Deck 2: Political Culture

Question 1

Which of the following generally ensures that the government follows the will of the people?

A)elections
B)initiatives
C)interest groups
D)lobbying
E)opinion polls

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following statements about American political culture is true?

A)As minorities are slowly becoming majorities,political culture will inevitably change.
B)Despite its great diversity,America does not have a large number of competing political cultures.
C)The level of demographic diversity in America has led to sharply competing sets of political values.
D)The level of economic diversity in America has led to sharply competing sets of political values.
E)The political values of American-born citizens and immigrants tend to differ sharply.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to the textbook,the importance of freedom of religious expression in American political culture can be traced back to __________.

A)the Civil Rights movement
B)Colonial times
C)the Spanish-American war
D)the War of Independence
E)World War I

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A political system in which the power exercised by public officials is always an extension of the public will is a system that is based on __________.

A)consent
B)direct democracy
C)opportunism
D)power sharing
E)public approval

Question 5

Which of the following is the last arena Americans tend to rely on for solving problems?

A)churches
B)the family
C)the government
D)the marketplace
E)nonprofit organizations

Question 6

What does the textbook identify as the specific beliefs of the American creed?

A)equality and freedom
B)freedom of speech and the right to practice religion
C)individualism,democracy,and a free market
D)individualism,democracy,liberty,property,and religion
E)life,liberty,and the pursuit of happiness

Question 7

Much of the current debate on the redrawing of district lines is derived from which famous Supreme Court principle?

A)primus inter pares
B)one person,one vote
C)equality for all
D)equal representation
E)no taxation without representation

Question 8

The belief that anyone should be able to choose his or her own path in life is an expression of which American political value?

A)democracy
B)equality
C)individualism
D)patriotism
E)tolerance

Question 9

Compared to other industrialized democratic countries,the degree of religiosity among Americans is __________.

A)about the same
B)somewhat higher than the average
C)somewhat lower than the average
D)unusually high
E)unusually low

Question 10

The term political culture primarily refers to __________.

A)general values and beliefs regarding the political system
B)values and beliefs shared by all Americans
C)unifying symbols and traditions
D)commonly practiced norms of behavior
E)public opinion

Question 11

When asked,most Americans place the blame for not succeeding in life on __________.

A)the American educational system
B)the government
C)the individual
D)society
E)parenting

Question 12

Which of the following makes Americans American,according to the textbook?

A)a long shared history
B)a shared ethnic heritage
C)a shared religion
D)a shared set of beliefs
E)a shared set of symbols and traditions

Question 13

A 2012 survey found that about two-thirds of Americans disagreed with __________.

A)the belief that individuals should be treated equally,regardless of group membership or other characteristics
B)the concept that government actions should reflect the will of the people
C)the idea that success in life is mostly determined outside an individual's control
D)the opinion that the government should definitely be involved in reducing income differences between the rich and the poor
E)the statement that some people have more in-born ability to learn

Question 14

One of the main divisions in terms of political culture in many European countries is between __________ and __________.

A)communists,socialists
B)Democrats,socialists
C)socialists,capitalists
D)Democrats,Republicans
E)capitalists,communists

Question 15

The central value of the American creed is __________.

A)equality
B)justice
C)individualism
D)property
E)faith

Question 16

The notion of liberty in America is closely linked to __________.

A)collective rights
B)individual rights
C)legal rights
D)natural rights
E)sovereign rights

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of direct political participation?

A)initiatives
B)lobbying
C)protesting
D)referenda
E)voting

Question 18

Socialist parties __________.

A)had some success in certain states in the early twentieth century
B)had some success in industrial cities in the early twentieth century
C)had some success nationwide in the early twentieth century
D)have never existed in the United States
E)have never had any success in the United States

Question 19

When groups try to maintain their own unique culture in a multicultural society,this is often called __________.

A)multicultural politics
B)cultural politics
C)identity politics
D)segregation
E)discrimination

Question 20

Having sovereign power equates to being __________.

A)the best-liked authority
B)the highest authority
C)the most knowledgeable authority
D)the most respected authority
E)the only authority

Question 21

What is the central premise of communitarianism?

A)Society makes us and we owe something to society.
B)Individuals are not personally responsible for their part in society; society is responsible for taking care of the individual.
C)Communal resources determine whether individuals will reach their personal goals.
D)It is inherently bad for an individual to make a lot of money.
E)All property should be divided equally among members of the community.

Question 22

Use Figure 2.4 to determine which statement below best represents to what degree Americans have trusted the federal government to do the right thing.

A)There is no general trend in the level of trust in the government.
B)Democrats are more trusting of the government than are Republicans.
C)Americans have become more trusting of the government since the most recent economic recession.
D)The lowest level of trust in the government was recorded in the early 1990s.
E)Although there was an increase in trust in the years immediately following September 11,2001,the level of trust has gradually declined over the past fifty years.

Question 23

Which of the following is an example of limited (as opposed to expansive)government?

A)Obama's 2010 health care reform proposal
B)the expansion of limits on freedom of speech
C)the government bailouts during the financial crisis
D)the Obama administration's mortgage-relief acts during the financial crisis
E)the reduction of Social Security coverage

Question 24

Most Americans __________.

A)believe in communitarian values
B)have a very clear-cut preference for one type of belief
C)hold many different beliefs,sometimes contradictory ones
D)subscribe to individualist beliefs
E)subscribe to multiculturalism

Question 25

According to a 2012 survey,what percentage of Americans said they completely or mostly agree that they never doubt the existence of God?

A)30 percent
B)50 percent
C)75 percent
D)80 percent
E)95 percent

Question 26

Which historian and political theorist penned a sweeping analysis of the nature of American politics and society that is considered one of the most perceptive studies ever written about the United States?

A)Alexis de Tocqueville
B)Barack Obama
C)John Quincy Adams
D)Samuel Adams
E)Thomas Jefferson

Question 27

One consequence of the American creed is a preference for the idea of __________ government.

A)active
B)extensive
C)limited
D)regulatory
E)all-powerful

Question 28

American political beliefs have been classified in terms of varying subcultures that dominate or mix in different parts of the United States.In which area of the United States is the moralistic subculture most prominent?

A)the southern states
B)the Midwest
C)the northern states and the Pacific Northwest
D)the middle tier of states and in California
E)the northern East Coast

Question 29

Which of the following statements is an example of current American political culture?

A)All Americans deserve the same opportunities.
B)All children are entitled to good grades in school.
C)Everyone deserves to have the same.
D)Everyone should pay taxes.
E)The government should pay for public health care.

Question 30

Americans generally support the idea of a small,efficient government,but they find it difficult to identify areas they would like to see cut.In a 2011 survey,what was the program that Americans were most reluctant to cut?

A)defense
B)scientific research
C)combating crime
D)veterans benefits
E)Medicare

Question 31

Concerning religious tolerance,which of the following statements is true?

A)The ideal of religious tolerance and the practice of religious tolerance have always gone hand in hand in the United States.
B)The ideal of religious tolerance preceded the practice of religious tolerance.
C)The practice of religious tolerance preceded the ideal of religious tolerance.
D)There is religious tolerance in practice but no legal basis for it.
E)There is still no religious tolerance.

Question 32

Which of the following is an example of a Capitalist worldview?

A)the belief that the government should own significant proportions of industry
B)the belief that the government should regulate the economy
C)the belief that political power should be shared with captains of industry
D)the belief that the greatest number of individuals thrive best when ownership of industry is privatized
E)the belief that the government should regulate redistributive programs to offset economic inequalities

Question 33

__________ are exempt from providing free "morning after" pills under the Affordable Care Act.?

A)Schools
B)Hospitals
C)Food pantries
D)Churches
E)Free health clinics

Question 34

Americans generally support the idea of a small,efficient government,but they find it difficult to identify areas they would like to see cut.In a 2011 survey,what was the program for which Americans were most supportive of cutting spending?

A)defense
B)anti-terrorism
C)college financial aid
D)assisting needy people around the world
E)veterans benefits

Question 35

One consequence of the American creed is that __________ are often viewed with suspicion.

A)competing ideas
B)extremely wealthy individuals
C)noncitizens
D)banks
E)libertarians

Question 36

The textbook gives an example of a poor high school student who is qualified for admission to a prestigious university but cannot afford to attend.This example illustrates the conflict between which two beliefs of the American creed?

A)individualism and equality
B)individualism and property rights
C)property rights and equal treatment under the law
D)equality and equal opportunity
E)equality and property rights

Question 37

Property rights in America most correspond with which element of the political culture?

A)democracy
B)equality under the law
C)equal opportunity
D)individualism
E)self-reliance

Question 38

The process by which incumbent parties redraw district lines in order to maximize seats for the party is known as __________.

A)cheating
B)gerrymandering
C)logrolling
D)redistribution
E)strategic redistribution

Question 39

One of the strongest rallying cries of opponents of the president's health care agenda during the summer of 2009 was that the plan __________.

A)violated the Constitution
B)was not well economically feasible
C)was un-democratic
D)was unfair to women and minority groups
E)went against the grain of American political culture

Question 40

The textbook describes an academic field that studied the "betterment" of society by discouraging reproduction by particular "inferior" groups.What term is associated with this field of study?

A)reverse discrimination
B)elitist sociology
C)reproductive science
D)eugenics
E)social mechanics

Question 41

According to Table 2.1,in which year were the most Americans in favor of allowing books in libraries that state that blacks are genetically inferior?

A)1964
B)1977
C)1988
D)1998
E)2008

Question 42

The libertarian view on the role of government corresponds most closely with the __________ view.

A)communitarian
B)individualist
C)moralistic
D)socialist
E)traditionalist

Question 43

The United States and Scandinavian countries disagree over the role of __________ in securing liberty.

A)property rights
B)religious freedom
C)natural rights
D)free speech
E)free education

Question 44

Which of these is a fundamental right that is often restricted when it negatively impacts the rights of other individuals?

A)property
B)education
C)speech
D)health care
E)equality

Question 45

Which of the following defends the idea that Americans have natural rights?

A)the Thirteenth Amendment
B)the Declaration of Independence
C)the Articles of Confederation
D)the consent of the governed
E)the will of the people

Question 46

Based on what you have learned about the different political cultures of Europe and the United States,which of the following explains why so many more Europeans consider it the government's responsibility to reduce income inequality?

A)the development of socialism in Europe
B)Europe's experience with class struggle
C)Europe's extended experience of poverty
D)Europe's lack of advancement opportunities for the working class
E)the greater number of poor people in Europe

Question 47

Which belief best matches JFK's famous quotation,"Ask not what your country can do for you,but what you can do for your country"?

A)capitalism
B)communitarianism
C)individualism
D)libertarianism
E)traditionalism

Question 48

According to Figure 2.3,which of the following is the least popular area of government spending?

A)veterans benefits
B)public school systems
C)anti-terrorism
D)environmental protection
E)defense

Question 49

Imagine that 55 percent of Americans were opposed to the war in Iraq but the government decided to invade the country anyway.Does this violate the principle of consent?

A)No,it doesn't matter what the people think.
B)No,the American people gave their consent when they elected the government.
C)No,the government knows better than the people.
D)Yes,the government is required to listen to the public in making such an important decision.
E)Yes,the people have the final say over issues of war.

Question 50

Power is granted to elected officials by __________,which is an extension of the public will.

A)the will of the people
B)the consent of the governed
C)the principle of natural rights
D)the freedom to use property
E)the securing of liberty

Question 51

__________ is a criterion used for adhering to democratic principles in America.

A)the will of the people
B)natural rights
C)securing liberty
D)income equality
E)freedom of property

Question 52

Which of the following is the general principle that Americans should guide government as much as possible?

A)the will of the people
B)the consent of the governed
C)equal opportunity to influence government
D)equal treatment by the law
E)the securing of liberty

Question 53

What is the most likely explanation for why it is acceptable for politicians to appeal to the middle class but no other?

A)members of the middle class are more forgiving
B)members of the middle class are more tolerant
C)members of the middle class do not have as much political influence
D)most Americans consider themselves members of the middle class
E)the middle class is most respected by all Americans.

Question 54

In a high-school setting,who is most likely to have the sovereign power?

A)parents
B)student government
C)the principal
D)the students
E)the teacher

Question 55

In a social survey conducted in 2000,Americans were given five characteristics of freedom and asked to rank the importance of each one.Which characteristic did participants identify as the most important thing about freedom?

A)being able to express unpopular ideas without fearing for my safety
B)having the power to choose and do what I want in life
C)having a government that doesn't spy on me or interfere in my life
D)being left alone to do what I want
E)the right to participate in politics and elections

Question 56

Social security programs can be considered most in line with __________ thinking.

A)capitalist
B)communist
C)communitarian
D)democratic
E)long-term

Question 57

Based on their political culture,most Americans are likely to consider unemployment a problem of __________.

A)government failure
B)market failure
C)personal responsibility
D)social circumstances
E)social injustice

Question 58

Which of the following examples of international law can be said to most closely resemble the notion of natural rights inherent in American political culture?

A)the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
B)international trade law
C)the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse emissions
D)the Peace of Westphalia,which established state sovereignty
E)the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Question 59

If District A has 30,000 potential voters and District B has 150,000 potential voters,then__________.

A)District B would be five times more powerful than District A
B)District B would get to elect five times as many representatives
C)District B would have more weight in Congress
D)the vote of a citizen of District B would be equal to that of a citizen in District A
E)the vote of a citizen of District B would be worth only one-fifth of that of a citizen in District A

Question 60

Communitarianism most closely corresponds with which other view?

A)the capitalist culture
B)the communist culture
C)the individualist culture
D)the moralist culture
E)the traditionalist culture

Question 61

Most people are not even consciously aware of the impact of political culture on their daily lives.

Question 62

The United States is very comparable to other wealthy democracies in terms of its level of religiosity.

Question 63

The fact that voting rights were extended relatively early to white men in America helped with the development of socialism in the United States.

Question 64

The Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal are two examples of events that might explain why American levels of ___________ in the government have generally declined since the mid-1960s.

Question 65

Current or former welfare recipients are just as likely to place responsibility for success in life on the individual rather than society or the government as the rest of America is.

Question 66

A majority of Americans believe that one important reason for income inequality is that some people simply choose low-paying jobs.

Question 67

Most other industrialized democratic nations believe in limited government as much as Americans do.

Question 68

The fact that many Americans tend to attribute income inequality to personal factors such as work ethic is an example of the emphasis on individualism in the American creed.

Question 69

Most industrialized democratic countries exhibit the same belief in individualism found in the United States.

Question 70

Legislative district lines are typically redrawn on the basis of population size and demographics.

Question 71

The textbook implies that a struggling working class might be a necessary condition for socialism to take hold.

Question 72

Immigrants typically have a different interpretation of political culture than do American-born citizens.

Question 73

__________ include the right to free speech,to associate in groups,and to hold and practice religious faith.

Question 74

There tend to be a great deal of regional differences in the American creed.

Question 75

Many Americans worry that __________ threatens the sense of national identity conveyed by shared values.

Question 76

For most Americans,__________ are the fundamental political unit.

Question 77

The only program a majority of Americans were in favor of cutting spending for during the last fifteen years was the military.

Question 78

American political culture does not necessarily reflect political realities.

Question 79

Dedication to the idea of __________ government is stronger in the United States than in other industrialized democracies.

Question 80

Young women in the United States are among those who are least likely to have health insurance.