Deck 1: American Political Culture

Question 1

A government that is not constrained by legal limits and also seeks to eliminate those organized social groups that might challenge or limit their authority is known as

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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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 knowledge of how government operates
D) the bitter congressional battle over raising the national debt limit in 2011
E) ongoing concern about the war in Iraq during the Bush administration

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Survey data shows that the level of Americans' political knowledge is

A) uniformly high.
B) low and spotty.
C) high regarding local political figures but low regarding governmental processes.
D) high concerning current events but low concerning history.
E) high regarding governmental processes but low concerning national political figures.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

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.

Question 5

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 6

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

A) the responsiveness to popular 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 7

To the Ancient Greeks, citizenship meant

A) voting.
B) holding office.
C) military service.
D) paying taxes.
E) talking and debating about how to improve the welfare of the community.

Question 8

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) reducing popular sovereignty.

Question 9

According to the text, democracy functions best when

A) all citizens are members of a political party.
B) 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 10

According to the text, which of the following is not a necessary part of the knowledge a citizen must possess?

A) the candidates running for office and their policy proposals
B) the structures of government
C) the political process
D) democratic principles
E) the economic interests of other citizens

Question 11

If the government were controlled by a small group of wealthy landowners and corporate leaders, this would be best described as a(n)

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

Question 12

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

Question 13

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 be best characterized as a:

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

Question 14

After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, President George W. Bush oversaw the creation of the Department of

A) Veterans Affairs.
B) Homeland Security.
C) Education.
D) Health and Human Services.
E) Treasury.

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 touching on very few aspects of American life.
C) an enormous institution that enacts a large number of programs touching on nearly every aspect of American life.
D) an enormous institution that enacts a small number of programs touching on very few aspects of American life.
E) an enormous institution that is legally banned from regulating economic activities.

Question 16

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 college degree.

Question 17

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 others' 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 18

The belief that you can influence how your government acts is called

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

Question 19

How is a decline in political efficacy likely to matter for the health of 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 lead to more initiatives and ballot referenda.
E) It is likely to lead to a stronger belief in the values of liberty and equality.

Question 20

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

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

Question 21

Who described politics as "who gets what, when, and how"?

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

Question 22

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 23

John Locke and John Stuart Mill are important philosophers for which of the following ideologies?

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

Question 24

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

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

Question 25

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

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

Question 26

According to 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 obey democracy.
C) The government will distribute social goods equally.
D) The government is stable.
E) The government will produce high levels of economic growth.

Question 27

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 28

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

A) The Progressives were a group 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 29

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 30

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 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 31

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 32

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 33

A service that a person needs but is usually unable to provide for him- or herself individually is called a(n)

A) public good.
B) cultural commodity.
C) oligarchy.
D) entitlement.
E) selective benefit.

Question 34

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

A) a military defense force
B) a police force
C) a job
D) the administration of courts
E) social justice

Question 35

Of the nearly 200 governments in the world, what is the estimate of the number of actual constitutional democracies?

A) 20
B) 75
C) 87
D) 110
E) 150

Question 36

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 37

Before 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 38

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 39

Direct democracy is best defined as

A) a state of continual revolution.
B) the system that allows people to vote by telephone or over the Internet.
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 40

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

A) bourgeoisie.
B) idiotes.
C) citizens.
D) poor.
E) peasantry.

Question 41

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 42

What 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 43

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 44

The Bill of Rights was designed to protect

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

Question 45

How does the United States Constitution create a system that underrepresents urban areas?

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

Question 46

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 47

Which of the following is an instrument of direct democracy?

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

Question 48

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 whites has decreased.
E) There has been an increase in the percentage of Americans who identify as multiracial.

Question 49

According to the text, what were the essential documents of the American Founding?

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

Question 50

The Founders

A) explicitly outlawed political protest in the Constitution because they believed elections were 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 51

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

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

Question 52

At the time of the Founding, 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 53

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 black slaves could become naturalized citizens.
E) Only Native Americans could become naturalized citizens.

Question 54

Why are Americans sometimes fearful of pluralist politics?

A) They are fearful that organized groups will not come together to compete for 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 public interests.
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 55

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 make important military decisions directly.
E) legally requires government officials to vote for policies that a majority of their constituents prefer.

Question 56

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

A) a group of citizens collecting signatures so that the public can vote on whether to enact a law guaranteeing minimum amounts of living space for pregnant pigs
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 57

The Bill of Rights is the

A) first ten amendments to the Constitution.
B) first constitution the Founders wrote.
C) charter of freedom established by the English lords against the king.
D) Fourteenth Amendment.
E) first governing document of Plymouth Colony.

Question 58

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, Hispanics, Blacks, Asians, and Whites.
C) The census has never categorized people by race or ethnicity.
D) Who is counted by the census and how they are categorized by race and ethnicity have changed significantly throughout American history.
E) The current census does not allow people to identify themselves as a member of more than one racial group.

Question 59

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.

Question 60

Political culture refers to the

A) way that artists, musicians, filmmakers, and cultural critics use their message 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 in the Articles of Confederation.
E) formal rules that govern the interaction between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Question 61

What is the most important check on majority rule in the United States?

A) popular sovereignty
B) pluralism
C) the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights
D) laissez-faire
E) "one person, one vote"

Question 62

What observation did philosopher Immanuel Kant make in his 1795 essay "Toward Perpetual Peace"?

A) The only way to achieve peace is by promoting more religion.
B) Perpetual peace is an impossible dream because people are blinded by narrow self-interest.
C) The best route to peace is through strategic balance of power between the United States and major European nations.
D) Democratic regimes seldom make war on each other.
E) Autocratic regimes seldom make war on each other.

Question 63

The separate but equal doctrine was introduced in what Supreme Court case?

A) Plessy v. Ferguson
B) the civil rights cases
C) Brown v. Board of Education
D) Roe v. Wade
E) Marbury v. Madison

Question 64

Disputes over affirmative action demonstrate that

A) Americans disagree over the public's legitimate role in ensuring the equality of opportunity.
B) Americans are generally supportive of equality of results.
C) economic liberties are more important than democracy.
D) Americans have stopped valuing democracy.
E) Americans strongly support laissez-faire capitalism.

Question 65

Which of the following is a common explanation for why the United States should pursue a policy of democratization?

A) Democratization is less expensive than diplomacy.
B) Democratization leads to more political participation within the United States.
C) Democratization leads to political stability.
D) Democratization leads to more economic equality among nations.
E) Democratization leads to a healthy environment.

Question 66

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

A) equality of opportunity.
B) political equality.
C) pluralism.
D) popular sovereignty.
E) federalism.

Question 67

The Constitution's Preamble, beginning with the words "We the People," is an illustration of what principle?

A) majority rule
B) political equality
C) popular sovereignty
D) minority rights
E) political rights

Question 68

Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education reveal two very different visions of what political value?

A) liberty
B) democracy
C) equality
D) fairness
E) popular sovereignty

Question 69

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 70

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 71

"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 72

Which of the following statements is true?

A) The United States has a greater gap in income between the poorest and richest than any other developed nation.
B) The gap between the rich and the poor can be explained by American support of oligarchy.
C) American politics is structured by centuries-long class antagonism.
D) Income gaps between Americans are small compared with those in other developed nations.
E) The United States has a smaller gap in income between the poorest and richest than any other developed nation.

Question 73

According to the text, the United States did not become a fully democratic nation until

A) 1790, when all thirteen states ratified the Constitution.
B) the 1860s, after the Civil War.
C) the 1820s, when property requirements for voting were dropped.
D) the early twentieth century, when women were granted suffrage.
E) the 1960s, when the right of African Americans to vote was enforced by federal laws.

Question 74

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 75

Debates over the wisdom of President Bush's decision to monitor domestic phone traffic in search of communications among terrorist groups without a court warrant illustrate

A) the difficulties in reconciling the ideal of liberty with the need for security.
B) the difficulties in balancing popular sovereignty and minority rights.
C) the impact of pluralist politics on American government.
D) the negative consequences of direct democracy.
E) the importance of political knowledge to popular sovereignty.

Question 76

The term laissez-faire means

A) fair trade.
B) laziness is folly.
C) hard work.
D) leave alone.
E) equal treatment.

Question 77

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

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

Question 78

Which of the following statements concerning political values in the United States is true?

A) American values often conflict with each other in practice.
B) Because of their diversity, Americans do not share a similar set of core political values.
C) The origins of American political values are found in the 1960s.
D) American politics relies on its value neutrality.
E) A belief in economic equality is the oldest and most strongly held American value.

Question 79

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 80

Affirmative action is very controversial because

A) Americans argue about whether it promotes or restrains equality.
B) it is inherently an undemocratic way of achieving liberty.
C) some argue that it limits political equality in order to promote cost-effectiveness.
D) it is a legacy of the Jim Crow years.
E) some argue that it undermines popular sovereignty.