U.S. History Practice Test: Modern America (1980-2001)
- Modern America (1980-2001)
- 10 questions
- 12 minutes
These 10 questions cover the last two decades of the 20th century and the attacks of September 11, 2001. For economic questions, remember that supply-side policy focused on lower taxes and less regulation.
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Question 1
President Ronald Reagan's economic program in the 1980s was based on supply-side economics, which held that
Correct answer: A
Supporters argued that lower tax rates would lead businesses and individuals to invest more, helping the whole economy. Critics pointed to the large budget deficits of the 1980s.
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Question 2
In 1981 Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman to
Correct answer: C
President Reagan nominated O'Connor, and the Senate confirmed her in 1981. Geraldine Ferraro ran for Vice President in 1984, and women had served as governors and senators decades earlier.
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Question 3
The Iran-Contra affair, revealed in 1986, involved
Correct answer: D
Officials sold weapons to Iran, hoping to free hostages in Lebanon, and sent profits to the Contras even though Congress had banned such aid. The scandal led to congressional hearings and criminal charges.
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Question 4
What did the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed by Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987, do?
Correct answer: B
The INF Treaty removed all land-based missiles with ranges of about 500 to 5,500 kilometers. It was the first treaty to destroy an entire category of nuclear weapons. Germany reunited in 1990.
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Question 5
The Persian Gulf War of 1991 was fought to
Correct answer: C
Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, and a U.S.-led coalition drove its forces out in early 1991. The war in Afghanistan against the Taliban began ten years later, in 2001.
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Question 6
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which took effect in 1994, was an agreement among
Correct answer: A
NAFTA lowered most trade barriers among the three North American countries. It was replaced in 2020 by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
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Question 7
In the 1994 midterm elections, Republicans campaigning on the "Contract with America" won
Correct answer: D
Republicans gained control of both houses of Congress, and the House changed hands for the first time since the 1954 election. Newt Gingrich became Speaker.
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Question 8
What happened when the House of Representatives impeached President Bill Clinton in 1998?
Correct answer: B
Clinton was impeached on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, but the Senate did not reach the two-thirds vote needed to remove him in February 1999.
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Question 9
The disputed presidential election of 2000 was settled after the Supreme Court stopped a recount of votes in which state?
Correct answer: C
In Bush v. Gore, the Court ended the Florida recount, leaving George W. Bush with a very narrow win there and a majority of electoral votes, even though Al Gore won the national popular vote.
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Question 10
Which terrorist group carried out the attacks of September 11, 2001?
Correct answer: B
Hijackers from al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, crashed four planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. The Taliban ruled Afghanistan and sheltered al-Qaeda but did not carry out the attacks.
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