Deck 1: Understanding American Politics

Question 1

For James Madison, the notion that government is necessary depended mainly on

A) his belief that people are self-interested and would, without government, descend
Into anarchy.
B) his belief that direct democracy was the only legitimate way to make collective decisions.
C) his desire for the United States to serve as a functioning colony of Great Britain.
D) his view that people were willing to sacrifice freedoms to make democracy work.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Collective action problems

A) are very rare in modern society.
B) are very common in modern society.
C) are rare in the field of education.
D) only occur in modern dictatorships.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The majority of American adults understand the importance of politics in their everyday lives.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Cultural issues include social spending on the poor and proper taxation levels.

Question 5

It is almost impossible for people to get everything they want from the political process.

Question 6

Politics rarely involves overt conflict.

Question 7

The free rider problem occurs because people can share in the benefits of a public good whether or
not they helped provide it.

Question 8

Politicians who compromise typically abandon their fundamental values and principles.

Question 9

Politics is the same thing as government.

Question 10

What did British philosopher Thomas Hobbes mean by the term "state of nature"?

A) a belief that all people were basically good
B) a belief that the laws of nature gave kings the right to rule by divine right
C) life without any existing government
D) a world in which people lived in harmony

Question 11

A stealth democracy would exist if government were run like a business.

Question 12

James Madison assumed that people

A) preferred anarchy over the creation of a government.
B) were basically self-interested.
C) were basically civic-oriented.
D) preferred a monarchy over a republican form of government.

Question 13

Americans generally do not like politics because

A) so much of the news is fake.
B) they do not understand it.
C) election outcomes are almost always predictable.
D) as the 2016 presidential election illustrated, most campaigns have a heavy emphasis on public policy issues and less on the personalities of the candidates.

Question 14

James Madison was concerned about the possibility that no faction would be able to gain a majority and thus the government would not function.

Question 15

Race and gender are significant in American elections because they remain important sources of political disagreements and identity politics, which can influence individual voting behavior.

Question 16

Libertarians believe in a proactive federal government much like liberals do.

Question 17

Federalism refers to the division of power between Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court.

Question 18

Compared to most European democracies, the United States has been relatively free of class-based politics because economics is not an important source of political conflict in America.

Question 19

To the framers of the Constitution, equality was the central principle of the new government.

Question 20

Politics has no logic to it and most everything that happens in the political world is chaotic.

Question 21

When federal officials attempt to address a problem, such as assisting the poor, the sick, or the aged, they are acting

A) under their constitutional power to provide order.
B) under their constitutional power to promote the general welfare.
C) through powers specified in the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution.
D) through powers specified in the Bill of Rights.

Question 22

If people decide there is a problem worth solving that requires the creation of a public good, government involvement is necessary because

A) majority factions will try to ensure that the good works only for themselves.
B) it is difficult for individuals to provide common resources on their own.
C) of positive externalities that make the good otherwise undesirable.
D) without it, citizens would be able to sue the government in federal court.

Question 23

The separation of powers refers to

A) a division of authority within Congress, so that not all legislators do the same things.
B) the division of authority between the national and state governments.
C) providing each part of government with some power over the others.
D) dividing a government into different branches with distinct areas of authority.

Question 24

A free rider problem occurs when

A) a public good is provided by government.
B) not everyone works toward a common goal.
C) the market provides a good by making it free of charge.
D) government officials offer bailouts to failing corporations that come at the expense of taxpayers.

Question 25

________ are likely to disappear quickly from the political agenda, while ________ often take a long time to resolve.

A) Conflictual issues; valence issues
B) Social issues such as abortion; national issues
C) Consensus issues; conflictual issues
D) Campaign issues; state and local issues

Question 26

The division of power between the national government and the state and local governments is called

A) constitutionalism.
B) federalism.
C) republicanism.
D) pluralism.

Question 27

Which one of the following is an example of a public good?

A) the interstate highway system
B) a new business that creates jobs in a community
C) food produced by local farmers
D) volunteering time to a political campaign

Question 28

The federal government

A) has more than 20 million employees.
B) affects the everyday lives of Americans in many different ways.
C) has a budget in excess of $10 trillion per year.
D) is expected to go bankrupt in the next few years.

Question 29

Which one of the following is an example of checks and balances?

A) Federal judges can recuse themselves from participating in certain cases.
B) Congress holds the power of impeachment.
C) The president is the head of the entire federal bureaucracy.
D) The news media can hold members of Congress accountable for contradictory statements they've made.

Question 30

A stealth democracy entails

A) an attempt to run government like a business.
B) the willingness to have an extensive debate involving many political players before creating a new public policy.
C) ignoring fundamental disagreements in politics.
D) giving more political power to the people.

Question 31

A college student's life

A) is typically not affected by federal regulators.
B) is typically only affected by regulators at the local level.
C) is affected profoundly by regulators at the federal level.
D) is only regulated if she or he attends a public university or college.

Question 32

Aristotle

A) was an eminent British political philosopher who predated Thomas Hobbes.
B) developed a classification scheme for governments more than 2,000 years ago that still has utility.
C) was an early advocate of presidential systems of government with checks and balances.
D) believed in the necessity of overcoming the free rider problem.

Question 33

Most Americans

A) enjoy the conflict inherent in politics.
B) regularly talk about politics with their family members and friends.
C) avoid discussing politics in order to maintain social harmony.
D) regularly talk about money and religion with their family members and friends.

Question 34

The federal government consists of

A) elected officials, party chairs, and lobbyists.
B) the president, members of Congress, the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, and all citizens who vote in elections.
C) not only the executive bureaucracy but the mass media and interest groups as well.
D) more than 2 million employees, not including contract and Postal Service workers.

Question 35

Politics

A) is generally free of conflict.
B) is basically the same thing as government.
C) is the process that determines what government does.
D) does not affect most people on a daily basis.

Question 36

Presidential systems

A) generally do not have separation of powers.
B) are basically the same as parliamentary systems.
C) generally have separation of powers among the branches of the national government.
D) are common in the United Kingdom.

Question 37

Conflict

A) has only recently been understood in political science.
B) between interest groups explains most outcomes in American politics.
C) is rarely studied in the context of Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme Court.
D) is a natural part of the political process.

Question 38

It may be easy for two neighbors to agree to drain a meadow, which they possess in common, to grow crops. However, when the meadow is much larger and reaches thousands of people,
The solution is more difficult because

A) decision making is impossible with so many people.
B) factions would form that would ultimately destroy the meadow for everyone.
C) the problem of the tyranny of the majority would be impossible to control.
D) the people involved would suffer from the free rider problem.

Question 39

If one group took power and established an official state religion, James Madison would likely describe the situation as

A) a stage in the evolution of government.
B) unfortunate but inevitable and outside the scope of government to prevent.
C) the best possible outcome given the desires of a majority of the people.
D) an example of the tyranny of a faction imposing its will on the rest of the nation.

Question 40

What happened as a result of the 2016 elections?

A) The Republicans lost control of both houses of Congress.
B) At least one prominent conservative was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2017.
C) The United States remained in the Paris Agreement.
D) Not much changed in the transition from the Obama administration to the Trump administration.

Question 41

Which one of the following demonstrates a general understanding of American politics?

A) It is important to avoid conflict as much as possible.
B) Politicians should learn to stop partisan bickering.
C) Fundamental differences on public policy issues will continue.
D) For the most part, election outcomes in the United States have few consequences.

Question 42

Which one of the following statements about politics is accurate?

A) Structural rules are generally not that important, especially with regard to presidential elections.
B) The procedures for developing federal environmental regulations generally are not controversial.
C) The ability to determine the rules will generally determine the outcome, especially with regard to tax policy.
D) The citizenship rules outlined in the Constitution have little effect on society, especially with regard to who can serve as president of the United States.

Question 43

A libertarian is likely to favor

A) higher spending levels to preserve the environment.
B) higher spending levels for public education.
C) higher spending levels for national defense.
D) tax cuts at the federal level.

Question 44

Over time, the United States has experienced

A) an increase in stratification by class.
B) a departure from free market principles in its overall economic philosophy.
C) a sharp increase in political corruption.
D) economic decline relative to Europe.

Question 45

Which one of the following is true about cultural issues in the United States?

A) Red states tend to be more secular.
B) Blue states tend to be more religious.
C) School vouchers remain controversial.
D) Immigration issues tend not to be controversial.

Question 46

What two broad purposes are served by government?

Question 47

According to the framers of the Constitution, what are two vital functions of government in the United States? Cite evidence from the Constitution itself.

Question 48

Which one of the following is true about identity politics in the United States?

A) About 90 percent of African Americans support the Republican Party.
B) Whites tend to support the Democratic Party.
C) Latino Americans tend to support the Republican Party.
D) Asian Americans tend to support the Democratic Party.

Question 49

To the founders of the American republic,

A) equality was the central principle of government.
B) commerce was the central principle of government.
C) liberty was the central principle of government.
D) all people should own the same amount of property.

Question 50

A conservative is likely to

A) vote Democratic.
B) favor the legalization of marijuana.
C) favor laws restricting or abolishing abortion.
D) vote for Independents.

Question 51

How does equality contribute to resolving conflict in the political system?

A) People respect the system more if they believe they are going to be treated equally.
B) By promising equal outcomes, politicians have ensured everyone is satisfied.
C) Conflict can only exist when people are being treated differently.
D) Multiculturalism reinforces equality of opportunity in America.

Question 52

Cultural and moral values garner attention because

A) of the tendency of most journalists to distort the news.
B) they typically achieve bipartisan consensus.
C) interest groups and activists attempt to keep cultural and moral issues at the top of
The policy agenda.
D) cultural and moral issues are relatively new, only becoming important in the Twenty-first century.

Question 53

Democrats and Republicans most strongly disagree about which area of economic policy?

A) free trade
B) gold or silver standards for currency
C) redistributive tax policy
D) capitalism

Question 54

What is the difference between separation of powers and federalism?

Question 55

Which one of the following is an important issue to values voters?

A) the growing gap between the rich and the poor
B) pornography
C) improving health care for seniors by strengthening Medicare
D) protecting collective bargaining rights for teachers, police, and firefighters

Question 56

What is meant by a "stealth democracy"?

Question 57

Which one of the following is part of the modern economic values of the United States?

A) workplace democracy
B) economic individualism
C) economic equality
D) the greatest good for the greatest number

Question 58

Most Americans generally view politics in a negative manner. Regardless, provide an issue that illustrates why politics is important to all Americans and explain why this is the case.

Question 59

Fake news

A) never existed until the 2016 presidential election.
B) is news that is, while open to interpretation, deliberately made up for profit or to influence politics.
C) is based on the reality that American politics does not involve much conflict.
D) exists despite Americans having deep knowledge of politics and public affairs.

Question 60

The women's movement

A) was focused on many issues in the nineteenth century.
B) was dominated by two major issues in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
C) is largely focused on getting a female elected president in the contemporary era.
D) achieved political victories after a short period of time once it started in the mid-nineteenth century.

Question 61

Is democracy the only way to resolve conflict in a society?

Question 62

Compare and contrast liberals, conservatives, and libertarians on their views regarding the domestic economy. Provide a concrete example to illustrate ideological differences between the groups.

Question 63

Why was liberty the central principle of the framers of the Constitution?

Question 64

Identify and define the core American political values and explain how they are central to thinking about and understanding American politics.

Question 65

Select one of the following policy issues and discuss how the three key ideas are central to understanding this policy debate: health care, campaign finance reform, national debt, or abortion.

Question 66

What are the dominant beliefs of liberals, conservatives, and libertarians in the United States today?

Question 67

James Madison wrote, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary." Explain what this quote means. Do you believe it to be true? What kind of institutional controls did Madison put into the Constitution as a consequence of his beliefs, and are they effective?

Question 68

According to Thomas Hobbes, why do we have government? Does his conclusion from the seventeenth century still apply in the twenty-first century? Explain.

Question 69

Why do Americans need to be critical consumers of politics?