Deck 1: American Political Culture

Question 1

Political apathy among Americans hurts which core political value the most?

A) democracy
B) freedom of religion
C) economic liberty
D) equality of opportunity
E) equality of outcome

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement about the consequences of declining trust in government?

A) Distrust threatens the government's ability to attract good workers to the public sector.
B) Distrust makes people less willing to pay the taxes necessary for public activities.
C) Distrust motivates people to participate in politics through voting, volunteering for political campaigns, and running for office.
D) Distrust weakens the government's ability to help people in times of crisis.
E) Distrust weakens the government's ability to defend our national interest in the world economy.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

To the ancient Greeks, citizenship meant ________.

A) voting
B) holding office
C) military service
D) patriotism
E) political engagement

Answer 3

E

Question 4

In general, Americans' trust in their government has ________ since the 1960s.

A) remained stable
B) risen slightly
C) risen sharply
D) fallen slightly
E) fallen sharply

Question 5

The first prerequisite to increasing political efficacy is ________.

A) increasing political knowledge
B) decreasing political knowledge
C) reducing political participation
D) reducing trust in government
E) increasing political indifference

Question 6

In order to be a good citizen, it is most critical to possess ________.

A) powerful friends
B) money
C) political knowledge
D) strongly held convictions
E) a doctoral degree in political science

Question 7

Politics in a democracy

A) entails eliminating all conflict.
B) entails a lack of struggle for leadership.
C) is all about conflict on a day-to-day basis.
D) entails all political players agreeing on public policy proposals.
E) none of the above

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the declining levels of trust in the United States in recent years?

A) revelations about the faulty information that led up to the war in Iraq
B) the government's inability to get the economy moving following the recession of 2008
C) an increase in the citizens' knowledge of how the political system operates
D) the bitter congressional battle over raising the national debt limit in 2011
E) the government shutdown in 2013

Question 9

The stock market crashed in __________, which plunged the United States into the Great Depression.

A) 1912
B) 1921
C) 1929
D) 1933
E) 1941

Question 10

The belief that citizens can influence what government does is called ________.

A) political efficacy
B) political saliency
C) popular sovereignty
D) autocracy
E) oligarchy

Question 11

Government can best be defined as the ________.

A) institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled
B) set of political principles and values that guide political life
C) legalized theft of citizens' property
D) invisible hand that turns private interests into public goods
E) shared set of values, beliefs, and attitudes that people have about politics

Question 12

A ________ is a service that a person needs but is usually unable to provide for himself or herself.

A) public good
B) cultural commodity
C) selective benefit
D) cultural benefit
E) private good

Question 13

What is the principal difference between an autocracy and an oligarchy?

A) the responsiveness to public opinion
B) the number of people in charge
C) the level of wealth of the rulers
D) international diplomatic recognition
E) the strength of the military

Question 14

It is important for Americans to have political knowledge so that they will

A) be able to determine who is un-American.
B) not suffer from political efficacy.
C) be better able to assess their own interests when making political choices.
D) be better able to judge the legitimacy of other nations.
E) feel a stronger sense of patriotism.

Question 15

Today, the federal government is

A) nonexistent in the lives of most Americans.
B) a small institution that enacts a small number of programs that affect a relatively small number of people.
C) an enormous institution that enacts a large number of programs affecting virtually all Americans.
D) an enormous institution that enacts a small number of programs affecting a relatively small number of people.
E) an enormous institution that is constitutionally banned from regulating economic activities.

Question 16

It is important for Americans to have political knowledge so that they will

A) be able to determine who is conservative or libertarian.
B) not suffer from political efficacy.
C) be better able to understand various policy proposals and their implications on society.
D) be better able to judge the legitimacy of other nations.
E) feel a stronger sense of patriotism.

Question 17

What do people expect from the government?

A) security
B) education
C) a safe food supply
D) information about severe weather
E) all of the above

Question 18

How is a decline in political efficacy likely to matter for the health of the American democracy?

A) It is likely to lead to an increase in political participation and a renewed interest in political life.
B) It is likely to lead to a decline in political participation and a withdrawal from political life.
C) It is likely to lead to less dishonesty by elected representatives.
D) It is likely to lower the total national debt.
E) It is likely to lead to a stronger belief in the values of liberty and equality.

Question 19

Survey data demonstrates that the level of Americans' political knowledge is ________.

A) uniformly high; Americans are very interested and knowledgeable about public affairs
B) low and spotty
C) high regarding local political figures but low regarding national political figures
D) high concerning current events but low concerning history
E) high regarding governmental processes but low concerning matters related to the U.S. Constitution

Question 20

According to the authors of the text, democracy functions best when ________.

A) all citizens are members of a political party
B) less than a majority of citizens vote in every election
C) citizens are informed
D) all candidates for office are highly educated
E) all candidates for office are wealthy

Question 21

Prior to the eighteenth century,

A) governments were primarily democratic.
B) totalitarian rule was common.
C) governments rarely sought the support of their people.
D) most governments were based on respect for the rule of law.
E) autocracies were extremely rare.

Question 22

The willingness to be restrained by the power of social institutions, but not political or legal institutions, is a hallmark of a(n) ________ regime.

A) totalitarian
B) authoritarian
C) democratic
D) oligarchic
E) monarchic

Question 23

A government that is formally limited by laws and rules is called ________.

A) democratic
B) constitutional
C) oligarchic
D) authoritarian
E) totalitarian

Question 24

The ________ was the key group in Europe that pushed for limited government.

A) bourgeoisie
B) gendarmes
C) libertarian group
D) peasantry
E) socialist party

Question 25

The bourgeoisie sought to change which of the following institutions into instruments of political participation?

A) monarchies
B) universities
C) independent judiciaries
D) newspapers
E) parliaments

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT an example of a totalitarian regime?

A) pre-World War II Italy
B) pre-World War II Japan
C) Nazi Germany
D) the Soviet Union under Stalin
E) the United Kingdom

Question 27

Having some share or say in the composition of a government's leadership, how it is organized, or what its policies are going to be is called ________.

A) government
B) power
C) autocracy
D) federalism
E) constitutionalism

Question 28

The demand that there be no taxation without representation is a good example of what political reform of the eighteenth century?

A) the decline of popular influence on government
B) more popular influence on government
C) the decline in citizenship
D) the spread of autocracy
E) greater attention to the economic effects of politics

Question 29

What major changes in Western government led to the establishment of constitutional government?

A) legal limits on government and the right of more people to vote
B) the right of revolution and the spread of socialism
C) debt relief for the poor and the right of average citizens to hold office
D) the colonialism of the New World and the right of revolution
E) the growth in ethnic and religious diversity

Question 30

Politics can be defined as

A) conflicts over the character, membership, and policies of any organization to which people belong.
B) the informal, private organizations through which a land and its people are ruled.
C) a hierarchically structured organization that is designed to distribute labor among several different groups of people.
D) a line-and-staff organization that is designed to facilitate control over complex social arrangements.
E) alliances of various interest groups, policy experts, and elected representatives who unite in order to promote a governmental solution to a problem.

Question 31

A(n) ________ occurs when a small group of wealthy landowners and corporate leaders control the government.

A) monarchy
B) oligarchy
C) authoritarian regime
D) totalitarian state
E) autocracy

Question 32

John Locke and John Stuart Mill are important philosophers for the ideology of ________.

A) popular participation
B) liberty and political rights
C) tradition and religion in politics
D) revolutionary action
E) socialism

Question 33

The struggle of competing interest groups for governmental influence is called ________.

A) pluralism
B) direct action politics
C) direct democracy
D) oligarchy
E) grassroots mobilization

Question 34

An autocracy exists when

A) the government is controlled by a single individual.
B) the government is controlled by a small but powerful group of people.
C) the constitution of a government is followed strictly.
D) the government is controlled by one dominant religious group.
E) citizens play a significant part in government by electing key public officials.

Question 35

According to the authors of the text, what is the main benefit of a constitutional government?

A) The government is limited by the rule of law.
B) The government must lower taxes for the citizens.
C) The government will distribute social goods equally.
D) The government is stable.
E) The government will produce high levels of economic growth.

Question 36

Which of the following is true regarding constitutional democracies in the world today?

A) Over 80 percent of the global population lives in a constitutional democracy.
B) Most people in the world experience democracy on a daily basis.
C) Over 80 percent of the global population lives in a dictatorship.
D) About 40 percent of the global population lives in a constitutional democracy.
E) none of the above

Question 37

________ described politics as "who gets what, when, and how."

A) James Madison
B) Abraham Lincoln
C) Franklin Roosevelt
D) Harold Lasswell
E) John Locke

Question 38

A government that is NOT constrained by legal limits and also seeks to eliminate those organized social groups that might challenge or limit its authority is known as a(n) ________ government.

A) oligarchic
B) authoritarian
C) totalitarian
D) democratic
E) republican

Question 39

A representative democracy is a system of government that

A) allows citizens to vote directly on laws and policies.
B) allows citizens to make, veto, or judge statutes personally.
C) gives citizens a regular opportunity to elect top government officials.
D) gives citizens the ability to debate important constitutional decisions.
E) legally requires government officials to vote for policies that a majority of their constituents prefer.

Question 40

Direct democracy is best defined as

A) a state of continual revolution.
B) the system of government run by one person.
C) a system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies.
D) the competition between interest groups for governmental power.
E) a system that allows citizens to elect representatives who play a significant role in governmental decision making.

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT an example of a public good?

A) the military
B) the local police force
C) a job
D) fire protection
E) clean water

Question 42

The National Origins quota system

A) allowed a large quota of new immigrants from northern European countries but only a small quota of new immigrants from eastern and southern European countries.
B) allowed only a small quota of new immigrants from northern European countries but a large quota of immigrants from eastern and southern European countries.
C) allowed the same quota of new immigrants from every country around the world.
D) abolished the quota system for immigrants from certain countries.
E) outlawed all immigration from European countries.

Question 43

At the time of the founding of the republic, approximately ________ percent of non-Native American inhabitants of the thirteen states were of European ancestry.

A) 25
B) 50
C) 65
D) 80
E) 98

Question 44

Political culture refers to the

A) way artists, musicians, filmmakers, and cultural critics use their messages to influence political decision making.
B) factors that influence the way informal social organizations make decisions.
C) shared values, beliefs, and attitudes that serve to hold a nation and its people together.
D) system of organizing politically, which is defined historically in the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.
E) formal rules that govern the interaction between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Question 45

Which of the following is an example of the process of direct democracy?

A) citizens in a state approving the use of medical marijuana
B) a citizen calling her representative to complain about potholes on local roads
C) a citizen who was never active in politics choosing to run for Congress
D) a group of citizens coming together to debate the pros and cons of higher taxes
E) a citizen deciding to contribute money to his preferred presidential candidate

Question 46

About ________ percent of the American adult population identifies with the Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish faiths.

A) 25
B) 42
C) 60
D) 77
E) 96

Question 47

Why did the Progressives support women's suffrage in the early twentieth century?

A) The Progressives were dominated by women.
B) The Progressives wanted to make the United States as democratic as possible.
C) The Progressives believed women would support their reform movement.
D) The Progressives needed to develop a voting bloc to check and limit upper-class northerners.
E) The Progressives needed to develop a voting bloc to check and limit lower-class southerners.

Question 48

Why are Americans sometimes fearful of pluralist politics?

A) They are fearful that organized groups will not compete for political influence.
B) They are fearful that organized groups will successfully advance public interests at the expense of special interests.
C) They are fearful that organized groups will successfully advance special interests at the expense of the greater public good.
D) They are fearful that organized groups represent a challenge to liberty.
E) They are fearful that organized groups will reduce the need for public goods.

Question 49

Which of the following statements about the changes in American society between 1900 and 2010 is NOT true?

A) There has been a decline in the percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Protestants.
B) The average age of Americans has fallen.
C) There has been an increase in the percentage of Americans who live in urban areas.
D) The percentage of Caucasians has decreased.
E) There has been an increase in the percentage of Americans who identify as multiracial.

Question 50

Which of the following is an example of direct action politics in the United States?

A) Occupy Wall Street
B) the Tea Party
C) both a and b
D) the Democratic takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2006 midterm elections
E) the Republican takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2010 midterm elections

Question 51

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Native Americans have always been recognized as citizens of the United States.
B) Native Americans became U.S. citizens in 1868.
C) Native Americans became U.S. citizens in 1924.
D) Native Americans became U.S. citizens in 1965.
E) Native Americans have never become U.S. citizens in American constitutional law.

Question 52

If a government led by a dictator was replaced with a government where a large number of citizens exercised influence over decision making, this change would best be characterized as a shift from a(n) ________.

A) autocracy to an oligarchy
B) oligarchy to an autocracy
C) democracy to an oligarchy
D) democracy to an autocracy
E) autocracy to a democracy

Question 53

The ________ is the most important concept for the theory of pluralism.

A) individual
B) nation
C) vote
D) state
E) group

Question 54

The population of America was about ________ million in 1790 and about ________ million in 2012.

A) 1; 250
B) 4; 315
C) 10; 355
D) 12; 400
E) 20; 450

Question 55

Which of the following statements about the United States census is most accurate?

A) The census has always counted every person living within the boundaries of the United States regardless of race or ethnicity.
B) The census has always categorized people in one of five racial groups: Native Americans, Latino Americans, African Americans, Caucasian Americans, and Asian Americans.
C) The census has never categorized people by race or ethnicity.
D) Who census officials count and how they are categorized by race and ethnicity have changed significantly throughout American history.
E) The current census does not allow a person to identify himself or herself as a member of more than one racial group.

Question 56

Those instrumental in the founding of the American republic

A) explicitly outlawed political protest in the Constitution because they believed elections were sufficient enough to protect political freedom.
B) explicitly outlawed political protest in the Constitution because they believed in pluralism.
C) provided protections for political protest in the Constitution because they believed direct democracy was a better form of government than representative democracy.
D) provided protections for political protest in the Constitution because they believed elections were not enough to protect political freedom.
E) provided protections for political protest in the Constitution because they believed it was the only way to guarantee political equality.

Question 57

How does the U.S. Constitution create a system that underrepresents urban areas?

A) It provides representation based on population in the U.S. House of Representatives.
B) It provides each state with two U.S. senators regardless of population.
C) It provides for a system of direct democracy at the federal level.
D) It requires federal officials to spend the same amount of money in rural and urban areas of the country.
E) It requires that federal officials impose higher taxes on people living in urban areas of the country.

Question 58

Which of the following statements best describes naturalization laws in the United States prior to 1870?

A) All free people could become naturalized citizens after living in the country for at least five years.
B) All free people could become naturalized citizens after living in the country for at least ten years.
C) Only free whites could become naturalized citizens.
D) Only freed African American slaves could become naturalized citizens.
E) Only Native Americans could become naturalized citizens.

Question 59

According to the authors of the text, what is the goal of politics?

A) to get as much power as possible in order to serve one's own interests
B) to construct a perfect constitutional order
C) to construct a political system that is conducive to economic growth
D) to have a say in a government's leadership, organization, and policies
E) to construct a political system that provides as many people as possible with the chance to participate

Question 60

Which of the following is an instrument of direct democracy?

A) the electoral college
B) litigation
C) initiatives
D) the U.S. House of Representatives
E) the U.S. Senate

Question 61

The Bill of Rights was designed to protect ________.

A) equality
B) liberty
C) democracy
D) capitalism
E) socialism

Question 62

________ leaked top secret documents from the National Security Administration to the press in 2013.

A) Vladimir Putin
B) Mitch McConnell
C) Rush Limbaugh
D) Sherrod Brown
E) Edward Snowden

Question 63

The right of each citizen to vote is an example of ________.

A) equality of opportunity
B) equality of result
C) political equality
D) educational opportunity
E) laissez-faire capitalism

Question 64

Political rights are a protection against ________.

A) pluralism
B) the tyranny of the majority
C) the tyranny of the minority
D) the equality of result
E) socialism

Question 65

Which of the following statements best describes how Americans currently feel about laissez-faire capitalism?

A) Americans strongly support capitalism and economic liberty and reject all restrictions on economic freedom.
B) Americans strongly support capitalism and economic liberty but also endorse policies that are designed to guarantee economic equality among all citizens.
C) Americans strongly support capitalism and economic liberty but also endorse some restrictions on economic freedoms to protect the public.
D) Americans strongly oppose capitalism and economic liberty and endorse policies that are designed to guarantee economic equality among all citizens.
E) Americans strongly oppose capitalism and economic liberty and endorse some restrictions on economic freedoms to protect the public.

Question 66

"One person, one vote" reflects the principle of ________.

A) political equality
B) equality of opportunity
C) majority rule
D) economic liberty
E) popular sovereignty

Question 67

The essential documents of the American founding are the ________ and the ________.

A) Declaration of Independence; Constitution
B) Declaration of Independence; Magna Carta
C) Constitution; Magna Carta
D) Constitution; Mayflower Compact
E) Mayflower Compact; Magna Carta

Question 68

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Americans express mixed views about government.
B) Americans have always given all people political equality.
C) Americans are highly engaged in public affairs.
D) both b and c
E) none of the above

Question 69

The separate but equal doctrine was created in ________.

A) Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
B) McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
C) Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, KS (1954)
D) Roe v. Wade (1973)
E) Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Question 70

Which of the following statements about property restrictions on the right to vote in the United States is true?

A) They are explicitly forbidden in the Constitution and have never been instituted.
B) They were in effect early in the country's history but were eliminated by 1828.
C) They were instituted in 1828 and are still in effect in many states.
D) They are spelled out in the Constitution and have been in effect since 1789.
E) They were in effect early in the country's history but were eliminated with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.

Question 71

The fact that the tax code in the United States is more advantageous to wealthy citizens than that of almost any other Western nation supports the claim that Americans

A) strongly reject the ideal of popular sovereignty.
B) strongly endorse the ideal of equality of opportunity.
C) generally tolerate economic inequality.
D) vehemently oppose all forms of inequality.
E) believe in majority rule with minority rights.

Question 72

In American political culture, economic freedom means ________.

A) low inflation
B) job security
C) capitalism
D) the absence of income taxes
E) a government-controlled stock market

Question 73

Women were granted the right to vote in ________.

A) 1863
B) 1870
C) 1900
D) 1920
E) 1965

Question 74

The existence of slavery in the United States is a good example of how

A) American values are not always reflected in practice.
B) Americans do not value liberty.
C) European ideals have influenced American political culture.
D) political needs are often placed above economic needs.
E) liberty requires popular sovereignty.

Question 75

________ are the three core values in American politics.

A) Liberty, equality, and democracy
B) Democracy, patriotism, and the rule of law
C) Equality, oligarchy, and free enterprise
D) Anarchy, equality, and patriotism
E) Socialism, oligarchy, and liberty

Question 76

Low voter turnout and political apathy endanger ________.

A) equality
B) economic liberty
C) democracy
D) constitutionalism
E) laissez-faire capitalism

Question 77

Throughout American history, the concept of liberty has been linked to the

A) idea of privacy.
B) idea of limited government.
C) idea of unlimited government.
D) idea of economic equality.
E) Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.

Question 78

________ once said "Give me liberty or give me death" in a speech that has resonated with Americans throughout the nation's history.

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) Benjamin Franklin
C) George Washington
D) Patrick Henry
E) George Mason

Question 79

In ________ the ________ secured the right to vote for African Americans.

A) 1870; Voting Rights Act
B) 1920; Fifteenth Amendment
C) 1920; Voting Rights Act
D) 1965; Fifteenth Amendment
E) 1965; Voting Rights Act

Question 80

The belief that political authority should rest with the people themselves is called ________.

A) political culture
B) political equality
C) pluralism
D) popular sovereignty
E) federalism