Deck 9: Government and Politics

Question 1

The philosophy that advocates the abolition of government in order to secure true freedom for people is called _____.

Answer 1

anarchism

Question 2

According to your text, the first function of government is to _____.

Answer 2

protect the citizenry

Question 3

According to your text, the second function of government is to _____.

Answer 3

secure order

Question 4

An organization established by the government to enforce statutes that applied to a particular activity is called a _____.

Question 5

When a government is trying to give every citizen an equal opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, it is trying to _____.

Question 6

In the first election for which a popular vote was recorded in 1824, less than _____ of the population voted.

Question 7

In 1920, woman gained the right to vote as a result of the _____ Amendment.

Question 8

The _____ Amendment, ratified in 1971, extended the right to vote to 18 year olds.

Question 9

An organized group that attempts to control the government through the electoral process is called _____.

Question 10

An organization in which there are specific areas of authority and responsibility, a hierarchy of authority, management based on expertise, management based on rules, and full-time workers is called _____.

Question 11

The more or less equal distribution of power among interest groups is called _____.

Question 12

A group that attempts to influence public opinion and political decisions in accord with the particular interests of its members is called _____.

Question 13

The model that asserts that power is concentrated in a small group of political, economic, and military leaders is called _____.

Question 14

A variation of the power elite model, held by _____, is that capitalists wield the power, including power over the government.

Question 15

Domhoff's analysis of decision making concludes that the _____ generally rules the nation.

Question 16

Many observers find that support for the power elite model in the Bush administration's ties to the _____.

Question 17

Some observers believe that the 2.9 million votes cast for _____ in 2000 were enough to snatch victory away for Al Gore and give the Presidency to George Bush.

Question 18

A feeling of political disillusionment, powerlessness, and estrangement is called _____.

Question 19

The term _____ refers to such things as excessive paperwork, excessive costs, and unnecessary expenditures.

Question 20

When discussing government waste and possible corruption, one must want to beware of the _____.

Question 21

The giving of government jobs to people who are members of the winning party is called _____.

Question 22

The inability of the government to legislate significant new policies is called _____.

Question 23

_____ refers to the networks of those who use the Internet as their primary medium to engage in political discussion and action.

Question 24

Various groups maintain that _____ News is biased in favor of the Republican Party and the right-wing perspective.

Question 25

The philosophy that advocates the abolition of government in order to secure true freedom for people is called _____.

A) democracy
B) communism
C) anarchism
D) freedom

Question 26

According to _____, people are free only when they can cooperate with each other to achieve their ends without the restraints of government and law.

A) anarchists
B) communists
C) capitalists
D) Marxists

Question 27

According to your text, the first function of government is to _____.

A) secure order
B) protect the citizenry
C) distribute power equitably
D) provide a safety net

Question 28

According to your text, the second function of government is to _____.

A) secure order
B) protect the citizenry
C) distribute power equitably
D) provide a safety net

Question 29

An organization established by the government to enforce statutes that apply to a particular activity is called a _____.

A) social structure
B) state police
C) bureaucracy
D) regulatory agency

Question 30

When a government is trying to give every citizen an equal opportunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, it is trying to _____.

A) secure order
B) protect the citizenry
C) distribute power equitably
D) provide a safety net

Question 31

When a government is trying to give a minimum standard of living below which it will not allow citizens to fall, it is trying to _____.

A) provide a safety net
B) distribute power equitably
C) protect the citizenry
D) secure order

Question 32

When a government makes effort to not constrict a person's freedom and aspirations because of his or her sex, race, age, religion, or socioeconomic background, it is trying to _____.

A) provide a safety net
B) distribute power equitably
C) protect the citizenry
D) secure order

Question 33

Which of the following functions of government is being served when the government regulates people's behavior in the economy and other areas of social life to prevent social unrest?

A) distribute power equitably
B) provide a safety net
C) secure order
D) protect the citizenry

Question 34

In the first election for which a popular vote was recorded in 1824, less than _____ of the population voted.

A) 4 percent
B) 18 percent
C) 10 percent
D) 15 percent

Question 35

The _____, ratified in 1870, gave black males the right to vote, although state and local governments found numerous ways to subvert this right.

A) Fourteenth Amendment
B) Fifteenth Amendment
C) Nineteenth Amendment
D) Twenty-sixth Amendment

Question 36

The _____ Amendment, ratified in 1971, extended the right to vote to 18-year-olds.

A) Fourteenth
B) Fifteenth
C) Nineteenth
D) Twenty-sixth

Question 37

Which of the following four groups was the last to receive the right to vote?

A) white males
B) black males
C) women
D) 18-year-olds

Question 38

An organized group that attempts to control the government through the electoral process is called _____.

A) a political party
B) a bureaucracy
C) pluralism
D) an interest group

Question 39

An organization in which there are specific areas of authority and responsibility, a hierarchy of authority, management based on expertise, management based on rules, and full-time workers is called _____.

A) power elite model
B) bureaucracy
C) interest group
D) pluralism

Question 40

The more or less equal distribution of power among interest groups is called _____.

A) a political party
B) a power elite model
C) pluralism
D) an interest group

Question 41

According to many social scientists, America is a(n) _____ in terms of the distribution of power.

A) monarchical society
B) autocratic society
C) individualistic society
D) pluralistic society

Question 42

A group that attempts to influence public opinion and political decisions in accord with the particular interests of its members is called _____.

A) uninterested group
B) interest group
C) political group
D) nation group

Question 43

The model that asserts that power is concentrated in a small group of political, economic, and military leaders is called _____.

A) the military model
B) the power elite model
C) the democratic model
D) the democracy model

Question 44

A variation of the power elite model, held by _____, is that capitalists wield the power, including power over the government.

A) democrats
B) republicans
C) bureaucrats
D) Marxists

Question 45

Domhoff's analysis of decision making concludes that the _____ generally rules the nation.

A) lower class
B) middle class
C) upper class
D) democracy

Question 46

Many observers find support for the power elite model in the Bush administration's ties to the oil industry. Which of the following is true?

A) President Bush owned an oil company.
B) Vice-President Cheney was head of Halliburton, an energy and construction firm.
C) Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, was on Chevron's board of directors for a decade.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 47

An important task of securing order is _____.

A) building trust
B) raising a military
C) electing officials
D) implementing a voting system

Question 48

Which of the following is a result of the failure of trust in American government?

A) a lack of citizen participation
B) altered voting patterns
C) political alienation
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 49

Some observers believe that the 2.9 million votes cast for _____ in 2000 were enough to snatch victory away for Al Gore and give the Presidency to George Bush.

A) Ross Perot
B) Jesse Jackson
C) Ralph Nader
D) Pat Buchanan

Question 50

A feeling of political disillusionment, powerlessness, and estrangement is called _____.

A) political alienation
B) disenfranchisement
C) pluralism
D) apathy

Question 51

The giving of government jobs to people who are members of the winning party is called _____.

A) bureaucracy
B) illegal
C) patronage
D) civil service

Question 52

The inability of the government to legislate significant new policies is called _____.

A) bureaucracy
B) gridlock
C) a filibuster
D) a standoff

Question 53

Which of the following statements is true about gridlock?

A) Gridlock reflects the fact that politicians are taking stands in accord with consistent values and are able to reach a compromise.
B) Gridlock occurs when politicians are engaged in power struggles in which who is in control is more important than what gets done.
C) Gridlock occurs only at the top level of government.
D) Gridlock is likely to lessen the failure of trust.

Question 54

Which of the following statements is true about the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act?

A) It acknowledges the fact that second-generation immigrants have significantly lower rates of welfare use than did the first generation.
B) It gave the public access to government records and documents.
C) It resulted from perceptions in Congress that immigrants and refugees abuse the welfare system.
D) It acknowledges the fact that immigrant labor serves an important economic function.

Question 55

_____ of 1966 gave the public access to government records and documents.

A) The Whistleblower Protection Act
B) The National Voter Registration Act
C) The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
D) The Freedom of Information Act

Question 56

Frey and Al-Roumi (1999) gathered data on the quality of life from 87 countries of the world. They found that the quality of life was _____.

A) related to whether the country was a Christian nation or not
B) directly related to the country speaking English as their primary language
C) related to the level of political democracy found in the country
D) related to whether the country was ran by a man or a women

Question 57

An organization that creates ads in support of a particular political candidate is called a _____.

A) campaign
B) patronage
C) corporation
D) Super PAC

Question 58

In the first of the televised presidential debates in 1960, _____ looked unkempt and nervous in contrast to John F. Kennedy, who appeared crisp and confident.

A) Lyndon Johnson
B) Richard Nixon
C) Jerry Ford
D) Dwight Eisenhower

Question 59

Various groups maintain that _____ News is biased in favor of the Republican Party and the right-wing perspective.

A) ABC
B) NBC
C) CBS
D) Fox

Question 60

An individual who tries to influence legislation in accord with the preferences of an interest group is called a _____.

A) radical
B) troublemaker
C) lobbyist
D) politician

Question 61

Political Action Committees (PACs) _____.

A) write legislation for Congressman
B) decide who gets to run for office
C) raise funds and make contributions to election campaigns
D) make sure that elections are fair and without corruption

Question 62

To influence politicians, lobbyists _____.

A) provide politicians with information
B) cultivate personal friendships with them
C) treat the politicians to expensive dinners and trips
D) all of these answers are correct

Question 63

According to the text's discussion of the "nine paradoxes" of the American presidency, Americans _____.

A) want strong leaders, but they also fear the abuse of power that a strong leader might bring to the office
B) want leaders that will unify people, but they do not want to compromise their own positions in order to forge their unity
C) admire leaders with vision, but they also believe that leaders should be responsive to public opinion
D) all of these answers are correct

Question 64

In light of the costs of running a campaign, it is evident that people without access to considerable sums of money or money-raising skills are unlikely to win an election.

Question 65

Various groups maintain that Fox News is biased in favor of the Republican Party and the right-wing perspective.

Question 66

Super PACs are unconstitutional, according to a 2010 Supreme Court ruling.

Question 67

The inability of the government to legislate significant new policies is called filibuster.

Question 68

The giving of government jobs to people who are members of the winning party is always illegal.

Question 69

Many observers find that support for the power elite model in the Bush administration's ties to the powerful unions.

Question 70

Domhoff's analysis of decision making concludes that the middle class generally rules the nation.

Question 71

A variation of the power elite model, held by Marxists, is that capitalists wield the power, including power over the government.

Question 72

The power elite model asserts that power is concentrated in a small group of political, economic, and military leaders.

Question 73

The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, gave black males the right to vote.

Question 74

In 1920, woman gained the right to vote as a result of the Twenty-sixth Amendment.

Question 75

The Twenty-sixth Amendment, ratified in 1971, extended the right to vote to 18-year-olds.

Question 76

In the first election for which a popular vote was recorded in 1824, less than 4 percent of the population voted.

Question 77

If the United States adopted publicly financed elections, it would mean that campaigns would be longer, more expensive, and less likely to focus on personal attacks and extravagant events.

Question 78

African Americans, Hispanics, and people in the lower socioeconomic strata have higher rates of negative mood, such as feelings of sadness, than do whites and people in the higher strata.

Question 79

In general, the instances of corruption or scandal involve a politician acting in terms of self-interest or particular interests to the detriment of the politician's constituency or the general public.

Question 80

In general, about half or more of the voting-age population participates in national elections, and the proportion is much higher for state and local elections.