US_Ch13_Homework-1

=**U.S. History Chapter 13 Homework #1**= Answer the following from the reading passages:

1. Use the maps to answer the question. The first map is Europe in the Cold War. The Communist Bloc nations are the Warsaw Pact nations. The second map is Europe after the collapse of Communism.
 * Which of the following nations became a newly independent nation with the fall of Communism? (A) Czech Republic (B) Slovakia (C) Estonia (D) Latvia (E) Lithuania (F) Ukraine (G) Belarus (H) Georgia (I) Russia (J) Moldova (K) all (L) none**

2. President Reagan and his successor George Bush conducted a policy of cooperation with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. By the late 1980s, the Soviet economy was suffering from years of inefficient central planning and huge expenditures on the arms race (they couldn't build their military like America could). To save the economy and through Reagan's urging, Gorbachev made changes in the Soviet Union allowing more freedom principles. He instituted perestroika, or "restructuring," and allowed some private enterprise and profit making. The other principle of Gorbachev's plan was glasnost, or "openness." It allowed more freedom of religion and speech, enabling people to discuss politics openly. With Gorbachev's support, glasnost spread to Eastern Europe. In 1989 revolutions replaced Communist rulers with democratic governments in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The tide of revolution then swept over East Germany and at midnight on November 9, 1989, guards at the Berlin Wall opened the gates. Within days, bulldozers leveled the hated symbol of Communist repression and within a year Germany was unified as a republic. **How did Gorbachev try to save his overspent economy? (A) allow private enterprise and freedoms (B) increase defense spending (C) increase taxes (D) cut taxes and spending (E) all (F) none**

3. Despite the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, China's Communist leaders were determined to stay in power. China's government had relaxed controls on the economy, but it continued to repress political speech and dissent. In May 1989, Chinese students and workers held demonstrations for democracy. The center of the protests was Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China's capital. At first, it appeared as if China were repeating the pattern of Eastern Europe and that communism might be ended peacefully. In early June, however, government tanks and soldiers crushed the protests in Tiananmen Square. Many people were killed and hundreds of pro-democracy activists were arrested. Many were later sentenced to death. These events shocked the world. **What took place at Tiananmen Square? (A) Communists took over China (B) fall of the Chinese Wall (C) pro-democracy protests were crushed by the Chinese military (D) war (E) all (F) none**

4. While President Bush struggled to deal with global events elsewhere, a crisis developed in Panama. In 1978 the United States had agreed to give Panama control over the Panama Canal by the year 2000. Because of the canal's importance, American officials wanted to make sure Panama's government was both stable and pro-American. By 1989, Panama's dictator, General Manuel Noriega, had stopped cooperating with the United States. He also aided drug traffickers, cracked down on opponents, and harassed American military personnel defending the canal. In December 1989, Bush ordered American troops to invade Panama. The troops seized Noriega, who was sent to the U.S. to stand trial on drug charges. The troops then helped the Panamanians hold elections and organize a new government. **Why did the U.S. go after Manuel Noriega in Panama? (A) he funded terrorism (B) he invaded Kuwait (C) he seized control of the Panama Canal (D) he was funding drug trafficking (E) all (F) none**

5. Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990 claiming it was rightfully part of Iraq (Saddam wanted Kuwait's oil) and also blamed Kuwait increase in oil production hurt Iraq's prices. If this invasion was allowed to take place, it would disrupt the flow of oil. To keep Iraq from going Saudi Arabia next, Bush sent troops to Saudi Arabia to help keep it secure, known as Operation Desert Shield, while giving U.N. sanctions a chance to work. U.S. troops would be under the command of General Norman Schwartzkopf. Democrats criticized Bush's move fearing another Vietnam while some Republicans criticized "unchecked internationalism." Bush made sure not to get locked into another Vietnam. He had strategic leadership in Colin Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Dick Cheney, the Secretary of Defense. Bush made sure not to get into another Vietnam by several means. First, Bush was able to mobilize a powerful world alliance. The U.N. approved involvement. Then, Bush convinced NATO and several Arab nations to help. He even going Israel to agree not to counterattack if Iraq them. Bush did this in order to keep Arab nations in his alliance. In addition, Bush convinced Russia not to sale arms to Iraq, which was the first time since the start of the Cold War that the U.S. and Russia were on the same side of an alliance. Second, Bush used Reagan's rules of identifying a clear objective and then supplied a sufficient force. Third, he set a clear strategy - liberate Kuwait. U.S. air superiority and air force, army, and navy working together proved effective. When fighting broke out between U.N. and U.S. forces against Iraq, it became known as Operation Desert Storm. There were few casualties. The U.S. used SAR (synthetic aperture radar) and therefore could i.d. all movements. Powell said he would "cut off the head and kill the body" of the Iraqi army. This was fulfilled since radar technology could see all Iraqi movements. Iraq lost 26% of their tanks, 55% of their armored personnel carriers, 90% of their artillery, and Iraqi soldiers were deserting at rates of 25 to 30%. On February 28, 1991 Hussein agreed to allied terms including a no fly zone, U.N. weapons inspections, but he stayed in power. Removing Saddam would've required U.S. troops as "peacekeepers" in between factions that would fight for power if Saddam was removed and Arab allies feared the rise of Shi'ite fundamentalists if Saddam was gone. **Why was U.S. and U.N. forces needed in the Persian Gulf War? (A) Iraq had nuclear weapons (B) fear that Saddam ultimately wanted Saudi Arabian oil fields (C) Islamic terrorists attacked (D) there was an oil shortage (E) all (F) none**

6. **When Iraq did not withdraw by the given deadline, the U.S. and its coalition attacked in (A) Operation Enduring Freedom (B) Operation Iraqi Freedom (C) Operation Desert Storm (D) Operation Desert Shield (E) all (F) none**

7. A recession began to take place as the Cold War ended. As the Soviet threat faded, the U.S. began reducing its armed forces and canceling orders for military equipment. Thousands of soldiers and defense industry workers were laid off. Other companies also began downsizing - laying off workers and managers to become more efficient. The nation's high level of debt made the recession worse. Americans saw that the government had to borrow money to pay for various programs. This kept money from being available for businesses. As the economy slowed, hundreds of savings-and-loans institutions collapses (S&L crisis) and the government had to bail them out (since money in banks is insured by the government - type of FDIC). **How did the end of the Cold War hinder the economy? (A) no more soldiers fighting Russians (B) reduction in defense spending (C) end of the draft (D) tax hike on soldiers (E) all (F) none**

8. Bush looked to improve the economy and called for a cut in the capital gains tax - the tax paid by businesses and investors when they sell stocks or real estate for a profit. This type of tax cut would encourage businesses to expand. Calling the idea a tax break for the rich, Democrats in Congress defeated it. Bush went on to break his "no new taxes" campaign pledge. After meeting with congressional leaders, he agreed to a tax increase in exchange for cuts in spending. This decision turned many voters against Bush. **Bush wanted to reduce the capital gains tax but the Democrat-controlled Congress defeated it and Bush was pressured by them to do what? (A) increase spending (B) keep the tax the same (C) increase taxes (D) not pass a budget (E) all (F) none**

9. Despite the recession, Bush secured his party's nomination for re-election and still had popularity. He blamed Congressional Democrats for the gridlock in D.C. The Democrats nominated former Arkansas governor Bill Clinton even though he had questionable character issues. Many voters were unhappy with both candidates, which enabled a third party to put up a challenge. Texas businessman Ross Perot ran as a Reform Party candidate who ran on balancing the budget and cutting the debt. Clinton won the election. **Who ran as a 3rd party candidate with the Reform Party in 1992 stressing the need to end deficit spending? (A) Bill Clinton (B) Ross Perot (C) Ralph Nader (D) Al Gore (E) all (F) none**

10. Look at the charts below and answer the opinion question.
 * Why do you think the percentage of U.S. households with a computer and Internet continues to rise?**

11. By the late 1990s, the Internet had become wildly popular as businesses began experimenting with it to sell goods and services and to improve their productivity and communication. Many began to use it to be involved with the stock market. Enthusiasm for the World Wide Web spawned a "dot-com" economy. Online shopping began a new method of shopping in America. Seemingly rich with promise, a wide variety of dot-com companies made millions of dollars for stock investors without making any actual profits. Internet-related stocks helped fuel the prosperity of the 1990s, but dropped dramatically in 2000, a period that became known as the dot-com bust when many unprofitable online companies went out of business. Internet greatly changed American in terms of economics as well as society with a new source for news and entertainment. Downloading music became a new fad. Today, social networking consumes most of America's online time. **How did the Internet help create a good 1990s economy? (A) Internet business and stocks (B) purchasing music (C) shopping online (D) social networking (E) all (F) none**

12. **Why do you think the Internet has been a major societal change?**

13. As he promised in his election campaign, Bill Clinton focused first on the economy. Clinton was looking at the federal budget. About half of all government spending went to entitlement programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, and veterans' benefits. These programs are hard to cut because there is much dependency on them in America. Therefore, Clinton tried to raise taxes, even though he had promised to cut them during his campaign. He was able to get his tax increases passed and it made a struggling economy worsen. **Clinton raised taxes since half the budget went to entitlements, which are hard to cut since people (A) purchase them (B) rely on them (C) want the government to control their lives (D) like paying taxes (E) all (F) none**

14. During his campaign, Clinton promised to reform the health care system. The president created a task force and appointed his wife, Hillary Clinton, to heat it - an unprecedented role for a first lady. The task force developed a plan to guarantee health benefits for all Americans, but it put much of the burden of paying for the benefits on employers. Small business owners feared they could not afford it. The insurance industry and doctors' organizations also opposed the plan and mounted a nationwide advertising campaign on television and radio to build public opposition to the plan. Republicans argued that the plan was too complicated, costly, and relied too much on government control. Democrats were divided. Faced with public opposition, Clinton's plan died without a vote. Clinton was able to persuade Congress to create the AmeriCorps program. this program put students to work improving low-income housing, teaching children to read, and cleaning up the environment. Clinton also looked for stricter gun control laws. The Brady Bill passed, which put a waiting period and background checks on purchasing guns. It was named after James Brady who was paralyzed in the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. Gun crimes were already on the decline before this bill passed. **Hillary Clinton was put in charge of a task force to develop a major bill that failed in the area of (A) military (B) budget cuts (C) energy (D) health care (E) all (F) none**

15. **The Brady Bill under Clinton dealt with (A) gun control (B) spending on poverty (C) abortion (D) illegal immigration (E) all (F) none**

16. Is a balanced budget amendment a good idea? One of the ideas that congressional Republicans put forth in the "Contract with America" was a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. A balanced budget amendment would force Congress to pass a federal budget that balanced projected revenues and expenditures. Would such an amendment force Congress to be more responsible in how it spends the taxpayers' money, resulting in a more efficient, limited government? Or, would it dangerously limit Congress's ability to respond to economic and national security emergencies? YES a balanced budget amendment is good - Senator Strom Thurmond: "//While Congress could achieve a balanced budget by statute, past efforts...have failed. It is simply too easy for Congress to change its mind. The constitutional amendment is unyielding in its imposition of discipline of Congress to make the tough decisions necessary to balance the federal budget. Over the past half-century, Congress has demonstrated a total lack of fiscal discipline evidenced by an irrational and irresponsible pattern of spending. This reckless approach has seriously jeopardized the Federal government and threatens the very future of this Nation. As a result, I believe we must look to constitutional protection from a firmly entrenched fiscal policy which threatens the liberties and opportunities of our present and future citizens.//" NO a balanced budget amendment is not good - President Bill Clinton: "//The balanced budget amendment is, in the first place, bad economics...The federal deficit depends not just on Congressional decisions, but also on the state of the economy. in particular, the deficit increases automatically whenever the economy weakens. If we try to break this automatic linkage by a Constitutional amendment, we will have to raise taxes and cut expenditures whenever the economy is weak. that not only risks turning recovery from recession far more difficult. Let's be clear: This is not a matter of abstract economy theory...A balanced budget amendment could threaten the livelihoods of millions of Americans. I cannot put them in such peril//." This same type of argument still goes on today. There has been no balanced budget amendment and we currently have a national debt over $17 trillion.
 * Which side do you agree with? Why?**

17. Clinton had high popularity going into 1998, but he had become entangled in a serious scandal that threatened to undermine his presidency. The scandal began in Clinton's first term, when he was accused of arranging illegal loans for Whitewater Development, an Arkansas real estate company, while he was governor of that state. Attorney General Janet Reno decided that an independent counsel should investigate the president. A special three-judge panel appointed Kenneth Starr, a former federal judge, to this position. In early 1998, a new scandal emerged involving a personal relationship between the president and a White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. Some evidence suggested that the president had committed perjury, or that he lied under oath about his adulterous affair. The three-judge panel directed Starr to investigate this scandal as well. In September 1998, Starr sent his report to the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives arguing that Clinton had obstructed justice, abused his power as president, and committed perjury. As a result, the House of Representatives impeached Clinton, which meant the president would go on trial in the Senate with a 2/3 vote needed to remove him. Clinton survived removal by the Senate, but his reputation suffered. **Why was Clinton impeached? (A) adultery with another woman (B) broke into the Whitewater complex (C) perjury about his affair (D) Whitewater land deal (E) all (F) none**

18. Clinton's foreign policy included helping refugees from Haiti after their democratically elected leader was overthrown by military leaders. American troops went to Haiti as peacekeepers. In Bosnia, one of the former Yugoslav republics, a vicious three-way civil war erupted between Orthodox Christian Serbs, Catholic Croatians, and Bosnian Muslims. Despite international pressure, the fighting continued until 1995. The Serbs began what they called ethnic cleansing - the brutal expulsion of an ethnic group from a geographic area so that only Serbs lived there. In some cases, Serbian troops slaughtered the Muslims instead of moving them. Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic was ridding Kosovo of ethnic Albanians. Clinton convinced NATO to conduct air strikes and they ousted Milosevic from power. In the Middle East, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein remained determined to hang out power and used chemical weapons to gas the Kurds in northern Iraq in 1996. The U.S. conducted air strikes to get Saddam to stop. The relationship between Israel and the Islamic Palestinians was even more volatile. In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yassar Arafat reached an agreement on a Palestinian state and Israel still being a nation. There was opposition on both sides as Palestinians set of bombs and Rabin would be assassinated. In July 2000, Clinton got Israeli leader Ehud Barak to agree to a Palestinian nation that included Gaza and 95% of the West Bank, but Arafat rejected the deal and violence resumed in October. The terror group al Qaeda was committed to ridding the Middle East of a western presence and conducted several terror attacks against the U.S. including blowing up the World Trade Center garage in 1993, bombing two U.S. embassies in Africa in the mid-1990s, and exploding the U.S.S. Cole in 2000. Osama bin Laden became the top target. Clinton did not use the military to go after bin Laden. **Clinton ordered air strikes on S--- M since he was killing A in K-.** 19. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, many Americans became increasingly concerned about border security. Many agreed on the need for increased border patrols. Others proposed building a continuous wall from Texas to California to prevent illegal immigration. Critics of such proposals, however, claimed such actions would not stop people who were determined to enter the country illegally, but rather force them to take more dangerous risks. **Rate a border fence to stop illegal immigration as pinheaded or patriotic and explain why.**

20. One way to increase international trade was to create regional trade pacts. In 1994, Clinton urged the Senate to pass a treaty that his predecessor George Bush and Republicans began, which was NAFTA, or the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Senate did approve. This agreement joined the United States, Canada, and Mexico in a free-trade zone. With NAFTA in operation, exports of American goods to both Canada and Mexico rose dramatically. From 1993 to 2000 there was a 104% increase in trade to those nations. Many Americans feared that NAFTA would cause industrial jobs to move to Mexico, where labor costs were lower. Some jobs were indeed lost, as foreign-owned factories opened in Mexico near the American border. Those there were jobs lost, the statistics show that more jobs were gained with NAFTA. **Rate NAFTA (a Republican idea signed by Clinton) as pinheaded or patriotic.** 21. At 8:45 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday September 11, 2001, a Boeing 767 passenger jet slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. As people below gazed in horror, a second plane collided with the South Tower. Soon afterward, a third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. At 9:50 a.m. the South Tower collapsed in a billowing cloud of dust and debris. The North Tower fell about 40 minutes later. The falling towers killed thousands of people, burying them beneath a vast mound of rubble. The airplanes did not crash accidentally. Hijackers from the terror network al Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden deliberately crashed them into the buildings. Hijackers seized a fourth airplane, United Airlines Flight 93, probably hoping to crash it into the White House or Capitol building. Many passengers on Flight 93 had cell phones. After hearing about the World Trade Center, four passengers - Todd Beamer, Thomas Burnett, Jeremy Glick, and Mark Bingham - decided to do something. An operator listening over a cell phone heard Beamer's voice "Are you ready guys? Let's roll." Soon afterward, Flight 93 crashed in a rural field in Shanksville, PA. The 9/11 terror attacked killed nearly 3,000. Intelligence sources quickly identified the attack was the work of al Qaeda who was based in Afghanistan. The Taliban was in control of Afghanistan and allowed al Qaeda to operate. When the Taliban refused to turn over bin Laden, President Bush ordered the military to go into Afghanistan, remove the Taliban, and bring the members of al Qaeda to justice. Two years later, the U.S. would also remove Saddam Hussein in Iraq. The terror attacks of 9/11 altered the lives of millions of Americans and shifted the priorities of the federal government. At home, the U.S. launched a new war against terrorists and their supporters. Globally, the U.S. took aggressive and preemptive steps to stop terrorism. At home, the Department of Homeland Security was set up to combat terrorism. The Patriot Act passed, which gave the FBI the ability to listen in on phone calls in the U.S. if suspicions of terrorism. **United Flight 93 (A) crashed into the World Trade Center (B) crashed into the Pentagon (C) was stopped from being hijacked by passengers (D) was brought down in Shanksville when passengers fought back (E) all (F) none**

22. **How are the attacks still impacting us today?**

23. In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. In response, Muslims from across the world headed to Afghanistan to help fight the Soviets. Among them was a 22-year-old named Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden came from one of Saudi Arabia's wealthiest families. He used his wealth to support the Afghan resistance. In 1988, he founded an organization called al Qaeda, or "the Base." At first he operated his terror camps in the Sudan, but went to Afghanistan when the Taliban, an Islamic militant group, seized power. He was responsible for the terror attacks in the 1990s. There were other Islamic radical groups in nations like Iran with the Mullahs, the Palestinians who attack Israel, and fundamentalists in Syria, Libya, and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. The U.S. was able to oust the Taliban from power and even captured the man who was the mastermind of the 9/11 attack, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad in 2003. Hamid Karzai became the new leader in Afghanistan. Also in 2003, the U.S. went into Iraq after Saddam Hussein who refused to allow U.N. weapons inspectors to inspect his weapons factories. The Department of Homeland Security was set up to coordinate other agencies in working to prevent terrorism. The Patriot Act began some controversy since it cut a little into privacy in order to have security. The FBI could listen in on phone calls without a warrant to avoid the tipping off of suspects. As the nation struggled to cope with the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, another terrorist attack began. In October 2001, a newspaper editor in Florida died from an anthrax infection. Anthrax is a type of bacteria and could be used to create biological weapons. Letters containing anthrax were sent to government officials and journalists and traces were found in several government buildings. No suspects were ever arrested. **Terrorism conducted by Islamic extremists were led by (A) Saddam Hussein in Iraq (B) Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda (C) Palestinians against Israel (D) anarchists against the government (E) all (F) none**

24. **Where were the terrorists based and running their network that launched 9/11? (A) Palestine (B) Iran with the Mullahs (C) Taliban in Afghanistan (D) Beirut, Lebanon (E) all (F) none**

25. **What new cabinet department formed to fight terrorism? (A) Homeland Security (B) Patriot (C) Defense (D) FBI (E) all (F) none**

26. **Why did the government pass the Patriot Act allowing wiretaps without warrants of suspected terrorists? (A) to make the government more powerful (B) getting a warrant could lead to the tipping off of suspects (C) aid the CIA (D) aid the FBI (E) all (F) none**

27. **Bioterrorism was conducted using (A) terror attacks (B) nuclear radiation (C) chemical gases released (D) anthrax (E) all (F) none**

28. **Which high level terrorist did the U.S. capture in 2003? (A) al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden (B) 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Muhammad (C) Hamid Karzai the Taliban leader (D) Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (E) all (F) none**

29. The terrorist attacks on 9/11 showed that groups such as al Qaeda were determined to kill as many Americans as possible. President Bush and his advisers were deeply concerned that terrorist groups might acquire weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), which can kill large numbers of people all at once. Nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons are all examples of weapons of mass destruction. In his 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush also warned of the "Axis of Evil," or Iran, Iraq, and North Korea who posed a grave threat to the world. Each of these nations had been known to sponsor terrorism, and was suspected of developing weapons of mass destruction. President Clinton had even warned about Saddam Hussein's weapons program in Iraq. U.S. intelligence was convinced that Saddam was hiding his weapons programs from U.N. weapons inspectors. President Bush gave Saddam an ultimatum saying that if the dictator wanted peace, he'd have to give up Iraq's WMDs, readmit U.N. weapons inspectors, stop supporting terrorism, and stop oppressing the people. The U.S. set a deadline and the Congress agreed to use force. Saddam did not leave power after the deadline and so the U.S. and it's coalition went into Iraq. The U.S. easily drove Saddam out of power and he was captured. The new Iraqi government put Saddam on trial and executed him. The problem in Iraq for the U.S. would be an increase in casualties when an insurgency from Iran was leading to an increase in deaths. An insurgency is when a group comes in, attacks, then leaves. This increased the instability in Iraq. **Fear of terrorists gaining weapons of mass destruction led to the U.S. going to war in .**

30. **How was the war in Iraq becoming problematic with increases in U.S. deaths? (A) an insurgency against democracy (B) terror attacks (C) weapons of mass destruction (D) they wanted Saddam back in power (E) all (F) none**

31. As the end of President bush's first term neared, his popularity with Americans began to sink. In the months following the attacks of September 11, 2001, opinion polls showed that more than 80% of the public approved of the job he was doing. As the war dragged on in Iraq, and Osama bin Laden remained at large, his approval began to fall. The failure of inspectors to find any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq further weakened his support, as did the scandal at the Iraqi prison of Abu Ghraib where some Iraqi prisoners of war were abused by their American guards and interrogators. These events provided an opportunity for the Democrats to mount a serious challenge in the 2004 election. The war on terror dominate the campaigns. The American people stuck with President Bush as he defeated the Democrat John Kerry. **Why was Abu Ghraib a negative? (A) U.S. lost the battle (B) showed terrorists had power (C) U.S. troops abused Iraqi POWs (D) he was the new al Qaeda leader (E) all (F) none**

32. As American forces captured members of al Qaeda, a decision had to be made as to what to do with them. In 2004, President Bush decided to hold them at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they could be interrogated. Establishing detention facilities at Guantanamo proved controversial. Some people argued that the prisoners should have the same rights as Americans in custody have from the Constitution (these people would have been Bush's opponents). This facility has been beneficial, however, in allowing American authorities to interrogate the prisoners to find valuable information to help in the war on terror and keeps terrorists from being in American jails. When President Obama took office he faced pressure to close the facility and bring the prisoners to American jails. Obama campaigned on putting the captured terrorists on trial in an American courtroom with American Constitutional rights (even though the POWs weren't citizens) rather than military tribunals. Obama kept the facility open during his presidency since the facility was the best way to handle captured terrorists. **What was Guantanamo Bay used for? (A) plan attacks against terrorists (B) terrorists planned attacks on the U.S. (C) new Iraqi capital (D) prison for captured terrorists (E) all (F) none**

33. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina smashed into the Gulf Coast of the United States, spreading devastation from Florida to Louisiana. The hurricane destroyed buildings, roads, and electrical lines, left thousands of people homeless, and cost at least 1,200 lives. Although the news media had given advance warning, many people had not evacuated the storm areas. Some stayed in their homes because they had ridden out previous storms, others because they wanted to protect their property, or because they were elderly and infirm. The fierce winds, rain, high tides, and storm surges leveled vast coastal areas of Mississippi and Alabama, but initially did only minor damage to New Orleans. then, after the hurricane had passed, rising waters breached the levees that protected the low-lying city. As water flooded the city, those who had stayed behind were forced to flee onto their roofs, to await rescue. As the water rose 15 feet in some neighborhoods, many people drowned. Thousands more took shelter in the convention center and at the Superdome, a covered football stadium. There, they waited for days without much food, clean water, or information from authorities. City officials promised that buses would evacuate them, but days passed before the buses arrived. The mayor, Ray Nagin, failed to use the public school system's buses as he could have. The governor, Kathleen Blanco, failed to request federal help in advance. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency appeared unprepared, which all made the government seem inadequate. President Bush flew over and photographs of him looking at the devastation made him appear to be detached from the situation as his critics put it and polls after the hurricane showed Bush's approval rating falling. **What event made the federal government look inadequate and unprepared? (A) Hurricane Katrina (B) Abu Ghraib (C) 9/11 (D) war in Iraq (E) all (F) none**

34. A problem that had been growing since the Great Depression was the nation's deficit spending and the growth of the debt year by year. Spending has gotten out of control and a big reason is "earmarks." These are added to bills and are specifications of the spending of money for particular projects such as building a bridge, or funding medical research, usually in the district or state of the congressman who sponsored the earmark. Bringing tax dollars back to one's district keeps one re-elected since the more spending one gets for their home district, the more the people rely on it to keep coming. **What are earmarks?**

35. **How would earmarks increase government spending?**

36. **Give earmarks your P or P:**

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