Deck 1: The Study of American Government the Study of American Government

Question 1

 In the United States,a person is said to have political __________ if he or she acts in a certain way that is conferred by a law or by a state or national constitution. 

A) authority 
B) control 
C) power 
D) influence 
E) clout

Answer 1

A

Question 2

 The term participatory democracy applies most accurately to which of the following societies? 

A) Greece in the fourth century B.C. 
B) Modern China 
C) The United States since 1787 
D) The Soviet Union between 1917 and 1991 
E) The southeastern United States before the Civil War

Answer 2

A

Question 3

 How did Aristotle define democracy? 

A) Rule of the few 
B) Rule of the one 
C) Rule of the powerful 
D) Rule of the many 
E) Rule of the intelligent

Answer 3

D

Question 4

 At the time of the Constitutional Convention,the view that a democratic government was desirable was 

A) already waning. 
B) close to unanimous. 
C) beyond debate. 
D) held by the elite only. 
E) far from unanimous.

Question 5

 Allowing voters to decide on referendum issues adds a measure of __________ to a(n)__________. 

A) republicanism; democracy 
B) oligarchy; populist society 
C) class struggle; classless society 
D) representative leadership; participatory democracy 
E) direct participation; representative democracy

Question 6

 The fundamental government finance problems in the 2010s and 1780s were primarily 

A) unsolvable. 
B) imagined. 
C) mathematical. 
D) political. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 7

 The federal budget initially proposed for 2017 called for over __________ trillion dollars in spending. 

A) 1 
B) 2 
C) 4 
D) 5 
E) 7

Question 8

 The Greek city-state,or polis,did NOT extend the right to vote to 

A) slaves. 
B) women. 
C) minors. 
D) those without property. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 9

 Individuals have power when they are able to 

A) get elected to office. 
B) be present at behind-the-scenes political meetings. 
C) serve their fellow human beings. 
D) get others to do what they want them to do. 
E) vote without being influenced by outside forces.

Question 10

 By authority,the authors mean the 

A) right to use power. 
B) manner in which power is spread. 
C) use of power for good causes. 
D) desire to have power. 
E) desire to give power to others.

Question 11

 For what reason does the book justify representative democracy? 

A) Deciding wisely on issues is impractical and unlikely, but deciding on leaders is possible. 
B) Elites are better at making political decisions. 
C) Representative democracy reserves power to important institutions besides the people. 
D) The Capitol Building lacks the room for all voters to discuss issues. 
E) Direct democracy is subject to emotional whims by voters.

Question 12

 The text suggests that in the United States,no government at any level would be considered legitimate if it were not in some sense 

A) democratic. 
B) altruistic. 
C) humanitarian. 
D) elitist. 
E) aristocratic.

Question 13

 Today,a primary source of legitimate political authority in the United States is the 

A) Bill of Rights. 
B) will of the people. 
C) U.S. Constitution. 
D) concept of civil liberty. 
E) notion of civil rights.

Question 14

 The text notes a tendency for issues that were once __________ to become __________. 

A) simple; complicated 
B) public; secret 
C) social; political 
D) private; public 
E) economic; social

Question 15

 The financial position of the state and national governments under the Articles of Confederation could be best described as 

A) sound, strong, and based on a large surplus of revenue. 
B) sound, strong, but uncertain around the edges. 
C) uniformly stable at the state level, but the national government struggled with debt. 
D) stable at the national level with little cause for concern in any of the states. 
E) growing debt at the national level and several states with financial crises.

Question 16

 In 1787,as the Constitution was being debated,__________ worried that the new government he helped create might be too democratic,while __________ who refused to sign the Constitution,worried that it was not democratic enough. 

A) John Adams; James Madison 
B) George Washington; George Mason 
C) Alexander Hamilton; George Mason 
D) Thomas Jefferson; Alexander Hamilton 
E) Patrick Henry; Samuel Adams

Question 17

 The Framers of the Constitution believed that democracy 

A) is the ideal form of government. 
B) is not an ideal form of government, but better than any alternative. 
C) is likely to lead to bad decisions. 
D) is likely to lead to decisions based on sound reasoning and logic. 
E) cannot exist in America as long as some people are slaves.

Question 18

 Formal authority refers to a right to exercise power that is derived from a(n) 

A) official ceremony. 
B) majority vote. 
C) consensus. 
D) popular consensus. 
E) governmental office.

Question 19

 The textbook refers to the activity by which an issue is agitated or settled as  

A) government. 
B) policy. 
C) politics. 
D) participation. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 20

 In our political system,Aristotle's ideal of direct democracy has been most closely approximated by the 

A) AFL-CIO. 
B) U.S. House of Representatives. 
C) New England town meeting. 
D) Constitutional Convention. 
E) southeastern United States before the Civil War.

Question 21

 Each of the following is an example of a nondemocratic political system EXCEPT a(n) 

A) totalitarian state. 
B) military dictatorship. 
C) absolute monarchy. 
D) authoritarian empire. 
E) constitutional republic.

Question 22

 In power elite view,which leaders control politics? 

A) Top military officials 
B) Labor union leaders 
C) Mass media executives 
D) The heads of special-interest groups 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 23

 According to the Framers of the Constitution,who was the best judge of the people's best interests? 

A) The people 
B) The landed gentry 
C) Elected officials 
D) Unelected bureaucrats 
E) Business leaders

Question 24

 A modern example of direct democracy occurs when citizens 

A) elect local boards to make decisions. 
B) run for political office. 
C) affected by some program participate in its formulation. 
D) write elected officials to express opinions on policy. 
E) work for politicians.

Question 25

 When the Framers of the Constitution wrote "republican form of government," they were referring to 

A) direct democracy. 
B) democratic centralism. 
C) mob rule. 
D) town meetings. 
E) representative democracy.

Question 26

 Which view about how power is distributed in the United States attributes the majority of political power to elected politicians? 

A) The class view 
B) The power elite view 
C) The bureaucratic view 
D) The creedal passion view 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 27

 America today is __________ democratic than it was in the past. 

A) less uniquely 
B) more uniquely 
C) neither more nor less 
D) less 
E) more

Question 28

 Samuel P.Huntington argued that morally impassioned elites made most important changes EXCEPT 

A) during periods of great social change. 
B) for decisions made by political parties. 
C) during normal, "business as usual" periods. 
D) for decisions by religious leaders. 
E) during wars.

Question 29

 Karl Marx argued that governments were dominated by business owners,whom he called the "__________",until a revolution replaced them with rule by laborers,whom he called the "__________." 

A) proletariat; bourgeoisie 
B) bourgeoisie; proletariat 
C) power elite; middle class 
D) working class; lower class 
E) laborites; working class

Question 30

 All of the following are requirements for representative democracy EXCEPT 

A) there must be opportunity for genuine leadership competition. 
B) individuals and parties must be able to run for office. 
C) voters must perceive that a meaningful choice exists. 
D) political resources must be distributed in a roughly equal manner. 
E) communication through the press, meetings, speech, and the internet must be free.

Question 31

 The bureaucratic view of political elites,which argues that appointed officials dominate government,is associated with 

A) Karl Marx. 
B) C. Wright Mills. 
C) Max Weber. 
D) David B. Truman. 
E) Robert Dahl.

Question 32

 In a referendum,citizens express their opinions about issues by means of 

A) letters. 
B) the ballot. 
C) town meetings. 
D) petitions. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 33

 Democracy in the United States is distinguished from many European democracies by the fact that in the United States, 

A) many more offices are elective. 
B) more campaign money comes from public sources. 
C) more people participate in the electoral process. 
D) the government plays a more active role in elections. 
E) the government frequently changes hands.

Question 34

 The sociologist __________ argued that American democracy is dominated by a small "power elite." 

A) C. Wright Mills 
B) Karl Marx 
C) David B. Truman 
D) Max Weber 
E) Samuel P. Huntington

Question 35

 According to the class view of power distribution,which of the following groups wields the most power in the United States? 

A) Unions and laborers 
B) Interest groups 
C) Unelected bureaucrats 
D) The people 
E) Top executives of multinational corporations

Question 36

 The author cites the early presidential administrations,the Civil War,and the New Deal as examples of struggles over 

A) what constitutes legitimate authority. 
B) who shall govern. 
C) who gets what, when, and how. 
D) when progress is possible. 
E) how power is accumulated.

Question 37

 Karl Marx believed that governments were dominated by 

A) business owners. 
B) elected officials. 
C) appointed bureaucrats. 
D) interest groups. 
E) religious leaders.

Question 38

 The Framers' concerns about direct democracy are well illustrated by the fact that the Constitution 

A) uses the word democracy only once, in the Preamble. 
B) uses the word democracy only in reference to Congress. 
C) does not feature the word democracy at all. 
D) uses only the word democratic. 
E) frequently uses the word democracy, but never in reference to the enumeration of a formal power.

Question 39

 Democracy was defined as the competitive struggle for people's votes by 

A) Joseph Stalin. 
B) Joseph Schumpeter. 
C) Max Weber. 
D) Karl Marx. 
E) Søren Kierkegaard.

Question 40

 Representative democracy is sometimes disapprovingly referred to as the __________ theory of democracy. 

A) limited 
B) aristocratic 
C) economic 
D) authoritarian 
E) elitist

Question 41

 Most people holding national political office are 

A) middle class. 
B) middle age. 
C) males. 
D) Protestant. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 42

 When the cost and benefits of a policy are widely distributed,they are 

A) limited to a relatively small number of citizens. 
B) spread over many, most, or even all citizens. 
C) enjoyed by only one demographic. 
D) limited to one geographic region. 
E) spread over a number of states.

Question 43

 What effect does the national media most likely have on the political agenda? 

A) Publicizing issues by giving them attention 
B) Influencing politicians into voting a particular way 
C) Producing stories that force politicians to act 
D) Demanding action through sheer size and power  
E) None of these are correct.

Question 44

 __________ politics is a policy in which almost everybody benefits and a small group pays. 

A) Interest group 
B) Majoritarian 
C) Client 
D) Entrepreneurial 
E) Logrolling

Question 45

 __________ politics is a policy in which one small group benefits and almost everybody pays. 

A) Interest group 
B) Majoritarian 
C) Client 
D) Entrepreneurial 
E) Logrolling

Question 46

 Pork-barrel legislation is an example of which type of politics? 

A) Interest group politics 
B) Majoritarian politics 
C) Client politics 
D) Entrepreneurial politics 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 47

 The size of the American political agenda has __________ over time.  

A) decreased  
B) increased 
C) remained constant 
D) fluctuated in a cyclic pattern  
E) fluctuated randomly 

Question 48

 A city council representative faces an important vote on how much,if any,money to spend on a new school.The representative relies on a poll of her constituents to make a decision.This is in keeping with the form of politics known as 

A) participatory politics. 
B) majoritarian politics. 
C) pluralist politics. 
D) elitist politics. 
E) reciprocal politics.

Question 49

 The trouble with trying to infer the distribution of political power from examining the laws on the books is that 

A) laws may be enacted in a great variety of circumstances. 
B) laws are made to be broken. 
C) legislative codes may be so obscure as to defy anyone's comprehension. 
D) many congressional enactments never get recorded at all. 
E) the judicial branch is rarely independent from the legislative branch.

Question 50

 The view that morally impassioned elites drive important political changes is associated with 

A) Karl Marx. 
B) Max Weber. 
C) Samuel P. Huntington. 
D) Robert Dahl. 
E) David B. Truman.

Question 51

 Regarding the role of self-interest in the positions that people take on important issues,it is safest to say that 

A) the self-interest of individuals is usually a complete guide to their actions. 
B) economic self-interest may be important but is usually not the only guide to people's actions. 
C) organizational self-interest rather than economic self-interest is usually the best guide to people's actions. 
D) political preferences can be predicted invariably by knowing an individual's economic or organizational position. 
E) self-interest is rarely an important factor in understanding political attitudes and behavior.

Question 52

 Debate over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 encompassed 

A) interest group politics. 
B) majoritarian politics. 
C) client politics. 
D) entrepreneurial politics. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 53

 Which of the following affects the political agenda? 

A) Shared political values 
B) The weight of custom and tradition 
C) The impact of events 
D) The way political elites discuss issues 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 54

 A policy in which one small group benefits and another small group pays is 

A) interest group politics. 
B) majoritarian politics. 
C) client politics. 
D) entrepreneurial politics. 
E) logrolling politics.

Question 55

 Prior to the 1960s,the plans of liberal presidents faced heavy resistance from __________ in the Senate. 

A) conservative Southern Democrats 
B) conservative Southern Republicans 
C) liberal Northern Democrats 
D) liberal Northern Republicans 
E) everybody

Question 56

 Which of the following statements about political power,or "who governs?" is most accurate? 

A) The key to understanding power is to understand the monetary costs of different political decisions. 
B) Political power can usually be inferred by knowing what laws are on the books. 
C) Political power can usually be inferred by knowing what administrative actions have been taken. 
D) Power cannot be realized without institutional arrangements. 
E) Most power derives from psychological and social factors such as friendship, loyalty, and prestige.

Question 57

 When the cost and benefits of a policy are narrowly concentrated,they are 

A) limited to a relatively small number of citizens. 
B) spread over many, most, or even all citizens. 
C) enjoyed by many demographics. 
D) limited a geographic region. 
E) spread over a number of states.

Question 58

 Which of the following reflects the issues that people believe require governmental action? 

A) Client politics 
B) Majoritarian politics 
C) Interest groups 
D) The form of government 
E) The political agenda

Question 59

 In 1935,__________ of American families paid no federal income tax. 

A) 1 percent 
B) 4 percent 
C) 80 percent 
D) 90 percent 
E) 96 percent

Question 60

 A policy in which almost everybody benefits and almost everybody pays is 

A) interest group politics. 
B) majoritarian politics. 
C) client politics. 
D) entrepreneurial politics. 
E) log-rolling politics.

Question 61

 People generally accept what the government customarily does. 

Question 62

 One can have political power even if one does not possess formal authority. 

Question 63

 Safety requirements for automobiles are an example of client politics. 

Question 64

 Young Americans are becoming increasingly engaged in politics. 

Question 65

 Marx argued that governments were basically dominated by business owners. 

Question 66

 Log-rolling occurs when a legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for support of his or her own. 

Question 67

 The United States was founded on the principle that the Constitution is the fundamental source of legitimate authority. 

Question 68

 At one time,it was unconstitutional for the federal government to levy income tax. 

Question 69

 Pluralists see power as being widely distributed throughout society. 

Question 70

 Representative democracy requires that most public officials be elected. 

Question 71

 Groups that agree on both the ends and means of a given issue may still fail to reach a consensus. 

Question 72

 None of the Founders was particularly concerned about the government being too democratic. 

Question 73

 A representative democracy directly reflects the "rule of the many." 

Question 74

 Representative democracy is sometimes referred to as the "elitist theory of democracy." 

Question 75

 The annual interest on the national debt will be well over $300 billion by 2026. 

Question 76

 In the Greek city-state,only property holders were allowed to be citizens. 

Question 77

 Some political issues are imagined. 

Question 78

 Max Weber argued that the modern state is controlled by appointed bureaucrats. 

Question 79

 The power elite view argues that American democracy is controlled by elected officeholders. 

Question 80

 Under the Articles of Confederation,the state governments paid very little of the monies requisitioned by the federal government.