Deck 12: Politics and Power

Question 1

One key distinction that anthropologists have observed in the structure of a tribe is that the tribal leaders do NOT build and maintain power through

A) victories in wartime.
B) political institutions.
C) strong loyalty of members.
D) the ability to live outside the control of a centralized state.

Answer 1

political institutions.

Question 2

The economically efficient strategy of cooperative gathering,coordinated hunting,and reciprocal sharing of resources while resisting hierarchy and domination that sustained human beings through most of our existence is a strategy that strongly values

A) consensus.
B) communalism.
C) diversity.
D) equality.

Answer 2

equality.

Question 3

The political structure of all modern countries includes a central government that ideally exercises complete political,military,and economic control of its territory and functions as a

A) tribe.
B) state.
C) nation.
D) country.

Answer 3

state.

Question 4

The Maasai,who live outside the direct control of the government of Tanzania and have had to form their own nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)and other political organizations to fight against the government's efforts to act as though they did not exist,might today be known as

A) ethnic groups.
B) autonomous states.
C) bands.
D) chiefdoms.

Question 5

An autonomous regional political structure with a central government authorized to make laws and use political,economic,and military force to maintain order and defend its territory is referred to as a

A) group.
B) band.
C) state.
D) chiefdom.

Question 6

The development and organization of states such as Iraq through the colonial policies of Britain and France rather than the "will of the people" that live in those states creates many conflicts today.This makes these states the focus of

A) state department officials.
B) social historians.
C) political scientists.
D) political anthropologists.

Question 7

Early states played an important role in the development of most areas of the world,so their origin,construction,and organization are the focus of modern

A) social historians.
B) political scientists.
C) political anthropologists.
D) cultural anthropologists.

Question 8

From its inception,the modern state of Germany has existed in many forms.The hundreds of German principalities were formerly united in 1871 into Germany until 1918.After defeat in World War I,Germany's government was known as the Weimar Republic until the Nazis came to power in 1933.With the defeat of Nazi Germany,the country was divided into East and West during the cold war,and finally reunited when the Soviet Union collapsed.This demonstrates what specific characteristic of a state?

A) They are always cohesive.
B) They are uniquely constructed.
C) They are only a collection of symbols.
D) They are spatialized through exercise of power.

Question 9

Hunting and gathering peoples developed a successful adaptation that promoted generosity,altruism,and sharing while resisting upstarts,aggression,and egoism,something that could only be sustained through

A) compatibility.
B) consensus.
C) egalitarianism.
D) hierarchy.

Question 10

The author notes that the image of the state as fixed,cohesive,and coherent is an illusion,and through the interactions between the state and its members-individuals,communities,institutions,and so forth-each state is constructed

A) uniquely.
B) identically.
C) gradually.
D) temporarily.

Question 11

The ability or potential to bring about change through action or influence is referred to as power,something that is

A) found in some human relationships.
B) exercised by the state alone.
C) studied by anthropologists when it is public,dramatic,and violent.
D) embedded in all human relationships.

Question 12

The precursor to the complex political organization we now call the state is the

A) band.
B) chiefdom.
C) tribe.
D) ethnic group.

Question 13

Foragers move over a particular territory and form small,kin-based groups that constantly break up and reform in response to conflicts,and are a form of highly decentralized

A) bands.
B) chiefdoms.
C) movements.
D) tribes.

Question 14

Our own experiences with the state through encounters with institutions such as the police or airport customs lend credence to the idea of the state as a collection of institutions and structures,but as political anthropologists,we can understand the state as

A) a group of government officials.
B) a system of processes.
C) an autonomous center of power.
D) the ultimate authority in a specific territory or region.

Question 15

An autonomous political unit composed of a number of villages or communities under the permanent control of a paramount chief is referred to as a

A) group.
B) band.
C) tribe.
D) chiefdom.

Question 16

Groups that were originally viewed as a culturally distinct multiband population that imagined itself as one people descended from a common ancestor,and are currently described as an indigenous group with its own set of loyalties and leaders living to some extent outside the control of a centralized authoritative state,are known as

A) groups.
B) bands.
C) tribes.
D) chiefdoms.

Question 17

A small,kinship-based group of foragers who move over a particular territory is known as a

A) group.
B) band.
C) tribe.
D) chiefdom.

Question 18

In the modern world,while the state is considered the ultimate authority in any particular territory,the author notes that they are

A) weak and fragile.
B) fixed and cohesive.
C) coherent and contested.
D) fluid and fragile.

Question 19

Earlier anthropological analysis considered small-scale human groups in comparative isolation.Today,however,it is clear that bands,tribes,and chiefdoms must all function

A) as autonomous groups.
B) solely at the behest of the state.
C) as distinctly heterogeneous societies.
D) within the influence of the state.

Question 20

Micronesia's traditional political system of matrilineal clans headed by chiefs and dispersed across many islands separated by hundreds of miles allows them to readily recover from disastrous situations.Despite the distance,Micronesians are all members of different

A) tribes.
B) states.
C) ethnic groups.
D) chiefdoms.

Question 21

War is sometimes seen as an inevitable part of life.Among the arguments given to support this view is that violence in human beings is

A) an outgrowth of recent militarization tendencies.
B) something we all learn as children.
C) impossible to counteract.
D) a natural expression of humanness.

Question 22

The text recounts the Arab Spring,when tens of thousands of young people across the Arab world stood up to oppose and change the governments of Egypt and Tunisia.To some extent,this opposition was successful in that these governments were either toppled or changed substantially,even if only for a few years.Similarly,in 1989,millions of Chinese stood up to their government in the Tiananmen Square protests.These protests,however,resulted in martial law,possibly the deaths of numerous Chinese citizens,and the Chinese government since has seemingly grown more powerful.The Tiananmen Square protestors were exercising their

A) agency.
B) authority.
C) individuality.
D) power.

Question 23

The potential of a person,group,or institution to use action or influence to affect change is known as

A) agency.
B) authority.
C) power.
D) politics.

Question 24

It has sometimes been suggested that violence is endemic to all primates and a consequence of social relations.Recent studies of other nonhuman primates have revealed that

A) other primates undergo a cycle of violence and increasing distancing and separation into smaller groups.
B) other primates undergo a cycle of distancing and reconciliation after violence occurs.
C) other primates undergo a cycle of orchestrated violence that is not actually physically damaging.
D) other primates undergo a cycle of behavior that does not involve any violence at all.

Question 25

The contested social process through which a civil society organizes for the production of military violence is known as

A) arming.
B) fomenting.
C) imperialism.
D) militarization.

Question 26

The potential power of the individual to challenge structures of power is referred to as

A) agency.
B) authority.
C) individuality.
D) hegemony.

Question 27

The ability of a dominant group to create consent and agreement within a population without the use or threat of force is referred to as

A) agency.
B) coercion.
C) domination.
D) hegemony.

Question 28

When a civil society prepares for war,it includes production of weapons and the glorification of war,and though it is often contested,this process is called

A) arming.
B) fortification.
C) mobilization.
D) militarization.

Question 29

It is only in the past few years that women in the armed services of the United States have been permitted to be active combatants in a battlefield setting.While this has taken place over a number of years and has evolved for a variety of reasons,it is also reasonable to suggest that it has happened in part because of

A) increased militarization worldwide.
B) greater global threat levels.
C) increased terrorist activity.
D) a shortage of qualified male soldiers.

Question 30

The rise of Nazi Germany was effected in part by the use of brutal force directed against both outsiders and insiders.For those not targeted by Hitler as undesirables or as enemies of the fatherland,however,there was a type of complicity in the actions and program advanced by the regime.This was an example of

A) mind-set.
B) hegemony.
C) framing.
D) coercion.

Question 31

As he worked to glorify Germany's history and military past,to demonize minorities and enemies,and to promote ideas of his Third Reich,or empire,Adolf Hitler began to prepare Germany for the domination of Europe,which led to the Second World War,through the creation of a huge military and promotion of paramilitary organizations such as the Hitler Youth.This is an example of

A) rearming.
B) mobilization.
C) militarization.
D) imperialism.

Question 32

In the United States,we often celebrate the Fourth of July with colorful fireworks,parades,and various festivities.As much fun as this can be,it also acts to reinforce feelings of

A) animosity.
B) nationalism.
C) patriotism.
D) military fervor.

Question 33

When the farmers in Costa Rica marched,blocked streets,and held demonstrations to protest inequality and injustice,they were participating in

A) a social movement.
B) collective riots.
C) cultural warfare.
D) a cause célèbre.

Question 34

Adolf Hitler was able to create a powerful unified state in Germany by blaming minorities such as Jews and Gypsies for the country's problems and promoting the idea of German people as übermench,or superior people.This made the idea of persecuting minorities seem natural and expanding German dominance over Europe like a reasonable course of action.This feeling of belonging and superiority is known as

A) social cohesion.
B) patriotism.
C) nationalism.
D) racism.

Question 35

In the United States,most Americans believe that jobs and status in society should be based on ability and achievement.It is considered inappropriate to gain high government office for being someone's wife,brother,or cousin.Hiring family members who may not be qualified for a position is known as nepotism and considered a serious abuse of power.This belief,which prevents Americans from favoring family members over other people who are more qualified,is an example of what concept?

A) agency
B) dogma
C) coercion
D) hegemony

Question 36

Collective group actions in response to uneven development,inequality,and injustice that seek to build institutional networks to transform cultural patterns and government policies are referred to as

A) crusades.
B) social movements.
C) public initiatives.
D) public causes.

Question 37

In the 1950s,Jim Crow laws in many parts of the United States created a kind of "caste system" of legal inequality.White Americans and black Americans had to live by different and inherently unfair rules,and members of the civil rights movement held protests,sit-ins,and marches to oppose this legal inequality that eventually resulted in the Civil Rights Act,which eliminated much of the legal inequality in the country.This is an example of a

A) cause célèbre.
B) public enterprise.
C) social movement.
D) rights initiative.

Question 38

The dominant group in a state reinforces its ability to create consent and agreement about what is normal and appropriate through the promotion of intense feelings of

A) social anxiety.
B) religious fervor.
C) patriotism.
D) nationalism.

Question 39

Modernization of agricultural production in Malaysia led to increasing inequality between the rich and the poor,but the poor laborers were able to find ways to resist the domination of the wealthy without risking confrontation through foot-dragging,slowdowns,false compliance with regulations,theft,sabotage,trickery,and arson.These are all examples of

A) action.
B) agency.
C) initiative.
D) drive.

Question 40

Agency is what individuals turn to as a means of responding to the exercise of state power.This can happen in part because the power of the state is

A) always absolute.
B) always changing.
C) always weakening.
D) never absolute.

Question 41

Compare and contrast the concepts of the band,the tribe,and the chiefdom.What are the advantages of each?

Question 42

Describe the concept of hegemony,what it does,and how it works.Provide an example.

Question 43

To resist the power of state institutions,some societies make use of different systems to settle issues that might normally go to the state court system.These are known as

A) alternative legal structures.
B) independent courts systems.
C) common law structures.
D) customary laws.

Question 44

Describe the concept of agency and how it works,and give an example that illustrates this concept.

Question 45

In a brief essay,describe three elements of a social movement.Provide examples to illustrate your description.

Question 46

Modern states play a central role in shaping what happens in every part of the world today.Discuss the aspects of the state that make it the dominant form of political organization in the world today.

Question 47

In a brief essay,compare and contrast the concept of power,in general,with state power,and give an example of each.

Question 48

A local nongovernmental organization (NGO)that challenges state policies and uneven development and advocates for resources and opportunities for members of its local communities is known as a(n)

A) civil society organization.
B) international aid society.
C) nonaligned charity.
D) local support agency.

Question 49

In Egypt,people view the decisions of the official Egyptian Personal Status courts with great suspicion,and they often turn to the traditional Al Azhar Fatwa Council for guidance on important matters of daily life,even though their decisions are not legally binding.The Fatwa Council is an example of

A) a religious institution.
B) an independent court.
C) a customary law structure.
D) an alternative legal structure.

Question 50

In a brief essay,describe three ways power is wielded outside the control of the state.

Question 51

The Occupy Wall Street movement was able to gain support by focusing on inequality with the motto "We are the 99 percent" and combining physical and virtual elements of their protest.This is an example of a

A) cause célèbre.
B) civil society organization.
C) social rationale.
D) framing process.

Question 52

In 2014,police in Ferguson,MO,shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in an incident that evoked nationwide protest.In the ensuing months,social media was employed to powerful effect using the hashtag #blacklivesmatter.This helped galvanize support and awareness around the problem of police actions directed against African Americans and is a good example of a

A) social movement.
B) social rationale.
C) social demonstration.
D) framing process.

Question 53

Foraging bands and egalitarianism have been the standards of social interaction for most of human history;however,many societies are highly hierarchical today.Discuss the role egalitarianism has played in human life and,quite possibly,human evolution.

Question 54

When a group of people within the domain of a state creates their own nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)in an effort to challenge inequities and assert their political rights to resources and recognition within their state,the formal organization is a type of

A) local service agency.
B) international aid society.
C) indigenous charity.
D) civil society organization.

Question 55

Describe militarization and its effects on a society.How does it relate to the construction of war and soldiers?

Question 56

The Fatwa Council in Egypt is a form of alternative legal structure used to deal with internal problems and avoid the interference and control of the state legal system.Despite the fact that these structures do not have coercive power that compels adherence to the outcome,individuals seeking redress here generally do observe the results carefully.One of the key differences between the fatwa and the court system is that

A) both the individual and the mufti share responsibility for the outcome.
B) both the individual and the mufti recognize sharia law as the only valid source of legal wisdom.
C) both the individual and the mufti have the means to reject any challenges by the state courts system.
D) both the individual and the mufti are able to agree on the particular offshoot of Islam in order to render an outcome that is observed.

Question 57

The debate continues over whether human beings are naturally peaceful or violent.Discuss the possible foundations of human violence and the evidence presented,and evaluate the author's conclusion.

Question 58

The creation of shared meanings and definitions that motivate and justify collective action by social movements is called its

A) cause célèbre.
B) framing process.
C) rationalization.
D) social rationale.

Question 59

Anthropologist Carolyn Nordstrom works in war zones to describe the real and messy experiences of war.In her account,an individual health care provider in Mozambique,targeted by the military forces that terrorize local villages,manages to hide and survive until they have moved through the area.The provider then worked to help others.Discuss how this contradicts common notions of war.How do survivors of war push back against military force? How does Nordstrom's work directly challenge the long legacy of western philosophers who argue that human nature is innately violent?

Question 60

Many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),sometimes referred to as civil society organizations,have been powerful voices against the exercise of state power.While these organizations are made up of many individuals,in the actions they take,they can be seen as exercising

A) hegemony.
B) agency.
C) political will.
D) local advocacy.

Question 61

Discuss the framing process and how it works.Provide an example to support your explanation.

Question 62

Civil society organizations have become important actors on the world stage.Discuss what they are,where they came from,and how they work.

Question 63

Discuss how alternative structures are used to circumvent state power,and provide an example to illustrate your points.