Deck 1: Democracy and American Politics

Question 1

_________ is the idea that each person, being of equal intrinsic value as other human beings, carries the same weight in voting and other political decision.

A) Popular sovereignty
B) Majority rules
C) High quality information
D) Political liberty
E) Political equality

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Some political thinkers believe that democracy is superior to other forms of government because it

A) encourages dreams that can never be achieved.
B) is incapable of promoting progress on important decisions.
C) protects human rights.
D) is found only in the United States.
E) relies on the views of the masses.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The idea that ordinary people want to rule themselves and are capable of doing so is associated with

A) political culture.
B) political socialization.
C) democracy.
D) government.
E) socialism.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is an observable condition for determining whether popular sovereignty is realized?

A) the majority rules
B) people participate in the political process
C) government policies reflect the wishes of the people
D) government leaders are selected in competitive elections
E) all of the above

Question 5

Which of the following statements is TRUE with respect to democracy?

A) Democracy was widely practiced by western European nations in the eighteenth-century.
B) Western European rulers of the 1700s believed that governing required little sophistication.
C) Eighteenth-century European rulers accepted that government was the province of common citizens.
D) Most Western philosophers and rulers before the eighteenth century were not friendly to the idea of rule by the many.
E) none of the above

Question 6

) Which of the following may be considered a significant difference between direct and representative democracies??A) There is no difference between direct and representative democracies.
B) Citizen participation is unnecessary in a representative democracy.
C) The only major difference is that direct democracies have been around longer than representative democracies.
D) Only direct democracy was practical in ancient Greece.
E) In a direct democracy, citizens themselves make decisions, whereas in a representative democracy, citizens choose intermediaries who make decisions for them.

Question 7

What was the major concern among those who were skeptical of democracy?

A) The idea of having a few rulers reign over the masses.
B) The idea that ordinary people might rule themselves.
C) The requirement that in a democracy there must be a separation of church and state.
D) The idea that democracy must use capitalism as an economic system.
E) The idea that elites would have too much power and authority.

Question 8

Robert Parris Morris was

A) founder of the freedom schools.
B) the first African American appointed as a federal judge.
C) a leading opponent of the Civil Rights Acts of the 1950s and 1960s.
D) one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
E) one of the authors of the US Constitution.

Question 9

Jim Crows represented

A) the official system of segregation in the West.
B) the official system of segregation in the North.
C) the official system of segregation in the East.
D) the official system of segregation in the South.
E) the institution of slavery.

Question 10

According to the principle of popular sovereignty,

A) power should be exercised by an educated elite.
B) the final or ultimate source of authority rests with the people.
C) a democratic system is based on the concept of material equality.
D) majority rule is unacceptable because it may be tyrannical.
E) minority rule trumps majority power in close elections.

Question 11

In large societies like the United States, democracy means what in practice?

A) direct rule by the people through protest movements
B) direct rule by the people through participation in local government and the workplace
C) rule by the people mainly through elected representatives
D) rule by the people mainly through referendums
E) rule by the people mainly through national initiatives

Question 12

Representative democracy is also known as

A) direct democracy.
B) indirect democracy.
C) political equality.
D) popular equality.
E) popular sovereignty.

Question 13

In the 1960s, African Americans

A) were essentially deprived of the rights of citizenship and were excluded from the democratic political process.
B) were registered to vote in southern states in equal proportion to white Americans.
C) held national, state, and local elected positions roughly in proportion to their share of the population.
D) in the South enjoyed all of the same rights and privileges as the white majority.
E) none of the above

Question 14

Democracies are typically stronger with what level of political participation?

A) less
B) more
C) coercive
D) mandatory
E) all democracies are strong, regardless of participation levels.

Question 15

The notion of political equality is found where in the US Constitution?

A) The equal protection clause of the 14th amendment
B) Article VI of the US Constitution
C) Throughout the original and unamended Constitution
D) Political equality is expressed nowhere in the Constitution
E) Article I, section 7

Question 16

More than other forms of government, democracy and democratic theory

A) puts faith in the capacity of ordinary human beings.
B) puts faith in the capacity of a governing elite.
C) encourages citizens to follow the law.
D) ignores the rule of law.
E) places the important decisions of government in the hands of a few.

Question 17

Direct democracy

A) means that citizens elect representatives in free elections.
B) is synonymous with the concept of "representative democracy."
C) best typifies government in the United States under the Articles of Confederation.
D) means that citizens are able to meet together regularly to debate and decide the issues of the day.
E) is an accurate depiction of the US government under the US Constitution.

Question 18

That people are the ultimate source of authority in a government is known as

A) popular sovereignty.
B) political freedom.
C) the right to self-governance.
D) political equality.
E) political liberty.

Question 19

Representative democracy best describes government in

A) ancient Greece.
B) Europe, until the 19ᵗʰ century.
C) the United States.
D) the former Soviet Union.
E) none of the above

Question 20

In what type of government is society ruled by the people?

A) theocracy
B) aristocracy
C) oligarchy
D) democracy
E) monarchy

Question 21

Civil rights are a combination of

A) popularity sovereignty and majority rule.
B) equal treatment and majority rule.
C) political equality and equal treatment.
D) majority rule and political liberty.
E) civil liberties and equality.

Question 22

At times in American history, minorities such as Native Americans, Asians, and African Americans have experienced severe political repression. This history shows that

A) democracy can be a very dangerous form of government.
B) majorities in a democracy oppress others more often or more seriously than minorities or other forms of government.
C) to the extent that we do not protect the rights of minorities, we fall short of the democratic ideal.
D) American oppression of racial minorities is consistent with the democratic ideal.
E) discrimination is a necessary part of democratic governance.

Question 23

Which of the following statements best reflects the position taken in Struggle for Democracy concerning the concept of "majority tyranny"?

A) Violations of freedom are much more likely to come from majorities than from minorities.
B) The majority does not seem to be a special or unique threat to liberty.
C) Violations of freedom are much more likely to come from minorities than from majorities.
D) If citizens are unequal in economic resources, they are likely to also be unequal in political resources.
E) All of the above

Question 24

With respect to the distribution of wealth in a nation, according to Aristotle and Jefferson, the ideal society for the practice of democracy is one

A) where inequality is not too extreme.
B) where a small elite controls most wealth.
C) without a middle class.
D) in which men and women share equally.
E) in which all citizens are generally equal.

Question 25

A potential criticism of American democracy, the authors of your textbook point out that

A) Congress is too powerful vis-à-vis the presidency.
B) the minority actually tyrannizes the majority.
C) individual Americans do not care a great deal about politics and are rather poorly informed.
D) political equality is attainable in perfect form.
E) political liberty is attainable in perfect form.

Question 26

James Madison feared majority rule because he thought it would have which of the following negative effects?

A) It would increase the political influence of wealthy elites.
B) It would prohibit swift decision making.
C) It would make it easy for large numbers of people to agree on decisions.
D) It would undermine freedom and threaten individual rights.
E) It would promote less responsiveness of elected officials to citizens.

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of tyranny of the majority in US history??A) The Fifteenth Amendment
B) The Voting Rights Act of 1965
C) The Civil Rights Act of 1964
D) Jim Crow Laws
E) the federal budget

Question 28

What evidence is there to support the assertion that the rights of minorities are better protected under forms of government other than democracy?

A) Historical abuses of minorities in the American democracy suggests that this are better forms of government.
B) The history of the Articles of Confederation suggest that rule by states protects minorities better than a democracy in a federal system of government.
C) Rule by one, such as dictatorships, are more responsive to minority needs.
D) Rule by the few tends to protect minorities better than democracies.
E) As Robert Dahl argues, there is none.

Question 29

_________ refers to basic freedoms essential to the formation and expression of majority opinion and its translation into public policies.

A) Popular sovereignty
B) Political liberty
C) Political equality
D) Majority rules
E) Tyranny of the majority

Question 30

In part due to the constant shifting by issue of the composition of the majority and minority,

A) direct democracy prevails.
B) majority rule is preeminent.
C) majority tyranny is prevented.
D) political equality is guaranteed.
E) political liberty is ignored.

Question 31

Freedom of speech, religion, association, and the press are examples of

A) civil rights.
B) state mandates.
C) nonexclusionary rights.
D) political liberties.
E) absolute equalities.

Question 32

The United States government is also a

A) social contract.
B) leviathan.
C) direct democracy.
D) monarchy.
E) confederation.

Question 33

Political liberty refers to

A) the concept that government draws its power from the people.
B) the equal rights afforded to individuals when voting.
C) nonexclusionary rights.
D) basic freedoms essential to the formation and expression of majority opinion and its translation into public policies.
E) absolute rights protected by the states.

Question 34

James Madison and other Founders of the American republic feared that

A) minority tyranny would impede democracy by interfering with majority rule.
B) democracy would be undermined because the majority of the population would be unwilling to participate in decision-making.
C) democracy would not develop in the new republic because inadequate educational facilities could not provide adequate training for leadership.
D) majority rule would undermine freedom and threaten the rights of the individual.
E) majority rule would prove to alleviate all ills of human self-interest.

Question 35

A __________ is a system of representative government characterized by popular sovereignty, political equality, and liberty.

A) Liberal democracy
B) Capitalistic democracy
C) Direct democracy
D) Indirect monarchy
E) Direct oligarchy

Question 36

When the majority abuses their power vis-à-vis a political minority this is called

A) majority rule.
B) representative democracy.
C) federalism.
D) the tyranny of the majority.
E) civil liberties.

Question 37

According to Struggle for Democracy, popular sovereignty, political equality, and political liberty

A) are attainable in perfect form.
B) are components of capitalism.
C) are vital benchmarks of representative democracy.
D) are not important aspects of democracy.
E) none of the above

Question 38

The constitutional system was designed to

A) support the majority in nearly all instances.
B) protect liberties against violations by the majority.
C) promote direct democracy.
D) establish a Bill of Rights to promote majority preferences.
E) centralize power.

Question 39

Political equality means that

A) the opinions and preferences of citizens are combined into a binding decision through the principle of majority rule.
B) each person carries the same weight in voting and other political decision making.
C) protection will be provided for basic freedom essential to the formation and expression of the popular will and its translation into policy.
D) the will of the majority should not be the ultimate determinant of what government does.
E) each person should have the same opportunities to succeed in society.

Question 40

When taken together, political equality and equal treatment are known as

A) civil rights.
B) direct democracy.
C) the deliberative will.
D) representative government.
E) majority tyranny.

Question 41

According to Struggle for Democracy, the structural framework constrains

A) the most fundamental and enduring factors that influence politics.
B) public officials and institutions.
C) media and interest groups.
D) government action.
E) none of the above

Question 42

Which of the following is an example of a political linkage-level actor or influence?

A) public opinion
B) interest groups
C) elections
D) news media
E) all of the above

Question 43

World War II had what effect on African Americans?

A) African Americans insisted on full citizenship rights.
B) African Americans suspended their demand for civil rights.
C) African Americans became less involved with future conflicts, such as the Korean War.
D) It perpetuated and further solidified segregation in American society.
E) none of the above

Question 44

The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee was active during the civil rights movement.

Question 45

Among other things, Lyndon Johnson is known for which of the following concerning civil rights??A) The longest filibuster in Senate history
B) Supporting civil rights in the 1960s
C) opposing the Civil Rights Act of 1957
D) opposing the Civil Rights Act of 1964
E) issuing an executive order to ban affirmative action in governmental hiring.

Question 46

Political actors, institutions, and processes that transmit the demands of the people is known as a

A) political linkage.
B) governmental process.
C) tyrannical abuse of power.
D) media-driven society.
E) public opinion poll.

Question 47

The Greek roots of the term democracy mean rule by the people.

Question 48

Reapportionment laws required separation and segregation of the races.

Question 49

By government action, the authors mean

A) public officials and official institutions that have formal, legal responsibility in making policy.
B) political actors that do not hold official public office.
C) parties, interest groups, and other institutions that transmit preferences to elected officials.
D) what government does.
E) none of the above

Question 50

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) The United States is a majoritarian representative democracy--meaning that the people rule through elected representatives.
B) Democracy is a system of rule by the people, rooted in three fundamental principles representatives, with elections are decided on the basis of what a majority of the people want.
C) The organizing framework of the book visualizes the world of American politics as a set of interrelated actors and influences-institutions, groups, and individuals-that operate in three
Interconnected realms: the structural, political linkage, and governmental sectors.
D) Democracy

is a system of self-government by the people; rule by the many.
E) All of the above are true

Question 51

According to the text,

A) democracy is a useful evaluative standard for judging the political process.
B) democracy is attainable in perfect form if we have a better understanding of what democracy is.
C) democracy deserves attention because the American form of government most closely resembles democracy in its true ideal.
D) using democracy as an evaluative standard allows us to analyze government without using values or opinions.
E) democracy will function optimally even if only one benchmark of representative democracy is reached.

Question 52

The authors of your text conclude, in part, that the United States is NOT the most democratic nation in the world because

A) it's "freedom score" is one of the highest.
B) it's "freedom score" is one of the lowest.
C) it has failed to establish all three of the authors' benchmarks for democracy.
D) it has failed to establish one of the authors' benchmarks for democracy.
E) There is no systematic way to evaluate a nation's level of democracy.

Question 53

Which of the following is a sector of the framework advanced by the authors of your textbook?

A) government action
B) government
C) political linkage
D) structure
E) all of the above

Question 54

Which of the following is an example of a structural-level factor or influence?

A) the U.S. Congress
B) the mass media
C) culture
D) corporations
E) interest groups

Question 55

?According to the Struggle for Democracy, government factors include

A) what government does.
B) those enduring features of American life that influence which issues become important.
C) all public officials and institutions (Congress, the president, the federal bureaucracy, and the Supreme Court) that have formal, legal responsibilities for making public policy for the United States.
D) using democracy as an evaluative standard allows us to analyze government without using values or opinions.
E) all political actors, institutions, and processes that transmit the wants and demands of people and groups in our society to government officials.

Question 56

Prior to the civil rights movement African Americans in the South were denied the basic rights of citizenship.

Question 57

Which of these statements best reflects the conclusion of your authors concerning democracy as a form of government?

A) Majority rule constitutes a threat to freedom because majority tyranny often threatens the citizenship rights of a minority.
B) Citizens are ill-equipped for the responsibility of self-governance and democratic decision-making.
C) Liberty is essential to self-government, and rule by the majority does not seem to be a special or unique threat to liberty.
D) The American public is too irrational and incompetent for a democratic system to prevail.
E) Democracy is a simple form of government, one that works without due diligence by the people.

Question 58

The framework of this textbook is used to

A) help us understand why political events occur.
B) show how individual rights have been extended.
C) understand how the Constitution is interpreted.
D) evaluate short-term principles and procedures of politics.
E) show how policy affects our everyday lives.

Question 59

A literacy test is an example of a Jim Crow policy.

Question 60

According to Struggle for Democracy, political linkages are particularly suited to

A) communicate the most fundamental and enduring factors that influence politics.
B) transmit the desires of people to representatives in government.
C) oversee the policymaking activities of Congress and the presidency.
D) act on behalf of the government.
E) none of the above

Question 61

The definition of popular sovereignty is a form of political decision making in which policies are decided on the basis of what a majority of the people want.

Question 62

Fair elections mean that all candidates have an equal chance of being elected.

Question 63

Direct democracy requires that all citizens be able to meet together regularly to debate and decide issues.

Question 64

The "deliberative will" as a concept is synonymous with "political liberty."

Question 65

The four categories of the analytical framework in Struggle for Democracy are structural, political linkages, governmental, and governmental action.

Question 66

The question-- Do some individuals and groups have persistent and substantial advantages over other individuals and groups in the political process-is important for issues of political equality.

Question 67

Monarchy is rule by one.

Question 68

Political equality is the principle that says that each person in a democracy carries equal weight in voting and political decision making.

Question 69

Political liberty refers to basic freedoms essential to the formation and expression of the popular will and its translation into policy.

Question 70

One of the great fears concerning democratic government is that the minority will tyrannize the majority of the population.

Question 71

Oligarchy is rule by the many.

Question 72

Democracy is viewed by many as best at protecting human rights.

Question 73

One of the most obvious signs of popular sovereignty is a close correspondence between what the people want and what government does.

Question 74

James Madison and other Founders of the American republic believed that majority rule was the only effective way to protect freedom and individual rights.

Question 75

A social contract is the idea that government is a result of an agreement among people to form one.

Question 76

The three fundamental benchmarks of representative democracy are popular sovereignty, political equality, and political liberty.

Question 77

The Greek word, "democracy", refers to "the people" and "to rule".

Question 78

The political linkage sector includes political actors, institutions, and processes that are involved in transmitting the wants and demands of individuals and groups to government officials and in effecting the policies that the government pursues.

Question 79

The clearest sign of political liberty is the existence of a close correspondence between what government does and what the people want it to do.

Question 80

The American government is best described as a system of direct democracy.