Deck 1: American Government and Politics in a Racially Divided World

Question 1

The official resolutions adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in 2008 and 2009 concerning the historical relationship between the government and African Americans included all of the following except a(n)

A) formal apology for slavery.
B) resolution to provide reparations for descendants of slaves.
C) acknowledgment of harmful government action against African Americans via Jim Crow laws.
D) acknowledgment that past government actions have influenced the current position of African Americans.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The U.S. Congress provided an apology and reparations to which of the following groups?

A) Native Hawaiians for the seizure of their land
B) Jewish Americans in European concentration camps during World War II
C) African American descendants of slaves
D) Japanese Americans interned during World War II

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Of the following, what is not a phrase associated with the values on which U.S. government is based?

A) "All men are created equal"
B) "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
C) "From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs"
D) "Government by the people"

Answer 3

C

Question 4

_______ is defined as a social institution that controls the behavior of people.

A) Government
B) Politics
C) Society
D) The Supreme Court

Question 5

In order to control the behavior of the people living in its jurisdiction, a government manages conflict, establishes order, and

A) creates chaos.
B) devises rules and regulations.
C) changes policies frequently.
D) None of the above

Question 6

Government provides security for its citizens by protecting them from unfair business practices, protecting them from discrimination, and

A) maintaining armed forces.
B) antagonizing enemy nations.
C) creating an inviting environment for extralegal organizations.
D) None of the above

Question 7

What is the purpose of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972?

A) To prohibit racial discrimination in federal hiring practices
B) To prohibit racial discrimination in federally assisted education programs
C) To prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs that receive federal assistance
D) To prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or religion

Question 8

When a government provides for the public good, it

A) creates policies that benefit society as a whole, rather than specific individuals.
B) creates policies that benefit individuals, rather than society as a whole.
C) makes decisions that reflect a narrow set of social interests.
D) ensures that discrimination only applies to a few specific groups.

Question 9

To provide for the public good, governments must

A) occasionally encroach on individual liberty
B) regularly encroach on the national security of society
C) Place the needs of groups with the most resources over those of groups with few resources
D) None of the above

Question 10

An example of government action that provides for the public good is the

A) Civil Rights Act of 1964.
B) maintenance of a standing military.
C) Clean Air Act of 1963.
D) All of the above

Question 11

The process of _______ can allow government to fulfill its function of managing and resolving conflict.

A) governing
B) politics
C) social interaction
D) elimination

Question 12

The process of politics includes compromise, discussion and

A) diversity.
B) systems.
C) society.
D) competition.

Question 13

Why does the government's attempt to provide for the public good lead to the necessity to manage and resolve conflict?

A) Various groups have different ideas concerning what is best for society as a whole.
B) Society does not appreciate utility maximization.
C) An increase in the public good always leads to international relations turmoil.
D) Government agencies like to argue.

Question 14

Which of the following is not an example of a service that government in the United States makes available for citizens?

A) Interstate highway system
B) Education
C) Tax form preparation
D) Postal service

Question 15

The Affordable Care Act of 2010, which provides health care for many of the uninsured, most closely reflects which function of government?

A) Provision of security
B) Management and resolution of conflict
C) Provision of services
D) None of the above

Question 16

A system of government in which the people exercise political power is called a

A) monarchy.
B) dictatorship.
C) theocracy.
D) democracy.

Question 17

When people make the political decisions instead of electing representatives to do so, they are engaging in

A) direct democracy.
B) representative democracy.
C) anarchy.
D) autocracy.

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of direct democracy?

A) The town meeting format used in some New England towns
B) Congressional elections
C) Elections for city council
D) Caucuses used in some states by political parties to select candidates

Question 19

When people elect individuals to represent their political interests, they are participating in a(n)

A) constitutional democracy.
B) direct democracy.
C) indirect or representative democracy.
D) None of the above

Question 20

The authority for government is based on a set of formal written rules and governing principles in a(n)

A) constitutional democracy.
B) direct democracy.
C) indirect or representative democracy.
D) None of the above

Question 21

All constitutional democracies share which of the following characteristics?

A) Direct elections, peaceful transitions of power, censored press, protected personal and civil rights
B) Free and regular elections, difficult transitions of power, free press, limited personal and civil rights
C) Free and regular elections, peaceful transitions of power, free press, protected personal and civil rights
D) Irregular elections, difficult transitions of power, censored press, protected personal and civil rights

Question 22

The U.S. government is an example of which type(s) of democracy?

A) Direct democracy
B) Representative democracy
C) Constitutional democracy
D) Both b and c

Question 23

The principles of constitutional democracies include all of the following except

A) rule of law.
B) common law.
C) natural rights.
D) natural law.

Question 24

The idea that laws should take precedence over arbitrary governance demonstrates the concept of the

A) rule of law.
B) rule of rights.
C) error in judgment.
D) state of nature.

Question 25

All of the following statements demonstrate the importance of the rule of law in the American political system except which one?

A) Government cannot detain people without delineating charges and allowing legal counsel.
B) The government has allowed for a separate system of laws that creates differing standards of treatment based on race, gender, and sexual orientation.
C) All citizens, as well as government officials, must obey the law; everyone is equal before the law.
D) Government action must be based on authority granted by the Constitution or legislative bodies.

Question 26

Which of the following demonstrate that the concept of the rule of law has not been applied equally throughout U.S. history?

A) Some individuals receive different criminal sentences for the same crime solely based on their race.
B) Government has sometimes taken property without adhering to a prescribed legal process.
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 27

Law that comes from nature and is superior to written law passed by legislatures is known as

A) civil law.
B) natural law.
C) important law.
D) unnatural law.

Question 28

Which of the following statements does not reflect the theory of natural law?

A) Statutory law is always supreme.
B) A just system comes from nature rather than from rules of society.
C) Our ability to reason leads us to perform our duties and restrains us from doing wrong.
D) Human beings have the ability to reason.

Question 29

Which of the following are considered to be natural rights?

A) Those rights that exist only for plants and animals
B) Those rights that are clearly delineated in a constitution
C) Those rights that are based on social, economic, and political status and patent of nobility
D) Those rights to which every person is entitled and that are independent of government

Question 30

Which of the following is not one of the political traditions of the American system of government?

A) Classical republicanism
B) Classical egalitarianism
C) Inegalitarianism
D) Classical liberalism

Question 31

The body of Western European political philosophy concerned with individual freedom and the role of government in protecting that freedom is known as

A) classical republicanism.
B) classical egalitarianism.
C) inegalitarianism.
D) classical liberalism.

Question 32

The body of political philosophy concerned with the idea that rule by the people should be indirect through representatives is known as

A) classical republicanism.
B) classical egalitarianism.
C) inegalitarianism.
D) classical liberalism.

Question 33

The sociopolitical philosophical tradition supporting the exclusion of large segments of the American population from participation in the political system is known as

A) classical republicanism.
B) classical egalitarianism.
C) inegalitarianism.
D) classical liberalism.

Question 34

The social contract, the system under which people give up a degree of independence to obtain peace and safety that can be provided through government, is most closely associated with

A) classical republicanism.
B) classical egalitarianism.
C) inegalitarianism.
D) classical liberalism.

Question 35

All classical liberal theories share which of the following characteristics?

A) Pessimism about individual behavior, group favored over the individual, free-market economy, religious dogma over scientific reason
B) Optimism about individual behavior, individual favored over the group, free-market economy, reason before religious faith
C) Optimism about individual behavior, individual favored over the group, heavily regulated economy, religious dogma over scientific reason
D) Pessimism about individual behavior, group favored over the individual, heavily regulated economy, reason before religious faith

Question 36

The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and _______ are all early American documents or works that were heavily influenced by classical liberalism.

A) The Magna Carta
B) The Albany Plan
C) The Federalist Papers
D) All of the above

Question 37

Classical liberal theory is essential for which of the following political values?

A) Religious tolerance, restrictions on police behavior, personal property ownership
B) Separation of church and state, communal property, free press
C) Religious tolerance, restrictions on police behavior, regulated press
D) Separation of church and state, personal property ownership, regulated press

Question 38

Do contemporary liberals fully adhere to classical liberal theories?

A) No, contemporary liberals value individual liberty over the public good.
B) Yes, contemporary liberals support using the government to solve social problems.
C) No, contemporary liberals support government action to protect citizens' rights and solve social problems.
D) Yes, contemporary liberals believe the government has a role to play in individual lives.

Question 39

The concept of civic virtue, which is the subordination of individualism and self-interest to societal interests, is most closely associated with which theoretical tradition?

A) Classical republicanism
B) Classical egalitarianism
C) Inegalitarianism
D) Classical liberalism

Question 40

Which characteristics do all classical republican theories share?

A) Virtuous citizenry, personal property, authority from the people, the people should not have power, separate government branches, protection of rights
B) Virtuous citizenry, communal property, direct democracy, separate government branches, protection of rights
C) Selfish citizenry, communal property, direct democracy, separate government branches, citizens' rights are trumped by government
D) Selfish citizenry, personal property, authority from the people, the people should not have power, separate branches of government, citizens' rights are trumped by government

Question 41

With its origins in ancient Rome, classical republicanism posits all the following except which of these statements?

A) Government should be divided into various branches.
B) Direct democracy cannot work.
C) All citizens, regardless of property ownership, should have the right to vote.
D) Individuals should elect political representatives.

Question 42

Do contemporary conservatives fully adhere to classical republican theories?

A) Yes, contemporary conservatives value individual liberty over the public good.
B) Yes, contemporary conservatives support using the government to solve social problems.
C) No, contemporary conservatives believe the government has a role to play in individual lives.
D) No, contemporary conservatives believe in a limited role for government for solving social problems.

Question 43

Which of the following is not a characteristic of classical republicanism?

A) Concern with property
B) Distribution of power across branches of government
C) Protection of individual rights
D) Direct democracy

Question 44

Which of the following describes the intentions and ideals of the Founders?

A) Liberty, equality, and freedom for all
B) Liberty and freedom were fundamental, natural rights for all individuals
C) Freedom and equality should not be universally applied to the populace
D) All of the above

Question 45

Which of the following quotes supports the idea that the Founders incorporated the value of inegalitarianism into the American political system?

A) "All men are created equal. "
B) "Give me liberty or give me death. "
C) "We the People of the United States…"
D) "Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes. "

Question 46

Which of the following are found within both classical liberalism and classical republicanism, but not within the tradition of exclusion?

A) Religious freedom
B) Market economy
C) Rule of law
D) All of the above

Question 47

Which group was not initially excluded from the Founders' political system because of the tradition of inegalitarianism?

A) White women
B) White male property owners over 21
C) American Indians
D) Blacks

Question 48

Which of the following doctrines aided in the justification of the exclusion of women from the political system?

A) Racial inequality
B) Protestantism
C) Civilization
D) Coverture

Question 49

What is the doctrine of coverture?

A) The belief in one deity above all others
B) The transference of a woman's civic identity and property to her husband on their marriage
C) The belief that some races are superior to others in terms of capacity and intelligence
D) The transference of American Indians' property to the U. S. government if they chose to become U. S. citizens

Question 50

Which Enlightenment philosopher argued that women's role is to be subservient and that they are not members of the political world?

A) Locke
B) Jefferson
C) Rousseau
D) Montesquieu

Question 51

Of the following, which was not a part of the philosophy concerning women at the time of the founding?

A) Women should be weak and passive.
B) If women could vote, it would be undemocratic because their husbands would have two votes.
C) Women belonged in the private sphere.
D) Women belonged in the public sphere.

Question 52

Who argued that slavery was counter to republican ideology?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) James Madison
C) Lemuel Haynes
D) Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Question 53

Where did the first Africans arrive in the American colonies in 1619?

A) St. Augustine
B) Jamestown
C) Plymouth Rock
D) New York City

Question 54

Which colony incorporated slavery into its law in 1641?

A) Massachusetts
B) Maryland
C) Virginia
D) Connecticut

Question 55

An increase in the supply of African slaves, difficulty with Indian servitude, and _______ are all factors that contributed to the broad-scale institution of slavery in Virginia by 1661.

A) adherence to Christian values
B) lack of a sufficient number of White indentured servants
C) an increase of the female colonial population
D) None of the above

Question 56

Rogers Smith argues that the Founders' fascination with _______ contributed to beliefs in racial differences and contributed to negative attitudes toward Blacks.

A) the science of the Enlightenment
B) the tenets of Protestantism
C) the story of Ham
D) English common law

Question 57

Which of the Founders posited the belief that Blacks were innately inferior to Whites and called on science to demonstrate this inferiority?

A) Franklin
B) Adams
C) Jefferson
D) Madison

Question 58

Which of the following is not attributed to Thomas Jefferson?

A) An indictment of King George for the Black slave trade
B) The argument that Blacks should be citizens
C) A push for the abolition of slavery in Virginia
D) A desire to find scientific evidence of racial inferiority

Question 59

Race is a

A) social and political construct.
B) biological reality.
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 60

The construction of a group of people of various phenotypes, skin colors, and physical characteristics for political and social purposes is known as the social construction of

A) ethnicity.
B) gender.
C) race.
D) religion.

Question 61

American Indians and Blacks were viewed in similar ways by colonists in that these groups

A) had darker skin.
B) were not Christian.
C) were considered akin to children.
D) All of the above

Question 62

In terms of the theoretical foundations of the American political system, which of the following most closely relates to the justification to seize American Indian lands?

A) Classical republicanism
B) Classical egalitarianism
C) Inegalitarianism
D) Classical liberalism

Question 63

Which of the following is not an assumption of the tradition of exclusion?

A) Protestant Christianity was superior to all other forms of religion.
B) The masses were more important than the elites.
C) White northern Europeans were biologically and culturally superior to southern, darker-skinned Europeans and any other civilizations and races.
D) Men were naturally suited to rule over women.

Question 64

Property ownership was a significant factor in the tradition of exclusion at the founding of the American political system, as evidenced by the

A) extension of voting rights only to propertied men.
B) lack of voting rights for children based on their intellectual capacity.
C) extension of voting rights to American Indians, as long as they lived on "Indian land. "
D) lack of citizenship for African Americans and American Indians.

Question 65

The _______ state constitution was the only one that granted women the right to vote at the founding of the new nation.

A) Rhode Island
B) Georgia
C) Massachusetts
D) New Jersey

Question 66

Although White women were considered citizens of the United States, they were not full citizens in that they experienced widespread

A) political exclusion.
B) economic exclusion.
C) social exclusion.
D) religious exclusion.

Question 67

Which of the following demonstrated that the Founders did not intend for the Constitution to apply to Blacks and American Indians?

A) The Federalist Papers
B) The Articles of Confederation
C) The Bill of Rights
D) The Naturalization Act of 1790

Question 68

The U.S. Congress' Naturalization Act of 1790 pronounced that

A) only free White persons were eligible for citizenship.
B) only free persons born in the United States were eligible for citizenship.
C) all persons born in the United States were eligible for citizenship.
D) only free White males were eligible for citizenship.

Question 69

What was the justification for excluding African Americans and American Indians from becoming citizens of the United States?

A) They were not suitable members for the political system because they were not free.
B) It was presumed they could not understand the European way of life or the political system.
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 70

Based on the 1790 U.S. Census, the National Archives estimates that only 20.7 percent of the U.S. population were White males 16 years and older. What percentage of the U.S. population does the National Archive estimate was eligible for participation in the political system by way of being White male property owners?

A) 18 percent
B) 14 percent
C) 6 percent
D) 2 percent

Question 71

Which of the following was not seen as a justification for the perpetuation of the enslavement of African Americans around the time of the founding?

A) Slaves were considered property and, thus, as deserving of rights and liberty as a mule or wagon.
B) If they were not kept as slaves, Blacks would immediately become more prosperous than Whites.
C) A White master's right to property was valued above a slave's right to liberty.
D) None of the above

Question 72

Which of the following arguments would not fit with classical republican theory?

A) People cannot be classified as property.
B) Denying liberty to slaves undermines the intrinsic virtue of the citizenry.
C) Because liberty is a natural right, slavery is unlawful.
D) Given that slaves are individuals, their rights should be protected under the law.

Question 73

Which of the following was not a classical republicanism theorist?

A) Harrington
B) Montesquieu
C) Sydney
D) Locke

Question 74

Lemuel Haynes was known as an influential

A) White political philosopher who argued against slavery.
B) African American political philosopher who argued against slavery.
C) African American Protestant minister who argued against slavery.
D) American Indian female Protestant minister who argued against slavery.

Question 75

The Continental Congress committee that examined the issue of American Indian inclusiveness ultimately determined that this group should be seen as

A) potential citizens.
B) possible allies.
C) a good source for slave labor.
D) likely foes.

Question 76

Concurrent Resolution 331, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1988, recognized the influence of the _______ on the _______ and the _______.

A) Iroquois Constitution; Articles of Confederation; U. S. Constitution
B) Iroquois Confederacy; Articles of Confederation; Bill of Rights
C) Algonquin Confederacy; Articles of Confederation; Bill of Rights
D) Iroquois Constitution; U. S. Constitution; Bill of Rights

Question 77

Which of these tribes was not a member of the original five tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy?

A) Seneca
B) Navajo
C) Oneida
D) Mohawk

Question 78

The Great Law of Peace, the Iroquois Confederacy's constitution, included which of the following democratic principles or characteristics?

A) Proportional representation of each tribe on the governing council
B) (Female) leaders of the tribes appointed the chiefs
C) (Female) leaders of the tribes had the authority to remove chiefs for misconduct, illness, and other causes of ineffectiveness
D) All of the above

Question 79

Which of the following are currently in practice within the American political system?

A) Classical liberalism
B) Classical republicanism
C) Inegalitarianism
D) All of the above

Question 80

A republican form of government is defined as a government whose powers are

A) exercised by elected representatives who are directly or indirectly accountable to the people governed.
B) derived from a monarchy, who chooses representatives for the governing body.
C) exercised by appointed representatives who are not accountable to the people through elections.
D) derived and exercised through the process of direct democracy.