Deck 12: Democracys Character and Future

Question 1

Elements of liberal democracy include all of the following except

A) free speech.
B) consent of the governed.
C) the rule of law.
D) protection against arbitrary action by government.
E) market fundamentalism.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

According to the text, the tension at the very core of U.S. politics is between the tendency for capitalism to promote ______________ and the tendency for democracy to promote ______________.

A) inequality . . . equality
B) equality . . . inequality
C) racism . . . cultural diversity
D) cultural diversity . . . racism
E) greed . . . altruism

Answer 2

A

Question 3

According to the text, over the course of American history, Americans have become ______________.

A) less tolerant
B) more tolerant
C) as tolerant now as in the 1950s
D) as tolerant now as in the era of the Founders
E) as tolerant now as during the Great Depression

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In evaluating the extent to which a political system is democratic, the conclusion to the text raises all of the following issues except

A) whether elections are open and fair.
B) whether there are procedures in addition to open and fair elections to ensure the full and fair expression of political views.
C) whether the demographic characteristics of political leaders reflect those they represent.
D) whether elected officials effectively and responsively represent their constituents.
E) whether there is a two-party system as opposed to a multi-party system.

Question 5

The text quotes a statement by political scientist Robert Dahl about a large corporation being inherently a political system mainly to

A) argue that it is hard to distinguish between nonpolitical "private" realms and political "public" realms.
B) demonstrate the way shareholders can hold management accountable through democratic participation.
C) illustrate how corporations are regulated by the government.
D) argue for less government regulation of business.
E) argue that employees should elect their supervisors.

Question 6

Which president disguised covert efforts in an illegal scheme to help Contra rebels in Nicaragua fight a guerilla war against the elected leftist Sandinista government?

A) Lyndon Baines Johnson
B) Richard Nixon
C) Jimmy Carter
D) Ronald Reagan
E) Bill Clinton

Question 7

According to the text, challenge to the concentration and uneven distribution of wealth and power in the United States depends in large part on

A) our elected officials.
B) revolution in underdeveloped nations.
C) informed and active political participation.
D) the election of a Democratic president in 2016.
E) the election of a Republican president in 2016.

Question 8

According to the text, the dominant way people in the United States manage their understanding of the relationship between democracy and capitalism is

A) by ignoring it.
B) by emphasizing the need for government officials to pay attention to the principles stated in the Declaration of Independence.
C) by subscribing to a set of values called the American dream.
D) by realizing that the American dream has always been a nightmare for people of color, women, and all poor people, no matter what their race, ethnicity, or gender.
E) by saying that the government must do only what the Constitution says it can do.

Question 9

According to the text, the environmental movement's successes include all of the following except

A) introducing regulations to safeguard drinking water.
B) introducing regulations protecting consumer safety.
C) increasing occupational health and safety.
D) pressing the United States to sign the Kyoto Protocol limiting carbon emissions.
E) introducing regulations safeguarding the air we breathe.

Question 10

The text distinguishes between structural change and conscious, voluntary political change. What are the differences between the two kinds of change? In what ways, according to the text, are the two not independent of each other?

Question 11

In discussing the relationship between capitalism and democracy, the text quotes a study that says

A) capitalism tends to value individuals according to contributions to production, but democracy attributes unique but roughly equivalent value to all people.
B) democracy tends to value individuals according to contributions to production, but capitalism attributes unique but roughly equivalent value to all people.
C) both capitalism and democracy tend to value individuals according to contributions to production.
D) both capitalism and democracy attribute unique but roughly equivalent value to all people.
E) neither capitalism nor democracy attributes unique but roughly equivalent value to all people.

Question 12

Summarize the parallels drawn by the text between baseball and U.S. politics.

Question 13

According to the text, democracy maximizes

A) freedom and participation.
B) equality and profits.
C) rule by the few.
D) corruption.
E) political discord.

Question 14

According to the text, capitalism maximizes

A) equality and participation.
B) freedom and participation.
C) freedom and equality.
D) earnings and profit.
E) profit and freedom.

Question 15

The text states that the perspective provided by the American dream permits more than one kind of public policy. Summarize the evidence and arguments presented by the book in support of that statement.

Question 16

Summarize the arguments and evidence presented in the text to support the book's claim that the tension between democracy and capitalism is at the very core of U.S. politics.

Question 17

According to the text, the American dream stresses the importance of

A) patriotism.
B) moral values.
C) equality of opportunity.
D) everyone having the same income.
E) everyone voting.

Question 18

According to the text, during the New Deal the quest for equality of opportunity

A) led to a push for smaller government.
B) led to a push for a more effective government that could limit the inequalities generated by the economic system.
C) was abandoned.
D) was largely achieved for all people in the United States.
E) was largely achieved for all whites in the United States but not for people of color.

Question 19

When asked in opinion surveys, most Americans ______________ the proposition that "government should limit the amount of money any individual is allowed to earn in a year."

A) agree with
B) disagree with
C) are split 50-50 over
D) choose not to respond to
E) frequently change their position regarding

Question 20

According to the text, U.S. politics resembles baseball mainly because

A) in politics as in baseball, there is a lot of corruption.
B) politics, like baseball, is a sport.
C) just as there are numerous unproven charges of steroid use in baseball, so too are there numerous unproven charges of wrongdoing in politics.
D) in politics as in baseball, those with more assets always win.
E) in politics as in baseball, there is a mobilization of bias that favors those with more assets.

Question 21

Summarize the main aspects of the American dream and how it allows people in the United States to manage the tension between democracy and capitalism.

Question 22

In the conclusion to this chapter, the text states "there are reasons for hope, but no grounds for complacency." What are the reasons for hope? Why are there no grounds for complacency?

Question 23

In summarizing the concept of democracy that it thinks is necessary to evaluate a political system, the text lists three elements that must be addressed.
(a) The first of these elements "concerns the need for procedures to ensure the full and fair expression of political views (especially unpopular ones) and strict adherence to rules for electing representatives." What does the book state about the U.S. record on this issue? What evidence and arguments does the book present in support of this statement?
(b) The second element "assesses whether political leaders broadly reflect major social identities based on class, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and region." What is the book's assessment of how the United States is doing on this issue?
(c) The third element "focuses on effective political responsiveness" and "the requirement that representatives promote the interests of their constituents." What is the book's assessment of how the United States is doing on this issue?

Question 24

Evaluate Robert Dahl's claim that "a large firm is . . . inherently a political system." What does he mean by this statement?

Question 25

According to the text, "as the twenty-first century unfolds, the dynamics of political life are being vitally affected by the large-scale patterns of change" identified in the text. What are these patterns of change, and what are some of their consequences?

Question 26

On the one hand, the authors claim that the politics of power "reflects and contributes to inequalities rather than narrowing them." On the other, they also claim that the politics of power can "reverse the trend toward growing inequality." Summarize the arguments for each of these claims. Which do you think is a more accurate assessment of the potential of politics?

Question 27

Define the concept "equality of opportunity." How has "equality of opportunity" been employed to argue both sides in the tension between democracy and capitalism?