Deck 1: American Government: Roots, context, and Culture

Question 1

What are republics?

A) representative democracies
B) direct democracies
C) a hallmark of direct democracy
D) forms of government frequently found in totalitarian regimes

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which accurately compares Southerners to Northerners?

A) Northerners are more religious.
B) Northerners are more likely to favor states' rights.
C) Southerners are more in favor of civil rights.
D) Southerners are more likely to favor downsizing the federal government.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What was the most common initial reason for settlement in North America by the first colonists?

A) family reunification
B) religious freedom
C) flight from diseases rampaging through Europe
D) commerce

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Members of which of the following groups are most likely to be social conservatives?

A) evangelical Protestants
B) African Americans
C) the elderly
D) single mothers

Question 5

The idea that governments draw legitimacy and power from the governed is referred to as which of the following?

A) majority rule
B) direct democracy
C) capitalism
D) popular consent

Question 6

Based on the average age of the state's population,which issue would you expect to be least important to voters in Florida,which has the oldest state population in the U.S.?

A) Social Security
B) Medicare
C) public education
D) prescription drug costs

Question 7

The Framers agreed that the new nation had to be founded on notions of which of the following?

A) economic equality
B) aristocracy
C) racial equality
D) religious freedom

Question 8

Which function of government stated in the Preamble is consistent with the notion of having government-provided police protection?

A) establishing justice
B) securing the blessings of liberty
C) promoting the general welfare
D) ensuring domestic tranquility

Question 9

How does the Preamble to the Constitution begin?

A) "We the People…"
B) "We hold these truths to be self-evident…"
C) "When in the Course of human events…"
D) "In Order to form a more perfect Union…"

Question 10

Which of the following public policies would social conservatives be most likely to support?

A) decreasing defense spending
B) prohibiting any references to God or religion on money or government buildings
C) restricting abortions
D) regulating the banking and financial sectors

Question 11

In general,which of the following is true about the U.S.population?

A) It is mostly under the age of thirty.
B) It is getting older.
C) It is becoming more homogeneous.
D) It is becoming more Christian.

Question 12

Which of the following expanded Americans' conceptions of personal liberty?

A) indirect democracy
B) the Fourteenth Amendment
C) the American Dream
D) political ideology

Question 13

Indirect democracy uses which of the following?

A) plebiscites
B) unanimity
C) representation
D) "mob rule"

Question 14

The ancient Greeks considered representative government to be __________.

A) nearly perfect
B) a natural right
C) aristocratic
D) undemocratic

Question 15

In an oligarchy,rule is by which of the following?

A) the many in their self-interest
B) a few people in their self-interest
C) one person in the best interest of society
D) the many in the best interest of society

Question 16

In a direct democracy,decisions are made collectively by citizens using __________.

A) indirect democracy
B) majority rule
C) enlightened representatives
D) trustee representatives

Question 17

Which of the following is the doctrine that society should be governed by certain ethical principles that are part of nature and can be understood by reason?

A) ethical law
B) contract law
C) natural law
D) Newton's law

Question 18

What percentage of Americans are immigrants?

A) 0.7 percent
B) 3 percent
C) 9 percent
D) 15 percent

Question 19

How many citizens did the Constitution initially mandate that each member of the House of Representatives should represent?

A) 30,000
B) 60,000
C) 100,000
D) 130,000

Question 20

Approximately what percentage of children live in a household with both parents?

A) 40 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 60 percent
D) 70 percent

Question 21

Indigenous peoples had been living in North America for more than 30,000 years before the arrival of the first European colonists.

Question 22

Americans generally have the lowest levels of confidence in which of the following institutions?

A) the press
B) business and industry
C) the executive branch
D) Congress

Question 23

The elderly often vote against programs favored by younger voters; younger voters often vote against programs favored by the elderly.

Question 24

Which of the following is a true statement about liberals?

A) They believe individuals should look to churches and other social service organizations for assistance.
B) They are more likely to vote Republican than Democratic.
C) They generally favor government intervention to promote equality.
D) They seek to end costly welfare programs.

Question 25

Which of the following was expected of the federal government 200 years ago?

A) regulating business
B) providing national defense
C) providing poverty relief
D) inspecting food

Question 26

The United States has undergone a tremendous change in the number of states allowing for __________ marriage.

Question 27

__________ believe that moral decay must be stemmed and that government should support and further traditional moral teachings.

Question 28

Which of the following is a true statement about moderates?

A) They created the Tea Party movement.
B) They comprise over half of the U.S. population.
C) They largely support an overhaul of the welfare system.
D) They believe that a centrist approach to politics is best.

Question 29

__________ is the coherent set of values and beliefs people hold about the purpose and scope of government.

Question 30

Large numbers of nonvoters can threaten democratic legitimacy.

Question 31

Americans' confidence in government institutions in the United States has __________.

A) remained stagnant over time
B) generally increased
C) generally decreased
D) fluctuated considerably depending on who is in office

Question 32

Many colonists were uncomfortable with the term democracy because it conjured up fears of the people and mob rule.

Question 33

Although many people still view the United States as a __________ nation,a great number of religious groups-including Jews,Buddhists,Hindus,and Muslims-have established roots in the United States.

Question 34

Over the years,our attitudes about personal liberty have remained unchanged.

Question 35

__________ believe in extensive government control of personal and economic liberties.

Question 36

The Framers did not envision that the U.S.government would do as much to "promote the general welfare" as it has been doing in recent years.

Question 37

Conservatives tend to want the government to respond quickly to societal changes.

Question 38

Over time,Americans' expectations of government have generally __________.

A) increased
B) decreased
C) been related to national defense
D) been related to foreign policy

Question 39

Fewer Americans consider themselves to be liberal than to be conservative.

Question 40

Monarchy is a type of government that Aristotle considered rule by "tyranny."

Question 41

How is the large number of immigrants to the United States likely to affect public policy?

Question 42

Why are there regional and sectional differences within the United States? Explain how these differences arose.

Question 43

Evaluate same-sex marriage from a conservative perspective and from a liberal perspective.Would conservative and social conservative viewpoints be the same? Why or why not?

Question 44

Why might the labels of "conservative" and "liberal" be misleading?

Question 45

Explain what the Framers meant by "securing the blessings of liberty," and discuss how far a government should go to ensure citizens' liberty.

Question 46

What was the primary reason that colonists settled in America? Discuss the establishment of at least two specific colonies.

Question 47

How have Americans' expectations of their government changed over time?

Question 48

Political scientists note that ideologies perform four key functions.After discussing each function,decide and explain which most affects your own ideology.

Question 49

Americans tend to share the common goal of achieving the __________,which generally includes a happy and successful life,wealth,a house,and a better life for one's children.

Question 50

What is the main difference between direct democracy and indirect democracy? Assess which plays a more prominent role in government of the United States.