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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What did Kennedy represent to Eleanor Roosevelt's followers?
(a) Old guard.
(b) The new breed.
(c) Foreigners.
(d) Businessmen.

2. Who was named to head the U.S. command in Saigon in January 1962?
(a) Robert McNamara.
(b) Maxwell Taylor.
(c) Paul Harkins.
(d) Chester Bowles.

3. What was Kennedy's position on the Cold War policies of his predecessors?
(a) He was going to continue them.
(b) He was going to end them.
(c) He did not want to follow them.
(d) He was going to improve on them.

4. What does Halberstam say was the sense in the Kennedy administration as they came into office?
(a) They were going to continue the country's prosperity.
(b) They were going to institute a new era of peace.
(c) They were going to conquer the Russians.
(d) They were going to get the country moving again.

5. What position had Robert Lovett been appointed to in 1947?
(a) Secretary of Defense.
(b) Secretary of the Interior.
(c) Undersecretary of State.
(d) Secretary of State.

6. How does Halberstam say Lyndon Johnson felt in the Kennedy administration?
(a) He felt like a relic of previous administrations.
(b) He felt like a midwesterner among East-coast men.
(c) He felt like a teacher among his students.
(d) He felt like a socialist among capitalists.

7. What does Halberstam say marked the end of the generals' faith in Diem?
(a) The raid on the pagodas.
(b) The drought and subsequent humanitarian crisis.
(c) The influence of American interests on Diem's government.
(d) The backlash against the army after the botched raids on the pagodas.

8. Why was Chester Bowles assigned to a different position?
(a) He had disgraced himself by having an affair with one of his pages.
(b) He had been caught saying embarrassing things on an open mic.
(c) He had leaked confidential information to the press.
(d) He had quarreled with Bobby Kennedy over who was in charge in Kennedy's absence.

9. What had happened to reduce the Communism threat by the time McNamara took over as Secretary of Defense?
(a) Russia and China had split.
(b) Cuba had instituted its own version of Communism.
(c) Communism had failed in North Korea.
(d) McCarthy had purged Communists from American politics.

10. What did Chester Bowles think was the most important issue to confront?
(a) Budget cuts.
(b) Race issues.
(c) Poverty.
(d) Military expansion.

11. What policies had Robert Lovett been involved in crafting?
(a) Treaties with China and Russia.
(b) The Marshall plan.
(c) A reorganization of the military.
(d) Changes to Medicare.

12. What does Halberstam say was the result of the Chinese Revolution and the McCarthy period?
(a) The U.S. sought out diplomatic solutions.
(b) The U.S. strengthened trade ties in Europe.
(c) The U.S. took an aggressive stance toward Communism.
(d) The U.S. took pre-emptive action against Communism.

13. What position did the Kennedy administration take with regard to nuclear disarmament?
(a) Kennedy wanted to eliminate nuclear weapons altogether.
(b) Kennedy wanted to make sure that the U.S. and Russia had comparable arsenals.
(c) Kennedy wanted to reduce the number of nuclear weapons to a reasonable number.
(d) Kennedy wanted to show Kruschev that he was tough.

14. Which problem did NOT arise for the Kennedy administration during 1961?
(a) Financial crisis.
(b) Bay of Pigs invasion.
(c) Arms race.
(d) Escalation of problems in Laos.

15. Which situation had the biggest effect on the Kennedy administration in 1961?
(a) The Gulf of Tonkin incident.
(b) The financial crisis.
(c) China policy.
(d) The Bay of Pigs.

Short Answer Questions

1. What had Robert Lovett been before entering government?

2. Whom did Kennedy want to act as Secretary of State?

3. Whom did Robert Lovett recommend to Kennedy for Secretary of State?

4. Why didn't Kennedy offer the position of Secretary of State to David Bruce?

5. Which issue was NOT confronting the nation when the Kennedy administration took office?

(see the answer keys)

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