Question 1

The acronym CREEP stands for:

Accepted Answer

CREEP stands for Committee to RE-Elect the President, which was an organization formed to help Richard Nixon's re-election campaign in 1972.

Question 2

What happened to President Nixon?

Accepted Answer

President Nixon resigned from office in 1974 before he could be impeached and was later pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford, allowing him to retire without facing criminal charges.

Question 3

The Saturday Night Massacre was Nixon's firing of Justice Department personnel when they would not fire the special prosecutor.

Accepted Answer

The Saturday Night Massacre occurred on October 20, 1973, when President Nixon ordered the firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox, and accepted the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus when they refused to carry out the order.

Question 4

During the Kennedy administration, the IRS was encouraged to target right-wing extremists.

Accepted Answer

President Kennedy was known for his efforts to combat far-right extremism in the United States, including the promotion of civil rights and the investigation of groups such as the John Birch Society. As part of this broader effort, some IRS officials were encouraged to scrutinize the tax-exempt status of far-right organizations suspected of engaging in political activity. This led to allegations of abuse of power and politicization of the IRS, but it also contributed to a growing public awareness of the threat posed by right-wing extremism.

Question 5

Tactics employed by the Nixon administration resembled those found in a police state. Nixon attempted to justify them based on the threat of communism.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Tactics employed by the Nixon administration resembled...

Question 6

FBI surveillance targets included all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

The question asks for the exception among the given options. All of the options are targets of FBI surveillance except for Attorney General Robert Kennedy.

Question 7

In 1993, it was disclosed that the government had injected 18 civilians who may or may not have known of the risks with radioactive plutonium.

Accepted Answer

This is a true statement. In 1993, it was revealed that the US government had injected 18 people with radioactive plutonium between 1945 and 1947 as part of a series of experiments known as the Manhattan Project. The individuals were mostly hospital patients who were told they were receiving a vitamin injection, but were not informed of the risks involved. This revelation led to a public outcry and calls for greater accountability and oversight of government research programs.

Question 8

The most sickening medical experiments conducted by the military involved subjects being exposed to torture devices.

Accepted Answer

While there have been sickening medical experiments conducted by the military on human subjects, not all involved torture devices. Some involved exposure to dangerous chemicals, radiation, or infectious diseases. While unethical and often inhumane, not all experiments involved physical torture.

Question 9

President ___________ ordered J.Edgar Hoover to conduct surveillance programs against American citizens.

Accepted Answer

President Franklin Roosevelt ordered J.Edgar Hoover to conduct surveillance programs against American citizens through the establishment of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the creation of the Special Intelligence Service (SIS) during World War II.

Question 10

The DEA has a long history of medical abuse.

Accepted Answer

The DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) primarily focuses on enforcing the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States, rather than being involved in medical practices or abuse.

Question 11

In Chile, the CIA and ITT, an American corporation, worked to try and defeat Salvador Allande who won despite their efforts. When Allende was assassinated, his government was replaced by a military junta friendly to American interests.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The CIA and ITT did work to try and defeat Salvador Allende in Chile, and when he won the presidency, they continued their efforts to overthrow him. Eventually, Allende was assassinated, and his government was replaced by a military junta led by Augusto Pinochet that was friendly to American interests.

Question 12

The Tuskegee study group was selected based on genetic predisposition for certain behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Tuskegee study group was selected based...

Question 13

A spokesperson for the Army scientific division argued that its experiments were no more dangerous than an urban bus ride and demonstrated the Army's contempt for humanity.

Accepted Answer

The spokesperson for the Army scientific division argued that its experiments were no more dangerous than an urban bus ride and demonstrated the Army's contempt for humanity.

Question 14

The CIA's abuse of power included of all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

The CIA's abuse of power involved all of the given options except for always staying just inside the law. The agency has been implicated in spying on citizens, intercepting personal letters, and monitoring overseas activities of domestic dissidents.

Question 15

Bribery of government officials, helping rebels to overthrow elected officials, and participating in revolution in other countries are outside of United States government control because the activity occurs in a foreign country.

Accepted Answer

The United States has laws and regulations, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and various sanctions laws, that prohibit certain activities by U.S. persons, including bribery of foreign officials and supporting foreign conflicts, regardless of where these activities occur.

Question 16

There was only one individual that was sentenced in connection with Iran-Contra.

Accepted Answer

Only Oliver North, a staff member in the Reagan administration, was convicted and sentenced for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal. Other individuals involved, such as high-ranking officials, received pardons or had their charges dropped.

Question 17

Nixon and his cohorts engaged in all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

While Nixon and his aides engaged in numerous unethical and illegal activities, there is no evidence that they threatened candidates' family members. A, B, and C are all documented tactics used by Nixon and his campaign.

Question 18

Nixon's imperious assault on the Constitution caused a crisis of:

Accepted Answer

Nixon's disregard for the Constitution and abuse of power, particularly in the Watergate scandal, undermined the legitimacy of his presidency and the government in the eyes of many Americans.

Question 19

The most secretive federal agency is the:

Accepted Answer

The NSA, or National Security Agency, is widely considered to be the most secretive federal agency due to the high level of confidentiality surrounding their activities, including electronic surveillance and code-breaking. Their operations are so secretive that even members of Congress have reported being unaware of significant aspects of the agency's activities. While the other agencies listed (DEA, FBI, CIA) also deal with sensitive information, the level of secrecy surrounding the NSA sets it apart as the most secretive.

Question 20

The tactics used by Donald Segretti such as forgery, bribery, libel, and character assassination have been described by some as:

Accepted Answer

The tactics used by Donald Segretti are commonly referred to as "dirty tricks" in politics. These tactics involve unethical and often illegal actions aimed at damaging the reputation or credibility of an opponent. While some may argue that "all's fair in love and politics," these actions are generally seen as dishonest and unethical. Additionally, the fact that Segretti was later convicted of illegal activity supports the characterization of these tactics as "dirty."

Quiz 9: Crimes by the Government