Question 1

Ideally, the pluralist model lacks what characteristic that would otherwise disprove its existence in a given society?&#10;A) an inner circle, such as a &#34;third government&#34;&#10;B) autonomous individuals and groups&#10;C) voting rights&#10;D) bureaucratic power structures

Accepted Answer

The pluralist model asserts that power is widely distributed among individuals and groups in a society, and there is no dominant group or power structure. If there is an inner circle or a "third government" that holds most of the power, then the existence of the pluralist model would be disproven. Therefore, choice A is the best answer. Choices B, C, and D are characteristics that are consistent with the pluralist model.

Question 2

Keller's variation on the pluralist model calls on &#34;strategic elites&#34; to manage modern, complex pluralistic societies. What is the inherent problem of such a solution identified by some scholars?&#10;A) There is no way to ensure that ideology or personal points of view will take precedence over a &#34;common purpose.&#34;&#10;B) Some individuals lack an expertise and are ineligible to be elites. This perpetuates inequality.&#10;C) Strategic elites tend to dominate other elites and frustrate such a system.&#10;D) Elites in an egalitarian (i.e. pluralist) society is a contradiction in terms.

Accepted Answer

Strategic elites may prioritize their own ideologies or personal views over a common purpose, undermining the intended management of pluralistic societies.

Question 3

According to C. Wright Mills, when a CEO of an airline can assume the duties of CEO of a movie studio, what statement describes this phenomenon best?&#10;A) Positions among the power elite are often interchangeable.&#10;B) The power elite are trained to be multidisciplinary.&#10;C) They both represent &#34;corporate elites,&#34; and hence their jobs are exactly the same.&#10;D) There has been a decline in specialization among the power elites.

Accepted Answer

C. Wright Mills argued that members of the power elite, which consists of top leaders in the military, government, and corporate sectors, often rotate among positions and that their roles are interchangeable. This idea suggests that the power elite is a cohesive group that shares similar interests and values, regardless of their specific professions. Therefore, choice A, "Positions among the power elite are often interchangeable," best describes this phenomenon.

Question 4

What does Mills mean by &#34;to remain merely local is to fail&#34;?&#10;A) Those elites who do not seek power and prestige via a national (or even global system) will not endure as elites even at a local level.&#10;B) It means to neglect avenues of power, such as the World Wide Web.&#10;C) Small-town mayors, business people, and the like risk losing power at the national level.&#10;D) Increasing urbanization and like trends have erased the distinction of the &#34;local&#34; as well as any localized power elite.

Accepted Answer

Mills argues that power and influence are increasingly centralized at the national (and even global) level, and those who remain focused on local power only will not be able to maintain their status as elites.

Question 5

In what way might the Internet disprove Mills' central ideas of mass society and mass media?&#10;A) The Internet has fueled bottom-to-top manifestations of power such as the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movements.&#10;B) The Internet has made mass society a rival to the power elite.&#10;C) People at the mass society level can now dictate their experiences to each other.&#10;D) It actually further extends the power of mass media as it &#34;relearns&#34; how to control the message.

Accepted Answer

The Internet has provided a platform for grassroots movements, such as the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street, to gain momentum and challenge the power of the elites. This contradicts Mills' central ideas of a passive, conformist mass society and a dominant mass media controlled by the power elite. The ability for individuals to dictate their experiences to each other through the Internet further supports the idea of a decentralized, fragmented society rather than a homogenous mass society.

Question 6

G. William Domhoff sees individuals such as Warren Buffett as part of &#34;dominant class.&#34; On what point does his theory of the ruling class depart from Mills?&#10;A) Domhoff's view is not based on strictly institutional power but also personal wealth.&#10;B) Domhoff sees Wall Street as a power base.&#10;C) Domhoff sees investors as the primary power elite in the United States.&#10;D) Mills considered high net-worth individuals such as Buffett to be part of an institution-Wall Street.

Accepted Answer

Domhoff's theory of the ruling class departs from Mills in that it includes personal wealth as a factor in determining membership in the dominant class, rather than focusing solely on institutional power. Mills, on the other hand, viewed high net-worth individuals as part of an institutional elite, such as Wall Street or government.

Question 7

Political participation among lower socioeconomic individuals is low, especially when it takes what form?&#10;A) political office&#10;B) voting&#10;C) community activism&#10;D) paid campaign work

Accepted Answer

The answer of Political participation among lower socioeconomic individuals is...

Question 8

Activists for gay marriage and Tea Party members protesting the elimination of the federal income tax mortgage deduction are examples of what kind of politics, respectively?&#10;A) status- and class-based politics&#10;B) both are liberation in nature&#10;C) liberal and conservative politics&#10;D) class- and status-based politics

Accepted Answer

Activists for gay marriage are engaging in status-based politics as they are fighting for social recognition and rights for a specific group. Tea Party members protesting the elimination of the federal income tax mortgage deduction are engaging in class-based politics, as their concern is with economic policies that affect their financial status.

Question 9

Given recent U.S. elections and the politics of opposition, what stereotype might work against woman candidates who wish to appeal to the left and right wings?&#10;A) Women are generally seen as being more compassionate, relational, and open to compromise.&#10;B) Recent woman candidates have been more confrontational and have revised previous stereotypes (e.g. the women of Code Pink).&#10;C) Women still tend to be more liberal.&#10;D) Women are now more conservative (e.g. Sarah Palin).

Accepted Answer

Stereotypes that depict women as more compassionate, relational, and open to compromise might work against them in appealing to both political wings, as these traits can be perceived as weaknesses in the context of leadership, especially in highly polarized environments.

Question 10

Freitag not only found evidence to supports Mills' conclusion that there is a connection between corporate and political elites, but his study also reveals which trend that further supports the power elite view?

A) The increasing preponderance of cabinet members with ties to corporate America.
B) Both parties are involved in hiring corporate lawyers for cabinet positions.
C) Cabinet members are typically from the upper classes.
D) The "serious possibility" that recent cabinets are accountable to large corporations.

Accepted Answer

Freitag's study highlights the increasing number of cabinet members with ties to corporate America, supporting the power elite theory by showing the close relationship between political leaders and corporate interests.

Question 11

How does greater income inequality reduce the chances of political reform?&#10;A) It lowers voter participation among all citizens except the wealthy.&#10;B) Save with rare exceptions (e.g. George Soros), power elites rarely pioneer on the frontiers of democratic reform.&#10;C) Politics has been and will always be dominated by wealthy interests.&#10;D) Power politics is out of the hands of the non-wealthy and uneducated.

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does greater income inequality reduce the...

Question 12

Research studies on the relationship between contributions and voting have revealed what surprising result?&#10;A) The impact of contributions on public voting by representatives is still unclear and debatable.&#10;B) Public voting is significantly influenced by contributions.&#10;C) Voting tends to be on party lines and have little to do with contributions&#10;D) It depends on the state and political party in power.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Research studies on the relationship between contributions...

Question 13

In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-to-4 majority, deemed corporations to have what right granted to individuals?&#10;A) free speech&#10;B) exclusion from McCain-Feingold&#10;C) same monetary contribution limits&#10;D) free assembly

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission,...

Question 14

What are &#34;sunbelt cowboys&#34; and &#34;established Yankees&#34;?&#10;A) labels for a regional division between conservative and liberal elites in the South and North, respectively&#10;B) Blue Dog Democrats and Reagan Democrats&#10;C) self-made millionaire conservatives and liberals from old-money backgrounds&#10;D) a North-South divide not strictly along liberal-conservative lines (e.g. George W. Bush's origins in Connecticut and Bill Clinton's in Arkansas)

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are &#34;sunbelt cowboys&#34; and &#34;established Yankees&#34;?&#10;A)...

Question 15

Cite the example below in which a worker does not experience a power relationship as it might occur in the workplace.&#10;A) a managerial decision to lay off workers&#10;B) bullying&#10;C) hostile work environment&#10;D) sexual harassment

Accepted Answer

The answer of Cite the example below in which a...

Deck 5: Political Inequality