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David Halberstam

The Best and the Brightest Quiz

David Halberstam
This Study Guide consists of approximately 61 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Best and the Brightest.

The Best and the Brightest Quiz

Students: Take our free The Best and the Brightest quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. Take the free quiz now!

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1)

Who was Kennedy's military analyst on the 1961 fact-finding mission? (from Chapters 9-10)

Chester Bowles.
Robert McNamara.
McGeorge Bundy.
Maxwell Taylor.
2)

How does Halberstam say Johnson conducted planning for the Vietnam war? (from Chapters 27 - Epilogue - Final Word)

Johnson governed by consensus among his advisers.
Johnson kept planning secret.
Johnson consulted with a wide range of experts.
Johnson made every decision himself.
3)

What does Halberstam say the U.S. government had to rely on once it had advisers in Vietnam? (from Chapters 11-12)

Reports from the military.
Diplomatic accounts from Vietnam.
Reporters and aid workers.
Strategists in the Pentagon.
4)

What kind of reports does Halberstam say would come from the head of the U.S. command after his 1962 appointment? (from Chapters 9-10)

Pragmatic and diplomatic reports.
Highly detailed reports.
Reports that were imperial propaganda.
Unrealistic reports.
5)

What does Halberstam say McNamara had done while he was at Ford? (from Chapters 11-12)

Innovated in the design of the production process.
Busted a unionization attempt.
Raised the quality of the product without raising the cost.
Created a fiscal crisis.
6)

What had USAID done in Vietnam at the beginning of Chapter 15? (from Chapters 15-16)

Removed its military advisers.
Cut off commodity aid.
Recalled its missionaries.
Refused to work with the American military.
7)

What does Halberstam say was going to cause the realities of the war to be made public? (from Chapters 27 - Epilogue - Final Word)

Passage of the Freedom of Information Act.
Leaks from inside the government.
The media.
The process of paying for the war.
8)

What evidence does Halberstam give for the deterioration of the mood in America? (from Chapters 27 - Epilogue - Final Word)

Civil rights protests.
Budget fights in the Senate.
Confrontational anti-war protests.
Seats being lost in mid-term elections.
9)

Where was the war going badly, at the time when the White House was losing faith in Diem? (from Chapters 13-14)

In Pleiku.
Around Saigon.
In Quang Nam.
In the Mekong Delta.
10)

What measures does Halberstam say Washington, D.C. took when the soldiers dissented over conditions? (from Chapters 11-12)

They arrested any soldiers who spoke against the government.
They held town hall meeting where soldiers could air their views.
They repressed the dissent.
They held Congressional hearings.
11)

What plan was the U.S. government following by the end of 1964? (from Chapters 21-22)

Restrict operations to bombing missions.
Limit bombing but increase troops on the ground.
Pour as many resources as necessary into Vietnam.
Expand the pacification program.
12)

What does Halberstam say was Lyndon Johnson's feeling about the coup? (from Chapters 15-16)

He opposed it.
He turned a blind eye to it.
He proposed it.
He endorsed it.
13)

What does Halberstam say was Robert McNamara's role in the White House policy discussions? (from Chapters 11-12)

McNamara enforced Kennedy's will.
McNamara dominated discussions.
McNamara followed the will of the other advisers.
McNamara filled in the details of others' plans.
14)

What does Halberstam say happened when control shifted out of Taylor's hands in March and April 1965? (from Chapters 23-24)

Reports began to reduce estimations of Vietcong troop strength.
Reports began to be closer to actual realities.
Reports began to be issued with greater frequency.
Reports began to describe American troops' atrocities.
15)

Why did the Americans back down on demands for reform in Vietnam in 1962, in Halberstam's account? (from Chapters 9-10)

Reforms had already been accomplished.
Diem could not afford reforms.
They lost confidence that reforms could be implemented.
Diem had begun to renege on his promises.
16)

What does Halberstam say was the effect of the Gulf of Tonkin incident on the U.S. government? (from Chapters 19-20)

It led some to question the legality of the war.
It demonstrated that American strategy was working.
It convinced Americans that the war was senseless.
It strengthened U.S. resolve to win in Vietnam.
17)

Whose staff does Halberstam say outlined three responses to the American bombing campaign? (from Chapters 23-24)

General Westmoreland.
Maxwell Taylor.
General Harkin.
McGeorge Bundy.
18)

Who was it who authorized a paper that would rationalize an exit from Vietnam? (from Chapters 17-18)

Averell Harriman.
McGeorge Bundy.
John McNaughton.
Robert McNamara.
19)

What does Halberstam say was decided at the April 20, 1965 meeting in Honolulu? (from Chapters 25-26)

The military shifted to search-and-destroy missions exclusively.
The military agreed to increased troop usage.
The military refused to provide reports from field commanders.
The military reduced troop levels.
20)

What does Halberstam say the administration had led the American people to believe about the war? (from Chapters 27 - Epilogue - Final Word)

That the war would pay for itself.
That it would not be a large war.
That American air power would win the war quickly.
That international consensus would build in support of America's actions.
21)

Where was the war going well, at the time when the White House was losing faith in Diem, according to Halberstam? (from Chapters 13-14)

In Quang Nam.
In Pleiku.
In the Mekong Delta.
Around Saigon.
22)

What does Halberstam say was the result of the Gulf of Tonkin incident? (from Chapters 19-20)

Bombing of North Vietnam.
The use of napalm.
An end of diplomacy.
A Northern offensive.
23)

What did the U.S. embassy offer to Diem and Nhu when the coup began? (from Chapters 15-16)

Retribution against their enemies.
Protection against their enemies.
Safe conduct out of the country.
Return to power.
24)

In what way does Halberstam say that Lyndon Johnson resembled Kennedy in his management style? (from Chapters 19-20)

Johnson sought out expert opinions beyond his cabinet.
Johnson used a cabinet of enemies.
Johnson did not seek a wide variety of opinions.
Johnson trusted the military's reports.
25)

When Kennedy did not authorize more troops, what does Halberstam say he told the Pentagon? (from Chapters 9-10)

To prepare a larger engagement.
To plan to redeploy combat troops.
To develop an exit strategy.
To develop plans to expand the war to Cambodia.
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The Best and the Brightest from BookRags and Gale's For Students Series. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.
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