Deck 11: South Africa

Question 1

Homelands

A) were areas reserved for the exclusive use of Africans established through provisions of 1913 and 1936 land legislation and later developed into supposedly sovereign states during the Grand Apartheid years.
B) remained in existence until the end of apartheid.
C) became increasingly overcrowded during the Grand Apartheid years as Africans were forcibly resettled into them.
D) effectively made African urban workers into migrant workers.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Apartheid is BEST described as

A) a set of policies that limited the political rights of Africans.
B) a set of policies designed to limit the mobility of Africans.
C) a set of policies designed to ensure minority rule.
D) a set of policies that divided South Africans into separate races, each with their own rights.
E) a set of policies designed to limit the economic and political activity of Africans, most critically their ability to freely organize unions and to vote.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The transition from the apartheid regime to the post-apartheid regime involved negotiated agreements among the various political parties involved. Which of the following is an example of such an agreement?

A) Positions in the transitional government would be accorded proportionally among the parties.
B) Participants of politically motivated violence could obtain immunity.
C) The newly elected Parliament would sit as constitutional assembly to draw up a final constitution.
D) Provincial legislatures would absorb the homeland bureaucracies.
E) All of the above are examples of negotiated agreements.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT true of the Grand Apartheid years?

A) Foreign capital and public investment in strategic industries increased leading to substantial economic modernization and development.
B) Homelands, areas reserved for the exclusive use of Africans, were established.
C) The South African government passed laws that allowed detention without trial and made it easier to torture prisoners.
D) Restrictions were placed on African, Indian, and Coloured enrollment in major universities and a system of segregated colleges was established.
E) Africans began to move into semiskilled manufacturing jobs created by an expanding economy.

Question 5

Pass laws

A) required all Africans, at all times, to carry internal passports in which were stamped the permits required for them to travel between the countryside and cities.
B) required that all Africans had to formally decline, or "pass," to vote in national elections.
C) were put into place by a coalition government comprised of the Labour and National Parties.
D) were supported by the South African Communist Party as a means of gaining electoral support from Whites.
E) were kept in place until the end of apartheid.

Question 6

The Sharpeville Massacre

A) refers to an incident involving an armed struggle between ANC and Zulu forces in a black township resulting in many deaths among the Zulus and thus setting up a deep resentment between the two.
B) occurred as a result of South African police brutally putting down a wildcat strike.
C) led to the banning of the African National Congress.
D) resulted in almost 1000 deaths.
E) occurred when South African military and internal security forces entered a township to arrest leaders of the African National Congress.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example noted in your text of a political reform in the 1970s and 1980s designed to ease, but not eliminate, apartheid?

A) Allowing Africans to hold civil service jobs including those in security institutions like the police
B) Requiring that only half of the curriculum in African schools be taught in Afrikaans
C) The central government turning administration of townships over to African residents
D) African workers gaining collective bargaining rights
E) Allowing political parties associated with Africans to participate in subnational elections

Question 8

Which of the following statements about the South African population is TRUE?

A) Roughly speaking, the number of Africans is equal to the combined populations of Whites, Coloureds, and Indians.
B) Whites are the smallest racial group.
C) There are roughly as many Coloureds as there are Indians.
D) There are roughly as many Indians as there are Whites.
E) Africans are the largest racial group.

Question 9

Which of the following was NOT a factor that led to the establishment of institutionalized racism in South Africa following the Anglo-Boer War?

A) The massive influx of cheap labor from India
B) The need to coerce African labor, initially in the mining industry
C) The exclusion of Africans outside of the Cape Crown Colony from voting
D) The attraction of Whites who had been forced off the land during the Anglo-Boer War to the Afrikaner nationalist movement
E) The passage of a "civilized labor policy," which meant that semiskilled and certain unskilled jobs were reserved for Whites

Question 10

The first European settlers of South Africa

A) were British.
B) arrived in the early 1700s.
C) arrived in search of gold and other valuable minerals in the area.
D) were Dutch.
E) arrived in the late 1500s.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Anglo-Boer War?

A) It was brought about, at least in part, because of the increased strategic value of gold reserves in Transvaal.
B) The agreement to end the war gave all Africans the right to vote.
C) It resulted in a unified South Africa firmly under British control.
D) It was initiated by the Afrikaner republics.
E) It was fought prolonged by the guerrilla campaign of the Boers against the British.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about income inequality in South Africa is FALSE?

A) As measured by the Gini coefficient, it is fairly high.
B) Among Africans, income inequality has increased.
C) It is a historic product of government policies which, during the apartheid era, means that whites moved ahead economically at the expense of others.
D) In the post-apartheid era, large numbers of Africans have been joining the richer population.
E) The post-apartheid governments have sought to alleviate it by dramatically increasing public spending.

Question 13

All of the following are examples of actions taken by the state that helped to reinforce apartheid EXCEPT

A) the creation of a substantial publicly-funded defense industry.
B) laws that prohibited Africans from living in any town unless they were born there or had worked for the same employer for ten years.
C) expansion of public housing to accommodate Africans who were permitted to live in towns.
D) increasing school enrollment of all races while maintaining huge inequalities in the amount of public money spent per capita on white and black children.
E) repressing the more militant African trade unions.

Question 14

Which of the following statements about "black empowerment" is FALSE?

A) It has involved legislation that requires all companies in South Africa to hire a certain percentage of Africans.
B) Those who have benefitted the most have often been politically well connected.
C) It has involved legislation that requires companies that win government contracts allocate shares to blacks and other previously disadvantaged people.
D) Although there is limited evidence that it has produced a substantial rise in the number of black-owned companies, there is significant evidence that it has increased black participation in the economy.
E) It has not reduced black poverty and may, in fact, have promoted economic inefficiencies that have curbed growth and job creation.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about unemployment in post-apartheid South Africa is TRUE?

A) It has steadily declined.
B) It is concentrated among those who have completed high school.
C) It has aversely affected union membership.
D) Africans are still more likely to be unemployed than other groups.
E) It is concentrated in urban populations.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about the status of public health in post-apartheid South Africa is FALSE?

A) Infant mortality rates have fallen slightly.
B) Life expectancy rates have risen.
C) The country has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection in the world.
D) Hospitals in the main urban centers have deteriorated because health funding has gone to the countryside.
E) There has been greater access to health care for all citizens.

Question 17

The term Afrikaner refers to

A) descendents of Dutch and British settlers of South Africa who speak a common language.
B) a citizen of South Africa.
C) descendents of Dutch, French, German, and Scots settlers who speak a common language.
D) descendents of all white settlers of South Africa.
E) descendents of British settlers of South Africa.

Question 18

Economic liberalization and deregulation

A) has brought about the end of state ownership of all key industries including railroads, telephone utilities, and the defense industry.
B) have not had an economically averse affect on municipal governments.
C) began during the late apartheid era and have continued during the post-apartheid era.
D) began only after the end of apartheid.
E) came only as a result of concessions made by South Africa in order to join international bodies like the World Trade Organization.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is TRUE about South Africa in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks?

A) The government has withheld formal public support for America's offensive against fundamentalist Islamic movements.
B) The government has offered discreet cooperation with American and British intelligence.
C) The government deported several suspected Al Qaeda operatives.
D) The government has drafted legislation allowing for detention without charge for up to fourteen days.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 20

The post-apartheid regime has sought to pay greater attention to environmental concerns. This is indicated by all of the following EXCEPT

A) "co-management" agreements between historically dispossessed communities and the National Parks Board.
B) plans to build a new nuclear reactor about 30 miles from Cape Town in order to provide cleaner energy.
C) tighter regulations on the mining industry.
D) opening up fishing grounds to impoverished villages so long as they keep the size of their catches within sustainable limits.
E) the inclusion of specific clauses in the constitution concerning environmental health and ecological sustainability.

Question 21

The South African president is elected

A) directly by the people in a national election.
B) by The National Assembly.
C) by a body of electors similar to the American Electoral College.
D) by both chambers of the parliament.
E) by provincial governors.

Question 22

ANC governments

A) have never included representatives of the other parties.
B) have always included a representative from the Inkatha party.
C) have not been socially representative and thus have not embodied a racial cross section.
D) have reflected the party's commitment to gender equity.
E) have been comprised in accordance to the constitutional requirement of proportional representative power-sharing among political parties.

Question 23

During the apartheid era, South Africa's protectionist policies, including trade tariffs and government subsidies

A) favored the manufacture of capital goods.
B) helped to create economic inefficiencies that constrained economic growth.
C) were undertaken as a means to reinforce minority rule.
D) eased the country's dependence on imported technology.
E) All of the above are true of such policies.

Question 24

The South African constitution

A) is based upon principles adopted at multiparty talks that led to a transitional government.
B) is difficult to amend as most clauses require the approval of three-fourths of the National Assembly.
C) does not include a formal bill of rights.
D) requires that executive power is shared between political parties.
E) is difficult to amend as most clauses require the approval of the majority of provincial governments.

Question 25

The deputy president

A) is appointed by the president and subject to approval by the National Assembly.
B) must come from the opposition party.
C) is appointed by the president and subject to the approval of both chambers of parliament.
D) is chosen by provincial governors.
E) has no constitutionally-designated special powers.

Question 26

The South African National Defense Force

A) is much larger than the apartheid era military.
B) has played a major role in continental peacekeeping efforts.
C) has actively cooperated with U.S. military forces in anti-terror raids in the region.
D) is an amalgamation of the old South African Defense Force, homeland militias, and guerrilla armies.
E) has worked closely with South Africa's police forces to provide internal security against domestic Islamic terrorists.

Question 27

Which of the following statements about the South African bureaucracy is NOT true?

A) Some departments are administered in a centralized fashion by national ministries whereas others are administered by the provinces.
B) It has grown substantially in the post-apartheid era as the government has expanded public welfare programs.
C) Some central ministries have a reputation for efficiency whereas others do not.
D) The majority of the country's public servants are employed by provincial governments.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 28

Low public respect for South African legal institutions stems from

A) huge caseloads that make judicial proceedings very slow.
B) low pay rates for rank-and-file police officers that make them very susceptible to corruption.
C) the continued harsh treatment of those in custody by the police.
D) the low criminal conviction rate.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 29

Which of the following statements are NOT true about municipal governments in South Africa?

A) They have taxation powers.
B) Most cities are governed by ANC-dominated administrations.
C) There has been a high voter turnout in local elections.
D) Citizens have shown themselves to be unhappy by the performance of municipal governments as indicated by protests about the delivery of services.
E) Although big cities draw the bulk of their revenue from local taxes, smaller municipalities are heavily dependent upon government grants.

Question 30

The president's ability to dominate the policy-making process stems from

A) his ability to appoint senior government officials.
B) his chairing of the cabinet.
C) his role as party leader.
D) his de facto power over parliamentary office holding.
E) all of the above.

Question 31

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) The president appoints the cabinet.
B) The president appoints the deputy president.
C) The president appoints members of the judiciary although his discretion in this regard is limited by constitutional provisions.
D) The president's appointment powers have increasingly been used to reward political allies.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 32

The South African political system is similar to that of the United States in that

A) political parties are strong in both countries.
B) amending the constitution is relatively easy in both countries.
C) the presidents in both countries are limited to two terms of office.
D) there is a clear ability for the legislature to check the power of the executive in both countries.
E) both countries have very open and accessible systems in which citizens and lobbies can influence policy-making.

Question 33

Which of the following is TRUE of provincial governments in South Africa?

A) They are dependent upon the central government for their revenue.
B) They are generally seen as having weak and inefficient bureaucracies that result, at least in part, because of how these were created.
C) Although provincial legislatures may pass laws, the National Assembly can override these laws.
D) In provinces where the ANC dominates, elections are a formality as the provincial premier is in reality appointed by the president.
E) All of the above statements are true of provincial governments in South Africa.

Question 34

The Constitutional Court

A) acts as the final court of appeal for matters related to the constitution.
B) Is comprised of judges appointed for life.
C) Is also known as the Supreme Court.
D) has regularly sided with the executive in its rulings.
E) Is widely seen by the public as being ineffective.

Question 35

Which of the following statements is NOT indicative of the status of South Africa's standing in the world economy?

A) The country has traditionally dominated the regional economy.
B) South Africa is the only African member of the G20.
C) The country's currency, the Rand, is used as an internationally accepted "hard" currency just like the EU's Euro and the American dollar.
D) South Africa has a fairly high growth in terms of GNP.
E) The country is part of an informal group of rapidly growing emerging economies known as BRICS.

Question 36

Which of the following statements about South Africa's post-1994 reintegration into the world economy is NOT true?

A) It has resulted in deep and lasting economic disruptions just as we see in the post-communist transitions in Eastern Europe.
B) It has prompted an outflow of South African investment to other countries.
C) It has led to increased trade with other African countries.
D) WTO-mandated tariff reductions initially led to heavy job losses in the textile and clothing industries.
E) Although initially having a negative impact, reintegration has generally been beneficial leading to a stronger economy.

Question 37

The president

A) is less powerful than the British prime minister.
B) retains his seat in parliament just like the British prime minister.
C) is able to serve unlimited terms of office.
D) is chosen from the membership of the National Assembly.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 38

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A) Sudden policy shifts occurring without elaborate consultation have been rare in post-apartheid South Africa.
B) Post-apartheid governments initially emphasized a participatory approach to policy making.
C) The surest way to influence the policy-making process is through access to the president's office and the informal networks that surround it.
D) Economic issues have been put at the center of politics in post-apartheid South Africa in large part because of the government's commitment to fiscally conservative policies.
E) For the post-apartheid transition period, between 1994 and 1999, a power-sharing coalition helped to reassure racial minorities.

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT true of the divestment and credit denial campaign of the 1980s?

A) It was seen by South African policy makers as more alarming than international sanctions as it might lead to diminished access to advanced technology.
B) It helped to ensure that the South Africa's foreign debt remained fairly low.
C) It was a reaction to a state of emergency imposed in 1985.
D) It led to the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act in the United States.
E) It was initiated by the United Nations.

Question 40

International sanctions against South Africa

A) began as early as 1948 and accelerated in the 1970s.
B) led the government to invest in strategic industries.
C) were meant to put pressure on the government to end apartheid.
D) were applied selectively by various countries and the United Nations.
E) All of the above are true of the international sanctions against South Africa.

Question 41

The National Assembly is seen as being ineffective in checking executive power because

A) ANC MPs, the largest group of parliamentarians, have tended to defer to the executive.
B) most legislation is drafted by government ministers, not MPs.
C) due to the country's electoral system, MPs hold their seats at the will of party leadership.
D) the executive has shown itself able to stifle legislative investigations.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 42

All of the following are major economic challenges facing South Africa EXCEPT

A) a low high school graduation rate, which in turn means a shortage of skilled workers.
B) a low savings rate.
C) a high death rate among the economically active population.
D) a high foreign debt.
E) All of the above are major economic challenges facing South Africa.

Question 43

Which of the following statements about electioneering is TRUE?

A) It has become increasingly easier for candidates of all parties to canvass voters outside of the areas where their core supporters live.
B) Ruling party speakers at mass rallies do not suggest that their electoral success will be rewarded with grants or other benefits.
C) The incidence of "robust" electioneering involving attacks on rival activists has been on the decline.
D) Rules for election broadcasting have consistently favored the ANC and continue to do so.
E) There continues to be informal "no go" areas in which canvassers from certain parties are forcibly excluded by their rivals.

Question 44

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A) Over 10 percent of the South African population is HIV-positive.
B) Over one million South Africans have already died of AIDS and an additional 5 to 7 million more deaths are likely over the next decade.
C) One of the first acts of the Mandela government was to initiate a public awareness campaign to promote awareness of HIV/AIDS and how to prevent its spread.
D) Government efforts to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic were severely hindered during the Mbeki government chiefly because the president adopted the position that there was no link between HIV and AIDS.
E) In 2002, the Constitutional Court ruled that the government had to provide antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS patients, thus overruling a government policy to stop such treatment.

Question 45

Evidence of continued racial divisions and tensions may be found in all of the following examples EXCEPT

A) the fact that while blacks tend to support soccer, whites tend to support rugby.
B) the fact that churches have racially integrated hierarchies.
C) the fact that racial and ethnic bloc voting has changed only slightly.
D) union leaders holding back from organizing a workers' party separate from the ANC
E) most black people still live in ghetto-like townships or the historical homelands areas.

Question 46

In looking at the results of the four post-apartheid elections, it is clear that

A) ANC electoral support has been fairly stable.
B) The Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance's electoral support has grown substantially.
C) Voter turnout-as measured by both a percentage of registered voters and as a percentage of the voting age population-has declined.
D) The ANC and the Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance have the greatest electoral support among voters.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 47

Which of the following describes the relationship between the country's electoral system and how political parties act during elections?

A) The system encourages parties to seek voters outside of their core supporters.
B) Because the electorate is spread out, parties are encouraged to adopt positions that have broad appeal.
C) Because the system does not focus on individual candidates, party leaders put people on their lists that might not win popular support if elections were centered on the appeal of individual candidates.
D) Multiparty competition is encouraged because the double-ballot system allows voters to split their vote, thus allowing even smaller parties the chance to obtain executive office.
E) All of the above statements describe the relationship between the electoral system and party behavior.

Question 48

An example of parliamentary accountability in South Africa is

A) the president appearing for Question Time before the National Assembly.
B) the National Assembly approving all presidential appointments.
C) the members of the cabinet appearing for Question Time before the National Council of the Provinces.
D) parliamentary committees reviewing the work of government departments including summoning ministers to appear before them.
E) parliamentary committees regularly rewriting draft legislation presented by government ministers.

Question 49

According to the text, the opposition party that is most likely to continue to remain important in the future is the

A) Inkatha Freedom Party.
B) Congress of the People.
C) Freedom Front.
D) Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance.
E) African Christian Democratic.

Question 50

The Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance (DA)

A) was formed in 1990 when the Progressives absorbed a group of breakaway Inkatha parliamentarians.
B) has positioned itself as the party of business and free enterprise.
C) made its electoral gains at the expense of smaller parties , like the ANC.
D) supports Afrikaner irredentism.
E) is the governing party of East Cape Town.

Question 51

The National Council of the Provinces

A) reviews all legislation but has only an advisory role for the most part.
B) is comprised of 90 members who are elected in provincial elections.
C) utilizes a weighted voting system that grants the larger provinces more than one vote.
D) is the more powerful chamber of parliament.
E) was initially established during the apartheid era.

Question 52

The close historic relationship between the Communist Party and the ANC

A) has increasingly diminished in the post-apartheid era as evidenced by the communists running separately from the ANC in the last two elections.
B) helped to ensure that the ANC defined it programs on a broader basis other than simply race including opening up its ranks to whites, Indians, and Coloureds.
C) helped the ANC to establish close ties to Western European socialist governments during its years in exile.
D) encouraged the ANC to adopt an internal organization that emphasized decentralization and internal democracy rather than centralization and authority.
E) was used by the United States as a reason to denounce the ANC as a radical organization during the apartheid era.

Question 53

The main opposition parties are

A) the Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance (DA), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Congress of the People.
B) the Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance (DA), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the New National Party.
C) the Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance (DA), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the African Christian Democratic Party.
D) the Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance (DA), the Congress of the People and the African Christian Democratic Party.
E) the Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance (DA), the New National Party and the United Democratic Movement.

Question 54

Opinion polls indicate that

A) most South Africans are more likely to trust the national government rather than the provincial or municipal authorities.
B) there continues to be a very high level of satisfaction with democracy among all groups.
C) White South Africans are more likely than any other group to feel that race relations have improved since 1994.
D) only a small minority of South Africans believe that race relations have not changed significantly since 1994.
E) There is a small majority that feels post-apartheid democracy has failed to produce economic benefits.

Question 55

Government land reform efforts

A) have made substantial progress in changing the racial patterns of landholding.
B) are based upon the principle of paying market-level prices to the owners and are thus subject to protracted negotiations over compensation.
C) are chiefly meant to prevent illegal land occupations or squatting.
D) has been solely based upon the principle of the right of return of those Africans who were forced from their land during the apartheid era.
E) has severely hurt the agricultural production of the country making it necessary to import foodstuffs from abroad.

Question 56

The New National Party

A) continues to be an active political party, competing chiefly with the Democratic Party/Democratic Alliance for the support of white voters.
B) continues to be an active political party having successfully achieved major inroads in gaining the support of Coloured voters.
C) dissolved in 2006.
D) dissolved shortly before the 2009 elections.
E) continues to be an active political party only at the provincial level.

Question 57

What political and economic factors shaped the nature of institutionalized racism in South Africa? Begin your discussion prior to the official start of the apartheid era.

Question 58

The African National Congress (ANC) has been the dominant party in post-apartheid South Africa because

A) it has an extensive political organization especially at the local level.
B) it has a virtual monopoly on the African voter while wining a substantial minority among the other races.
C) it is widely seen as a national liberation movement by the majority of the population.
D) despite the existence of clear factions within the party, it has not experienced any significant splits.
E) All of the above are reasons that the ANC has been the dominant party in post-apartheid South Africa..

Question 59

Which of the following is TRUE about the South African electoral system?

A) The names of the candidates appear on the ballot.
B) National and provincial elections are held at different times.
C) Parties nominate separate lists of candidates for the National Assembly and each province, thus allowing voters to divide their support between two parties.
D) Individual candidates for the parties run in specific districts for seats in the National Assembly.
E) Parties nominate a single list of candidates for the National Assembly and each of the provinces, thus ensuring that the party that wins the national election will also control the provincial governments.

Question 60

Comparatively speaking, the democratic transition in South Africa has been relatively easier than that in other transitional democracies because

A) the politically independent settler state that existed during the apartheid years was able to use the revenues from the local production of primary commodities to develop a relatively diversified economy, which in turn has meant that the current transitional democracy has inherited a strong economy.
B) Democratization was proceeded by a much longer process of economic liberalization. This has meant that South Africa has not had to undergo the types of dual shocks seen in post-communist countries.
C) Many of the more severe elements of apartheid began to be dismantled even before 1990, which in turn encouraged the development and growth of associational life.
D) The constitutional negotiations that began the transition did not take place in a political vacuum or a situation of near state collapse.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 61

What factors account for the power of the South African executive vis-à-vis the country's legislature? Do you think that this imbalance hinders the democratization process either in the short or long term?

Question 62

How did generational change affect the policies of apartheid? Did such change substantially affect the fundamental aspects of apartheid?

Question 63

The South African bureaucracy is said to be generally weak and ineffective, especially at the provincial level. What factors account for this? What does this suggest for the continued democratization of the country?

Question 64

In comparison to other transitional democracies, democratization in South Africa has been much easier. What factors help to account for this? Cite specific examples from your text.

Question 65

In what ways has the state intervened in the economy? Address state policies during both the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

Question 66

What kinds of external pressures were put on South Africa to end its apartheid policies? What was the impact of such pressures?

Question 67

What are the political implications and effects of South Africa's electoral system? Are these detrimental to the democratization process in the country? Cite specific examples from your text.

Question 68

In what ways is the South African political system similar to both the British and American systems? Use specific examples from the text in your answer.

Question 69

Discuss some ways in which racial segregation persists in South Africa? What impact does this have on the democratization process?