AP US History · Causation
Which federal policy change most directly contributed to the reversal in the foreign-born share after 1970?
Foreign-born share of the U.S. population
| Year | Foreign-born share |
|---|---|
| 1910 | 14.7% |
| 1930 | 11.6% |
| 1970 | 4.7% |
| 1990 | 7.9% |
| 2010 | 12.9% |
U.S. Census Bureau historical series. Percent of total U.S. population that was foreign born.
Which federal policy change most directly contributed to the reversal in the foreign-born share after 1970?
Answer and explanation
Answer: D: The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which ended the national-origins quota system and reorganized legal immigration preferences
The foreign-born share fell to 4.7 percent by 1970 and then climbed. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 ended national-origins quotas and favored family reunification and occupational preferences, reshaping later flows, so D is correct. Choice A is tempting because it concerns immigration, but the 1924 law tightened quotas and helped cause the earlier decline. Choice B, the 1986 act, came after the rise had begun. Choice C, the 1980 Refugee Act, was narrower and does not explain the broad long-term reversal.
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