Deck 4: States

Question 1

To Aristotle, the corrupt form of monarchy is __________.

A)democracy
B)tyranny
C)polity
D)oligarchy

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Pirates are present in Somalia because it is a __________.

A)weak state
B)failed state
C)militant state
D)effective state

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Democracy is the ___________ form of government by ___________.

A)corrupt; one
B)corrupt; a few
C)corrupt; many
D)legitimate; many

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Prefectures are the first-order subdivisions in ___________.

A)Canada
B)Sweden
C)France
D)Japan

Question 5

What conclusion can we make about constitutions based on your text?

A)Constitutions structure power so that it does not vary over time.
B)Constitutions are designed to change with each election.
C)Constitutions provide institutional powers, but individual leaders and time affect the exercise of power.
D)Constitutions are nearly identical from one state to the next.

Question 6

The first-order civil divisions on the United States are called ___________.

A)cantons
B)states
C)counties
D)cities

Question 7

Which of the following, if True, might keep a failed state from disappearing?

A)Increasing taxation power
B)Revenue from natural resources being collected by leaders
C)Expansion of territory
D)Monetary aid from other nations

Question 8

___________ are characterized by the penetration of crime into politics.

A)Weak states
B)Strong states
C)Effective states
D)Failed states

Question 9

___________ are incapable of even minimal governance.

A)Strong states
B)Weak States
C)Failed States
D)Effective States

Question 10

What is the term for the absence of government?

A)Socialism
B)Anarchy
C)Statism
D)Republic

Question 11

In France, a prefect is a(n) __________.

A)administrator
B)state
C)lawmaker
D)judge

Question 12

Hereditary rule by one person is known as __________.

A)a monarchy
B)a republic
C)institutionalization
D)a state

Question 13

To Aristotle, the legitimate form of government by the few is __________.

A)monarchy
B)tyranny
C)aristocracy
D)oligarchy

Question 14

Which of the following, if True, best undermines Aristotle's views on government?

A)Members of elected lawmaking bodies often pursue policies to help themselves get elected.
B)Elected politicians are often interested in running for higher offices.
C)Many democracies have become corrupt.
D)Elected officials do make policies that benefit the majority of citizens.

Question 15

The aftermath of the resignation by President Nixon in the United States demonstrated which concept?

A)The power of the states relative to the national government
B)The resiliency of the institution of the presidency
C)The limitations of the United States court system in punishing corrupt politicians
D)The limitations of unitary systems of government

Question 16

Which of the following best describes a weak state?

A)A state with essentially no national government
B)A state where elections may be predetermined
C)A state where the government taxes and controls its territory
D)A state where there are no laws

Question 17

Autonomias are regions in what nation?

A)Canada
B)France
C)Brazil
D)Spain

Question 18

Which of the following might lead you to believe Great Britain has a quasi-unitary system of government?

A)Scotland has gained autonomy over some policy areas.
B)Scotland remains under British control on all matters.
C)Great Britain has a federal system of government.
D)Great Britain has a confederal system of government.

Question 19

A(n) __________ is a political system without a monarch.

A)institution
B)monarchy
C)state
D)republic

Question 20

In ____________, laws are mostly obeyed, and government can control and tax its territory.

A)effective states
B)strong states
C)failed states
D)weak states

Question 21

Which of the following might lead to the collapse of a confederation?

A)Too much power from the central government
B)Local governments lacking the ability to make decisions
C)Ineffective regional governments
D)The inability of the central government to defend regional government

Question 22

Districts that are __________ often have bizarre shapes.

A)compact
B)majoritarian
C)gerrymandered
D)proportional

Question 23

If the Green Party receives 15 percent of the vote in a proportional system, which of the following is likely to happen?

A)The Green Party would receive no seats.
B)The Green Party would try to form a coalition with other parties.
C)The Green Party would attempt to gerrymander districts to their advantage.
D)The Green Party would demand a recount of the votes.

Question 24

Gerrymandering is most likely a problem in what electoral system?

A)Single-member systems
B)Multi-member systems
C)Proportional systems
D)Mixed-member systems

Question 25

An advantage of a proportional representation system of government would be __________.

A)a strong two-party system
B)the ability to draw districts to favor the majority party
C)representation of minor parties
D)the ability of the central government to provide benefits to the populations

Question 26

In __________, representatives are elected based on their party's percentage of the vote.

A)proportional representative systems
B)majoritarian systems
C)single-member districts
D)multi-member districts

Question 27

The idea that American states serve as "laboratories of democracy" is an advantage of __________ of government.

A)unitary systems
B)confederal systems
C)federal systems
D)proportional systems

Question 28

If the Social Democrats receive only five percent of the vote, they would be most successful under which of the following systems?

A)Proportional representation
B)Single-member districts
C)Multi-member districts
D)Mixed-member

Question 29

Which of the following do Spain and France have in common when it comes to the distribution of responsibilities in those nations?

A)Both nations have consistently consolidated power over the past century.
B)Both nations have decentralized governmental functions.
C)Both nations have adopted confederal systems of government.
D)Both nations have adopted mixed electoral systems.

Question 30

Which of the following descriptions best depicts a federal system of government?

A)The central government maintains all the power.
B)The first-order subdivisions maintain all the power.
C)Federal systems exist where there are no governments.
D)Federal systems have divided power between a central government and first-order governments.

Question 31

Canada's federal system contains what issue of contention?

A)Whether Ottawa should secede
B)How much autonomy Quebec should have
C)The first-order subdivisions maintain all the power
D)How to deal with the United States

Question 32

Electoral systems that elect one person per district are known as ____________.

A)multi-member districts
B)majoritarian systems
C)single-member districts
D)proportional districts

Question 33

Why are coalitions among parties seldom necessary in the United States?

A)Because elections are held in multi-member districts
B)Because elections usually produce more than two viable candidates
C)Because elections are held in single-member districts with plurality winners
D)Because of the multi-party system in the United States

Question 34

In a single-member district election, the winner receives a minimum of __________.

A)a plurality of the votes
B)a majority of the votes
C)two-thirds of the votes
D)three-fourths of the votes

Question 35

The fact that local governments are best suited for providing services like trash pick-up best supports which of the following form of government?

A)Laissez-faire systems
B)Federal systems
C)Unitary systems
D)Prefectures

Question 36

Center-periphery tension might result from which of the following scenarios?

A)The existence of a poor region that receives little from the nation
B)A socialist nation with high levels of taxation
C)A federal system where power is divided between the first-order divisions and the central government
D)A single-member district with first past the post elections

Question 37

Based on what you know, which of the following is likely the case for Swiss cantons?

A)Cantons can be altered by the central government.
B)Cantons are only found near the capital.
C)Cantons have a significant amount of autonomy.
D)Cantons only have those powers granted to them by the central government.

Question 38

Center-periphery tensions are most likely to exist under what circumstance?

A)In statist systems that are becoming more capitalistic
B)In areas with regional cultural differences or economic inequality
C)In unitary systems of government where the central government has most of the power
D)In large confederal systems

Question 39

Goldwater and McGovern demonstrated which of the following?

A)The benefit of taking extreme positions in American politics
B)The risks of not taking positions in American politics
C)The risks of taking extreme positions in American politics
D)The benefits of the electoral college in the American political system

Question 40

Which of the following demonstrates a weakness in the American federal system of government?

A)Educational quality varies extensively across American states.
B)No Child Left Behind was designed to improve education.
C)Educational needs in Kansas may be very different from New York.
D)Educational standards are comparable across states.

Question 41

Japan and France shared what in common when it came to modernization?

A)Both modernized through an extensive welfare system.
B)Both modernized through extensive involvement of the state in the economy.
C)Both modernized through laissez-faire economics.
D)Both modernized because of their weak state systems.

Question 42

France, Mexico, Brazil, and China demonstrate which of the following points based on your chapter?

A)The role of the government in the economy is usually stable.
B)The role of the government in welfare provision is usually stable.
C)Laissez-faire systems are always best.
D)Nations often adopt different aspects of more than one economic system.

Question 43

A __________ system practices both state ownership and extensive welfare benefits.

A)socialist
B)statist
C)welfare
D)laissez-faire

Question 44

Statist systems of government often provided generous welfare benefits.

Question 45

Which of the following, if True, most undermines the French-type strong state argument?

A)State-owned industries made France an economic power.
B)Regionalism limits central government authority.
C)Government intervention in the economy is necessary due to market failures.
D)Other nations, like the United States modernized more quickly.

Question 46

Republics are usually ruled by a monarch chosen by heredity.

Question 47

Welfare states tend to have which of the following combinations of state ownership and welfare benefits?

A)High levels of state ownership and high levels of welfare benefits
B)High levels of state ownership but low levels of welfare benefits
C)Low levels of state ownership and high levels of welfare benefits
D)Low levels of state ownership and low levels of welfare benefits

Question 48

Which of the following, if True, most undermines laissez-faire systems?

A)Government intervention limits economic growth.
B)Private enterprise makes the nation prosper.
C)Markets do not always regulate themselves.
D)Welfare systems create a culture of dependence.

Question 49

Which of the following is most indicative of a laissez-faire system?

A)Low levels of state ownership and high levels of welfare benefits
B)Low levels of state ownership and low levels of welfare benefits
C)High levels of state ownership and high levels of welfare benefits
D)High levels of state ownership but low levels of welfare benefits

Question 50

Political institutions are the working structures of government.

Question 51

In the United States, power shifted from the national government to the states during the Reagan Presidency in a process known as devolution.

Question 52

The United States had a federal system of government under the Articles of Confederation.

Question 53

Multi-party systems often have higher voter turnout than two party systems.

Question 54

Gerrymandering by the majority party in the state legislature can result in that party maintaining political control even when the opposing party receives more votes.

Question 55

In a __________ system, the government owns little or no industry and redistributes little in welfare programs.

A)majoritarian
B)proportional
C)socialist
D)laissez-faire

Question 56

In France, first-order civil divisions are known as departments.

Question 57

Which statement best reflects the United States compared to other nations when it comes to state power?

A)The United States is comparable to most other nations when it comes to state power.
B)In the United States, government plays a larger role than in other nations.
C)In the United States, government plays a smaller role compared to other nations.
D)The size of government in the United States is larger in some issue areas but not in others.

Question 58

Which statement best depicts the conclusions from the chapter on the role of government in economic situations?

A)The answer depends on the nation in question and the particular circumstances.
B)Government intervention limits economic growth in most circumstances.
C)Markets usually do not always regulate themselves.
D)State intervention in economic matters is never necessary.

Question 59

Weak states typically have no national government.

Question 60

Decentralizing power involves concentrating power in the national government.

Question 61

Great Britain's ruling system is a __________, but the Queen is mostly a figurehead.

Question 62

Japan's first-order civil divisions are known as __________.

Question 63

Explain the relationship between electoral systems and party systems.

Question 64

How are institutions bigger than individual leaders? Give an example.

Question 65

Distinguish between effective, weak, and failed states.

Question 66

What does gerrymandering do for democracy?

Question 67

__________ is where power is balanced between the nation's capital and autonomous subdivisions.

Question 68

__________ are characterized by the penetration of crime into politics.

Question 69

What are the ways that the state may relate to the economy?

Question 70

What are some advantages of America's federal system of government?

Question 71

Single-member districts with plurality elections tend to produce __________ parties.

Question 72

Warlords, militias, and other gun wielders often take the place of the national government in __________.

Question 73

__________ has been replaced by more free market economies in Europe and Latin America.

Question 74

The d'Hondt mathematical formula is often used to determine seats based on the percentage of votes in __________ systems.

Question 75

How might modernization have been different had France had less involvement in the economy?

Question 76

Differentiate between primary and secondary sources? What are potential drawbacks of some sources?

Question 77

Evaluate Aristotle's six types of government.How might this classification be useful today?

Question 78

Contrast unitary and federal systems of government.Identify a strength and weakness of each system.

Question 79

_________ is the term for the absence of government.

Question 80

Germany has a __________ of government because the local governments have only the autonomy granted to them by the national government.