Deck 5: Regimes

Question 1

Modern elite theorists are __________.

A)social critics
B)neoconservatives
C)evangelical Christians
D)self-proclaimed libertarians

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which statement explains the claim that "democracy does not always equal freedom"?

A)Democracies impose burdensome civic obligations on citizens.
B)Countries with struggling economies often have democratic governments.
C)Even democratic elections can produce regimes that limit rights and freedoms.
D)Civic disobedience is a common tactic used to bring change in democratic countries.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Elite theorists and pluralists differ on whether or not __________.

A)elite rule produces economic growth
B)the concentration of power is inevitable
C)any single group has a monopoly on the influence over government policies
D)democratic government produces better policies than authoritarian government

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which country has recently become more authoritarian?

A)China
B)Cuba
C)Spain
D)Venezuela

Question 5

Recent Supreme Court decisions loosened restrictions on campaign spending,allowing billionaires to exert unprecedented influence over U.S.elections.Which statement represents the way an elite theorist would most likely evaluate this development?

A)The Supreme Court should not have a say over campaign finance rules.
B)This is evidence of greater political competition in an increasingly open society.
C)The Supreme Court has undermined democracy by tilting elections in favor of moneyed interests.
D)This is evidence that elections are becoming more expensive as campaigns get more sophisticated.

Question 6

In the United States,the press is often referred to as the "fourth branch of government" because __________.

A)of its key role in keeping government accountable to citizen demands
B)of its constitutional obligation to keep citizens informed about public affairs
C)of the cooperative arrangements made between the media and the other three branches
D)it is considered equally as powerful as the other three branches in its impact on government decisions

Question 7

What evidence would pluralists most likely cite to support their claims that elites are ultimately accountable?

A)the comparative wealth of most members of Congress
B)tax cuts given to the richest 1 percent of the population
C)the millions spent by corporations to back the major political parties
D)the millions of dollars that tobacco firms have paid out in lawsuits and settlements

Question 8

In Iraq,governance is complicated and sometimes violent because people from different __________ tend to vote for different parties.

A)genders
B)age brackets
C)religious groups
D)economic classes

Question 9

The wealthiest 1 percent of Americans received the biggest of the Bush administration's 2001 tax cuts.This fact provides the best support for which of these claims?

A)Elites are unaccountable to the population as a whole.
B)The federal government has grown too large and powerful.
C)Political power tends to benefit those with money and connections.
D)Economic growth requires reducing tax burdens on wealth creators.

Question 10

What German thinker argued that any organization,no matter how democratic its intent,ends up run by a small elite?

A)Thomas Hobbes
B)Robert Michels
C)Wright Mills
D)Robert Dahl

Question 11

The main way that democratic governments are held accountable is through __________.

A)ballot initiatives
B)civil disobedience
C)dissident movements
D)regular electoral challenge

Question 12

Which condition suggests that a state's elections are rigged?

A)Socialist candidates almost always win.
B)Elections are held more than once a year.
C)The ruling party wins several consecutive elections.
D)The regime controls most or all of the press in the country.

Question 13

According to Dahl,threatening to jail someone for criticizing the government would be an example of __________.

A)inducement
B)persuasion
C)power
D)totalitarianism

Question 14

One benefit of a system with frequent alternation in power is __________.

A)a guarantee of economic growth
B)effective control over corruption
C)peaceful use of civil disobedience
D)high citizen engagement in politics

Question 15

Which statement represents a pluralist explanation for increases in defense spending?

A)Increases in defense spending mainly reflect intense lobbying by weapons manufacturers.
B)Increases in defense spending reflect the personal preferences of elected officials.
C)Defense spending increases when the public demands greater attention be paid to national security threats.
D)Increases in defense spending are typically random adjustments reflecting fluctuations in tax revenue.

Question 16

Which of these following countries could be labeled a "fake democracy"?

A)Brazil
B)Germany
C)Iran
D)Russia

Question 17

What is the relationship between alternation in power and democratic elections?

A)Neither one is usually accompanied by peaceful protest.
B)Both are heavily dependent on religion playing a minimal role.
C)Both must have an element of uncertainty and fluidity.
D)Both depend upon groups of citizens voting automatically for a given party.

Question 18

A media that is critical of its nation's government is typically indicative of a __________.

A)healthy economy
B)high degree of democracy
C)small amount of inequality
D)successful one-party regime

Question 19

Which of these can be considered an example of direct democracy?

A)Citizens voting on a ballot referendum
B)The media openly criticizing elected officials
C)Political candidates from different parties running for office
D)A government holding free and fair elections at regular intervals

Question 20

Which statement provides evidence for the usefulness of social media in a democratic system?

A)The U.S.press has been called "the fourth branch of government."
B)Internet voting would lead to a significant increase in voter turnout.
C)Bulletin boards were used by the organizers of the Tiananmen Square protests.
D)Text messaging,Twitter,Facebook,and television media helped catalyze the "Arab Spring."

Question 21

The economic performance of the totalitarian regime in the Soviet Union was undermined by __________.

A)the development of non-Communist political parties
B)the influence of democratic values on Soviet society
C)the routine corruption that comprised much of Soviet life
D)a failure to expropriate enough property from the wealthy

Question 22

Venezuela is which type of authoritarian regime?

A)military
B)personalistic
C)dominant-party
D)limited monarchy

Question 23

What do authoritarian leaders seek from their citizens?

A)passivity and obedience
B)enthusiastic participation
C)acceptance of the state religion
D)acceptance of the official ideology

Question 24

Which of these is a characteristic of authoritarian regimes but not totalitarian regimes?

A)an official ideology
B)strict control over the media
C)hierarchical organization of command
D)a monopoly on the legitimate use of force

Question 25

What is the difference between "traditional" authoritarianism and totalitarianism?

A)"Traditional" authoritarianism seeks political passivity and obedience rather than enthusiastic dissent.
B)"Traditional" authoritarianism seeks political passivity and obedience rather than enthusiastic participation and mobilization.
C)"Traditional" authoritarianism seeks political activity and obedience rather than enthusiastic participation and mobilization.
D)"Traditional" authoritarianism seeks political passivity and civil disobedience rather than enthusiastic participation and mobilization.

Question 26

Totalitarianism began with __________.

A)Lenin's seizure of power in Russia
B)Mussolini's seizure of power in Italy
C)Hitler's accession to the chancellorship of Germany
D)Mao Zedong's rise to leadership of the Chinese Communist Party

Question 27

Which of these occurred in many formerly colonized nations after World War II?

A)Elite colonizers occupied top government positions.
B)Authoritarianism was quickly replaced by democracy.
C)Democracy was quickly replaced by authoritarianism.
D)Religious majorities established theocratic democracies.

Question 28

States with which type of government regularly use organized terror and violence against citizens to maintain control and achieve goals?

A)socialism
B)oligarchy
C)totalitarianism
D)illiberal democracy

Question 29

What does Barrington Moore's observation "No bourgeoisie,no democracy" imply about the requirements for stable democracy?

A)Authoritarian systems don't have a stable middle class.
B)A stable democracy needs a rich elite to preserve the system.
C)The power of the entrenched elites is the primary obstacle to democracy.
D)A stable democracy can only take hold in a society with a large and educated middle class.

Question 30

Which leader showed an early form of authoritarianism by claiming "The state-that's me."

A)Fidel Castro
B)Adolph Hitler
C)King Louis XIV
D)King Henry VIII

Question 31

Which feature of democracy may still exist in an authoritarian regime?

A)periodic elections
B)freedom of the press
C)majority decision making
D)protection of minority rights

Question 32

What is the main difference between totalitarianism and authoritarianism?

A)Totalitarian regimes are more durable than authoritarian regimes.
B)State control is less significant under authoritarianism than under totalitarianism.
C)Totalitarian leaders are always military leaders while authoritarian leaders are often civilians.
D)Authoritarian regimes allow political parties to compete in elections while totalitarian regimes do not.

Question 33

Which of the following reforms would move a regime from a totalitarian system to an authoritarian system?

A)the regime created a written constitution
B)power shifted from one leader to a small group
C)the regime turned over control of the economy to the free market
D)the regime allowed more than one political party to compete in elections

Question 34

What is the main difference between autocratic regimes of the past and twentieth-century totalitarian regimes?

A)Autocratic regimes prevented citizens from owning firearms,whereas totalitarian regimes preferred to arm the citizenry.
B)Autocratic regimes allowed more than one political party,whereas totalitarian regimes allowed only one.
C)Autocratic regimes relied on organized terror to keep citizens obedient,whereas totalitarian regimes relied on official ideology.
D)Autocratic regimes demobilized their populations,whereas totalitarian regimes demanded mass mobilization and widespread participation by citizens.

Question 35

Which country is a present-day example of a totalitarian regime?

A)China
B)Iran
C)North Korea
D)Vietnam

Question 36

Which of these are features of an all-encompassing ideology?

A)an eclectic sense of history and economics,a portrayal of the world in complex terms,and claims of a perfect society
B)an official theory of history and economics,a portrayal of the world in complex terms,and claims of a perfect society
C)an official theory of history and economics,a portrayal of the world in black-and-white terms,and claims of a perfect society
D)an official theory of history and economics,a portrayal of the world in black-and-white terms,and acceptance of an imperfect society

Question 37

A supporter of an authoritarian capitalist state would most likely justify this type of regime as a means of __________.

A)calming ethnic tensions
B)preserving socialist equality
C)transitioning toward democracy
D)ensuring a rise in living standards

Question 38

Which of the following conditions,if true,might have prevented Germany from succumbing to totalitarian rule?

A)the Allies concluded a less punitive peace deal after World War I
B)Russia did more to counterbalance German militarization
C)Communists were permitted to run against Nazis in elections
D)the German government did more to respect property rights

Question 39

Which statement describes "authoritarian capitalism"?

A)The regime tightly controls markets but allows freedom of political activity.
B)The regime engages in little regulation of markets but takes action to redistribute wealth.
C)The regime owns most of the productive resources of the nation but allows consumers to make free choices.
D)The regime allows markets to function in a mostly free way but retains a monopoly over political power.

Question 40

Right-wing totalitarianism tends to be focused on blocking __________.

A)a libertarian tilt in policy
B)a fundamentalist movement
C)the outbreak of ethnic turmoil
D)the success of a leftist revolution

Question 41

Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini would both be considered examples of right-wing totalitarianism.

Question 42

Totalitarian governments can usually only be ousted if the entire regime collapses.

Question 43

Democracy was widely accepted in Europe throughout the nineteenth century.

Question 44

Elections in Zimbabwe after independence served to strengthen democratic traditions in that nation.

Question 45

Which of the following represents the greatest threat to a newly formed democracy?

A)an insufficient supply of oil
B)a large number of interest groups
C)a highly unequal distribution of wealth
D)a sharp increase in the size of the middle class

Question 46

After the Arab Spring,Egypt developed a fully democratic regime.

Question 47

The fact that Yale graduates George Bush and John Kerry were both members of the super-elite and secretive Skull and Bones Society is an example of money and connections giving elites access to political power.

Question 48

The theory of the democratic peace asserts that democracies __________.

A)do not fight each other
B)usually win the wars they fight
C)have weaker militaries than authoritarian regimes
D)spend more money on social programs than defense

Question 49

What distinguishes a kleptocracy from other types of authoritarian states?

A)Kleptocracies mainly function according to cultural and religious customs.
B)Kleptocracies are secretly run by an oligarchy rather than by the official leader.
C)The mass media in a kleptocracy is run by the middle class rather than the government.
D)Power in a kleptocracy is a means for distributing favors among privileged elites rather than an end in itself.

Question 50

Political scientists agree that in a democracy,elites make the actual decisions while the masses generally go along with it.

Question 51

Which statement differentiates the recent experiences of Poland and the Czech Republic from that of Hungary?

A)Poland and the Czech Republic have created stable regimes,whereas Hungary has been notably unstable.
B)Poland and the Czech Republic have created kleptocracies,whereas Hungary has developed a military dictatorship.
C)Poland and the Czech Republic have created lasting democracies; Hungary has shown shades of totalitarianism.
D)Poland and the Czech Republic have shown authoritarian tendencies; Hungary has been open to democratic reforms.

Question 52

Which statement explains why democracies tend to fail in poor countries?

A)Majorities in poor countries are fundamentally intolerant of other ethnic groups,and this is reinforced by poor educational standards.
B)The income of politicians is too low for them to produce positive social change and governments themselves are poorly structured.
C)Totalitarian government places a much lower cost burden on society,and poorer citizens tend to favor dictators for the order they can impose.
D)Poor countries tend to lack a vibrant middle class,education levels are low,pluralism functions poorly,and people have yet to be shaped by markets that normalize behavior.

Question 53

Petrostates are able to resist democratization by __________.

A)providing the nation with the wealth needed to avoid popular discontent
B)paying foreign mercenaries to employ totalitarian methods of social control
C)resisting the problem of brain drain experienced by underdeveloped nations
D)financing a successful propaganda operation to reinforce the official ideology

Question 54

"All men recognize the right of revolution; that is,the right to refuse allegiance to,and to resist,the government,when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable." This statement supports the practice of civil disobedience.

Question 55

Postcolonial leaders,having picked up socialist views while students in Europe,contributed to the proliferation of authoritarian regimes in developing nations.

Question 56

More than half the world's nations are at least somewhat __________.

A)authoritarian
B)democratic
C)oligarchic
D)theocratic

Question 57

Petrostates are not generally ready for democracy.

Question 58

What do most political scientists point to as the catalyst of the recent wave of democratization in the Third World?

A)the success of planned economic policies
B)increased use of the Internet in third world countries
C)the success of U.S.efforts to spread democracy abroad
D)economic modernization that allows for the emergence of a middle class

Question 59

Which statement explains how economics have transformed authoritarian regimes in recent decades?

A)Growing economies have spurred democratic transitions.
B)Stagnating economies have spurred a return of totalitarianism.
C)Growing economies have solidified personalistic dictatorships.
D)Stagnating economies have produced successful democratic revolutions.