Deck 9: Brazil

Question 1

State corporatism refers to

A) the state supporting large firms financially.
B) a system whereby important societal interests are allowed to monopolize their respective areas in exchange for observing controls on their articulation of demands.
C) a system whereby important societal interests are integrated into state policy-making.
D) the creation of large state-owned businesses.
E) communism.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Classifications of Brazil's ethnic and racial groups are

A) Europeans, pardo, Africans, Asians, and indigenous peoples.
B) White, pardo, Asian, black, and indigenous peoples.
C) White, brown, yellow, and red.
D) European, mixed, Africans, and indigenous peoples.
E) White, mixed, Asians, and Africans.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT true of Brazil's geography and population?

A) It is larger than the continental United States.
B) Its population is concentrated in the southern and southeastern regions.
C) It is rich in natural resources, including oil and arable land.
D) It occupies about two-thirds of South America.
E) Its Amazon region is sparsely populated.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In 2013, four years after Brazil was awarded the Olympics and a year before it would host the World Cup, protests broke out in many major cities in the country.  The demonstrators were protesting

A) the enormous amount of money that was going to preparing for the games rather than meeting important social needs.
B) charges of kickbacks and bribery that were directed against the contractors of the venues.
C) the government's decision to award large contracts to foreign firms.
D) the decision by the government to use military forces to police these events.
E) the decision by the government to ban alcohol sales at these venues.

Question 5

Brazilian politicians who use their charisma to mobilize their constituents are known as

A) populist politicians.
B) patrimonial politicians.
C) independent politicians.
D) personalist politicians.
E) clientelist politicians.

Question 6

What was the end result of President Collor, the first democratically elected president since the 1960s?

A) He was assassinated.
B) He was accused of bribery and impeached.
C) He was removed by a military coup.
D) He won reelection for a second term, after which he retired from public service.

Question 7

The process of trading favors and protection for political support is called

A) coronelismo.
B) patrimonialism.
C) clientelism.
D) caudillo .
E) bossism.

Question 8

The official language of Brazil is

A) English.
B) Spanish.
C) Portuguese.
D) Italian.
E) Brazilian.

Question 9

Prior to being elected to the Brazilian presidency, Dilma Rousseff was

A) the Minister of Finance.
B) the chief of staff of President Lula da Silva.
C) a state governor.
D) a member of the legislature.
E) the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Question 10

The privatization of state enterprises began under the _______________ presidency.

A) Cardoso
B) Lula
C) Collor
D) Sarney
E) Rousseff

Question 11

The gradual process of democratization begun under military rule included all of the following EXCEPT

A) redirecting the country's foreign policy towards gaining closer ties with the United States.
B) reestablishing direct elections for state governors.
C) eliminating the government's power to oust legislators.
D) granting political amnesty for dissenters.
E) All of the above were steps taken by the military in its efforts to gradually restore democracy.

Question 12

The period of bureaucratic authoritarian rule in Brazil was characterized by all of the following EXCEPT

A) political repression, sometimes severe.
B) a commitment to state-led economic development.
C) the continued functioning of democratic institutions like the national congress although with severe limits on their powers.
D) state and local governments taking on additional policy responsibilities.
E) direct elections for national legislators, but not the president, taking place at fairly regular intervals.

Question 13

Brazil offers a challenge to the study of comparative politics because of all of the following EXCEPT

A) it has had periods of both centralization and decentralization, both of which have strengthened and weakened the state's capacity.
B) it demonstrates how the lack of coherent party systems and electoral institutions can endanger democracy.
C) even while the country has developed economically, it has become a more socially unequal country.
D) the complex divisions that afflict the country's collective identities challenge attempts to address its problems.
E) despite its transition to democracy, the constant threat of military intervention highlights the fragile nature of its political system.

Question 14

The term bureaucratic authoritarianism refers to a government led by the armed forces and

A) land-owning elites.
B) the Catholic Church.
C) elected officials.
D) regional strongmen.
E) key civilian allies, often professional economists, engineers, and administrators.

Question 15

In the context of Brazil, and more generally Latin America, the term populism refers to

A) allowing "the people" to determine the basic political processes and principles of governance.
B) relying upon the political support of regional strongmen to rule.
C) promising labor unions specific wage guarantees in order to gain their political support to keep them from forming communist groups to challenge the government.
D) gaining the political support of previously disenfranchised sectors of society, often through manipulation and demagogic appeals.
E) expanding the right to vote.

Question 16

During the Brazilian Empire, the emperor acted as a moderating power ( poder moderador). This meant that he

A) mediated conflicts among the branches of government and the oligarchy.
B) mediated conflicts among the branches of government and royal agents.
C) mediated conflicts among the oligarchy and peasants.
D) mediated conflicts among regional strongmen.
E) was granted total control of the country's foreign policy.

Question 17

About ____ percent of Brazilians identify with Catholicism.

A) 75
B) 80
C) 90
D) 65
E) 85

Question 18

President Lula da Silva

A) reversed the reforms of his successor.
B) nationalized several key industries.
C) continued the economic programs initiated by his successor.
D) left office in disgrace following a charge of bribery.
E) supported the actions of the United States following 9/11.

Question 19

Brazil is the _____________ largest economy in the world.

A) fifth
B) fifteenth
C) twentieth
D) third
E) fourth

Question 20

The term abertura refers to the

A) opening of the Brazilian economy to the world economy.
B) opening of  the World Cup in 2014.
C) period of authoritarian liberalization begun in 1974 that eventually led to the return of democratic rule.
D) enfranchisement of women.
E) elimination of slavery in Brazil.

Question 21

Unlike the American president, the Brazilian president

A) can issue a line-item veto.
B) acts as the country's commander-in-chief.
C) acts as the country's head of state.
D) has extensive powers of appointment.
E) acts as the country's head of government.

Question 22

Although initially successful in achieving impressive economic growth, import substitution ultimately

A) was proven to be incapable of sustaining economic growth due to resistance from labor groups.
B) led to inefficient and uncompetitive industries due to their dependence on state subsidies.
C) was proven to be incapable of sustaining economic growth due to resistance from large firms that wanted to grow their foreign markets in Latin America.
D) was proven to be incapable of sustaining economic growth due to resistance from the bourgeoisie.
E) was proven to be incapable of sustaining economic growth due to resistance from foreign capitalists and multinational corporations.

Question 23

Which of the following statements about Brazil's semi public firms is INCORRECT?

A) At one time, the federal government of Brazil owned ten of the top 25 enterprises in the country.
B) Although telecommunications have recently been largely privatized, the petroleum industry generally has not.
C) The 1988 constitution protected the state's exclusive control over petroleum, telecommunications, and nuclear energy.
D) One state firm, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development, is actually larger than the World Bank.
E) State firms proliferated after 1940.

Question 24

Which ministry has tended to have more authority than other executive agencies?

A) The Foreign Ministry
B) The Ministry of the Economy
C) The Ministry of Trade
D) The Ministry of Social and Economic Affairs
E) The Ministry of Finance, Trade, and Commerce

Question 25

Regional disparity in Brazil is exemplified by the

A) Southeast accounting for about half of the country's GDP.
B) Northeast having about half of the population but accounting for only about fifteen percent of the country's GDP.
C) persistence of poverty in the South.
D) concentration of industry in the North.
E) states in the Southeast having a per capita GDP that is half of the national average.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a limit on the power of the Brazilian presidency?

A) Although the president is able to issue provisional measures, these are limited for sixty days, after which time, Congress must pass, reject, or allow the provisional legislation to continue.
B) Although the president can initiate legislation, Congress can amend these proposals.
C) Congress has the right to be consulted on executive appointments.
D) Congress has oversight powers concerning economic policy.
E) All of the president's appointments must be ratified by the Senate.

Question 27

___________ are state-owned or-controlled corporations created to undertake a broad range of activities including the marketing of goods, providing banking services and managing public utilities and transportation.

A) Statist firms
B) Quangos
C) Quasi-independent state firms
D) Public corporations
E) Parastatals

Question 28

Which of the following statements about the Real Plan is INCORRECT?

A) It was introduced to address Brazil's fiscal problems.
B) It introduced a new currency.
C) It fixed the Brazilian currency to a value range against the U.S. dollar.
D) It significantly lowered the country's inflation rate.
E) It was instituted by President Cardoso.

Question 29

Brazil's concern for the protection of the environment can be seen in all of the following EXCEPT

A) a decision by the government to abandon plans to construct a large dam.
B) efforts to reduce deforestation.
C) signing and ratifying important international environmental treaties.
D) agreeing to reduce its carbon-dioxide emissions.
E) signing a regional environmental agreement.

Question 30

The dependency school of thought holds that

A) businesses become too dependent upon public subsidies.
B) underdeveloped countries become dependent upon foreign aid.
C) the lower class is dependent upon the upper class and therefore votes as instructed.
D) underdeveloped countries find it difficult to achieve growth in a global system dominated by wealthy countries.
E) wealthy countries are dependent upon underdeveloped ones for cheap labor and resources.

Question 31

Brazil's economic development prior to the New State was based upon

A) the export of agricultural products and commodities, chiefly coffee.
B) the domestic production of previously imported goods.
C) rapid state-led investment into the production of manufactured products for export.
D) the production of goods for the domestic market.
E) the export of petrochemicals.

Question 32

Which of the following statements about Brazil's international economic ties is NOT true?

A) Brazil's tariff rates are among the highest in the developing world.
B) Less than 20% of the country's GDP is represented by exports.
C) Brazil does not make much use of the World Trade Organization's dispute resolution apparatus, preferring instead to work out compromises with individual trade partners.
D) China is the country's largest trade partner.
E) Brazil's trade with its MERCOSUL partners has declined in the last decade as the country has shifted its attention away from the hemisphere.

Question 33

_____________ refers to the ideology and practice of the state playing a leading role to foster economic development by sponsoring vigorous industrial policy.

A) Statism
B) Communism
C) Socialism
D) Developmentism
E) Nationalism

Question 34

Land ownership is concentrated in ________ percent of the Brazilian population.

A) 1
B) 3
C) 5
D) 8
E) 10

Question 35

The shantytowns that sprang up around Brazil's large cities are called

A) bolsa familas.
B) informal towns.
C) Cardoso-villes.
D) favelas.
E) reals.

Question 36

Efforts to address Brazil's fiscal problems include all of the following EXCEPT

A) increasing federal taxes.
B) placing limits on government expenditures
C) expanded efforts to improve tax revenues.
D) simplifying the federal tax code.
E) disallowing state governments to borrow from public banks.

Question 37

Problems concerning Brazil's welfare state system include all of the following EXCEPT

A) workers in the informal sector cannot collect welfare as the government technically considers them employed.
B) Brazil's welfare expenditures are quite low.
C) until recently, the rural poor were not targeted by social welfare programs, essentially meaning that they were left out of the welfare system.
D) formal sector workers access the public health system for expensive procedures.
E) more people need welfare than those who contribute to it, thus forcing the government to finance the shortfall with debt.

Question 38

Which of the following statements about Brazil's society and its economy is NOT true?

A) Although urban unemployment fell dramatically in the 2000s, about half of the workers are employed in the informal sector where they are paid less.
B) Afro-Brazilians continue to make less than their white colleagues and have fewer opportunities for upward mobility.
C) Although working women typically have more education than their male colleagues, they still receive lower salaries for the same jobs.
D) Comparatively speaking, income distribution in Brazil, although unequal, is about on par with that of the United States.
E) The income gender gap is worst for rural women than urban women.

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT correct about the informal market of Brazil?

A) It is estimated to be as large as 20 percent of the country's GDP.
B) It is estimated to employ as many as 60 million people, all of whom work without benefits or contracts.
C) It is estimated to cost the country as much as $70 billion annually in lost tax revenues.
D) It has grown since the 1960s.
E) The Brazilian government has made few attempts to decrease the size of its informal economy because of political expediency.

Question 40

The economic policy that promotes the domestic production of previously imported goods is known as

A) domestic market-led growth.
B) import substitution industrialization.
C) domestic needs industrialization.
D) import replacement industrialization.
E) domestic market construction.

Question 41

Which of the following statements about the impact of technology in Brazil is NOT correct?

A) Particularly in poor areas, politicians engage in what's called electronic clientelism, by owning radio stations that they use to mobilize voters and affect how they think about issues.
B) Electronic voting was adopted nationally shortly after the transition to democracy.
C) Brazil has the largest population of Facebook and Twitter users outside of the United States.
D) Brazil has the world's fastest rate of Internet user growth.
E) The Brazilian government makes little use of the Internet to disseminate information.

Question 42

In Brazil's open list proportional representation system

A) the number of seats is allocated to parties in proportion to the number of votes each receives.
B) voters cast their ballots for individuals not parties.
C) candidates emphasize their personal qualities, rather than their party identification
D) there are few limits on how many individuals and parties may run in the same district.
E) All of these.

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT true about Brazil's subnational governments?

A) Although subnational governments were initially successful in deflecting additional spending responsibilities for health, education, and infrastructure programs, recent reforms have forced them to adopt a greater share of the financial burden in such areas.
B) An indication of the power of state governments in the Brazilian system can be seen in the fact that many key pieces of reform legislation have been watered down.
C) The bicameral legislatures of states are often dominated by the supporters of the governor.
D) Political decentralization allowed some subnational governments to create innovative policies.
E) Even the most underdeveloped subnational governments in Brazil can promote industrial investment, employment, and social services.

Question 44

Even with democratization, the role of the military retains a role in Brazilian politics. This is indicated by all of the following EXCEPT

A) the fact that during the Sarney administration, military officers retained cabinet-level rank in areas of importance to the military.
B) laws that grant the military broad powers to guarantee internal order and play a tutelary role in civilian government.
C) Brazilian officers lobbying on behalf of policies that they favor.
D) the fact that the military was successful in obtaining amnesty for human rights abuses during the previous authoritarian era.
E) the use of the military to "pacify" areas experiencing rising urban crime rates.

Question 45

Brazilians have a strong sense of national identity because

A) the country enjoyed a homogenous linguistic and colonial experience.
B) regional secessionist movements have been uncommon.
C) racial identity has rarely been the basis of political action.
D) optimistic myths about the country's future have been and continue to be persistently believed by the citizenry.
E) All of these.

Question 46

Brazilian Senators to the national legislature are elected

A) by a plurality vote in each state and the federal district.
B) on a staggered basis with two-thirds being elected one time and the other third four years later.
C) on a staggered basis with two-thirds being elected one time and the other third three years later.
D) every four years
E) through a series of primaries held in each state and the federal district.

Question 47

Which of the following types of civil society groups has NOT arisen in Brazil?

A) Those promoting women's rights
B) Those promoting the rights of indigenous peoples
C) Those dedicated to addressing racial discrimination
D) Professional associations
E) Environmental groups

Question 48

Which of the following about Brazil's police forces is INCORRECT?

A) The federal police force is fairly small even though it combines a number of responsibilities.
B) The military police regulates only military personnel.
C) Both the civil and military police forces have been accused of arbitrary detention, torture, corruption, and even systemic killings.
D) The federal police force has been at the center of every national investigation of corruption.
E) State governors are nominally in charge of the military police force.

Question 49

Which of the following about policy-making in Brazil is NOT true?

A) Although in general, policy-making tends to be fluid and ambiguous, there are some policy domains that are clearly defined.
B) Complex formal and informal networks tend to be the chief players in the policy process.
C) While organized business has consistently been influential in the policy-making process, organized labor has generally not.
D) Policy implementation is the subject of perpetual bargaining.
E) The president is the central actor in the policy-making process.

Question 50

Which of the following statements about Brazil's Supreme Federal Tribunal is NOT correct?

A) Just like the U.S. Supreme Court, it acts as the final arbitrator of cases.
B) It has the responsibility for monitoring the legal compliance of electoral campaigns.
C) It is similar to the U.S. Supreme Court in that its justices are nominated by the president and must be confirmed by the Senate.
D) Like the U.S. Supreme Court, it decides on constitutional questions although it lacks the power of judicial review.
E) It is Brazil's highest court.

Question 51

Brazil has a weak party system because of all of the following EXCEPT

A) its historical circumstances, such as the corporatism of the New State era making the formation of independent political parties difficult.
B) the country's open list proportional representation system that creates incentives for politicians to ignore party labels because voters can easily cross party lines.
C) party loyalty is weak among both voters and politicians.
D) candidates could easily shift their party affiliation until 2007, even in the midst of an election.
E) corruption within Brazil's political parties has led to the citizenry to reject party labels and loyalty.

Question 52

Which of the following statements about electoral politics in Brazil is NOT true?

A) Brazil has a high voter turnout.
B) Party identification is low among Brazilian voters.
C) Brazilian parties are entitled to an amount of free air time, on both radio and television, in proportion to their number of votes in the last election, although candidates can gain more access through community radio stations that family members may own.
D) Just as in the United States, the boundaries of electoral districts in Brazil vary from state to state in Brazil so that all districts have a roughly equal number of residents.
E) Voting is compulsory in Brazil

Question 53

In Brazil, each state and the federal district elects

A) three senators.
B) two senators.
C) one senator.
D) a number of senators in proportion to the size of their state's population, with no state having less than 1 or more than 5 senators.
E) zero senators, as all senators are chosen by the state legislatures.

Question 54

Which of the following about Brazil's Chamber of Deputies and Senate is TRUE?

A) The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate share equal authority to make laws and both must approve a bill for it to become a law.
B) The Senate may advise on legislative matters but it has no authority to make laws, a power that rests solely with the Chamber of Deputies.
C) Both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate must approve presidential nominees.
D) The Chamber of Deputies is empowered to impeach top officials, including the president.
E) The Chamber of Deputies has the power to block but not make legislation.

Question 55

The term coalitional presidentialism refers to

A) a strategy whereby the Brazilian president appoints seats in his/her cabinet to leaders of other parties in order to maintain a majority alliance in congress.
B) the notion, not upheld in Brazil, that for parties to be successful at the national level in presidential systems, they must build a coalition between different societal interests.
C) the idea that Brazilian presidents represent a coalition of different factions within his/her party.
D) the fact that Brazil is a multiparty democracy.
E) the idea that the Brazilian president must appeal to a coalition of different societal interests in order to be successful.

Question 56

The Brazilian way refers to a convention whereby

A) any Brazilian can ask for a temporary suspension of a rule for the sake of convenience.
B) bribery is a commonly accepted form of political exchange.
C) the president can ask a legislator to resign.
D) a governor can ask to be heard by the national legislature.
E) a legislator's vote can be bought in exchange for the promise of a future favor.

Question 57

In Brazil, constitutional amendments

A) must be passed by a simple majority vote in each chamber of the legislature or by a simple majority in a special constituent assembly.
B) must be passed twice by two-thirds of the votes in both chambers of the legislature and subsequently ratified by three-fourths of state governments.
C) can be only passed by a special constituent assembly that is created by the president and both chambers of Congress.
D) must be passed twice by three-fifths of the votes in both chambers of the legislature or by an absolute majority of a special constituent assembly created by the president and both chambers of Congress.
E) must be passed twice by three-quarters of the votes in both chambers of the legislature and subsequently approved by the president.

Question 58

Which of the following Brazilian parties is LEAST likely to support neoliberal economic policies?

A) The PSB (Brazilian Socialist Party)
B) The PT (Workers Party)
C) The PMDB (Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement)
D) The PSDB (Party of Brazilian Social Democracy)
E) The PFL/DEM (Party of the Liberal Front/Democrats)

Question 59

Which of the following statements about youth politics and the generational divide in Brazil is NOT correct?

A) Young Brazilians vote and mobilize often, although the degree of their engagement is a function of their level of education with the college educated acting most consistently.
B) Access to technology and available time are two important factors that facilitate the activism of Brazil's middle-class youth.
C) The key demand of Brazilian youth is for cleaner government.
D) Brazil has a rapidly aging population sharpening the political differences between the country's generations.
E) The clash of youthful expectations about Brazil's democracy and its lingering problems of poverty, inequality, and poor governance was at the center of the protests that erupted in June 2013.

Question 60

The term bureaucratic rings refers to the

A) clientelistic networks established by private interests and mid-level bureaucrats.
B) organizational structure of the Brazilian bureaucracy.
C) close links between private interests, mid-level bureaucrats, and legislators.
D) close links between domestic private interests, foreign commercial interests, and legislators.
E) clientelistic networks established between foreign commercial interests and mid-level bureaucrats.

Question 61

Describe how the role of the Brazilian state in the country's economic affairs has evolved over time.

Question 62

Clientelism is perhaps the most prominent feature of Brazilian politics. First, explain what is meant by this concept. Next, citing specific examples, illustrate how clientelism permeates the Brazilian political system. Finally, assess the impact this has had on Brazil's transition to democracy.

Question 63

Many would argue that for democracy to thrive, it is necessary to have a strong civil society. First, explore how civil society groups have engaged in politics historically in Brazil. Next, discuss how this has changed since the end of authoritarianism. Finally, assess whether civil society reinforces or impedes Brazilian democratization.

Question 64

Brazil is often described as a rising global power. What factors support such a description? What factors refute such a description?

Question 65

Describe how the relationship between the Brazilian national government and Brazilian states has changed over the history of the country. Does the current federal system represent a good balance between these two levels of government?

Question 66

Describe some ways in which Brazilian democracy has struggled with the issues of representation and accountability.

Question 67

As in other Latin American states, the president of Brazil is in many ways the central political figure. First, describe what features of the country's history and current political system establishes his centrality.  Second, describe the limits - both constitutional and non constitutional - on the Brazilian presidency.

Question 68

Poverty and inequality continue to be persistent problems for Brazil's economic development. Describe how these have been addressed by governments since the transition to democracy. Why has it been difficult to eradicate these problems?

Question 69

The text describes Brazil as socially and politically fragmented. First, using specific examples, describe how Brazil is fragmented along several axes. Next, explain how, given such fragmentation, Brazil nevertheless has managed to construct a fairly solid and stable sense of national identity. Finally, assess whether or not the challenges currently facing the country are likely to reinforce this fragmentation or its national identity.

Question 70

Analyze the Lula, Cardoso, and Dilma presidencies. What were the accomplishments of each? What areas did they fail to address?