Deck 1: Deliberation and Citizenship in Service of Freedom and Democracy

Question 1

Citizenship is a legal status that accords full membership in a(n)

A) corporation.
B) political community.
C) group of people.
D) religious organization.
E) American university.

Answer 1

political community.

Question 2

Based on the text, which of the following is not an essential element of civic virtue?

A) Self-confidence
B) Self-reliance
C) Self-restraint
D) Civic knowledge
E) Civic participation and service

Answer 2

Self-confidence

Question 3

Which civic virtue best applies to citizens who join the Peace Corps?

A) Civic knowledge
B) Civic participation and service
C) Self-confidence
D) Self-reliance
E) Self-restraint

Answer 3

Civic participation and service

Question 4

An emotional and rational attachment to the nation is called

A) participation.
B) nationalism.
C) patriotism.
D) elitism.
E) liberalism.

Question 5

Which of the following most accurately describes the concept of deliberation? Deliberation is

A) not generally considered a civic duty.
B) reasoning on the merits of public policy.
C) only effective when it is a formal process.
D) best left to politicians.
E) impossible to expect from legislators.

Question 6

Participating in a town hall meeting about a proposed tax hike is a way of exercising one's

A) natural rights.
B) voter obligation.
C) patriotism.
D) democratic privilege.
E) civic duty.

Question 7

Despite imperfections, American government can be called a(n) ________________ democracy.

A) aristocratic
B) deliberative
C) demonstrative
D) expansive
E) oligarchic

Question 8

Two senators agree to vote in favor of each other's proposals. This is an example of

A) deliberation.
B) patriotism.
C) logrolling.
D) bankrolling.
E) democracy.

Question 9

How are the pluralist and elite theories of politics alike?

A) Both reject the notion that government is directed by public interest.
B) Both include the voices of a large number of people.
C) They are synonymous with deliberative democracy.
D) They are widely accepted by modern scholars as a complete view of politics.
E) Both acknowledge the importance of each citizen in the democratic process.

Question 10

The _____ theory of politics applies to a representative who votes only for bills that will directly benefit his/her own constituents.

A) beneficial
B) deliberative
C) elite
D) pluralist
E) rational choice

Question 11

Obligations that one owes to other citizens or the community as a whole are called

A) majority faction.
B) natural rights.
C) political rights.
D) duties of citizenship.
E) civil rights.

Question 12

In the ancient Greek city-states, the major forms of government were

A) oligarchy and plutocracy.
B) democracy and monarchy.
C) democracy and oligarchy.
D) theocracy and oligarchy.
E) democracy and theocracy.

Question 13

How does direct democracy differ from representative democracy?

A) Direct democracy consists of laws that directly affect the people, whereas a representative democracy consists of laws that affect the people only indirectly.
B) Direct democracy requires only a handful of people to make laws, but a representative democracy includes all citizens in the law-making process.
C) Representative democracy is carried out by elected officials who make laws on behalf of the citizens, but direct democracy includes all citizens.
D) Representative democracy represents only certain interest groups in lawmaking, whereas direct democracy eliminates interest groups.
E) Direct democracy and representative democracy are identical.

Question 14

The United States government is which type of democracy?

A) Direct
B) Representative
C) Plutocratic
D) Pluralistic
E) Independent

Question 15

Which of the following documents represented the beginning of self-government in New England?

A) Articles of Confederation
B) Constitution
C) Declaration of Independence
D) Mayflower Compact
E) Treaty of Versailles

Question 16

Why was the direct democracy that was practiced on the local level in New England not extended to the colonial level?

A) It was impractical.
B) It had proved unsuccessful at the local level.
C) It was banned by the king.
D) No one was interested.
E) Too many people were intimidated by their landlords.

Question 17

Why were the early forms of self-government in the colonies not full democracies in the modern sense?

A) The democratic assemblies were illegal under British law.
B) The right to vote was restricted.
C) The royal governors had absolute veto power.
D) Interest groups were too powerful.
E) Non-residents were allowed to participate in local elections.

Question 18

Why did the American founders not establish the new nation as a direct democracy?

A) They did not want the new government to resemble the British government.
B) James Madison led a faction staunchly opposed to direct democracies.
C) It was not possible for citizens to gather to debate and vote on laws.
D) The decline of the Athenian government proved that direct democracy was flawed.
E) Georgia threatened to leave the Union if a direct democracy was instituted.

Question 19

How does a republic differ from a pure democracy?

A) In a pure democracy, the people administer the government in person, while in a republic the government is administered by elected representatives.
B) A republic permits citizens to participate in their government whereas a democracy does not.
C) A pure democracy relies on elected representatives, whereas a republic does not.
D) Interest groups are a major feature of democracy but are absent in a republic.
E) A pure democracy and a republic are identical.

Question 20

According to the Founders, which of the following pose the greatest dangers in a direct democracy?

A) Landlords and wealthy men
B) Skillful orators and wealthy men
C) Majority faction and landlords
D) Landlords and skillful orators
E) Skillful orators and majority faction

Question 21

The collection of essays co-authored by James Madison urging the ratification of the Constitution was called

A) On Liberty.
B) A Vindication of the Rights of Man.
C) Walden.
D) Common Sense.
E) The Federalist Papers.

Question 22

Madison and Hamilton recommended legislators should be able to temporarily oppose unwise public desires because they wanted to

A) give government officials more time to enact laws contrary to the public good.
B) make government as unwieldy as possible to discourage common people from participating.
C) increase the time needed to pass legislation in an attempt to have fewer laws.
D) give the people time to deliberate more fully and refine their views of the public interest.
E) create a government more like an oligarchy than a democracy.

Question 23

A group of citizens drafts a state law banning the use of any communication devices while driving. After the group gathers the required number of signatures, the law is placed on the ballot in the next election. This is an example of a(n)

A) amendment.
B) civic duty.
C) initiative.
D) referendum.
E) resolution.

Question 24

A group of state legislators writes a proposal that would mandate health care coverage for all residents. The proposal is then sent to the people for a vote. This is an example of a(n)

A) amendment.
B) civic duty.
C) initiative.
D) referendum.
E) resolution.

Question 25

The political corruption that plagued the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries gave rise to

A) the progressive movement.
B) a representative democracy.
C) a deliberative democracy.
D) the rational choice theory of politics.
E) the Socialist movement.

Question 26

How does North Korea explain its claim to be a democracy despite banning opposition parties and free elections?

A) The definition of democracy is different in the Korean language.
B) The communist government does not claim that North Korea is a democracy.
C) The government bans all use of information technology so the people cannot learn about true democracies.
D) The government claims to know what the people truly need better than the people themselves.
E) The government claims that Communism is a form of democracy.

Question 27

The principle of popular sovereignty refers to

A) the favorable opinion of the people towards their monarch.
B) the idea that all political power is derived from the people.
C) how much public support an idea can garner.
D) the way a sovereign nation is ruled.
E) the desire for all nations to be sovereign.

Question 28

In a true democracy, which of the following is not something people must have the right to do?

A) Organize politically.
B) Form political parties to advance their goals.
C) Have opportunities to persuade their fellow citizens through a free press and media.
D) Vote for candidates of their choice without fear or intimidation.
E) Hold elections every four years.

Question 29

According to the Declaration of Independence, the purpose of government is to

A) secure the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
B) provide liberty and justice for all.
C) collect taxes.
D) provide a stable budget.
E) ensure that all citizens are happy.

Question 30

What action was taken at the Second Continental Congress in 1775?

A) The Constitution was drafted.
B) Delegates signed the Declaration of Independence.
C) Delegates authorized the raising of a Continental Army.
D) George Washington was proclaimed the first president.
E) King George declared the colonies in open rebellion.

Question 31

What was the most prominent cause of the American Revolution?

A) Most colonists had little respect for the system of British government.
B) The colonists believed that King George had failed to secure their basic rights.
C) King George ordered the impressment of American sailors into the Royal Navy.
D) Britain stopped supplying the colonies with tea.
E) The British crushed the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Question 32

Why did the American founders refer to the truths cited in the Declaration as self-evident?

A) All governments throughout Europe were based on these truths.
B) These truths were designated as "self-evident" in the Mayflower Compact.
C) No government had ever been based on any other truths.
D) They believed that these truths were the essential starting point in political reasoning.
E) They believed it was the only way to persuade the king to free the colonies.

Question 33

What is meant by "all men are created equal"?

A) No one person has greater claim to these rights than any other person.
B) All citizens must be religious, believing in the Creator.
C) All people enjoy these rights all the time.
D) Only men are granted these rights.
E) All governments of the world recognize the same rights of man.

Question 34

What is meant by "inalienable rights"?

A) Inalienable rights are absolute.
B) Inalienable rights cannot be taken away by the government and cannot be given away by the people.
C) Inalienable rights cannot be regulated by the state.
D) Inalienable rights are accorded to illegal immigrants.
E) Inalienable rights must be earned before a person can be a citizen.

Question 35

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are called natural rights because

A) all people are entitled to these rights by their nature as human beings.
B) they were first cited in Emerson's essay Nature.
C) John Locke coined the term.
D) evidence of these rights is found in nature.
E) the American founders believed these rights were second nature to British citizens.

Question 36

Which doctrine influenced the founders, leading them to specify that the purpose of government is to secure the rights of the people?

A) Tabula rosa
B) Equality of the governed
C) State of nature
D) Legitimate rule
E) Constitutional government

Question 37

According to the Declaration of Independence, what form should consent of the governed take?

A) Active consent
B) Constitutional consent
C) Legal consent
D) Tacit consent
E) The Declaration does not specify what form consent should take.

Question 38

A citizen votes on a proposed law during a special election. This is an example of _______ consent.

A) active
B) constitutional
C) legal
D) tacit
E) civil

Question 39

What is not one of the constraints the Declaration of Independence cites as necessary for a king to wield legitimate power?

A) A legislative branch that controls taxes
B) An independent judiciary
C) An advisory council
D) Civilian control of the military
E) Respect for the rights of citizens

Question 40

At the time of the American Revolution, the British people had long placed power in the hands of a king for whom they could not vote. This is an example of _____________ consent.

A) active
B) Constitutional
C) legal
D) non-
E) tacit

Question 41

In the context of the Declaration of Independence, what is prudence?

A) Circumspection
B) Freedom
C) Intelligence
D) practical wisdom
E) theoretical wisdom

Question 42

What does the Declaration of Independence indicate prudence should keep people from doing?

A) Revolting against the government for light and transient causes
B) Losing sight of their faith
C) Revolting against absolute despotism
D) Speaking their minds
E) Getting involved in government

Question 43

The signers of the Declaration swore to support the Declaration

A) as long as it was in their interest to do so.
B) with their lives, fortunes, and honor.
C) until the king agreed to their terms.
D) if the states ratified it.
E) while the revolution was supported by the people.

Question 44

The belief that it is acceptable for Middle Eastern governments to oppress women because it is a part of their culture is an example of

A) cultural progressivism.
B) cultural relativism.
C) cultural oppression.
D) idealistic culture.
E) popular culture.

Question 45

Abraham Lincoln understood the Civil War to be a(n)

A) cultural conflict between the North and the South.
B) political skirmish between two opposing parties.
C) economic conflict between the manufacturing and farming industries.
D) conflict over the meaning and application of the Declaration of Independence.
E) unavoidable occurrence in such a large and diverse nation.

Question 46

The Thirteenth Amendment is a vindication of the principles of the

A) Constitution.
B) Declaration of Independence.
C) Declaration of the Rights of Man.
D) Mayflower Compact.
E) Second Treatise of Government.

Question 47

Thomas Jefferson hoped the Declaration of Independence would be

A) a link to Britain.
B) left out of world affairs.
C) an inspiration to others to strive for self-government.
D) understood merely as a justification for rebellion in 1776.
E) published anonymously.

Question 48

Civil rights are rights that

A) are regulated by the government.
B) are specific to race relations.
C) cannot be limited by government.
D) are the same from one state to the next.
E) are defined by the Declaration of Independence.

Question 49

Which of the following is a legitimate government regulation of a natural right?

A) Refusing to allow citizens to travel between states
B) Placing wire taps on the home phones of all American citizens
C) Denying voting rights to outspoken opponents of a war
D) Requiring airline passengers to pass security checkpoints before boarding their planes
E) Regulating the times at which citizens may be out of their homes

Question 50

The right to _________ is an example of a political right.

A) vote
B) the pursuit of happiness
C) defend oneself with deadly force
D) a fair trial
E) marry

Question 51

Governments that work to secure the rights of their citizens and promote their freedom are called _____________ democracies.

A) conservative
B) constitutional
C) direct
D) liberal
E) representative

Question 52

One major problem in democracies is how to

A) form factions.
B) get the wealthy into power.
C) get the majority to promote the rights and interests of all.
D) effectively manage polling places.
E) establish restrictions on voting rights.

Question 53

The political climate of the late 1980s and early 1990s was marked by the

A) downfall of Communism in much of the world.
B) rise of Communism in Cuba.
C) fall of North Korea's government.
D) demise of liberal democracies.
E) fall of Communism in China.

Question 54

Communism was heavily influenced by

A) the Declaration of Independence.
B) the writings of Karl Marx.
C) Common Sense.
D) Locke's Second Treatise of Government.
E) the failure of democracy.

Question 55

Beginning in 1917, Communist states

A) took ownership of industry and agriculture.
B) provided better opportunities for religious worship.
C) welcomed political pluralism.
D) accepted democracy as a viable political alternative.
E) struck down the idea of the "dictatorship of the proletariat."

Question 56

Which of the following countries remains a communist government?

A) East Germany
B) the Czech Republic
C) the People's Republic of China
D) Turkey
E) the Soviet Union

Question 57

The countries in which rights and liberties are most in jeopardy are

A) those without effective representative institutions.
B) insignificant.
C) significantly increasing in number.
D) among the least populated in the world.
E) the United States and Russia.

Question 58

The protests that spread throughout North Africa and the Middle East beginning in 2010 mark a political movement known as

A) democratization.
B) the Arab Spring.
C) Arab freedom.
D) Eastern sovereignty.
E) the Eastern Liberation.

Question 59

The party representing the Muslim Brotherhood won the majority in a free election of a new parliament in which country?

A) Greece
B) Syria
C) Egypt
D) Turkey
E) Russia

Question 60

According to Freedom House,

A) most of the world's population is not free.
B) the number of free countries in the world has remained about the same in the last 30 years.
C) freedom has been in decline for the last 30 years.
D) the number of countries that are not free is increasing.
E) the number of free countries has increased in the last few decades.

Question 61

What has largely replaced Communism as the greatest threat to freedom and democracy in the world?

A) Capitalism and greed
B) Marxism and the proletariats
C) Christianity and fundamentalism
D) Radical Islam and terrorism
E) Unions and wage requirements

Question 62

Radicals and terrorists associated with al Qaeda

A) publically denounce democracy and freedom.
B) strive to implement democracy in all parts of the world, no matter the cost.
C) represent most of the religious world.
D) do not have strong religious beliefs.
E) clearly separate religion and politics.

Question 63

How are Communism, radical Islam, and other totalitarian ideologies alike?

A) They are compatible with liberal democracy.
B) They give precedence to personal liberties.
C) They distinguish clearly between public and private spheres.
D) The government largely controls the way the people live.
E) The government secures the rights of the people.

Question 64

Which of the following statements is true of liberal democracies?

A) The individual, not the state, is ultimately sovereign over much personal behavior.
B) The state, not the individual, is ultimately sovereign over much personal behavior.
C) The individual is ultimately sovereign over much state behavior.
D) The private sphere is indistinguishable from the public sphere.
E) The individual is subject to the whim of the state.

Question 65

Which of the following is one of the essential elements of the rule of law in a liberal democracy?

A) Individual rights are understood to be the foundation of law rather than the creation of law.
B) Public interests are understood to be the foundation of law rather than the creation of law.
C) Individual rights are the creation of law while public interests are the foundation of law.
D) Decisions by those in power predominate over existing laws.
E) Those in power are not subject to the law.

Question 66

Which of the following is true of the rule of law?

A) It prevents government from passing unjust laws.
B) It is a sufficient condition for securing human rights.
C) It is a necessary condition for securing human rights.
D) It does not ensure that all people are equal before the law.
E) It is never found in tyrannies.

Question 67

In American history, the greatest changes to the government's role in social welfare came

A) during Abraham Lincoln's tenure as president.
B) immediately after the Revolution.
C) immediately after the Civil War.
D) during the twentieth century.
E) with the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Question 68

According to the authors of the Constitution, which is NOT one of the key elements of the common good that a "more perfect Union" would help to achieve?

A) The common defense
B) Domestic tranquility
C) Economic security
D) The general welfare
E) Justice

Question 69

Which of the following is true of a successful democracy?

A) It requires little participation from its citizens.
B) The focus must be on self-preservation.
C) It requires an educated citizenry.
D) Little deliberation goes into its execution.
E) It is compatible with most communist regimes.

Question 70

Compare and contrast the pluralist, elite, and rational choice theories. Identify elements of each that contribute to the deliberative democracy approach.

Question 71

According to the framers of the Constitution, what are the two advantages a representative democracy has over a direct democracy?

Question 72

Describe how direct democracy is still used in modern American politics.

Question 73

Discuss the questions raised by the phrase "all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights." Explain the ways in which this phrase was in conflict with reality in colonial America.

Question 74

How have the principles of the Declaration of Independence extended beyond a simple justification of the revolution of 1776? Consider the application of these principles in worldwide events.

Question 75

Compare and contrast the essential characteristics of a liberal democracy with other kinds of political systems.

Question 76

How has the Arab Spring demonstrated the challenges of promoting freedom and democracy?

Question 77

How can social media affect deliberation among citizens?