Deck 1: Five Principles of Politics

Question 1

What is the general term used to describe the formal political arrangement by which a land and its people are ruled?

A)formalism
B)government
C)authoritarianism
D)autarky
E)monarchism

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The limitation on government power in the United States that prohibits forcing Americans to quarter troops in their homes is an example of a

A)procedural limit.
B)substantive limit.
C)primary restriction.
D)secondary restriction.
E)tertiary restriction.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

When governments are severely limited in terms of what they are permitted to control,these governments are said to have

A)procedural limits.
B)substantive limits.
C)primary restrictions.
D)secondary restrictions.
E)tertiary restrictions.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

What are the two fundamental questions that allow us to find patterns and order in the chaos of politics?

A)"Who governs?" and "How do they govern?"
B)"Who runs for office?" and "Who wins?"
C)"What do we observe?" and "Why?"
D)"What is government?" and "Who runs it?"
E)"Why do we need government?" and "Who runs it?"

Question 5

A government with specific limits on what governments control and how political power is exercised is called a

A)theocracy.
B)limited partnership.
C)constrained system.
D)divided government.
E)constitutional government.

Question 6

A form of government in which a single individual-king,queen,or dictator-rules is known as

A)a unigarchy.
B)an oligarchy.
C)an autocracy.
D)totalitarianism.
E)anarchy.

Question 7

States and tribal councils are examples of which institutions and procedures through which a land and its people are ruled?

A)governments
B)public opinion
C)legislative bodies
D)democracy
E)bureaucracies

Question 8

On the small island nation of Tamazia,the small but elite group of purple-spotted Tamazians,who own most of the land on the more fruitful north side,has invaded the less productive southern sections of the island.Now it has taken control of all political institutions.Consequently,the pink-spotted and green-spotted Tamazians who make up the majority of the island inhabitants have to submit to the will of the purple-spotted Tamazians.This new government on the island nation of Tamazia would most correctly be classified as

A)oligarchic.
B)autocratic.
C)democratic.
D)constitutional.
E)totalitarian.

Question 9

When a small group of landowners,military officers,or wealthy merchants controls most of the governing decisions,the government is said to be a(n)

A)theocracy.
B)oligarchy.
C)autocracy.
D)meritocracy.
E)democracy.

Question 10

When governments are limited in terms of how control is exercised,these governments are said to have

A)procedural limits.
B)substantive limits.
C)primary restrictions.
D)secondary restrictions.
E)tertiary restrictions.

Question 11

Which term describes a system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of government?

A)pluralism
B)totalitarianism
C)monarchy
D)authoritarian government
E)constitutional government

Question 12

If the populace has some direct role in political decision making,the government is most likely

A)pluralistic.
B)autocratic.
C)constitutional.
D)capitalist.
E)democratic.

Question 13

What is the difference between an empirical question and a normative question?

A)An empirical question deals with international politics,while a normative question deals with domestic politics.
B)An empirical question is about observing facts and patterns about politics,while a normative question is about how the political world should be.
C)An empirical question focuses on theorizing about political phenomena,while a normative question seeks to describe typical behavior.
D)An empirical question asks how the world should be,while a normative question asks how it actually works.
E)An empirical question focuses on a single person or event,while a normative question focuses on patterns of behavior.

Question 14

The following question is an example of a(n) __________ question in political science: "Which political party do a majority of Latinos support in presidential elections?"

A)empirical
B)analytical
C)normative
D)fundamental
E)policy

Question 15

When France was ruled by King Louis XVI,Napoleon Bonaparte,and then Louis XVIII,it exemplified the governmental system known as

A)a unigarchy.
B)an oligarchy.
C)an autocracy.
D)totalitarianism.
E)a democracy.

Question 16

A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process,usually through the selection of key public officials,is called

A)democratic.
B)pluralistic.
C)constitutional.
D)oligarchic.
E)totalitarian.

Question 17

The following question is an example of a(n) __________ question in political science: "Are African American legislators more likely to support African American interests than other legislators with similar districts are?"

A)empirical
B)analytical
C)normative
D)fundamental
E)policy

Question 18

In early thirteenth-century England,King John had few formal limits on his power,yet he needed the permission of the Catholic Pope to marry many of his potential spouses and needed the cooperation of English nobles to wage war.A general term for a political system with such informal limits on power is

A)plutocracy.
B)indirect government.
C)teleological government.
D)authoritarian government.
E)totalitarian government.

Question 19

The following question is an example of a(n) __________ question in political science: "Should a majority of Latinos support the Democratic Party in presidential elections?"

A)empirical
B)analytical
C)normative
D)fundamental
E)policy

Question 20

Autocracy can best be defined as rule by

A)all.
B)one.
C)few.
D)many.
E)self-executing laws.

Question 21

Free riding occurs in collective action settings because

A)usually some individuals do not have an interest in the public good.
B)the diversity of motives means not everyone wants to achieve the same goal.
C)irrationality is prevalent in society.
D)people do not know what the price of public goods really ought to be.
E)individuals may be able to enjoy the benefit of others' efforts without contributing themselves.

Question 22

Political scientists would most accurately classify a governing system that recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it as

A)autocratic.
B)dictatorial.
C)democratic.
D)authoritarian.
E)totalitarian.

Question 23

In many nations in Europe,South America,Asia,and Africa,the law imposes few real limits,but the government is nevertheless kept in check by other political and social institutions that it does not control.Examples of these outside actors include autonomous territories,an organized church,organized business groups,or organized labor unions.Such governments are generally called

A)autocratic.
B)totalitarian.
C)authoritarian.
D)constitutional.
E)democracies.

Question 24

Efforts to gain power,influence those in power,bring new people to power,or throw current leaders out are forms of

A)autocracy.
B)pluralism.
C)democracy.
D)interest-group bargaining.
E)politics.

Question 25

According to Harold Lasswell,the struggle over who gets what,when,and how is known as

A)government.
B)politics.
C)authoritarianism.
D)lobbying.
E)redistribution.

Question 26

A good that may be enjoyed by anyone,if provided,and that may not be denied to anyone once it has been provided is called a(n)

A)public good.
B)private good.
C)universal good.
D)externality.
E)negative good.

Question 27

The conflicts and struggles over the leadership,structure,and policies of government are called

A)debates.
B)politics.
C)derision.
D)lobbying.
E)war.

Question 28

The Soviet Union during the rule of Joseph Stalin was a classic example of a __________ society.

A)democratic
B)monarchical
C)authoritarian
D)constitutional
E)totalitarian

Question 29

Which of the following is a reason rulers were forced to give ordinary citizens a greater voice in public affairs?

A)internal class conflict
B)the United Nations
C)improvement in medical science
D)to prevent citizens from moving to democratic countries
E)religious movements

Question 30

The relationship between a representative and his or her constituents in which constituents essentially "hire" the representative to act on their behalf is known as a(n)

A)master-slave dilemma.
B)collective action problem.
C)principal-agent relationship.
D)employee-employer dichotomy.
E)director-directed puzzle.

Question 31

In American representative democracy,citizens are considered to function as

A)agents.
B)delegates.
C)principals.
D)specialists.
E)experts.

Question 32

Which term describes rules and procedures that provide incentives for political behavior and thereby shape policies?

A)institutions
B)communities
C)social culture
D)planning agenda
E)classifications

Question 33

Although many people enjoy freedom,a classic trade-off in democratic societies is balancing freedom with

A)prosperity.
B)tradition.
C)religion.
D)education.
E)order.

Question 34

In the years leading up to World War II,the National Socialist (Nazi) Party rose to power in Germany and consolidated its hold on political institutions by effectively striking down any significant opposition through violence and intimidation.Nazi Germany achieved almost absolute control over every facet of its citizens' lives.In terms of limits on governmental power,the political system of Nazi Germany would most accurately be categorized as

A)totalitarian.
B)monarchical.
C)authoritarian.
D)constitutional.
E)democratic.

Question 35

For which of the following reasons is government NOT necessary?

A)to provide public goods
B)to provide national defense
C)to maintain order
D)to provide private goods
E)to protect property

Question 36

The kind of rule in which the power of government has only minimal legal limits but is effectively restrained by other social,religious,or economic institutions is called

A)autocratic.
B)totalitarian.
C)authoritarian.
D)constitutional.
E)democracy.

Question 37

Your instructor has organized the class into groups of three students each and assigned each group a research project on different aspects of the workings of Congress.Regardless of the individual contributions of each group member,all three students of each group will receive the same grade based on the quality of the project.After numerous attempts to organize the group to work on the project,you realize the third student in your group will not participate.Instead,you and the second student get together to finish the project since both of you are very concerned about your final grade in the class.However,you are both angry that the third student is going to benefit from your hard work without contributing.Had the instructor told each group that each student's grade on the project would be based on their individual contributions,which problem would the instructor have avoided?

A)a delegation problem
B)an empirical problem
C)a collective action problem
D)a free-rider problem
E)a principal-agent problem

Question 38

Governments have historically included which two basic components?

A)coercion and revenue collection
B)coercion and social services
C)police and military
D)taxes and welfare
E)revenue collection and social services

Question 39

Your instructor decides to give the class one very hard exam question.The entire class may work together to answer the question since the instructor just wants the correct answer;she does not care how the class arrives at the answer or who contributes to answering the question.She will grade the final answer the class submits,and all students will receive the same grade.In one sense,the exam grade is a __________ since all students will benefit and cannot be denied a grade,regardless of their individual contributions to answering the question.

A)selective good
B)private good
C)public good
D)retail good
E)wholesale good

Question 40

What is an example of a public good?

A)clean air
B)garbage collection service
C)shoes sold at a shoe store
D)groceries sold at a grocery store
E)home-grown vegetables given from one person to another

Question 41

A tribal council that meets occasionally to advise the chief has all the essential elements of a government.

Question 42

The conflicts and struggles over the leadership,structure,and policies of government are called politics.

Question 43

Governments differ in terms of who rules and what limits exist on governmental power.Describe the main types of ruling structures and of constraints on government.

Question 44

Why can it be difficult for actors who share a common interest to agree to cooperate?

Question 45

When a small group of individuals controls most of the governing decisions,a government is said to be an oligarchy.

Question 46

The two questions that motivate the discovery of order in the chaos of politics are "What do we observe?" and "Why?"

Question 47

A public good is a benefit that neighbors or members of a group cannot be kept from enjoying once it has been provided.

Question 48

A nation where all political authority is vested in a single individual has a totalitarian government.

Question 49

When large numbers of people have some influence over government decision making,the government is said to be constitutional.

Question 50

Institutions do the public's business while relieving communities of having to reinvent collective action each time it is required.

Question 51

Internal conflicts and external threats have led rulers to give ordinary citizens less of a voice in public affairs.

Question 52

The term politics is defined as the decisions reached by democratic processes.

Question 53

A public good is any service provided by the government.

Question 54

Explain the alternatives to constitutional democracy.

Question 55

A government may be as simple as a tribal council.

Question 56

Because the agent's preferences sometimes differ from those of the principal,usually the principal entirely eliminates the agent's prospective deviations by spelling out the agent's actions in a detailed contract.

Question 57

The United States is a representative democracy.

Question 58

The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin was an example of a totalitarian regime.

Question 59

Governments that are generally unrestrained by law but in which other political or social institutions keep leaders in check are called authoritarian governments.

Question 60

Nazi Germany was an example of a totalitarian regime.

Question 61

What historical developments helped create modern democratic government?

Question 62

Discuss the dark side of representative democracy in terms of principal-agent problems and transaction costs.

Question 63

What kinds of free-rider problems do we encounter in our everyday lives? How does government help solve the free-rider problem?