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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 6: "Part Six: Backlash".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Tushar, from the London conference in "Chapter Ten: Central Miscasting," say caused him to question the caste system?
(a) The disparity in privilege he witnessed in India.
(b) The treatment his father received by members of the highest caste.
(c) His own status as a Dalit.
(d) His Hindu faith.

2. In "Chapter Twenty-Six: Turning Point and the Resurgence of Caste," Wilkerson says that Clinton might have suffered from the "Bradley Effect." What does this mean?
(a) Polls tend to under-represent older white voters in agricultural states.
(b) During relatively good economic times voters are more likely to vote for conservative candidates.
(c) White women did not support Clinton because their primary loyalty was to their caste.
(d) Because of social stigma around Trump, voters told people they were going to vote for Clinton but actually voted for Trump.

3. In "Chapter Fifteen: The Urgent Necessity of a Bottom Rung," what is the story of Burton Holmes and Freddie Stowers meant to illustrate?
(a) Even Black soldiers have not been exempt from racial harassment.
(b) The American system will go to great lengths to suppress or ignore lower-caste success.
(c) The French made white Americans uncomfortable by praising Black soldiers.
(d) The United States government does not extend the same veteran's support and benefits to Black soldiers.

4. In "Chapter Eleven: Dominant Group Status Threat and the Precarity of the Highest Rung," which group of Americans does Wilkerson say is facing declining life expectancy?
(a) Young, educated whites.
(b) Middle-aged, less-educated Blacks.
(c) Middle-aged, less-educated whites.
(d) Young, educated Blacks.

5. In "Chapter Seventeen: On the Early Front Lines of Caste," what is the main difference between the various works that Wilkerson discusses?
(a) The race of their authors.
(b) Their position regarding whether American does or does not have a caste system.
(c) Whether or not the authors actually had first-hand experience in the system they were writing about.
(d) The gender of their authors.

Short Answer Questions

1. On page 68 of "Chapter Six: The Measure of Humanity," what does Wilkerson say is "one of the most contentious and misunderstood" words in American culture?

2. In "Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Symbols of Caste," Wilkerson says that the tarp-covered statue looks like "a giant chifforobe" (334). What is a "chifforobe"?

3. In "Chapter Eleven: Dominant Group Status Threat and the Precarity of the Highest Rung," what does Wilkerson reveal about the New Deal and the Federal Housing Administration?

4. In "Chapter Fourteen: The Intrusion of Caste in Everyday Life," who follows and questions Wilkerson when she is in an airport?

5. In "Chapter Twenty-Six: Turning Point and the Resurgence of Caste," whom does Wilkerson name as the most loyal voters of the Republican Party?

(see the answer key)

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