Download Final Exam for History 157: Political and Social Changes in America from 1945 to 2000 - Pr and more Exams United States History in PDF only on Docsity! History 157 D. Freund Final exam PART I: Essays (2 questions; 80 minutes) You will be asked to write on 2 of the following questions. For each essay, make an historical argument that explains how and why change happened, and support your argument with concrete examples drawn from our readings and lectures. NOTE: There is no need to repeat the question at the outset of your answer; instead, get directly to your argument and the evidence. 1. Historians argue that between 1945 and 1980, the “New Deal coalition” broke down. What do they mean by this, and why did this political realignment occur? Sample and discuss some of the key social, political, and economic developments that shaped the political loyalties of different constituencies, culminating in the “Reagan revolution” of 1980. 2. Before the Great Depression, the federal government played a limited role in the daily lives of most Americans. How did New Deal and Great Society reform change this, and by doing so alter the politics, economics, and rhetoric of rights and opportunity in the 20th century? While your answer should focus on the New Deal and Great Society, be sure to explicitly compare the periods before and after 1933. 3. While the Cold War was an international conflict played out on an international stage, it had a dramatic impact on domestic life in the U.S. In what ways did the Cold War influence America’s economy, culture, and politics? Be sure to discuss not only how the Cold War shaped politics and public policy but also how it shaped the experiences of average Americans, from suburban middle class families to political activists critical of the post-war consensus. 4. Discuss the development and increasing prominence of conservatism from 1945 through 2000. How did conservatives respond to major social, economic, and political developments in post- war America, such as the Cold War, the civil rights movement, feminism, deindustrialization, and the gay rights movement? How did the conservative movement impact federal policy? PART II: Paired identifications (40 minutes) The exam will include 16 of the following terms, divided between two columns (column “A” and column “B”). You will choose 4 pairs of terms—for each pair, you will match a term from “A” with one from “B”—and write about them in relation to each other. In the end you will write on a total of 8 terms, discussed in 4 brief essays. For example: If “SNCC” appeared in “A” and “Montgomery Bus Boycott” in “B,” you could combine them and, after identifying each, discuss how SNCC built on earlier non- violent protest strategies like the bus boycotts. You might also discuss how SNCC’s ideology and strategy changed over the course of the 60s, in effect rejecting the narrower strategies of the earlier movement. supply-side economics Brown v. Board of Education “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” SNCC Voting Rights Act (1965) Strom Thurmond NOW George Wallace
