US-Soviet relations during the early years of Reagan Administration:
A. improved because NATO decided not to deploy cruise missiles in Europe.
B. changed little despite the positive messages sent from the new Soviet leader Andropov.
C. worsened because the Soviets decided to back our of nuclear missile talks for no reason.
D. worsened over the US deployment of cruise missiles in Europe and the Soviet shooting down of a civilian aircraft.
I chose answer D but I'm not sure.
2. After years of doing little to deal with government income and spending, in the early part of Reagan's second term:
A. Congress increased the level of deficit it would accept again.
B. Congress passed a law to limit the budget deficit and tax reform.
C. massive tax cuts were enacted that were expected to increase the deficit again.
D. Congress passed a Constitutional amendment that required a balanced budget.
I chose answer B but I'm not sure.
For the first question, the correct answer is D. The US-Soviet relations during the early years of Reagan Administration worsened over the deployment of US cruise missiles in Europe and the Soviet shooting down of a civilian aircraft.
To arrive at this answer, you should analyze the options presented and consider the historical context. Option A states that the relationship improved because NATO decided not to deploy cruise missiles in Europe. However, this is incorrect because the NATO decision to deploy cruise missiles actually contributed to the deterioration of relations between the US and the Soviet Union.
Option B suggests that relations changed little despite positive messages from the new Soviet leader Andropov. While it is true that Andropov made some efforts to improve relations, the overall relationship did not improve significantly. Therefore, this option is also incorrect.
Option C states that relations worsened because the Soviets decided to back out of nuclear missile talks for no reason. However, this oversimplifies the situation. The breakdown in nuclear missile talks was a complex issue and cannot be attributed solely to a lack of reason on the Soviet side.
Option D, which you chose, is the correct answer. This option accurately reflects the major events that contributed to the worsening of US-Soviet relations during the early years of the Reagan Administration. The deployment of US cruise missiles in Europe and the Soviet Union's shooting down of Korean Air Flight 007 were significant incidents that significantly strained the relationship between the two superpowers.
Moving on to the second question, the correct answer is C. In the early part of Reagan's second term, massive tax cuts were enacted that were expected to increase the deficit again.
To determine the correct answer, consider the historical context of Reagan's second term. During this period, Reagan implemented significant tax cuts as part of his economic policies, commonly referred to as Reaganomics. These tax cuts were aimed at stimulating economic growth and reducing government intervention in the economy. However, they also resulted in increased budget deficits.
Option A implies that Congress increased the level of deficit it would accept again, but this does not accurately reflect the policies pursued during Reagan's second term.
Option B suggests that Congress passed a law to limit the budget deficit and tax reform, but this is not true. While tax reform was a part of Reagan's overall economic policies, there was no specific law to limit the budget deficit during this period.
Option D proposes that Congress passed a Constitutional amendment that required a balanced budget, but this is also incorrect. Although calls for a balanced budget amendment were made during Reagan's presidency, it was not enacted during his second term.
Therefore, option C is the correct answer as it accurately represents the policy direction taken during Reagan's second term, with the enactment of massive tax cuts that were expected to increase the deficit again.