Deck 4: The American Political Landscape

Question 1

The geography of the United States is best described as __________.

A)exposed and historically unstable
B)fragmented and varied
C)large and fragmented
D)large and historically isolated

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In a speech at the U.S.Air Force Academy,President Obama stated,"Never bet against the United States ...the United States has been,and will always be,the one indispensable nation in world affairs." What belief is illustrated in this quotation?

A)manifest destiny
B)American exceptionalism
C)ethnocentrism
D)American diplomacy

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The percentage of Americans engaged in agricultural production today is about __________.

A)1 percent
B)4 percent
C)19 percent
D)23 percent

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The highest poverty rates in the United States occur among __________.

A)African Americans
B)Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
C)Hispanic Americans
D)Native Americans and Alaskan Natives

Question 5

John F.Kennedy was the first __________ president of the United States.

A)Catholic
B)Baptist
C)Evangelical
D)non-Christian

Question 6

The percentage of African American families that live below the poverty line is __________.

A)nearly 10 percent
B)nearly 25 percent
C)more than 50 percent
D)approximately 70 percent

Question 7

Someone who believes that the American way of life is inherently superior to any other on earth is demonstrating __________.

A)ethnocentrism
B)fascism
C)nationalism
D)patriotism

Question 8

Divisions within society that cut across demographic categories to produce groups that are more heterogeneous are called __________.

A)cross-cutting cleavages
B)cross-political dispositions
C)ideological impasses
D)reinforcing cleavages

Question 9

In the 1830s,Alexis de Tocqueville concluded that the United States had had no great wars because of its __________.

A)great technological advances
B)lack of powerful neighbors on its borders
C)long periods of stability
D)relative lack of social and political tensions

Question 10

Members of which Asian American subgroup are most likely to register to vote as Democrats?

A)Chinese Americans
B)Japanese Americans
D)Korean Americans
D)Thai Americans

Question 11

When social and economic differences buttress one another,making political conflict more intense and polarizing,social scientists call them __________.

A)cross-cutting cleavages
B)polarizing cleavages
C)predisposing cleavages
D)reinforcing cleavages

Question 12

In the 18ᵗʰ and 19ᵗʰ centuries,most people in the United States worked primarily __________.

A)as craftspeople
B)in factories
C)on farms
D)in the transportation sector

Question 13

Politicians who want to raise taxes on the wealthy are often accused of "class warfare." What is implied in this accusation?

A)that revolution is imminent
B)that people should not perceive themselves in terms of social class
C)that the upper and lower classes have nothing in common
D)that the middle class is the most politically moderate

Question 14

Which state is part of the Bible Belt?

A)Ohio
B)Indiana
C)Kentucky
D)Nevada

Question 15

The first large wave of new immigrants to the United States came between __________.

A)1840 and 1860
B)1864 and 1896
C)1900 and 1924
D)1950 and 1980

Question 16

Fundamentalist Christians are an important force for which American political party?

A)Democrats
B)Independents
C)Libertarians
D)Republicans

Question 17

The study of the characteristics of populations is known as __________.

A)demography
B)geography
C)political science
D)population studies

Question 18

Which region of the United States has the fastest rate of population growth?

A)the Midwest
B)the Northeast
C)the South
D)the Sun Belt

Question 19

__________ make up the largest religious group in the United States.

A)Evangelicals
C)Catholics
D)Protestants
D)Unitarians

Question 20

Virtually all African American voters cast their vote for which presidential candidate?

A)Dwight D.Eisenhower
B)George W.Bush
C)Lyndon B.Johnson
D)Richard Nixon

Question 21

African Americans had little political power until after __________.

A)the Vietnam War
B)World War II
C)World War I
D)the Civil War

Question 22

In the 2012 election,Republican Mitt Romney took what position toward efforts to reduce income inequality?

A)He emphasized the need for government to take steps to reduce income inequality.
B)He opposed efforts to reduce income inequality on the basis that inequality spurs innovation in society.
C)He disputed the existence of a growing gap between the rich and poor.
D)He opposed efforts to reduce income inequality on the basis that such efforts would make everyone worse off.

Question 23

According to Daniel Bell,the organizing device for the postindustrial era is __________.

A)computer skills
B)education
C)knowledge
D)technology

Question 24

In both political and economic terms,__________ is the most powerful state in the Union.

A)California
B)Florida
C)New York
D)Texas

Question 25

The two most urban states in the United States are __________.

A)California and New Jersey
B)Florida and California
C)Florida and New York
D)New York and New Jersey

Question 26

California stands out in U.S.politics today because __________.

A)it has more members of the U.S.House of Representatives than the next 10 states combined
B)it has 155 presidential electoral votes,more than any other state
C)nearly one in eight U.S.citizens lives in the state,making it the most populous state in the Union
D)20 states owe California more than a billion dollars each,making it the largest lender to other states

Question 27

James Madison warned that one of the greatest sources of faction is __________.

A)ethnicity
B)immigration
C)religion
D)unequal distribution of property

Question 28

Race can be defined as a group of human beings with distinctive physical characteristics determined by genetic inheritance,but some scholars define it as __________.

A)less genetically determined than ethnically determined
B)more culturally determined than genetically determined
C)more demographically determined than physically determined
D)strictly physical with no genetic components

Question 29

Compared to the white population,the African American population is much __________.

A)more geographically concentrated
B)more geographically dispersed
C)younger
D)older

Question 30

In what way are Asian Americans and Hispanics similar?

A)Both groups have median incomes above the national median income.
B)Both groups show significant differences in culture,language,and political experience.
C)Both groups are culturally homogenous.
D)Both groups are becoming more politically active.

Question 31

In years past,social scientists who described the United States as an ethnic melting pot now describe it as a __________.

A)bag of nuts
B)fruitcake
C)ham sandwich
D)salad bowl

Question 32

Sectional distinctions in the United States refer to differences based on __________.

A)census and demographic statistics
B)education and wealth
C)geography and region
D)race and ethnicity

Question 33

African Americans constitute what percentage of the U.S.population?

A)5 percent
B)nearly 13 percent
C)approximately 20 percent
D)more than 25 percent

Question 34

Why is the South becoming less distinct?

A)because it is becoming more balanced between Democrats and Republicans
B)because of the large number of people moving to the South from other regions
C)because of the large number of people leaving the South
D)because it is becoming more racially homogenous

Question 35

The most distinct section of the United States remains __________.

A)the West
B)the Midwest
C)the Northeast
D)the South

Question 36

The political importance of Hispanics has been somewhat blunted because __________.

A)Hispanics are not a united voting bloc
D)most Hispanic Americans classify themselves as white
D)they are the slowest-growing minority group in the United States
E)some 13 million Hispanics live in California

Question 37

Ohio is part of what sectional grouping of states?

A)the Rust Belt
B)the Bible Belt
C)the Battleground States
D)the Snow Belt

Question 38

The Framers of the Constitution did not endorse a national church because __________.

A)they believed that religious liberty flourishes when there is no official faith
B)they were Deists
C)they were not people of faith themselves
D)they wished for the people to be allowed to vote for a national church

Question 39

In the 1960s,southern segregationists used the creed of __________ to justify their views.

A)states' rights
B)manifest destiny
C)American exceptionalism
D)equal opportunity

Question 40

Women gained the right to vote in the United States less than 100 years ago.The best characterization of women's voting pattern since the Nineteenth Amendment was passed would be __________.

A)they started quickly and have remained at that level
B)they started quickly and have slowed down since
C)they started slowly and have continued slowly
D)they started slowly but have gained momentum since

Question 41

Evidence of growing African American political power is apparent in the dramatic increase in __________.

A)political participation among African Americans
B)the number of African American state legislators
C)the number of African Americans serving as federal judges
D)education rates of African Americans

Question 42

One of the key characteristics of a postindustrial society is __________.

A)a rigid class structure
B)that information is the organizing principle
C)that it is primarily a technical society
D)that it values inherited wealth over skill and education

Question 43

Which of the following is true of religion in the United States?

A)The United States has a tremendous variety of religious denominations.
B)Most Americans are not religious.
C)Religion in the United States is dominated by fundamentalists.
D)Religion in the United States is dominated by the Catholic Church.

Question 44

In the 2012 presidential election,Republicans garnered the majority of votes from which of the following groups?

A)Hispanics
B)Protestants
C)women
D)young voters

Question 45

__________ are conservative Christians who have become an important force in the Republican Party and in some local governments.

A)Fundamentalists
B)Mormons
C)Baptists
D)Catholics

Question 46

According to U.S.Bureau of the Census projections,the non-Hispanic white American population will decline to about what fraction of the population by the year 2050?

A)one-half
B)one-quarter
C)one-third
D)two-thirds

Question 47

In 2013,the U.S.Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)legislation which __________.

A)barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages
B)barred states from creating their own policies on same-sex marriage
C)legalized same-sex marriage at the federal level
D)prohibited same-sex marriage at the state level

Question 48

Recent changes to the age of the American population are most likely to put a strain on which of the following?

A)immigration services
B)Medicare
C)national security
D)public schools

Question 49

Which of the following voting groups played a significant role in President Obama's reelection in 2012?

A)Asians and Protestants
B)African American men and white men
C)evangelical men and women
D)women and Hispanics

Question 50

The gender gap is illustrated in which of the following?

A)Women are more likely than men to favor government-provided health insurance.
B)Women are more likely than men to support abortion rights.
C)Women are more likely than men to vote as Independents.
D)Women are more likely than men to vote for Republican candidates.

Question 51

__________,the total value of someone's possessions,is more concentrated than __________.

A)Wealth;debt
B)Income;wealth
C)Wealth;income
D)Income;assets

Question 52

If the 2010 census had employed statistical sampling,how would the count have changed?

A)It would have produced a more accurate count of inner-city Hispanics and African Americans.
B)It would have produced a more accurate count of non-Hispanic whites.
C)It would have produced a more accurate count of the population aged 18 and younger.
D)It would not have had a significant impact on the count.

Question 53

Fundamentalists typically take which of the following positions?

A)support of affirmative action
B)opposition to gun control
C)opposition to public education funding
D)support of women's rights

Question 54

Regions of the United States with above-average population growth from 2000 to 2010 were __________.

A)the Midwest and the West
B)the Northeast and the South
C)the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast
D)the South and the West

Question 55

According to the Democratic Party,how does economic inequality impact society?

A)It has no impact on society.
B)It has a positive effect on society because it motivates people to pursue the American dream.
C)It has a negative impact because it puts the less privileged at a disadvantage and distorts democracy.
D)It has a positive effect on society in that it draws attention to the plight of the poor.

Question 56

Gays and lesbians constitute between __________ percent of the U.S.population.

A)1 and 3
B)2 and 5
C)2 and 10
D)5 and 15

Question 57

Compared to other countries,class divisions in the United States are __________.

A)defined by degree of acceptance of organized labor
B)defined by degree of hostility to organized labor
C)less defined and less important to politics
D)reinforced by competitive individualism

Question 58

Based on the poll conducted by the Pew Global Attitudes Project,which country shows the highest level of agreement on the need to further restrict immigration?

A)China
B)India
C)Japan
D)Mexico

Question 59

If the rich and the poor of all religions sometimes vote on the basis of their religion but sometimes vote on the basis of their wealth,it is an illustration of __________.

A)additive cleavages
B)cross-cutting cleavages
C)polarizing cleavages
E)reinforcing cleavages

Question 60

As education is a good predictor of political participation,which racial groups would be most likely to be politically active?

A)whites and Hispanics
B)blacks and whites
C)Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders
D)Asian/Pacific Islanders and whites

Question 61

In 2012,as in the four prior presidential elections,a higher percentage of women than men voted.

Question 62

People often assume that others share their economic opportunities,social attitudes,sense of civic responsibility,and self-confidence.

Question 63

Americans often have a sense of identification with their state.

Question 64

The attacks of September 11,2001,were the first time a foreign enemy struck successfully inside the continental United States.

Question 65

President George H.W.Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Question 66

The __________ was a formidable barrier that protected the United States in its early days from European economic and political meddling.

Question 67

The U.S.Constitution clearly allows for the practice of sampling to get accurate census numbers.

Question 68

Fewer and fewer women are the sole income earners for their families.

Question 69

More than half of the names of states in the United States are derived from __________ languages.

Question 70

Education is one of the most important variables in predicting political participation.

Question 71

Women were not allowed to vote anywhere in the United States until 1920.

Question 72

Women overwhelmingly support female political candidates.

Question 73

Since the mid-1960s,there has been a partisan shift in the South toward the __________ Party.

Question 74

The gap between rich and poor has decreased in recent decades.

Question 75

The religious group with the highest voter turnout in recent elections,including the 2012 presidential election,has been __________.

Question 76

The first American women to win the right to vote lived in states in the __________.

Question 77

Four of five people in the United States now live in suburban areas.

Question 78

Historically,the U.S.census has excluded illegal immigrants from the census count.

Question 79

Most nations of the world consist of groups of people who have lived together for centuries.

Question 80

Fundamentalists surprised the nation when they came out strongly in favor of Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election.