Deck 5: Nationalism and Populism in the United States and Abroad

Question 1

Which of the following was a major problem with subprime mortgages?

A)Housing costs remained low, making home ownership unattractive .
B)The risk of defaults on these mortgages was higher .
C)These mortgages were rarely offered by banks .
D)The mortgages were limited to only the wealthiest borrowers .
E)Banks made little money off of them, causing them to raise other fees .

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What were the dominant ideologies of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

A)Fascism and environmentalism
B)Nationalism and fascism
C)Communism and capitalism
D)Nationalism and communism
E)Socialism and feminism

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Many political scientists and economists believe that the rise of modern populism was primarily linked to what event?

A)The end of the Soviet Union in 1991
B)The reelection of President George W. Bush in 2004
C)The financial crisis of 2007-2009
D)The beginning of the war in Iraq in 2003
E)The terrorist attacks of 9/11

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following would be an example of an austerity measure?

A)Increasing government spending on national defense
B)Increasing prescription drug coverage through Medicare
C)Reducing taxes on the middle classes
D)Reducing interest rates
E)Reducing government spending on health care

Question 5

The greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression started in 2007 likely as a result of what economic practice?

A)Households taking on unsustainable levels of credit card debt
B)Students borrowing more for education than they could repay
C)Investors borrowing money to buy stocks and bonds
D)A rise in subprime lending by banks
E)Risky international currency trading

Question 6

Generally, how did most governments respond to the financial crisis of 2007-2009?

A)They severely punished banks and financial institutions.
B)They allowed banks and financial institutions to fail.
C)They propped up banks and cut other government spending.
D)They arrested borrowers that took out loans they could not repay.
E)They raised interest rates to ensure that banks made profits.

Question 7

Right-wing populism is often characterized by what key characteristic?

A)Support for expansion of the welfare state
B)Nationalistic and anti-elitist rhetoric
C)Government action to promote equality
D)Increased participation in world affairs
E)Opposition to restrictions on trade

Question 8

What feature of modern life may lead to a greater focus on identity politics?

A)Increased commuting times
B)Fewer religious persons
C)Increased social media use
D)Increased numbers of women in the workforce
E)Fewer people working a single job for their career

Question 9

Which demographic group was Donald Trump most successful with in the 2016 presidential election?

A)Women
B)African Americans
C)Hispanics
D)Men
E)Young people

Question 10

Concerning trends in modern populist movements have been the trends toward less focus on policy and ideological preferences and more focus on which of the following?

A)Religious doctrine
B)Racial and ethnic identity
C)Economic success
D)Candidates' backgrounds
E)Personal morality

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of the earliest US presidential election campaign emphasizing being a political "outsider" and anti-establishment?

A)Richard Nixon's campaign in 1960
B)Jimmy Carter's campaign in 1980
C)Herbert Hoover's campaign in 1932
D)John Adams' campaign in 1824
E)Andrew Jackson's campaign in 1828

Question 12

Approaches to government spending that are designed to lower the deficit through tax increases or cutting government spending are known as what?

A)D ynamic accounting
B)S ocial welfare measures
C)F inancial bailouts
D)A usterity measures
E)C ountercyclical spending

Question 13

Left-wing populism is often characterized by what key characteristic?

A)Cuts to the social welfare state
B)Tax cuts for investors and the wealthy
C)Increased regulation of the economy
D)Decreased participation in international institutions such as the United Nations
E)Support for increased trade openness

Question 14

Which describes the changes in the demographics of the electorate from 1988 to 2016?

A)The percentage of nonwhite voters roughly tripled in that time period.
B)The percentage of white voters increased steadily over this period.
C)The percentage of Asian American voters remained largely unchanged.
D)The percentage of African American voters increased dramatically.
E)The percentage of Hispanic voters remained largely unchanged.

Question 15

Which of the following characteristics is common to both right- and left-wing populists?

A)Support for the working class, specifically the rights of labor unions
B)Opposition to immigration specifically and diversity generally
C)Identification as a political pragmatist, prioritizing solving problems over labels
D)Identification as a political "outsider" favoring redistribution of political power
E)Support for removing money from elections and campaigns

Question 16

The presidential campaign of Donald Trump significantly addressed all of the following issues EXCEPT which?

A)Free trade
B)Immigration
C)The divide between political elites and "regular Americans"
D)National traditions and norms
E)The rising cost of education

Question 17

Which demographic group was Hillary Clinton most successful with in the 2016 presidential election?

A)Caucasians
B)Men
C)Women
D)Older people
E)African Americans

Question 18

The tendency to join political alliances based on race, gender, or other demographic categories is known as which of the following?

A)Identity politics
B)Anti-pluralist politics
C)Liberal politics
D)Conservative politics
E)Nationalistic politics

Question 19

International organizations formed after World War II, such as the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Bank, were all similar in what key way?

A)They were all designed to promote democratic values and free trade.
B)They were all dominated by the Soviet Union.
C)They were all dominated by smaller states such as Belgium and the Netherlands.
D)They were focused on peacekeeping and preventing violence.
E)They were limited to only countries in western Europe.

Question 20

What is a subprime mortgage?

A)A loan offered to borrowers with lower than average credit ratings
B)A loan offered on property in less desirable neighborhoods
C)A loan offered on new properties outside of central cities
D)A loan offered allowing borrowers to use their retirement accounts as collateral
E)A loan offered to borrowers who could guarantee early payment

Question 21

According to Amy Chua's book Political Tribes , how are the various "tribes" interacting in modern America?

A)Some groups feel at risk in relation to a couple of clearly dominant groups .
B)No group feels dominant and all groups feel at risk .
C)Most groups feel at risk in relation to a single, clearly dominant group .
D)All group s feel dominant, regardless of their actual position .
E)Some tribes are adding members, and others are seeing their members grow disaffected .

Question 22

In what ways are the populist campaigns of candidates like Donald Trump different from earlier populist campaigns? Please be specific. Why are these campaigns potentially more problematic for American democracy?

Question 23

What has been the primary political impact of increased numbers of refugees in Europe? What countries have been affected, and how?

Question 24

What is the key difference between western Europe and central/eastern Europe in terms of nationalist-populist movements?

A)Democracy is newer and less well established in central/eastern Europe than in western Europe.
B)Democracy is older and better established in central/eastern Europe than in western Europe.
C)Nationalist-populist movements have been strong in western European but largely nonexistent in central/eastern Europe.
D)Nationalist-populist movements have been strong in central/eastern European but largely nonexistent in western Europe.
E)Strong civic organizations have limited the appeal of nationalist-populist movements in central/eastern Europe, though such organizations do not exist in western Europe.

Question 25

Following the Arab Spring of 2010-2011, which country has established a relatively stable and democratic government?

A)Syria
B)Saudi Arabia
C)Tunisia
D)Egypt
E)Sudan

Question 26

What are the Soros amendments in Hungary?

A)They are amendments designed to reduce anti-Semitic sentiments in the country .
B)They are amendments designed to reduce anti-Muslim sentiments in the country .
C)They are amendments designed to limit nongovernmental organizations from assisting asylum seekers.
D)They are amendments designed to increase nongovernmental organizations' ability to assist asylum seekers.
E)They are amendments designed to increase the freedom of the press .

Question 27

Why do many populist candidates such as Donald Trump use anti-immigrant rhetoric in their campaigns?

A)This approach distracts from the personal life of the candidate.
B)This approach allows the candidate to look serious on foreign policy.
C)This approach forces non-populist candidates to conduct additional research on the issue.
D)This approach allows the candidate to recruit a diverse base of support.
E)This approach encourages people to blame "the other" for the country's problems.

Question 28

What was Barack Obama's 80/40 strategy?

A)His campaign sought to win 80 percent of the Asian American vote and 40 percent of the Hispanic vote.
B)His campaign sought to win 80 percent of the white vote and 40 percent of the nonwhite vote.
C)His campaign sought to win 80 percent of the nonwhite vote and 40 percent of the white vote.
D)His campaign sought to win 80 percent of the female vote and 40 percent of the male vote.
E)His campaign sought to win 80 percent of the male vote and 40 percent of the female vote.

Question 29

Describe the link between social media use and the rise of populist candidates. How might these factors be connected? What other issues might also be at play?

Question 30

What are the three main components of Trump's immigration policy? Describe each in detail. Taken together, describe the overall effect of these policies on immigration.

Question 31

What was Trump's initial policy regarding the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)program?

A)He expanded the program to include people from additional countries.
B)He sought to end the program but was prevented from doing so by the courts.
C)He sought to prevent new people from registering but did not change the program for existing recipients.
D)He ended the program and began deporting the people in the program.
E)He did not seek to make any major changes to the program.

Question 32

Both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are considered to be populist leaders. How do these leaders differ? How are they similar?

Question 33

What are austerity measures, and why did governments implement them in response to the 2007-2009 financial crisis?

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT an example of a European nationalist-populist party?

A)Fidesz Party
B)Alternative for Germany
C)National Rally
D)Northern League
E)Christian Democratic Union

Question 35

What was Barack Obama's 80/40 strategy, and what changes in the American electorate made it an effective approach?

Question 36

How did the Trump administration revise the travel ban in order to receive approval from the courts?

A)The administration removed Somalia from the list of affected countries .
B)The administration removed Syria from the list of affected countries .
C)The administration delayed implementation of the policy until the end of the year .
D)The administration added two non-Muslim majority countries to the list of affected countries .
E)The administration added two new Muslim majority countries to the list of affected countries .

Question 37

How is the Law and Justice Party in Poland different from many other populist parties?

A)The party has used Poland's weak economy as an opportunity to weaken trade unions .
B)The party has used Poland's strong economy to expand the welfare state .
C)The party has sought to distance Poland from the European Union and move closer to Russia .
D)The party has sought to increase the number of immigrants in order to deal with a growing labor shortage .
E)The party has increased civil liberties in order to bring it in line with other European Union member states .

Question 38

Which of the following best describes the "DREAMers"?

A)People seeking citizenship to the United States who entered the country illegally as children
B)People seeking citizenship to the United States who entered the country illegally as adults
C)People seeking citizenship to the United States who came from countries facing civil wars
D)People seeking citizenship to the United States who served in the US military
E)People seeking citizenship to the United States who were denied citizenship to Canada

Question 39

How have the changing demographics of the American electorate been linked to the rise of populist candidates? How might these factors be connected? What other issues might also be at play?

Question 40

The massive displacement of people from Syria has led to which European nation taking in the largest number of refugees?

A)Hungary
B)The United Kingdom
C)France
D)Germany
E)Sweden

Question 41

Describe the leadership style of Prime Minister Orban of Hungary. How did he come to power? In what ways has he challenged Hungarian democracy?

Question 42

Compare the Law and Justice Party in Poland with the Fidesz Party in Hungary. How are the two parties similar in approach, and how are they different? How likely are they to remain in power in the future?

Question 43

Compare the leadership styles of President Trump and Prime Minister Orban. How are the two individuals similar in approach, and how are they different? How likely are they to remain in power in the future?