Deck 1: America in the 21st Century

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT considered a public service?

A) Manufacturing goods
B) Preserving national parks
C) Establishing welfare programs
D) Building and maintaining roads
E) Operating public schools

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The main idea of democracy is that government exists only by and reflects the will of .

A) chance; the people
B) power; the wealthy
C) divine right; God
D) consent; the majority
E) constitutional authority; political elites

Answer 2

D

Question 3

defined politics as the process of determining "who gets what, when, and how" in a society.

A) President James Madison
B) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
C) Political philosopher John Locke
D) President Lyndon Johnson
E) Political scientist Harold Lasswell

Answer 3

E

Question 4

In a(n) , the power and authority of the government are in the hands of the wealthy.

A) constitutional monarchy
B) direct democracy
C) plutocracy
D) republic
E) autocracy

Question 5

In a representative democracy, it is what government decides to do.

A) politics that controls
B) elections that control
C) the people who control
D) the president who controls
E) congress which controls

Question 6

A dictatorship can be , which means that a leader or group of leaders seeks to control almost all aspects of social and economic life.

A) libertarian
B) totalitarian
C) multicultural
D) liberal
E) conservative

Question 7

Power has all of the following attributes EXCEPT

A) it may involve the use of force.
B) it requires confusion to be effective.
C) it has the ability to influence behavior.
D) it can be wielded through persuasion.
E) it may be used by promising rewards.

Question 8

The constitution of the United States gives the exclusive power over relations with foreign nations.

A) Congress
B) state governments
C) our national government
D) the presidency
E) the Senate

Question 9

Which thinker observed that, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary"?

A) George Washington
B) Harold Lasswell
C) Franklin Delano Roosevelt
D) Molly Ivins
E) James Madison

Question 10

One of humanity's oldest and most universal institutions for dividing resources and making decisions is .

A) government
B) politics
C) voting
D) war
E) capitalism

Question 11

Generally, government serves at least three essential purposes: it resolves conflict, it provides public services, and it

A) directs the creation of critical infrastructure.
B) regulates industry.
C) defends the nation and its culture against other nations.
D) provides a national currency.
E) enforces the law.

Question 12

The process of resolving conflicts over how society should use its scarce resources and who should receive various benefits is known as .

A) progressivism
B) power
C) authority
D) politics
E) capitalism

Question 13

Kim Jong Un in North Korea is a contemporary example of a(n) .

A) progressive
B) libertarian
C) totalitarian dictator
D) social conservative
E) absolute monarch

Question 14

Disagreements among people in a society over what the society's priorities should be is the definition of .

A) politics
B) social conflict
C) progressivism
D) armed conflict
E) contract dispute

Question 15

In mid 2013, the unemployment rate for African American youth aged 16-24 was

A) 30 percent.
B) 20 percent.
C) 50 percent.
D) 70 percent.
E) 15 percent.

Question 16

In mid 2013, about of the population aged 16-24 was in the labor force.

A) 25 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 15 percent
D) 75 percent
E) 20 percent

Question 17

Authority refers to

A) the ability to use power that is collectively recognized by society as legally and morally correct.
B) the ability to resolve social conflict by force.
C) power that stems from coercion.
D) a set of political beliefs that include the advocacy of active government.
E) the ability to influence the behavior of others.

Question 18

can best be defined as the individuals and institutions that make society's rules and also possess the power and authority to enforce those rules.

A) A republic
B) Government
C) Parliament
D) Democracy
E) Autocracy

Question 19

Undemocratic systems that are not supported by tradition are called .

A) plutocracies
B) dictatorships
C) theocracies
D) republics
E) aristocracies

Question 20

Most modern monarchies are constitutional monarchies in which the monarch shares governmental power with

A) the church.
B) elected lawmakers.
C) a deity.
D) representatives of large corporations.
E) members of old, noble families.

Question 21

Nearly all of the major concepts in became part of the American system of government.

A) the Magna Carta (1215)
B) the English Bill of Rights (1689)
C) John Locke's Two Treatises of Government (1689)
D) Chairman Mao Tse Tung's Little Red Book (1966)
E) Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan (1651)

Question 22

In a representative democracy,

A) the people participate directly in government decision making.
B) rulers acquire power through inheritance.
C) Republicans have more power than Democrats.
D) the will of the majority is expressed through groups of individuals elected by the people to act on their behalf.
E) the wealthy exercise ruling power.

Question 23

In a(n) , the will of the majority is expressed through small groups of individuals elected by the people to act as their representatives.

A) aristocracy
B) theocracy
C) direct democracy
D) autocracy
E) representative democracy

Question 24

Which of the following was a provision in the English Bill of Rights (1689)?

A) The king could abolish parliamentary elections.
B) The queen did not require Parliament's approval to levy taxes.
C) The king or queen had to rule with the consent of the people's representatives in Parliament.
D) The queen could interfere with parliamentary elections.
E) The king did not need Parliament's approval to maintain an army.

Question 25

In a presidential democracy,

A) the lawmaking and law-enforcing branches of government are united.
B) there is no lawmaking branch of government.
C) the president is charged with the power to make laws.
D) the prime minister and the cabinet are members of the legislature.
E) the lawmaking and law-enforcing branches of government are separate but equal.

Question 26

The Magna Carta (1215)

A) abolished trial by jury.
B) forced the nobles to obtain the king's approval of any taxes they imposed.
C) signaled the end of the monarch's absolute power.
D) gave the English monarch virtually unrestricted powers.
E) abolished the concept of due process of law.

Question 27

The term aristocracy is best defined as

A) a government run by members of old, noble families.
B) a political system in which the rich have disproportionate influence.
C) a government in which there is no separation between church and state.
D) a government in which political decisions are made by the people themselves rather than elected representatives.
E) a government in which political power springs from the barrel of a gun.

Question 28

The founders of the United States believed that direct democracy

A) would require too many elections.
B) might lead to voter apathy.
C) would deteriorate into mob rule.
D) might cost too much to operate.
E) would ignore the opinions of the majority.

Question 29

The term means "government of the wealthy."

A) plutocracy
B) democracy
C) theocracy
D) autocracy
E) aristocracy

Question 30

Today, a modified form of direct democracy

A) is practiced in Athens, Greece.
B) is not practical, and thus is not used in any political system.
C) is used in some New England towns and Swiss cantons.
D) is used to elect representatives to government councils.
E) is also known as a republic.

Question 31

In writing the U.S. Constitution, the framers incorporated two basic principles of government that had evolved in England: limited government and .

A) representative government
B) separation of powers
C) libertarianism
D) conservatism
E) capitalism

Question 32

A republic is essentially a(n)

A) representative democracy in which the people are sovereign.
B) direct democracy in which there is a king or queen.
C) autocracy.
D) plutocracy.
E) aristocracy.

Question 33

The term theocracy is best defined as

A) a government run by members of old, noble families.
B) a political system in which the rich have disproportionate influence.
C) a government in which there is no separation between church and state.
D) a government in which political decisions are made by the people themselves rather than elected representatives.
E) a government in which political power springs from the barrel of a gun.

Question 34

The Magna Carta (1215) clearly established the principle of .

A) theocracy
B) a right to privacy
C) totalitarianism
D) limited government
E) divine right

Question 35

The philosopher John Locke argued that people are born with natural rights to life, liberty and .

A) the pursuit of happiness
B) prosperity
C) freedom
D) property
E) privacy

Question 36

Which of the following best describes a social contract?

A) An economic system based on the private ownership of wealth-producing property, free markets, and freedom of contract
B) The freedom of individuals to believe, act, and express themselves as they choose so long as doing so does not infringe on the rights of other individuals in the society
C) A voluntary agreement among individuals to create a government and to give that government adequate power to secure the mutual protection and welfare of all individuals
D) A concept that holds, at a minimum, that all people are entitled to equal protection under the law
E) The set of ideas, values, and attitudes about government and the political process held by a community or a nation

Question 37

The word democracy comes from the Greek demos, meaning " ," and kratia, meaning " ."

A) demonstrate; power
B) mob; rights
C) the people; rule
D) representative; Congress
E) direct; elections

Question 38

The framers of the American political system

A) based it on the Athenian model of direct democracy.
B) preferred a republic headed by a king or queen: a constitutional monarchy.
C) initially experimented with autocracy but eventually settled on a modified version of direct democracy.
D) believed that a republic would be insufficiently deliberative.
E) thought that large groups of people meeting together to make decisions would ignore the rights and opinions of the minority.

Question 39

The term theocracy means

A) "rule by the people."
B) "rule by the best."
C) "government by the wealthy."
D) "rule of law."
E) "rule by the deity."

Question 40

Natural rights are

A) created in a social contract.
B) established by parliaments.
C) granted in constitutional provisions.
D) inherent within every man, woman, and child.
E) bestowed by the ruling elite.

Question 41

Some contend that efforts to achieve equality, in the sense of equal treatment for all, are fundamentally incompatible with the value of .

A) privacy
B) property
C) liberty
D) justice
E) independence

Question 42

The ideology of American liberalism did not take its fully modern form until the

A) 1930s, during the administration of Franklin Roosevelt.
B) 1950s, during the administration of Dwight Eisenhower.
C) 1960s, during the administration of Lyndon Johnson.
D) 1990s, during the administration of Bill Clinton.
E) 2000s, during the administration of Barack Obama.

Question 43

The philosopher John Locke theorized that the purpose of government was to protect .

A) natural rights
B) political culture
C) equality
D) capitalism
E) multiculturalism

Question 44

The term refers to a state of being free from external controls.

A) equality
B) independence
C) liberty
D) democracy
E) privacy

Question 45

In the year 2050, non-Hispanic whites will comprise about of the U.S. population.

A) 30 percent
B) 23 percent
C) 64 percent
D) 46 percent
E) 55 percent

Question 46

In the coming century, all of the following nations are expected to have shrinking populations EXCEPT .

A) Japan
B) China
C) Germany
D) Russia
E) The United States

Question 47

When it comes to ideology, Americans are often placed in two broad political camps:

A) socialists and conservatives.
B) progressives and liberals.
C) conservatives and libertarians.
D) liberals and conservatives.
E) liberals and socialists.

Question 48

By 2040, Americans aged 65 and above are expected to reach of the population.

A) 13 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 10 percent
D) 42 percent
E) 36 percent

Question 49

At the heart of our capitalist economic system is

A) private ownership of property.
B) equal protection of the laws.
C) liberty and justice for all.
D) freedom of expression.
E) the elimination of social and economic differences among people.

Question 50

Capitalism is a(n)

A) set of political beliefs that include the advocacy of active government.
B) concept that holds, at a minimum, that all people are entitled to equal protection under the law.
C) set of beliefs that include a limited role for the national government in helping individuals and in the economic affairs of the nation.
D) economic system based on the private ownership of wealth-producing property, free markets, and freedom of contract.
E) more popular term for the set of political beliefs known as liberalism.

Question 51

In the 2012 elections

A) the Democrats lost seats in the Senate.
B) the Republican plans for a more limited government were frustrated.
C) the Democrats gained a 201-234 majority in the House.
D) moderate voters were worried about Democratic plans to cut Medicare and Medicaid.
E) the Republicans took control of the House from the Democrats.

Question 52

is best defined as a set of beliefs that include a limited role for the national government in helping individuals and in the economic affairs of the nation, and support for traditional values and lifestyles.

A) Capitalism
B) Conservatism
C) Progressivism
D) Liberalism
E) Socialism

Question 53

In 2010, Hispanics constituted of the U.S. population.

A) 3 percent
B) nearly 5 percent
C) just over 12 percent
D) about 16 percent
E) nearly 30 percent

Question 54

In 1980, Republican became the first "movement conservative" to win the White House.

A) Barry Goldwater
B) Lyndon Johnson
C) Richard Nixon
D) Ronald Reagan
E) George H.W. Bush

Question 55

One of the outgrowths of the civil rights movement of the 1960s was an emphasis on , the belief that the many cultures that make up American society should remain distinct and be protected-and even encouraged-by our laws.

A) libertarianism
B) socialism
C) progressivism
D) capitalism
E) multiculturalism

Question 56

When Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater won the Republican presidential nomination on a relatively radical platform in 1964, the movement emerged as a major force in American politics.

A) liberal
B) progressive
C) independent
D) conservative
E) libertarian

Question 57

The constitutional prohibition against granting titles of nobility reflects the goal of

A) liberty.
B) freedom.
C) the pursuit of happiness.
D) equality.
E) private ownership of property.

Question 58

Modern American liberalism can trace its roots to the New Deal programs of .

A) Andrew Jackson
B) Woodrow Wilson
C) Franklin D. Roosevelt
D) Harry Truman
E) Bill Clinton

Question 59

Which of the following is a fundamental principle on which American democracy is based?

A) Equality in voting
B) Individual privacy
C) Economic equality
D) Minority rule
E) Freedom of contract

Question 60

Conservatives

A) value "big government."
B) strongly favor the separation of church and state.
C) believe that the social and economic outcomes that exist in the absence of government action are frequently unfair.
D) believe that individuals and families should take responsibility for their own economic circumstances.
E) believe that government ought to guarantee that everyone can find a job.

Question 61

On the traditional political spectrum, and are on the right.

A) libertarians; conservatives
B) conservatives; socialists
C) progressives; libertarians
D) socialists; libertarians
E) liberals; socialists

Question 62

People whose views fall in the middle of the traditional political spectrum are generally called .

A) moderates
B) progressives
C) libertarians
D) liberals
E) conservatives

Question 63

Libertarians believe in

A) economic equality and social liberty.
B) social order and economic equality.
C) socialism.
D) social liberty and economic liberty.
E) social order and economic liberty.

Question 64

On the traditional political spectrum, and are on the left.

A) libertarians; liberals
B) conservatives; socialists
C) progressives; conservatives
D) socialists; libertarians
E) liberals; socialists

Question 65

Social conservatives/economic progressives believe in

A) economic equality and social liberty.
B) social order and economic equality.
C) libertarianism.
D) social liberty and economic liberty.
E) social order and economic liberty.

Question 66

Most politicians who might have called themselves in the past have labeled their philosophy progressivism instead.

A) socialists
B) liberals
C) libertarians
D) conservatives
E) Tea Partiers

Question 67

oppose almost all government regulation of the economy, and they oppose government involvement in issues of private morality.

A) Libertarians
B) Socialists
C) Tea Party supporters
D) Liberals
E) Conservatives

Question 68

is the belief that government should do as little as possible, not only in the economic sphere, but also in regulating morality and personal behavior.

A) Conservatism
B) Progressivism
C) Libertarianism
D) Socialism
E) Liberalism

Question 69

This group has a stronger commitment to egalitarianism than do U.S. liberals and a greater tolerance for strong government.

A) Libertarians
B) Progressives
C) Socialists
D) The Tea Party movement
E) Independents (moderates)

Question 70

In much of the world, the main left-of-center party describes itself as .

A) conservative
B) progressive
C) libertarian
D) socialist
E) communist