Question

It was in suburbs such as Garden Grove, Orange County [California] . . . that small groups of middle-class men and women met in their new tract homes, seeking to turn the tide of liberal dominance. Recruiting the like-minded, they organized study groups, opened ‘Freedom Forum’ bookstores, filled the rolls of the John Birch Society, entered school board races, and worked within the Republican Party, all in an urgent struggle to safeguard
their particular vision of freedom and the American heritage. In doing so, they became
the ground forces of a conservative revival—one that transformed conservatism from a
marginal force preoccupied with communism in the early 1960s into a viable electoral
contender by the decade’s end.
(1) Which of the following historical developments could best be used as evidence to support
McGirr’s argument in the excerpt?
(A) Challenges to perceived moral and cultural decline.
(B) The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
(C) The emergence of a counterculture.
(D) The rise of the Black Power movement.
(2) The groups described in the excerpt most likely opposed:_____.
(a) the Vietnam War.
(b) racial segregation.
(c) Great Society programs.
(d) organized public prayer.
(3) Which of the following historical developments most directly resulted from the trend described in the excerpt?
(A) The passage of new immigration laws in 1965.
(B) The Supreme Court decisions expanding individual freedoms in the 1960s and 1970s.
(C) The emergence of environmental activism in the 1970s.
(D) The election of Ronald Reagan as president in 1980.
(4) By the 1980s and 1990s, the strength of the movement described in the excerpt was best
illustrated by the:_____.
(a) expanded role of the United States in international peacekeeping operations.
(b) growth in the size and scope of the federal government.
(c) increase in union membership among public employees.
(d) prominence of evangelical Christian organizations in politics.

Answer 1

Answer:

1. Historical development that could best be used as evidence to support McGirr's argument in the excerpt is:

(C) The emergence of a counterculture.

2. The groups described in the excerpt most likely opposed:_____.

(c) Great Society programs.

3. The historical development that most directly resulted from the trend described in the excerpt is:

(D) The election of Ronald Reagan as president in 1980.

4. (4) By the 1980s and 1990s, the strength of the movement described in the excerpt was best  illustrated by the:_____.

(d) prominence of evangelical Christian organizations in politics.

Explanation:

In the 1960s, a counterculture emerged in the United States, which rejected the norms of the 1950s.  This counterculture also coincided with the Vietnamese War, with its vigorous opposition.  There was a revival of evangelical spirituality and deep-rooted reactions against student protests, black and youth culture, and women's right movement.  For conservatives, they were seeking to restore societal morality while reducing excessive federal government controls.  They regarded some social re-engineering programs of the federal government as unfair.  In 1980, they successfully elected Ronald Reagan into the White House to pursue their conservative agenda.