Presidential Achievements from 1950-2000 Quiz

Answer: Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon formed the Gates Commission for the specific purpose of investigating whether or not ending the draft would compromise America's military strength. When it was determined that a volunteer military was viable, Nixon phased out the draft in 1973.
The concept of ending conscription was one of several ideas considered during Johnson's administration amid the Vietnam conflict. Jimmy Carter later granted amnesty to draft dodgers. When Gerald Ford assumed the presidency, the measures to end the draft had begun.

Answer: Dwight Eisenhower

On July 29, 1958, President Eisenhower expanded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and formed NASA. NACA had primarily been an advisory board. Truman was the president when WWII ended and the United States invited many former German rocket scientists who had previously been involved in the V2 project to explore the possibility of space flight and missile capabilities. When John F. Kennedy succeeded Eisenhower he possessed a vision for the potential of the Space Program to land a man on the moon and became a vigorous NASA supporter. Lyndon Johnson was also a NASA ally and continued to expand the project.

Answer: Richard Nixon

On January 5, 1972, President Nixon announced that the development of a space shuttle system would be in the best interests of national defense and would be less expensive in the long run than individual rocket launches. The name that was selected for the first orbiter was Constitution.

After an intense campaign by supporters of the "Star Trek" television show the inaugural shuttle was renamed "Enterprise". Enterprise was a prototype used to develop the landing techniques. The Columbia was the first shuttle actually launched into space. Ronald Reagan was president when Challenger exploded after lift-off in January, 1986.

Answer: Bess Truman

Upon signing the Medicare provisions bill Lyndon Johnson personally handed former President Harry S. Truman and his wife, Bess, the first two Medicare cards at the Truman Library. Medicaid was also established for citizens with low income as part of the bill.
In 2006 Medicare Part D was added expanding the coverage to include drugs.
Mamie Eisenhower passed away in 1961 and Eleanor Roosevelt died the following year. Jackie Kennedy was not old enough to receive Medicare benefits at the time.

Answer: George H. W. Bush

The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in 1990 and amended the following year while George H. W. Bush was in office. It was one of the most significant pieces of legislation enacted during his administration. In 2008 his son signed The ADA Amendments Act.
David Souter and Clarence Thomas were appointed by President Bush the elder in the early nineties.

Answer: William Clinton

The first White House website was launched in 1994, two years into President Clinton's administration. President William Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore realized the potential of the internet and continued to fine tune the White House website. He also saw the potential for a wider web-based interaction between government and the nation via the internet.

In 1996 he signed The Federal Information Technology Bill, requiring all federal agencies to make their departments more accessible via the internet and encouraging the public to utilize the access.

Answer: Ronald Reagan

Dr. Alan Greenspan succeeded Paul Volcker as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve when he was nominated by President Reagan in 1987. The Senate confirmed him in August of the same year. President George H. W. Bush retained Greenspan despite occasional economic downturns.

When Bill Clinton was elected he had a high regard for Dr. Greenspan and considered him a close adviser. Despite Dr. Greenspan raising the interest rate several times in 2000, President George Bush appointed him to a fifth term. Greenspan was replaced by Ben Bernanke in 2006.

Answer: Lyndon Johnson

During the early sixties statistics indicated there was a growing number of fatal automobile accidents. In 1966 Lyndon Johnson signed into law the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. The act ultimately gave authority for the National Highway Safety Bureau to set standards. Ralph Nader's 1965 book, "Unsafe at any Speed", outlined the contention that poorly designed vehicles may have been as much a contributing factor to deaths and injuries as poor driving.

The act has been updated and codified over the years as new standards are imposed.

Answer: Defense of Marriage Act

The Defense of Marriage Act essentially had two main points. The Federal Government would only consider marriage as a union between a man and a woman. It also confirmed that no state shall be required to acknowledge any other union, even if it was legal in another state. After passing the House and Senate, President Clinton signed the bill on September 21, 1996.
The Bankruptcy Reform Act and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act were enacted under President George Bush. The Immigration Reform and Control Act was signed by President Reagan.

Answer: Bill Clinton

While George H. W. Bush championed and engineered the bill as an expansion of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement, his term expired before ratification of the bill could be done. President Clinton fined-tuned the legislation, citing concerns about the loss of American jobs and signed it into law at the end of 1993. It became effective beginning the following year.