1. a decrease in immigration from Latin America
2. growing demands for unskilled labor
3. new efforts by public schools to teach about ethnic heritages
4. failure of Congress to approve appointments of women and minority groups to Federal courts

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: Increased diversity in American schools, has resulted in an increasing effort to address a variety of ethnic heritages. Curriculums of states and districts across the nation have incorporated more diverse historic examples and figures.

1. make Native Americans more dependent on the Federal Government
2. give the states more control over Native American affairs
3. eliminate tribal ties and customs
4. give Native Americans more control over their own affairs

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: The Bureau of Indian Affairs serves as the federal government’s liaison to the Native American tribes within the US. In recent years the policy of the agency has been one of transferring control and management of the reservations and assets into native hands. This trend has resulted in tribal police enforcement, tribal run governments and increased economic developments (in factories, casinos and natural resources) for some native tribes. Within NY State the Oneidas serve as an example of this trend, they administer local tribal government, have a state-assisted tribal police force and manage the successful Turning Stone Casino as well as a host of other tribal businesses.

1. The economy has been in a depression for most of the period.
2. The United States has had the world’s highest unemployment rate.
3. The United States has come to depend more heavily on imports to meet its economic needs.
4. The legal minimum wage has steadily declined.

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: As the US economy developed in the years following the Second World War the domestic production of the nation was unable to keep pace with the increased demands and increased spending power of consumers. As a result, the United States began to rely more and more heavily on imported goods, many from Europe but increasingly from Asia and South America. This increased dependency on imports, especially energy products such as oil, would demand increased US involvement in overseas affairs as an extension of economic ties. The other result of this increased importation was the perceived “trade gap” which is the difference between what the US exports and what we import. Many are deceived by the huge “gap” and see the US economy as “losing”. However, many economists see the high demand in the US economy for goods and services as a sign of strength.

1. were classified as managerial
2. provided services rather than produced goods
3. depended on heavy manufacturing
4. were farm related

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: Goods are actual products that are produced in factories or shops, such as toasters or clothing. Services are work done for others as part of a job or business, such as a haircut or consultation. The decline of manufacturing jobs in the United States as many companies relocated plants overseas in order to take advantage of lower costs was coupled with an increase in the service sector of the economy.

1. Most of the population is concentrated in and around large urban centers.
2. The number of ethnic groups has declined.
3. The population of the South has continued to decline.
4. The Northeast is the fastest growing region in the nation.

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: Urbanization has been occurring for the past 100+ years as people sought available jobs in the growing US factories, located in the cities. Another contributing factor has been the increase in farming technology and efficiency, which has reduced the need for farm workers and forced these displaced workers to seek other available employment. Today most of the US population is located either in urban environments or in the suburban outskirts of major metropolitan centers.

1. Penalties for crimes vary from state to state.
2. Most European nations no longer use capital punishment.
3. Most murders in the United States occur within families or among acquaintances.
4. Executions are a major deterrent to violent crime.

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: The fact that there is no long-range data linking capital punishment and violent crime mean that statement 4 is an opinion and not a fact. The death penalty debate is centered on many issues such as this idea about executions as deterrents. Many people argue the merits or ills of the death penalty not on a basis of evidence or statistic, but more as a matter of opinion, emotion and personal values.

1. a shortage of consumer goods
2. increased union membership
3. the lowering of the legal minimum wage
4. increased unemployment among unskilled workers

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: US industrial development has occurred at an unprecedented rate over the past 120+ years. Technological innovations in manufacturing have increased quality and productivity, as well as decreased the need for specialized skills in manufacturing. Today, such as in the Gilded Age the increased demand for unskilled workers has accompanied an increase in immigration.

1. most current members of Congress have taken bribes
2. the President’s political party should have a majority in Congress
3. political disputes in Congress would be reduced
4. the democratic process would be strengthened

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: Reelection rates in the House of Representatives are well over 90% and the average length of service for a Congressperson continues to increase. Ideas such as term limits have been increasing in popularity as many see the need to infuse the political system with new ideas and approaches to the continued challenges of government. Many also feel the process of democracy is increased when a greater number of candidates are encouraged to run, due to increased opportunities for office created by limiting terms of service.

1. technological competition
2. supporting free trade
3. lowering inflation
4. economic protectionism

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: Protective tariffs have been used throughout American history to protect US businesses from foreign competition. The idea is that by taxing imports the relative price of comparable US made goods will be cheaper, resulting in increased sales of US made goods which will aid US businesses. This approach was advocated earliest on by Alexander Hamilton as part of his 5 part economic plan to grow the fledgling US economy and protect US industry.

1. imbalance of trade between the two nations
2. refusal of the United States to accept Japanese technology
3. immigration restrictions imposed by the Gentlemen’s Agreement
4. construction of Japanese military bases in the Pacific area

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: As the US economy developed in the years following the Second World War the domestic production of the nation was unable to keep pace with the increased demands and increased spending power of consumers. As a result, the United States began to rely more and more heavily on imported goods, many from Europe but increasingly from Japan. The other result of this increased importation was the perceived “trade gap” which is the difference between what the US exports and what we import. Many are deceived by the huge “gap” and see the US economy as “losing”. However, many economists see the high demand in the US economy for goods and services as a sign of strength.

1. increased pollution of the environment
2. guarding the right to privacy
3. protection of the right to petition
4. a decline in television viewing

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: As technological innovation increased in the 1990’s the personal computer become commonplace in American homes. Fueling this trend was the explosive growth of the Internet and “on-line” connectivity. Along with this increased communication came new waves of concern over security and personal privacy. The government has reacted with laws protecting children and access to private information such as medical records.

1. the United States has a low voter turnout
2. urban areas have higher voter turnouts than suburban areas do
3. people who live in poverty tend to have a high voter turnout
4. 18- to 25-year-old voters are more likely to vote than senior citizens are

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: Over the past 50 years the percentages of Americans voting in local, state and federal elections has consistently decreased. The result has been federal elections decided by far les than 40-50% of eligible voters. Turnout has been especially low among younger voters.

1. The Federal Government controls but does not fund education.
2. The problems that affect other segments of American society seldom affect education.
3. Education is largely controlled and financed by state governments and local communities.
4. High school enrollments have decreased over the last 100 years.

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: While the federal government maintains the US Department of Education, a cabinet level agency within the executive branch, the majority of initiative and funding of public education is done on the state and local levels. Federal funding of public education accounts for far less than 5% of overall spending. A larger percentage of education spending is financed by the individual states, with local property tax revenues (school taxes) accounting for the vast majority of the remaining amount. The result is a wide swing in spending levels between affluent, suburban areas with high property values and the lower tax base urban centers.

1. immigration quotas
2. use of natural resources
3. trade policies
4. military preparedness

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: The United States began to rely more and more heavily on imported goods, many from Europe but increasingly from Japan. The other result of this increased importation is the perceived “trade gap” which is the difference between what the US exports and what we import. Many are deceived by the huge “gap” and see the US economy as “losing”. However, many economists see the high demand in the US economy for goods and services as a sign of strength. Many politicians in the 1990’s sought to equalize the trade gap through increased exportation to Japan, however Japan’s protectionist trade policies put US exporters at a disadvantage. These restrictive trade policies by the Japanese led to a series of US-Japan agreements designed to liberalize access to the Japanese market by US companies.

1. The program has been extremely costly to the Federal Government.
2. Hiring quotas for minorities may have denied opportunities to other qualified persons.
3. Very few minority persons have been hired.
4. Most state governments have been unwilling to enforce the program.

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: Many schools and businesses instituted affirmative action programs based solely on “quotas” or required numbers of minority representation. The resulting effect was the perceived problem of hiring or admitting applicants whose level of qualification fell below other non-minority candidates who were passed over. The Supreme Court took action in the 1978 Bakke v. Regents Board of California case, in which it ruled that race can be a factor in determining admission or hiring, but it cannot be the only factor.

1. the National Government granted rights to women long before state governments did
2. the gains made by women usually took considerable periods of time
3. women received voting rights before African-American males did
4. wartime employment slowed progress toward gender equality

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: One example of this slow pace of change is the passage of women’s suffrage. The women’s suffrage movement gained popular support due to the efforts of women advocates like Lucrecia Mott, Elizabeth Caty Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. The woman’s suffrage movement culminated with the successful passage of the 19th amendment (also known as the Anthony amendment) in 1919, after a 100+ years of active struggle.

1. the personal fortunes of the candidates
2. state and local taxes
3. funds appropriated by Congress
4. the contributions of individuals and special-interest groups

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: The largest campaign contributors are corporations and labor unions, each representing a unique set of concerns and issues. The increased reliance on “soft-money” contributions (unlimited, unregulated money donated to political parties and not directly to candidates) has also increased the influence of these special-interests on the political process.

1. widespread support for the Populist Party
2. necessity for families to have many children
3. a predominantly agricultural and mining economy
4. significant opportunities for social and economic mobility

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: The United States has since its founding (and even prior) been seen as a land of opportunity. The lack of rigid social classes, guarantees religious and economic freed dons as well as a culture that rewards hard-work and entrepreneurial spirit have all contributed to this perception.

1. Most Americans have developed a preference for escapist and romantic literature.
2. Most American authors have adopted a conservative viewpoint
3. American business has corrected poor conditions quickly.
4. These works have had significant influence on social, political, and economic reforms.

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation: Jacob Riis was a muckraker who wrote about and photographed the conditions of New York City’s poorest in his book “How The Other Half Lives”, its widespread success helped to initiate calls for building codes, improved sanitation and access to better housing. In his 1906 work “The Jungle”, muckraker Upton Sinclair exposed the horrific conditions under which the nation’s meat supply was being produced. The novel caught the attention of lawmakers who, disgusted by its factual accounts of the unsanitary conditions, worked quickly for the passage of the Meat Inspection Act (also 1906). John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” sought to expose the plight of the dust bowl farmers in the 1930’s. Finally, Ralph Nadar’s “Unsafe at Any Speed” in the 1970’s was a call for increased automobile safety.

1. sexism should legally be ended
2. all laws should apply equally to all persons
3. government should interfere as little as possi-ble in people’s lives
4. newly elected government Leaders should not be allowed to initiate changes in the law

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation: This notion is best reflected in the 14th amendment’s guarantee of “equal protection under the law” demands that application of law be the same regardless of the citizen it is being applied to.

1. head of his political party
2. Commander in Chief
3. chief diplomat
4. chief legislator

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: One of the major roles of the president is to serve as the United States liaison to foreign nations in his capacity as chief diplomat. In this capacity the president meets foreign heads of state and negotiates with them on international issues and concerns. This role is cemented in the Constitution via the presidential ability to negotiate treaties.

1. The desire for economic advancement has been a major reason for immigration to the United States
2. The ethnic mix of immigrants to the United States has remained mostly unchanged.
3. The number of immigrants has remained constant in each decade during most of United States history.
4. Nearly all immigrants have easily assimilated into American culture.

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation: Most immigrants to America have viewed it as “The Land of Opportunity” and have come here seeking economic opportunities. Many sought access to land or jobs or an escape from the rigid socioeconomic class structure of their homelands.

1. Most foods are now imported.
2. Most farmland has been turned into suburbs.
3. The use of technology has raised agricultural productivity.
4. The total population is declining.

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:

1. India and Pakistan are allies of Russia
2. India and Pakistan have threatened to use these weapons against the United States
3. the United States insists on maintaining its nuclear capability
4. the spread of nuclear weapons threatens all humankind

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:

1. an increase in Social Security spending
2. a decrease in health care costs
3. a decrease in infant mortality in the United States
4. a balanced federal budget

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:

1. states in the Union
2. senators from each state
3. electoral college votes from each state
4. Supreme Court justices

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:

1. aging of the baby boomers
2. shorter life span of the elderly
3. migration to the Sunbelt
4. decline in the rate of immigration

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:

1. aging of the nation’s population
2. declining political power of older Americans
3. possible failure of the Social Security System
4. increasing number of babies born to older couples

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:

1. More money will be spent on national defense.
2. The cost of health care will decrease.
3. Social Security will have to provide for increasing numbers of retired people.
4. The elderly will be the smallest segment of the population.

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:

1. The winner of the popular vote lost the electoral vote.
2. Third-party candidates did not affect the outcome.
3. The outcome of the election was decided by Congress.
4. The winner was decided by the Supreme Court.

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:

1. an order of the governor of Florida
2. an agreement between the candidates
3. a vote of the United States Senate
4. a United States Supreme Court decision

Correct Answer Number: 4

Explanation:

1. create more child care facilities
2. address the financing of Medicare
3. increase the number of public schools
4. reform immigration laws

Correct Answer Number: 2

Explanation:

1. Personal income tax rates were changed.
2. New United States District Courts were created.
3. Seats in the House of Representatives were reapportioned.
4. The number of United States Senators was increased.

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation:

1. participate in the global economy
2. create a uniform international currency
3. accept similar wage and price controls
4. regulate multinational corporations

Correct Answer Number: 1

Explanation:

1. Republicans and Democrats spend equal amounts of money
2. American citizens pay high taxes to support presidential campaigns
3. Money has a strong impact on the American political process
4. Candidates spend much of their own money on political campaigns

Correct Answer Number: 3

Explanation: