Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumEnvironmentalism and the Energy Crisis

"The Congress, recognizing the profound impact of man's activity on the interrelations of all components of the natural environment, particularly the profound influences of population growth, high-density urbanization, industrial expansion, resource exploitation, and new and expanding technological advances... declares that it is the continuing policy of the Federal Government... to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans."

— National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (signed January 1, 1970)

The passage of the legislation excerpted above was most directly a response to which of the following developments?

  1. A
    Federal initiatives to secure resource independence as part of the Cold War containment policy
  2. B
    Efforts to promote supply-side economic growth through the deregulation of private industries
  3. Growing public concern over the ecological and health impacts of postwar industrial developmentAnswer
  4. D
    A desire to expand public works and resource conservation programs inherited from the New Deal

Answer

Growing public concern over the ecological and health impacts of postwar industrial development
The correct answer shows that the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 was a direct result of the modern environmental movement that grew in the 1960s and 1970s. This movement, spurred by events like the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and public disasters like the Cuyahoga River fire, raised awareness about the negative ecological and health consequences of rapid postwar industrialization and suburban expansion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document to identify its core purpose and historical context.
The excerpt is from the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, which declares a federal policy to protect the natural environment from industrial, urban, and technological harms.
Understanding the document's focus on environmental protection establishes the basis for identifying what historical development led to its passage.
2
Connect the document's date (1969/1970) and themes to the broader historical developments of Period 8 (1945–1980).
The late 1960s and early 1970s marked the peak of the modern environmental movement, which was fueled by public alarm over pollution, chemical pesticides, and industrial waste resulting from the post-WWII economic boom.
This contextualization links the legislative action directly to the social and cultural pressures of the era.
3
Evaluate the options to select the one that best explains the historical cause of the legislation while ruling out distractors.
The option highlighting growing public concern over the ecological and health impacts of postwar industrial development is correct, as it directly aligns with the rise of modern environmentalism. Other options are incorrect because they conflate this era with the New Deal, supply-side economics of the 1980s, or foreign policy containment.
This step ensures the selected answer is historically accurate and logically sound under AP US History frameworks.

Key Concept

The rise of the modern environmental movement in the post-World War II era, which led to significant federal legislation and regulatory agencies in the late 1960s and 1970s to address the ecological consequences of industrial and economic growth.
Rate this question

Topics

Environmentalism and the Energy Crisis

More questions from this topic