. blacks could be hired directly as full professors in American universities. b. racial discrimination in awarding financial aid was illegal. c. formerly all-white universities had to provide compensation for past discrimination. d. affirmative action in admissions was legitimate so long as rigid quotas or point systems were not used. e. racially oriented African American Studies programs were legal. ANS: D REF: p. 1007 63. A few early-twentieth-century intellectuals like Horace Kallen and Randolph Bourne were advocates of a. racial integration. b. Eurocentrism. c. cultural pluralism. d. universal human rights. e. the melting pot. ANS: C REF: p. 1007 64. Critics of multiculturalism in American education charged that too much of it would lead to a. distorting the achievements of minorities. b. too much emphasis on white ethnic groups. c. ethnic violence and possibly civil war. d. Eurocentrism. e. a loss of national cohesion and appreciation of shared American values. ANS: E REF: p. 1007 65. Mexican American mutual aid societies or Mutualistas provided a. a way for money to be transferred to relatives back in Mexico. b. recreation, aid for the sick and disabled, and defense against discrimination. c. a political alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties. d. artistic, intellectual, and religious outlets for the immigrant community. e. a way to maintain Mexican citizenship within the United States. ANS: B REF: p. 1002 66. The first significant numbers of Mexican American immigrants to the United States came during the a. aftermath of the Mexican War, 1850-1860. b. era of the Mexican Revolution, 1910-1920. c. Great Depression, 1930-1940. d. aftermath of World War II, 1945-1955. e. post-Vietnam War era, 1975-1985. ANS: B REF: p. 1002 67. Which of the following is not among the reasons that Mexican immigrants were, for a long time, slow to become American citizens? a. Most lived very close to Mexico and remained identified with that country. b. Many returned frequently to Mexico to visit home and family there. c. Almost all Mexican immigrants remained migrant farm laborers unable to settle down in cities. d. It was often considered a badge of dishonor to adopt American citizenship. e. The Mexican government actively discouraged Mexicans from taking U.S. citizenship. ANS: C REF: p. 1002 68. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, American fiction reflected a. an increasing number of women writers and female perspectives. b. a renaissance in Native American literature seeking to recover the tribal past and reimagine the present. c. the experience of immigrants in America. d. political themes and social commentary. e. All of these ANS: E REF: p. 1009-1010 69. In 2006, the number of college graduates in the 25-34 age group was approximately one person in a. ten. b. five. c. twenty. d. three. e. four. ANS: B REF: p. 1007 70. Which of the following was not among the notable ethnic and African writers of the period since the 1980s? a. Amy Tan b. Toni Morrison c. Joy Harjo d. James Welch e. Raymond Carver ANS: E REF: p. 1009-1010 71. Which of the following was not among prominent American playwrights or musical theater creators in the late twentieth century? a. Eve Ensler b. Nilo Cruz c. Tony Kushner d. Jackson Pollock e. David Hwang ANS: D REF: p. 1010 72. The leading painting movement in the immediate post-World War II period was a. pop art. b. abstract expressionism. c. minimalism. d. Dadaism. e. postmodernism. ANS: D REF: p. 1007-1008 73. In general, the effects of the electronic new media in the early twentieth century were a. used to reinforce existing political and economic power structures. b. restricted to those with extensive education and training in their use. c. of greater benefit to corporations than to ordinary citizens. d. democratizing for ordinary citizens. e. complementary to the interests of the traditional mainstream media. ANS: D REF: p. 1010 74. Which of these is NOT among the challenges facing America and Americans in the twenty-first century? a. The increasingly unequal distribution of wealth b. Women increasingly surpassing men in the workforce c. Diminishing oil supplies and the need for alternative energy sources d. Enhancing national security without eroding civil liberties e. Protecting the nation's borders without preventing desirable immigrants from coming to the U.S. ANS: B REF: p. 1011-1012 ESSAY 75. What were the costs and benefits of the new information age economy? ANS: Student answers will vary. 76. What explains the growing income disparity between wealthy and poor since the 1970s? ANS: Student answers will vary. 77. Evaluate the impact of the postindustrial economy on the American family. In what ways is it accurate to say that the family has not so much declined as altered its forms and functions? What were the greatest challenges that American families faced? ANS: Student answers will vary. 78. Account for the rise of minority groups in American society since World War II. Do you think that this rise has been a healthy development? Why or why not? ANS: Student answers will vary. 79. What were the greatest achievements of Big Science in the post-World War II era? What issues and problems emerged with the close relationship among the federal government, defense industries, and American research universities? ANS: Student answers will vary. 80. The authors conclude that after much of its history as a revolutionary force in a conservative world, America "is now a conservative force in a world of revolution." Do you agree? Why or why not? ANS: Student answers will vary. 81. One historian has concluded that since 1960 the United States has entered a new "age of no confidence." Carefully consider major developments in the last twenty-five years, and explain why you think that this is or is not an appropriate label for the period. ANS: Student answers will vary. 82. What gains has the African American community attained since the 1960s? What are the greatest challenges still facing African Americans and U.S. society regarding race? ANS: Student answers will vary. 83. Compare the social, economic, and political experiences of African Americans and Latinos since the 1970s. ANS: Student answers will vary. 84. How has American literature, music, and art fared in the era of television and pop culture? ANS: Student answers will vary. 85. How has American democracy and popular culture affected the character of American literature and theater? ANS: Student answers will vary. 86. Why have so many attainments in American culture in recent decades come from minorities and immigrants? Is it fair to speak of "minority literature" or "minority art," or is such work simply excellent American art that constitutes part of the American tradition? ANS: Student answers will vary. 87. Evaluate the debates over multiculturalism and the traditional melting pot of American national culture. Why have such controversies so often contributed to the culture wars? Is there a middle ground between a strong multiculturalism and the desire to hold onto shared American values and culture? ANS: Student answers will vary. 88. In what ways has "the promise of American life" regarding liberty, equality, and democracy been fulfilled for most U.S. citizens, and in what ways does that promise remain an incomplete task to be pursued? ANS: Student answers will vary. 89. Which American challenge do you think will most dominate the first half of the twenty-first century: economic prosperity and justice, the global and local environment, or the threat of international terrorism? What resources does American history provide for meeting what you consider to be the single greatest challenge? ANS: Student answers will vary. 90. Is the change in America's place in the world caused by the attacks of September 11, 2001, likely to increase our international involvement and leadership, or to make America more fearful and inclined to unilateral actions? ANS: Student answers will vary. 91. Compare the greatest challenges that American democracy faced in 1808, 1908, and 2008. Which challenges are essentially the same, and which are radically new? ANS: Student answers will vary.