Deck 1: The Logic of American Politics

Question 1

A settlement in which each side concedes some preference to secure others is referred to as ______.

A) compromise
B) bargaining
C) preferences
D) action

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Because of the large size of populations and the complexity of the issues to be resolved, the degree of success that people have in politics depends largely on which of the following?

A) whether they are capable of engaging in politics on a day-to-day basis
B) whether they have developed constitutions and governments that work
C) whether they pay attention to their nation's politics
D) whether they are interested in policy in a meaningful way

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is a good formal definition of politics?

A) a controlled study of the impact of an independent variable on a dependent variable
B) the process through which individuals and groups seek agreement on a course of common action
C) any system where the governed make all important decisions regarding governance
D) a two-party system that governs nationally

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The passage of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 illustrated that ______.

A) it will be easy for the two sides to reach agreements since they agree on the major issues facing the country
B) gridlock will prevail because President Obama will veto many bills passed by Congress
C) working together comes with compromises that neither side is particularly enthusiastic about
D) significant policy changes will occur because there is now unified control of the federal government

Question 5

To say we regard preferences as "givens" means which of the following?

A) Individuals and groups know what they want.
B) Those who create institutions impose or give preferences to others.
C) Individuals and groups always disclose their preferences.
D) Preferences in society are easily reconciled.

Question 6

All organizations are governed by rules and procedures ______.

A) that are difficult to change
B) that rarely impact the actual decisions made by those organizations
C) for the resolution of contested elections
D) for reaching and enforcing collective agreements

Question 7

The idea that "social choices breed conflict" is especially true ______.

A) when unitary political actors such as kings or dictators make policy decisions
B) when voters are ambivalent about policy
C) when the choices involve issues that affect the political parties' core constituencies
D) immediately after elections

Question 8

Institutional design ______.

A) balances the interests of all parties involved so each has an interest in maintaining arrangements
B) is almost always imposed by political actors seeking to secure their advantages
C) is a product of politics and some institutions may convey advantages for some interests over others
D) generates uncertainty so it is almost impossible to design stable and effective institutions

Question 9

Which of the following is a formal definition of a government?

A) those institutions created by a constitution and the legally prescribed process for making and enforcing collective agreements
B) only those systems that elect a prime minister and parliament
C) only those systems that elect a president and congress
D) any institution that relies on force to implement its decisions

Question 10

One of the fundamental problems for government is reconciling preferences because ______.

A) our preferences are generally closely linked to self-interest
B) the preferences most Americans hold are based on religious values
C) a diversity of preferences is natural among citizens
D) there are usually only one or two dominant interests in society

Question 11

Without rules and procedures for promoting successful collective action, as participants and preferences multiply ______.

A) government grows more efficient
B) broadly acceptable collective decisions are made more rapidly
C) unstructured negotiation rarely yields a collective decision all parties can accept
D) the institutions of governance become less important

Question 12

Government institutions include which of the following?

A) only well-known popular icons
B) the mechanisms through which revolutions are planned
C) the transportation infrastructure that serves the capital
D) offices that come with specific authority and responsibilities

Question 13

Politics occurs whenever a solution to a problem requires cooperation even when that cooperation is which of the following?

A) achieved through force alone
B) costly or difficult
C) irrelevant to the success of the course of action
D) already what everyone agrees on

Question 14

The constitution of a nation establishes which of the following?

A) institutions
B) ideologies
C) politics
D) membership

Question 15

The fear that state actors in a political negotiation may renege on or fail to abide by any agreement may lead to which of the following?

A) a quick and mutually acceptable resolution
B) a clear agreement enforced only through the good faith and trust of the parties
C) war as the preferred alternative
D) a complete capitulation by one side on all issues

Question 16

Which of the following is TRUE of the constitution of a nation?

A) It is always set down in writing.
B) It is divinely inspired and theologically grounded.
C) It creates the governing institutions and the set of rules prescribing the political process these institutions must follow.
D) It creates barriers to collective agreements so that the political process does not get captured by special interests.

Question 17

Success at politics requires which of the following?

A) gridlock
B) bargaining
C) majority leadership
D) constituent support

Question 18

Bargaining and compromise ______.

A) rarely lead to successful political outcomes
B) are essential for producing successful political outcomes
C) usually result in disappointment from political actors unable to achieve their ideal policies
D) generate bad policies that make society worse than if no political action had occurred

Question 19

Political institutions include which of the following?

A) rules prescribing the process for reaching and enforcing collective agreements
B) the places where the former Yugoslav government put dissidents
C) training centers for party operatives and campaign workers
D) the official buildings where government employees work

Question 20

Constitutions, charters, and bylaws all serve which of the following purposes?

A) inhibiting the whims of the majority
B) resolving conflict within an organization
C) guiding the organization's members in making essentially political decisions
D) avoiding disputes that could arise in any political decision-making process

Question 21

What are transaction costs?

A) fees associated with the Electoral College
B) the costs only associated with the enactment of laws
C) the time, effort, and resources required to make collective decisions
D) the money necessary to inhibit specific types of actions

Question 22

The costless consumption by a large number of individuals of a public good that results in its ruination is called ______.

A) a tragedy of the commons
B) a perfectly elastic supply curve
C) an imperfect market solution
D) institutional rigidity

Question 23

Which of the following best describes the relationship between transaction costs and conformity costs?

A) The relationship is inverse as efforts to reduce transaction costs serve to increase conformity costs.
B) It is a positive relationship as lower transaction costs result in lower conformity costs.
C) It depends on the nature of the political institutions established in a nation's constitution.
D) There is no relationship between these costs because they address separate concerns.

Question 24

The difference between authority and power is which of the following?

A) Authority is the right to make a particular decision and power is the actual influence the institution has over that action.
B) Authority is given and power is seized.
C) There is no difference; they are perfectly interchangeable.
D) Power describes the formal parameters of influence while authority describes the informal parameters of influence.

Question 25

The free-rider problem is most often found in ______.

A) small groups
B) medium-sized groups
C) large groups
D) patriarchal societies

Question 26

Why is the prisoner's dilemma a critical part of American politics?

A) Uncertainty and incomplete information prevent collective action even when the majority agree on a policy.
B) Each side recognizes they will be better off acting alone because no one can be trusted to cooperate.
C) The dilemma has been viewed as a problem since the nation's founding.
D) Successful exchanges occur when each side recognizes they will be better off with a collective outcome rather than acting alone.

Question 27

A "prisoner's dilemma" arises when ______.

A) a convict pleads guilty to a crime he or she did not commit
B) individuals who ultimately would benefit from cooperating also have an incentive to defect
C) there are conflicting provisions in a constitution
D) a civilian is the commander in chief of the military

Question 28

Which of the following explains why institutions are stable and resistant to change?

A) Institutions persist even as the individuals who populate them are replaced.
B) Those seeking change find it easy to bring about.
C) Institutions interfere with collective action.
D) Those affected by institutions make plans on the belief that current arrangements will remain.

Question 29

All of the following scenarios illustrates institutional durability EXCEPT for ______.

A) the local community college has closed down and turned into a remedial high school
B) a university remains the same institutions, but all of its students and professors have been replaced
C) the USPS has done a complete reorganization, but its employees still remain
D) a Supreme Court justice has passed away, but another one was nominated and confirmed to take their place

Question 30

Setting up rules limiting access to the common resource and monitoring and penalizing those who violate them is referred to as ______.

A) free-riding
B) regulation
C) bargaining
D) privatization

Question 31

The tragedy of the commons can be solved through ______.

A) transaction costs and privatization
B) regulation and public goods
C) conformity costs and free riding
D) regulation and privatization

Question 32

Which barrier to collective action is generally considered the easiest to overcome?

A) prisoner's dilemma
B) free riding
C) coordination
D) agency loss

Question 33

Coordination problems ______.

A) can be solved by larger groups by designating and following a leader
B) generally decrease as groups get larger because the stakes are lower
C) represent a trade-off with the prisoner's dilemma
D) are unique to English-speaking countries

Question 34

The collapse of the cod fishing industry off the coast of New England is an example of which of the following?

A) the tragedy of the commons
B) the ends justifying the means
C) representative government
D) good policy poorly implemented

Question 35

Hobbes's argument in Leviathan can be restated as ______.

A) government can only be held in check through regular elections
B) patrilineal succession could never result in a legitimate monarch
C) republicanism is the most efficient organization mechanism for government
D) monarchy offers a cost-effective means to collective action

Question 36

A prominent cue that helps individuals recognize the preferences of others with whom they want to cooperate is called a(an) ______.

A) ideal point
B) status quo ante
C) focal point
D) inversion point

Question 37

The time and effort spent researching caterers for a wedding, debating preferences, and implementing decisions are all examples of ______.

A) conformity costs
B) enterprise costs
C) transaction costs
D) overhead costs

Question 38

The government's effort to combat free riding is an example of a ______.

A) overhead cost
B) transaction cost
C) conformity cost
D) enterprise cost

Question 39

The free-rider problem describes ______.

A) the costless consumption of a public good by a large number of individuals resulting in its destruction
B) the tendency of individuals to defect from group activity in favor of their own interests
C) the ability of an individual to gain a benefit while not contributing to collective action
D) the challenges associated with balancing transaction and conformity costs

Question 40

Institutions tend to be ______.

A) completely revamped with each change in power
B) easy to reform and relatively easy to abolish
C) stable and resistant to change
D) subject to public referenda for purposes of approval

Question 41

Which of the following are two features of public goods?

A) Their costs are borne collectively, and no one can be excluded from their benefits.
B) They are finite and paid for by individuals.
C) They are provided according to the demands of the market and they are excludable.
D) They are purchased from the lowest seller and sold to the highest bidder.

Question 42

The political theorists who influenced the Constitution's framers endorsed which of the following types of government?

A) republic
B) autocracy
C) monarchy
D) authoritarian

Question 43

Paying property taxes is an example of a ______.

A) transaction cost
B) conformity cost
C) overhead cost
D) enterprise cost

Question 44

All of the following are positive public goods provided by the government EXCEPT for ______.

A) public parks
B) a legal system
C) civil liberties
D) private parking

Question 45

A parliamentary system is different from a presidential system primarily for which of the following reasons?

A) In a parliamentary system, the executive and legislative branches are combined.
B) In a presidential system, the executive branch is superior to the legislative.
C) The head of government chooses the cabinet in a presidential but not a parliamentary system.
D) Both in a parliamentary system, the executive and legislative branches are combined and in a presidential system, the executive branch is superior to the legislative

Question 46

Placing a proposal on a ballot after reaching the requirement number of signatures is referred to as a ______.

A) constitutional amendment
B) referendum
C) recall
D) initiative

Question 47

The history of fire protection in America can best be described as which of the following?

A) a governmental responsibility since the founding
B) a natural national monopoly
C) the evolution of a private good to a governmental responsibility
D) a congressional responsibility pursuant to Article I of the Constitution

Question 48

The Framers designed a government that ______.

A) maximizes conformity costs by limiting transaction costs
B) limits free riding to allow the national government more authority
C) minimizes conformity costs through increased transaction costs such as separation of powers and limited national authority
D) took control of the means of production to produce a much stronger national economy, essential for building an empire

Question 49

Assigning authority to make and implement decisions to a small number of persons who are expected to act on behalf of the larger group's interest is an example of which of the following?

A) a conformity cost
B) an example of an institution
C) a prisoner's dilemma
D) delegation

Question 50

Which of the following is TRUE about direct democracy, where citizens participate directly in collective decision-making?

A) It is favored by most major political parties.
B) It typically is reserved for small communities and organizations.
C) It is a dangerous idea that has been rejected by communities and organizations.
D) It relies heavily on delegation and representation.

Question 51

The separation of powers established by the framers of the Constitution constrained majority rule by ______.

A) staggering legislative elections
B) creating an unelected judiciary
C) limiting national authority
D) all of these

Question 52

Which of the following is an example of a private good?

A) national defense
B) toll road
C) air
D) clean water

Question 53

Proposing a change to a state's law or constitution is referred to as a ______.

A) constitutional amendment
B) referendum
C) recall
D) initiative

Question 54

Why do citizens often look to government to provide public goods?

A) Government has coercive authority to prevent free riding and the necessary resources to undertake expensive projects.
B) Only the government can be trusted not to exploit citizens.
C) Government charges fair prices and has the coercive authority to prevent the tragedy of the commons.
D) Government regulations are sensible, and the government has decided to privatize all but a few essential functions to promote greater efficiency.

Question 55

Modern democracies blend delegation and majority rule together into what is known as which of the following?

A) monarchical government
B) autarky
C) representative government
D) divided government

Question 56

In a parliamentary government, the team of executives in a legislature is referred to as a ______.

A) ministry
B) court
C) coalition
D) cabinet

Question 57

The difference between parliamentary systems of government and the system of government contained in the Constitution is ______.

A) parliamentary systems minimize the conformity costs compared with the political system in the United States
B) the separation of powers contained in the U.S. Constitution imposes higher transaction costs than in parliamentary government
C) the decision of the legislature is constrained by executive and judicial vetoes
D) the U.S. Constitution explicitly recognizes the divine right of kings

Question 58

Which of the following are frequently changed to reduce transaction costs and make government more efficient and decisive?

A) rules
B) procedures
C) resources
D) all of these

Question 59

The framers who designed the Constitution to pose formidable ______ costs on collective action.

A) enterprise
B) overhead
C) transaction
D) conformity

Question 60

Who controls the executive in a parliamentary government?

A) the monarch
B) the coalition of parties
C) the prime minister
D) the constituents

Question 61

Transaction costs rise sharply as the population whose preferences need to be accounted for increases.

Question 62

Authority and power are interchangeable terms that mean effectively the same thing.

Question 63

Rules and procedures for promoting successful collective action are necessary for the success of all kinds of communities.

Question 64

Discuss the most important distinction between a parliamentary system and a presidential system.

Question 65

Discuss the purpose of the constitution of a nation.

Question 66

Define "government."

Question 67

Constitutions must be written to be effective.

Question 68

When does a "prisoner's dilemma" arise?

Question 69

Freeways and national defense are examples of public goods.

Question 70

A prisoner's dilemma occurs when an individual decides that even though he or she supports some collective undertaking, he or she is better off pursuing an action that rewards him or her individually.

Question 71

In general, why do governments have constitutions?

Question 72

What is the difference between power and authority?

Question 73

Discuss the differences between public and private goods.

Question 74

Discuss the role of bargaining and compromise in politics.

Question 75

Coordination problems decrease as the size of the group increases.

Question 76

The Constitution was designed to maximize transactions costs and conformity costs.

Question 77

Give an example of and discuss a real-life example of the tragedy of the commons.

Question 78

President Obama's 2012 reelection campaign organized its volunteers into smaller teams so they could see their efforts making a difference to counter the free-rider problem.

Question 79

What accounts for coordination problems and why is it a problem?

Question 80

Bargaining and compromise is essential to modern politics because each side usually has to make some concessions.