Deck 2: The Ideas That Shape America

Question 1

Before fighting in the Iraq War, Lieutenant Russell Burgos was a(n)

A) college student.
B) attorney.
C) political science professor.
D) construction worker.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What did Burgos think explained why the United States launched the war in Iraq?

A) Ideas
B) Religion
C) Politics
D) None of the above

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When did the colonies break away from England?

A) August 21, 1824
B) January 4, 1706
C) July 4, 1776
D) July 4, 1781

Answer 3

C

Question 4

American leaders issued a Declaration of Independence explaining their revolutionary actions. Which of the following encapsulates their ideas?

A) "That all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
B) "That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their God with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
C) "That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
D) None of the above

Question 5

The Declaration of Independence explained the role of government-securing each individual's three rights. Which of the following is one of those rights?

A) Life
B) Freedom
C) Success
D) None of the above

Question 6

The Declaration of Independence explained the role of government-securing each individual's three rights. Which of the following is one of those rights?

A) Wealth
B) Land
C) Liberty
D) None of the above

Question 7

The Declaration of Independence explained the role of government-securing each individual's three rights. Which of the following is one of those rights?

A) Freedom of religion
B) Pursuit of happiness
C) Property
D) None of the above

Question 8

Which of the following is not one of the eight big ideas espoused in the Declaration of Independence?

A) Liberty
B) Individualism
C) Freedom of religion
D) Equality

Question 9

Which of the following is not one of the eight big ideas espoused in the Declaration of Independence?

A) Land ownership
B) Self-rule (which is often called democracy)
C) Limited government
D) The American dream

Question 10

Which of the following is one of the eight big ideas espoused in the Declaration of Independence?

A) The American dream
B) Equality
C) Faith in God
D) All of the above

Question 11

The Declaration of Independence states that people form governments for what purpose?

A) Voting
B) To secure rights
C) To colonize other lands
D) To provide citizenship

Question 12

What percentage of Americans belong to a church or religious organization?

A) 95%
B) 40%
C) 51%
D) 13%

Question 13

Why did eighty thousand slaves join the British during the Revolutionary War?

A) The royal governor of Virginia promised them freedom.
B) The royal governor of Virginia paid them.
C) They did so out of loyalty.
D) They were forced to by King George III.

Question 14

What was the motto for the slaves who fought in the Revolutionary War?

A) "Freedom for the slaves"
B) "Freedom for all"
C) "Liberty for the slaves"
D) "Liberty and justice for slaves"

Question 15

What is the definition of freedom?

A) The government will protect your life, liberty, and property from the coercion of others (excluding government) in order to permit you to pursue the goals you define for yourself.
B) The government will protect your life, liberty, and property from the coercion of others (including public officials) in order to permit you to pursue the goals you define for yourself.
C) The government will protect your life, liberty, and happiness from the coercion of others (including government) in order to permit you to pursue the goals you define for yourself.
D) None of the above

Question 16

What is the definition of negative liberty?

A) Freedom is the limitation of constraints.
B) Freedom is the absence of constraints.
C) Freedom is the inclusion of constraints.
D) None of the above

Question 17

What is the definition of positive liberty?

A) Freedom to pursue one's goals with certain government restrictions
B) Freedom from government control in pursuing one's goals
C) Freedom to pursue one's goals
D) None of the above

Question 18

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as the nation prepared for World War II, proclaimed that the nation was fighting for four freedoms. Which of the following is not one of them?

A) Freedom of speech
B) Freedom of worship
C) Freedom of oppression
D) Freedom from want

Question 19

What does "freedom from want" call for?

A) Helping people to obtain a home
B) Helping needy people who have fallen on hard times
C) Helping people to achieve the American dream
D) None of the above

Question 20

Strong proponents of negative liberty known as _______ oppose most forms of government action.

A) Libertarians
B) Greens
C) Conservatives
D) Democrats

Question 21

President Roosevelt adhered to which viewpoint?

A) Negative liberty
B) Positive liberty
C) Both negative and positive liberty
D) Social democracy

Question 22

The American promise, as written by _______, is the "promise of disharmony" as a steady parade of groups-African Americans, women, immigrants, and many others-successfully challenge the nation to live up to its ideals.

A) Benjamin Franklin
B) Andrew Jackson
C) Samuel Huntington
D) John Adams

Question 23

Some political thinkers, such as _______, warn against expecting to see a steady rise in freedom. The outcome in the fight is never inevitable.

A) Rogers Smith
B) Samuel Adams
C) John Adams
D) Benjamin Franklin

Question 24

In _______, citizens participate directly in making government decisions.

A) a Republic
B) a Democracy
C) an autocratic state
D) a libertarian state

Question 25

What is a referendum?

A) A bill
B) A recall
C) A direct vote by the people on an issue
D) A measure to kill a bill

Question 26

How many states allow referendums?

A) Seventeen
B) Ten and the District of Columbia
C) Twenty-seven and the District of Columbia
D) Thirty

Question 27

_______ permit the public to circulate a petition that proposes a new law or amendment.

A) Initiatives
B) Referendums
C) Ballot initiatives
D) All of the above

Question 28

What is a sunshine law?

A) A law stipulating that government meetings must be open to the public
B) A law that allows marijuana use for those eighteen and over
C) A law that is valid only in certain states
D) A law that requires elected officials to file tax returns

Question 29

When did Dr. Martin Luther King give his famous "I Have a Dream" speech?

A) 1962
B) 1955
C) 1963
D) 1969

Question 30

Which of the Founding Fathers was strongly in favor of maximizing democracy?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) George Washington
C) James Madison
D) Benjamin Franklin

Question 31

How many times does the word right appear in the original Constitution?

A) Six
B) Zero
C) Three
D) Eight

Question 32

What percentage of Americans believe that direct democracy is a good way to govern?

A) 67%
B) 86%
C) 17%
D) 40%

Question 33

The foundation of American politics is

A) democracy.
B) checks and balances.
C) eight big ideas.
D) republicanism.

Question 34

An irony of the Declaration of Independence is that many of the signers

A) owned slaves.
B) were born in England.
C) refused military service.
D) did not own land.

Question 35

The idea that comes up in American history most often is

A) democracy.
B) voting.
C) independence.
D) liberty.

Question 36

The Family and Medical Leave Act (1993) requires employers with more than fifty workers to allow up to _______ of unpaid leave for pregnancy, adoption, illness, or military service.

A) one week
B) five weeks
C) twelve weeks
D) fifteen weeks

Question 37

What is the basis of individualism?

A) The idea that individuals, with some assistance from the government, are responsible for their own well-being
B) The idea that individuals, with some assistance from society, are responsible for their own well-being
C) The idea that individuals, not the society or the community or the government, are responsible for their own well-being
D) None of the above

Question 38

What do social democrats believe?

A) Members of a society are responsible for one another but should also receive some assistance from the government.
B) Members of a society are responsible for one another and should also support people in developing countries.
C) Members of a society are responsible for one another.
D) None of the above

Question 39

Social democracies are based on _______, the idea that people have a tight bond and are responsible for one another.

A) solidarity
B) social cohesiveness
C) interdependence
D) social collaboration

Question 40

Countries that emphasize community are known as

A) social democracies.
B) republics.
C) welfare nations.
D) communitarian societies.

Question 41

Which economist famously wrote, "The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests"?

A) Susan Richards
B) Michael Samuels
C) Milton Friedman
D) Roger Hernandez

Question 42

Individualism points toward limited government, faith in economic markets, and a strong emphasis on

A) negative liberty.
B) positive liberty.
C) a mixture of positive and negative liberty.
D) neither positive nor negative liberty.

Question 43

Believing that people should work hard for what they have is characteristic of

A) individualism.
B) democracy.
C) social democracy.
D) the European model.

Question 44

By 1860, how many black slaves were in America?

A) Two million
B) Four million
C) Three million
D) One million

Question 45

Benjamin Franklin perfected a classic American literary form-tips for getting rich. Which of the following was a slogan of Franklin?

A) "A penny saved is a penny earned."
B) "No gains without pains."
C) "God helps those who help themselves."
D) All of the above

Question 46

"If you are talented and work hard, you can achieve personal (and especially financial) success" summarizes the

A) slogan of many unions.
B) Preamble to the Constitution.
C) American dream.
D) Declaration of Independence.

Question 47

The American dream, according to James Truslow Adams, is

A) "anyone can be president."
B) "free land for all."
C) "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement."
D) "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone thanks to government assistance."

Question 48

Today, which of the following statements is a correct assessment of America's economic milieu?

A) The top .01 percent of Americans own more than the bottom 90 percent.
B) Inequality continues to rise.
C) Sixty million Americans own almost nothing-.01 percent of the national wealth.
D) All of the above

Question 49

Studies suggest that someone in the bottom fifth of the income distribution in which country is twice as likely as someone in the United States to move up at least one category (or quintile)?

A) Canada
B) Denmark
C) France
D) All of the above

Question 50

President Franklin Roosevelt said, "These dark days [of the Depression] will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true _______ is… to minister to ourselves and to our _______."

A) quest, neighbors
B) destiny, fellow man
C) fate, brethren
D) duty, fellow man

Question 51

The civil rights movement began in

A) homes.
B) businesses.
C) churches.
D) town halls.

Question 52

What percentage of children live below the poverty line?

A) 15%
B) 18%
C) 21%
D) 23%

Question 53

In comparison with other wealthy nations, our taxes are relatively _______, we regulate business less, we take _______ vacations, and we place more emphasis on getting ahead.

A) high, fewer
B) high, more
C) low, fewer
D) low, more

Question 54

According to a study, how do 18- to 29-year-olds feel about the American dream?

A) They believe it is very achievable.
B) They think it needs to be rewritten.
C) They do not believe it applies to their generation.
D) They think it provides motivation to work hard.

Question 55

_______ is a belief that anyone who works hard can get ahead and grow wealthy.

A) Social democracy
B) American democracy
C) The American dream
D) Individualism

Question 56

How does your text define equality?

A) Every resident enjoys the same privileges, status, and rights before the laws.
B) Every citizen enjoys the same privileges, status, and rights before the laws.
C) Every male citizen enjoys the same privileges, status, and rights before the laws.
D) None of the above

Question 57

_______ means that all individuals enjoy the same status in society.

A) Social equality
B) Democratic equality
C) Socialism
D) Equal opportunity

Question 58

_______ means that every citizen has the same political rights and opportunities.

A) Political equality
B) Social equality
C) Democratic equality
D) Political participation

Question 59

How many fixed social classes were there in the United States immediately following the Civil War?

A) Four
B) Zero
C) Two
D) Twelve

Question 60

_______ focuses on differences in wealth.

A) Social equality
B) Political equality
C) Economic equality
D) None of the answer choices

Question 61

The _______ is one measure of economic inequality.

A) economic coefficient
B) Gini coefficient
C) social coefficient
D) Reagan coefficient

Question 62

Today, people in American society are far less equal than people in which of the following countries?

A) Japan
B) Sweden
C) Germany
D) All of the above

Question 63

Inequality levels in the United States are now _______ the inequality levels of the most unequal country in the world than the most equal.

A) closer to
B) the same as
C) farther from
D) not comparable with

Question 64

_______ is the idea that citizens should have roughly equal economic circumstances.

A) The American dream
B) Democracy
C) Equal opportunity
D) Equal outcome

Question 65

_______ is the idea that a society should guarantee not just opportunity but also results. Some nations, for example, reserve a minimum number of seats in the national legislature for women or members of specific ethnic groups.

A) Equal outcome
B) Equal opportunity
C) Social democracy
D) American liberty

Question 66

Inequality has spiked over the past _______ years.

A) Twenty-five
B) Thirty-five
C) Forty
D) Twenty

Question 67

Today, American politics emphasizes which of the following over equality?

A) Negative liberty
B) Positive liberty
C) The American dream
D) None of the above

Question 68

In the 1630s, a large contingent of _______ sailed to New England with an ambitious aim: to establish a biblical commonwealth that would serve as a Christian model for the rest of the world.

A) Catholics
B) Christians
C) Puritans
D) Quakers

Question 69

Governor John Winthrop referred to the New England settlement that he helped to found as "a city upon a hill." Why did he use this phrase?

A) The church was built on a hill.
B) The entire settlement was built on a hill.
C) The commonwealth would serve as a Christian model.
D) The commonwealth would rise above all other colonies.

Question 70

As most nations grow wealthier, their religious fervor wanes. People in which of the following countries tell pollsters that God is not very important in their lives?

A) Britain
B) France
C) Japan
D) All of the above

Question 71

Americans maintain high (and, by some measures, rising) levels of religiosity. Some _______ percent of Americans say they believe in God, almost _______ percent belong to a church, and nearly _______ percent attend church regularly.

A) 87, 51, 45
B) 50, 45, 30
C) 75, 30, 15
D) 10, 45, 50

Question 72

Americans have many religions to choose from. One recent survey found _______ different Christian denominations with more than a million members each.

A) Fifty
B) Twenty-five
C) Sixteen
D) Thirty

Question 73

In America, Jews number some _______ million.

A) 5
B) 7
C) 3
D) 9

Question 74

In the United States, there are nearly _______ Muslims.

A) 4 million
B) 1 million
C) 5 million
D) 2 million

Question 75

In addition to Jews and Muslims, there are _______ other non-Christian groups with over 100,000 adherents each in the United States.

A) five
B) three
C) seven
D) ten

Question 76

Levels of religious observance are not the same throughout the United States. For example, Texas and Georgia have _______ religiosity.
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A) high
B) medium-level
C) low
D) no

Question 77

Levels of religious observance are not the same throughout the United States. For example, Florida and Missouri have _______ religiosity.

A) high
B) medium-level
C) ow
D) no

Question 78

Levels of religious observance are not the same throughout the United States. Which of the following states is not especially religious?

A) Utah
B) Alabama
C) Wisconsin
D) Maryland

Question 79

The _______ declares, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

A) Third Amendment
B) First Amendment
C) Fourth Amendment
D) Second Amendment

Question 80

Which of the Founding Fathers described "a wall of separation between church and state"?

A) Benjamin Franklin
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) John Adams
D) George Washington