Directions
Welcome to the interactive viewing guide for The Century: America's Time - A New World (1981-1989). This unit covers the transformative 1980s, an era defined by the presidency of Ronald Reagan, a resurgence of national pride, the rise of the personal computer, and the dramatic end of the Cold War.
Instructions:
- Complete the Identity Panel above to begin.
- Watch the documentary via the link provided in the sidebar.
- Answer the 15 multiple-choice questions sequentially.
- Save your progress often. The final report will generate once you click "FINISHED".
Part I: Morning in America & Reagonomics
1. Following the economic "malaise" of the 1970s, what optimistic campaign slogan did Ronald Reagan use to sweep into office in 1980?
2. Reagan's economic policy, often called "Supply-Side Economics," focused primarily on:
3. In 1981, Reagan demonstrated his "get tough" policy on labor unions by firing over 11,000 striking workers in which industry?
4. What term was used to describe the young, urban professionals of the 80s who epitomized the era's focus on material wealth and career success?
5. Which 1981 cable network launch transformed the music industry and became a central pillar of 1980s youth culture?
Part II: A Wired Society & Social Crisis
6. In 1981, IBM released its first __________, a device that would soon move from research labs into millions of American homes.
7. What 1986 space tragedy, watched live by school children across the nation, resulted in the loss of the teacher-in-space Christa McAuliffe?
8. What terrifying new epidemic emerged in the early 1980s, initially causing widespread fear and stigma before leading to a massive activist movement?
9. Which 1980s business practice involved taking over companies and selling their assets for profit, epitomized by the phrase "Greed is Good"?
10. The 1980s "War on Drugs" was fueled largely by the rapid spread of which cheap and highly addictive form of cocaine?
Part III: The Thaw & The End of the Cold War
11. In his early rhetoric, Ronald Reagan famously referred to the Soviet Union as the _______.
12. What was the nickname for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a proposed space-based system to destroy incoming nuclear missiles?
13. Who became the reform-minded leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, introducing the policies of 'Glasnost' and 'Perestroika'?
14. Standing at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, Reagan issued a famous challenge to the Soviet leader: "Mr. Gorbachev, _______!"
15. What symbolic 1989 event marked the effective end of the Cold War and the beginning of "A New World" order?