Deck 4: Masses in the United States

Question 1

Increased trade with less developed economies that have large numbers of low-wage workers has the effect of

A) pressuring Americans to keep wages lower.
B) creating global competition for American workers.
C) encouraging companies to move production offshore.
D) All of the above are true.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

________________ is a very important factor in developing tolerance and respect for civil liberties.

A) Education
B) Laws and policies
C) Human nature
D) Ideology

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Support for immigration in American politics tends to come from

A) business elites.
B) unions.
C) the masses.
D) nobody; it has no support.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In 2010, the top 5 percent of families in the United States owned about _____________ of all family wealth.

A) 20 percent
B) 40 percent
C) 50 percent
D) 75 percent

Question 5

Deunionization refers to the fact that the percentage of workers in the American workforce who are members of a union has dropped; at their peak some fifty years ago unions counted for nearly 40 percent of the workforce, today only about _________ are unionized.

A) 31 percent
B) 23 percent
C) 13 percent
D) 7 percent

Question 6

Poll responders regularly exhibit ______________, resulting in inconsistency in poll results.

A) responding positively to positive phrases
B) responding negatively to negative phrases
C) giving socially approved responses to questions
D) all of the above

Question 7

Mass support for fundamental democratic values, such as freedom of speech, is best characterized as

A) superficial.
B) deeply ingrained.
C) misunderstood.
D) growing over time.

Question 8

Mass confidence in Congress

A) is the lowest of any institution.
B) is higher than the institution of big business.
C) is lower than the institution of big business.
D) is rising since 9/11.

Question 9

Increased tolerance by the masses for different social groups occurs when elites

A) begin to accept members of these groups into their ranks.
B) instruct the masses on what proper attitudes should be.
C) pass laws punishing bigotry.
D) confuse the masses with complex arguments.

Question 10

Public activity promotes tolerance because it

A) exposes people to a wide variety of attitudes, opinions, and lifestyles.
B) broadens perspectives.
C) generates empathy for others.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 11

Trust in government is needed to maintain critical resources of democratic government. When there is, however, a decline in trust, there may be no

A) mass compliance with laws.
B) financial support of government through taxes.
C) willingness of people to enter government service.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 12

The single best predictor of sustained political activity is

A) education.
B) marital status.
C) age.
D) union-membership.

Question 13

In the United States, the top one-fifth (or 20 percent) of income recipients earns

A) about the same as its percentage of the population.
B) about a quarter (~25 percent) of all income.
C) about half (~50 percent) of all income.
D) about two-thirds (~67 percent) of all income.

Question 14

The _________ of society are the most willing to apply democratic values in specific situations.

A) masses
B) elites
C) labor unions
D) militias

Question 15

Looking at the richest people in America, excluding those who inherited their wealth from Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, they became wealthy due to

A) inheritance from parents or grandparents.
B) companies they created or run.
C) investments in future markets.
D) guaranteed government loans.

Question 16

"Wage stagnation" while controlling for inflation refers to

A) family incomes falling since the 1980s.
B) hourly and weekly earnings of U. S. workers that have changed little in 40 years.
C) the elites get richer, so do most people.
D) the rise of the costs of goods and services.

Question 17

The distrust and cynicism of mass attitudes toward government is illustrated by public opinion polls that reveal most Americans believe that

A) quite a few government officials are crooked.
B) public official don't care what people like me think.
C) government is run by aristocratic elite.
D) all of the above are true.

Question 18

When civil rights issues come up for a popular vote (in states with initiative and referendum), the result is that

A) civil rights are overwhelmingly supported by the voters.
B) surprising levels of tolerance are demonstrated.
C) people regularly support elite attitudes of tolerance.
D) the anti-civil rights side regularly wins.

Question 19

Which theory has been suggested to explain the rise in income inequality in the United States?

A) The decline of the manufacturing sector
B) A rise in the number of female-headed households
C) The aging of America
D) All of the above are true.

Question 20

Globalization has had the effect of ___________ in the American economy.

A) increasing wage earnings
B) decreasing U.S. national income as work is performed offshore
C) raising aggregate income, while increasing inequality
D) having had little impact on family wealth

Question 21

According to the authors of the text, the greatest threat to democracy in the United States is violence by

A) left-wing extremists.
B) right-wing extremists.
C) Al-Qaeda terrorists.
D) single-issue interest groups.

Question 22

According to the authors of the text, the Occupy Wall Street movement

A) was started by a Canadian anti-capitalist magazine.
B) is a creation of the Democratic Party.
C) is part of Ron Paul's campaign.
D) is made up of anti-American infiltrators from Cuba.

Question 23

The general trend in the last 30 years in the percentage of family income earned by the top quintile (20 percent) of income earners has been __________________.

Question 24

__________________ is the total value of a person's assets, such as stocks, bonds, houses, etc, less debt.

Question 25

Family income in the U.S. has risen because __________________.

Question 26

The Supreme Court response to elite repression in cases such as the internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II or the prosecution of communists advocating the overthrow of the American government in the 1950s was to

A) declare such acts unconstitutional.
B) find such acts as being within the Constitution.
C) explain that the Constitution is not applicable in such cases.
D) refuse to hear the relevant cases.

Question 27

The survival of democracy depends on

A) mass activism.
B) mass movements led by counterelites.
C) mass apathy.
D) none of the above.

Question 28

To be truly rich in America, one must be worth __________________.

Question 29

One important difference between the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movement is that

A) the Tea Party can accept donations.
B) the Tea Party can propose and endorse policy.
C) the Tea Party won seats in the U. S. house of Representatives in 2010.
D) the Tea Party ran a presidential candidate in the 2008 election.

Question 30

According to the authors of the text, the Tea Party

A) is an informal extension of the Republican Party.
B) is a creation of Fox News.
C) was started by TV host Glen Beck.
D) got underway with an on-air rant on CNBC.

Question 31

Mass unrest can be inspired by

A) good economic times.
B) bad economic times.
C) stable economic times.
D) growing economic times.

Question 32

The decline in the earnings of American workers coincides with the increase of __________________.

Question 33

In response to the 2001 terrorist attacks, the elite in the United States responded by

A) restricting freedom in the name of protecting democracy.
B) promoting freedom in order to irritate Osama bin Laden.
C) ejecting terrorist sympathizers from the elite.
D) trying to reverse a loss of mass confidence in government.

Question 34

As globalization makes the value of and the pay for unskilled labor decline, the effect is to create __________________ in the gap in earnings differentials.

Question 35

Mass vulnerability to extremism can be reduced through which of the following methods?

A) Punitive laws against antidemocratic elements in society
B) Participation in community organizations
C) Isolating people from each other
D) All of the above are true.

Question 36

Although the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movements have nearly opposite political views they do have the following in common.

A) They are largely leaderless.
B) Their members are overwhelmingly white and male.
C) They use social media quite well.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 37

The masses are more intolerant of which of the following issues?

A) A graduated income tax system
B) Support of trade unions
C) Protection of civil liberties
D) Wage issues

Question 38

Since the 1970s income inequality has ______________in America.

Question 39

Counterelites on the right and the left are both antidemocratic, but those on the right

A) have a clearer, more hate-filled message.
B) have no hope of reaching the younger generation.
C) have mobilized mass support among large numbers of farmers, workers, and the middle class.
D) have little support among the mass.

Question 40

The survival of democracy depends on

A) political apathy.
B) elite commitment to democratic ideas.
C) political non-participation among the masses.
D) all of the above.

Question 41

The institution with the strongest support among the masses is the __________________.

Question 42

Voter turnout only exceeds 50 percent in __________________ elections.

Question 43

Membership has shrunk in the major industrial unions.

Question 44

Demographically, the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movement are___________.

Question 45

Skilled American workers are well-positioned to benefit from increased trade.

Question 46

The Tea Party and the occupy Wall Street movement have almost __________ political views.

Question 47

Many poll respondents offer an "opinion" even though they have never thought about an issue before, because they _________________.

Question 48

Wage stagnation occurred simultaneously with the growth of international trade.

Question 49

An economy that is __________________ reduces mass distrust and cynicism.

Question 50

Leaders who seek to exploit the worst attributes of antidemocratic mass attitudes are known as ________________________.

Question 51

The fact that large numbers of the electorate are politically uninformed and have no real opinions on issues is referred to as ________________.

Question 52

Membership in unions representing public sector workers such as government employees or teachers is declining.

Question 53

The minimum wage was worth more in 1970 than it is today, adjusted for inflation and cost of living.

Question 54

__________________ are theories about power, and their existence marks places in the political system where segments of the population feel powerless.

Question 55

The U.S. economy performs generally poorly, which creates a great inequality in the distribution of economic assets.

Question 56

The willingness of the masses to unite around their leadership when attacked from foreign soil is known as the __________________ effect.

Question 57

_________________ affects tolerance by influencing an individual's ability to apply an abstract principle to a concrete situation.

Question 58

Income is distributed more unequally than wealth.

Question 59

In the United States, differences between the rich and poor in terms of income and wealth are growing.

Question 60

Income inequality has only recently become a significant component of the U.S. social structure.

Question 61

Discuss the similarities and difference of the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movement. Why has the Tea Party been able to present candidates for the House and win? What can the occupy movement learn from the Tea Party?

Question 62

Public opinion surveys show that more than half of Americans do not know the first 10 amendments to the Constitution are the Bill of Rights.

Question 63

Americans are more patriotic than the citizens of other most countries.

Question 64

Discuss the idea that the experience of leadership may, in itself, contribute to tolerance.

Question 65

How might economic crisis make anti-democratic mass activism more likely?

Question 66

The most consistent support for democratic values in American society comes from the masses.

Question 67

Why might political ignorance among the masses be a rational stance?

Question 68

Democracy envisions a people who believe in equality of opportunity.

Question 69

Given the clear and growing ignorance and apathy of the masses, do you think democracy can survive?

Question 70

The protection of First Amendment rights rests principally upon the very groups the Amendment was designed to control.

Question 71

The vast majority of Americans agree that the government should uphold moral standards among its citizens.

Question 72

Americans are becoming more tolerant of different social groups.

Question 73

Left counterelites have no mass following among workers, farmers, or middle-class Americans.

Question 74

Mass support for civil liberties is consistent, even in times of national crisis.

Question 75

Looking at the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movement, which will have a greater impact on American politics in the next few years and why?

Question 76

The top richest people in America all inherited their wealth.

Question 77

Americans become more tolerant of groups as those groups become less threatening.

Question 78

Masses want the government to continue its large and significant role in many different areas of life.

Question 79

Why are masses susceptible to antidemocratic pulls from demagogues?

Question 80

The presidential candidate for the Tea Party in 2011 was Herman Cain.