Deck 1: American Political Culture

Question 1

An autocracy exists when

A)the government is controlled by a single individual.
B)the government is controlled by a small but powerful group of people.
C)the constitution of a government is followed strictly.
D)citizens play a significant part in government by electing key public officials.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A representative democracy is a system of government that

A)allows citizens to vote directly on laws and policies.
B)allows citizens to make, veto, or judge statutes personally.
C)gives citizens a regular opportunity to elect top government officials.
D)gives citizens the ability to debate important constitutional decisions.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A government that is not constrained by legal limits and also seeks to eliminate any challenges to its authority is known as a(n) ________ government.

A)authoritarian
B)totalitarian
C)democratic
D)republican

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Approximately ________ percent of the world's population currently lives in a constitutional democracy.

A)95
B)75
C)60
D)40

Question 5

Government is best defined as the

A)institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled.
B)set of political principles and values that guide political life.
C)means by which wealth is redistributed.
D)invisible hand that turns private interests into public goods.

Question 6

What is the principal difference between an autocracy and an oligarchy?

A)the number of people in charge
B)the level of wealth of the rulers
C)international diplomatic recognition
D)the strength of the military

Question 7

Having some share or say in the composition of a government's leadership, how it is organized, or what its policies are going to be is called

A)government.
B)power.
C)autocracy.
D)federalism.

Question 8

The theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government is called

A)republicanism.
B)hedonism.
C)pluralism.
D)communism.

Question 9

The demand that there be no taxation without representation is a good example of what political reform of the eighteenth century?

A)the decline of popular influence on government
B)more popular influence on government
C)the decline in citizenship
D)the spread of autocracy

Question 10

The ________ was the key group in Europe that pushed for limited government.

A)bourgeoisie
B)gendarmes
C)peasantry
D)Socialist Party

Question 11

A government that is formally limited by laws and rules is called

A)democratic.
B)constitutional.
C)oligarchic.
D)totalitarian.

Question 12

Which of the following statements best characterizes the bourgeoisie's view of electoral and representative institutions?

A)They were opponents of electoral and representative institutions and favored a government run by a single monarch.
B)They were opponents of electoral and representative institutions and favored a government run by a small group of aristocrats and clergy members.
C)They were advocates of electoral and representative institutions that allowed for universal participation among all adults.
D)They were advocates of electoral and representative institutions, but they favored limiting participation to the middle and upper classes.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT an example of a totalitarian regime?

A)the United Kingdom
B)pre-World War II Japan
C)Nazi Germany
D)the Soviet Union under Stalin

Question 14

The willingness to be restrained by the power of social institutions, but not by political or legal institutions, is a hallmark of a(n) ________ regime.

A)totalitarian
B)authoritarian
C)democratic
D)monarchic

Question 15

A(n) ________ occurs when a small group of wealthy landowners and corporate leaders control the government.

A)monarchy
B)oligarchy
C)authoritarian regime
D)totalitarian state

Question 16

Who said that the best government was one that "governed least"?

A)Franklin Roosevelt
B)Thomas Jefferson
C)Alexander Hamilton
D)Abraham Lincoln

Question 17

Prior to the eighteenth century

A)governments were primarily democratic.
B)governments rarely sought the support of their people.
C)most governments were based on respect for the rule of law.
D)autocracies were extremely rare.

Question 18

Direct democracy is best defined as

A)the system of government run by one person.
B)a system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies.
C)the competition between interest groups for governmental power.
D)a system that allows citizens to elect representatives who play a significant role in governmental decision-making.

Question 19

A ________ is a service that people need but are usually unable to provide for themselves.

A)public good
B)cultural commodity
C)selective benefit
D)private good

Question 20

Defense against foreign aggression, maintenance of public order, and a stable currency are examples of

A)police powers.
B)pluralism.
C)constitutionalism.
D)public goods.

Question 21

After the Civil War, Republicans attempted to

A)disenfranchise newly freed slaves in order to maintain Republican control over the defeated southern states.
B)enfranchise newly freed slaves in order to maintain Republican control over the defeated southern states.
C)disenfranchise all property-owning whites in order to maintain Republican control over the defeated southern states.
D)enfranchise women in order to maintain Republican control over the defeated southern states.

Question 22

Citizenship refers to

A)the process of providing passive consent for government's activities.
B)the act of paying taxes to the government.
C)informed and active membership in a political community.
D)receiving benefits from government programs.

Question 23

________ described politics as "who gets what, when, how."

A)James Madison
B)Abraham Lincoln
C)Harold Lasswell
D)John Locke

Question 24

Digital citizenship is

A)the ability to participate in society online.
B)the constitutional right to vote in federal elections using the internet.
C)a new government program designed to deliver daily legislative updates to citizens via email.
D)the federal government's recent initiative to allow immigrants to complete citizenship forms electronically.

Question 25

Which of the following is an example of direct action politics in the United States?

A)the Black Lives Matter protests
B)Oregon voters approving a measure to legalize recreational marijuana use in the 2014 election
C)Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election
D)the Republican takeover of the U.S.House of Representatives following the 2010 midterm elections

Question 26

Democracy functions best when

A)less than a majority of citizens vote in every election.
B)citizens are informed.
C)all candidates for office are highly educated.
D)all candidates for office are wealthy.

Question 27

Politics can be defined as

A)conflicts over the character, membership, and policies of government.
B)the informal, private organizations through which a land and its people are ruled.
C)a hierarchically structured organization that is designed to distribute labor among several different groups of people.
D)a line-and-staff organization that is designed to facilitate control over complex social arrangements.

Question 28

Which of the following statements best describes direct democracy in the United States?

A)Every state and local government allows direct democracy, but initiatives are always limited to issues of taxation and economic regulation.
B)Every state and local government allows direct democracy, and many hot-button issues are determined by initiatives.
C)Some state and local governments allow direct democracy, and many hot-button issues are determined by initiatives.
D)Some state and local governments allow direct democracy, but initiatives are always limited to issues of taxation and economic regulation.

Question 29

What major legal and political changes led to the rise of constitutional government in the West?

A)legal limits on government and the right of more people to vote
B)the right of revolution and the spread of socialism
C)debt relief for the poor and the right of average citizens to hold office
D)the growth in ethnic and religious diversity

Question 30

Why did the Progressives support women's suffrage in the early twentieth century?

A)The Progressives were dominated by women.
B)The Progressives believed women would support their reform movement.
C)The Progressives needed to develop a voting bloc to check and limit upper-class northerners.
D)The Progressives needed to develop a voting bloc to check and limit lower-class southerners.

Question 31

It is important for Americans to have political knowledge so that they will

A)be able to determine who belongs and who does not belong.
B)be better able to assess their own interests when making political choices.
C)be better able to judge the legitimacy of other nations.
D)feel a stronger sense of patriotism.

Question 32

In 2017, what percentage of Americans did NOT know that "Obamacare" and the "Affordable Care Act" are the same thing?

A)5
B)15
C)33
D)75

Question 33

Those instrumental in the founding of the American Republic

A)explicitly outlawed political protest in the Constitution because they believed elections were sufficient enough to protect political freedom.
B)provided protections for political protest in the Constitution because they believed direct democracy was a better form of government than representative democracy.
C)provided protections for political protest in the Constitution because they believed elections were not enough to protect political freedom.
D)provided protections for political protest in the Constitution because they believed it was the only way to guarantee political equality.

Question 34

Which of the following is an example of the process of direct democracy?

A)citizens in a state approving the use of medical marijuana through referendum
B)a citizen calling her representative to complain about potholes on local roads
C)a group of citizens coming together to debate the pros and cons of higher taxes
D)a citizen deciding to contribute money to his preferred presidential candidate

Question 35

If a government led by a dictator was replaced with a government where a large number of citizens exercised influence over decision-making, this change would best be characterized as
A shift from a(n)

A)autocracy to an oligarchy.
B)democracy to an oligarchy.
C)democracy to an autocracy.
D)autocracy to a democracy.

Question 36

Why are Americans sometimes fearful of pluralist politics?

A)They are fearful that organized groups will successfully advance public interests at the expense of special interests.
B)They are fearful that organized groups will successfully advance special interests at the expense of the greater public good.
C)They are fearful that organized groups represent a challenge to liberty.
D)They are fearful that organized groups will reduce the need for public goods.

Question 37

Generally speaking, in order to be a good citizen in the United States, it is MOST critical to have

A)a lot of corporate connections.
B)significant resources, such as money.
C)knowledge of the American political system.
D)strongly held convictions.

Question 38

Approximately ________ percent of Americans can correctly identify all three branches of the federal government.

A)5
B)30
C)75
D)95

Question 39

Though the United States is a ________ at the federal level, there are provisions for ________ democracy at the state and local levels.

A)direct democracy; representative
B)representative democracy; direct
C)oligarchic government; direct
D)oligarchic government; representative

Question 40

The ________ is the MOST important concept in the theory of pluralism.

A)individual
B)nation
C)state
D)group

Question 41

A majority of the foreign-born population living in the United States today come from

A)Africa.
B)Asia.
C)Latin America.
D)Europe.

Question 42

About ________ percent of the American adult population identifies with the Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish faiths.

A)12
B)32
C)52
D)72

Question 43

Most Americans of African descent were not officially citizens in the United States until

A)1857, when the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dred Scott v.Sandford.
B)1868, when the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution conferred citizenship on the freed slaves.
C)1896, when the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Plessy v.Ferguson.
D)1920, when the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution allowed for universal suffrage.

Question 44

Congressional law and Supreme Court decisions have ruled that undocumented immigrants are

A)entitled to both education and emergency health care in the United States.
B)prohibited from accessing both education and emergency health care in the United States.
C)entitled to education but not emergency health care in the United States.
D)entitled to emergency health care but not education in the United States.

Question 45

There are approximately ________ million people living in the United States without legal authorization, and the majority of these people are from ________.

A)2; Mexico and Central America
B)6; Mexico and Central America
C)11; Mexico and Central America
D)11; Asia and Africa

Question 46

In 2000, the United States Census

A)added a new category for people who identify as Hispanic or Latino.
B)removed a previously used category for people who identify as Hispanic or Latino.
C)added a new category for people who identify as "two or more races."
D)removed a previously used category for people who identify as "two or more races."

Question 47

Which of the following statements about the United States Census is MOST accurate?

A)The census has always counted every person living within the boundaries of the United States regardless of race or ethnicity.
B)The census has always categorized people in one of five racial groups: Native Americans, Latino Americans, African Americans, Caucasian Americans, and Asian Americans.
C)Who census officials count and how they are categorized by race and ethnicity have changed significantly throughout American history.
D)The current census does not allow a person to identify himself or herself as a member of more than one racial group.

Question 48

Immigrants from Asian countries were

A)allowed to enter the country in unlimited numbers by a 1924 Supreme Court decision.
B)not mentioned in any federal law prior to 1973.
C)strongly recruited to the United States by the federal government between 1882 and 1943.
D)largely prohibited from entering the United States prior to the 1940s.

Question 49

Which of the following statements best characterizes the United States' population relative to that of other industrialized countries?

A)Much like other industrialized countries, the age profile of the United States' population has remained fairly constant over time.
B)The United States' population is aging and has always been older than citizens of most industrialized countries.
C)Although the population of the United States is becoming younger, Americans tend to be older than citizens of most industrialized countries.
D)Although the population of the United States is aging, Americans tend to be younger than citizens of most industrialized countries.

Question 50

The National Origins quota system

A)allowed a large quota of new immigrants from northern European countries but only a small quota of new immigrants from eastern and southern European countries.
B)allowed only a small quota of new immigrants from northern European countries but a large quota of immigrants from eastern and southern European countries.
C)allowed the same quota of new immigrants from every country around the world.
D)outlawed all immigration from European countries.

Question 51

The foreign-born population in the United States reached an all-time low of 5 percent in 1970 because

A)the Constitution was amended to eliminate naturalization and provide citizenship only to people born within the United States.
B)the federal government chose to deport nearly all foreign-born residents after World War II.
C)the struggling American economy made the United States an unattractive destination for most immigrants.
D)the National Origins quota system placed strong restrictions on the number of immigrants who could enter the United States.

Question 52

Which of the following statements best describes naturalization laws in the United States prior to 1870?

A)All free people could become naturalized citizens after living in the country for at least five years.
B)Only free whites could become naturalized citizens.
C)Only freed African American slaves could become naturalized citizens.
D)Only Native Americans could become naturalized citizens.

Question 53

The U.S.Constitution creates a system that underrepresents urban areas by

A)providing representation based on population in the U.S.House of Representatives.
B)providing each state with two U.S.senators regardless of population.
C)requiring federal officials to spend the same amount of money in rural and urban areas of the country.
D)requiring that federal officials impose higher taxes on people living in urban areas of the country.

Question 54

Although ________ percent of the population was of African descent at the time of the Founding, only about ________ percent of this group was free from slavery.

A)50; 10
B)50; 1.5
C)35; 10
D)20; 1.5

Question 55

In 1900, residents who traced their origin to Latin America or Asia each accounted for

A)less than 1 percent of the entire population.
B)approximately 10 percent of the entire population.
C)approximately 33 percent of the entire population.
D)approximately 50 percent of the entire population.

Question 56

Americans' sense of political efficacy

A)remained relatively constant between 1960 and 2015.
B)increased dramatically between 1960 and 2015.
C)decreased dramatically between 1960 and 2015.
D)decreased between 1960 and 1975 but increased between 1975 and 2015.

Question 57

At the time of the founding of the Republic, approximately ________ percent of non-Native American inhabitants of the 13 states were of European ancestry.

A)25
B)50
C)65
D)80

Question 58

The decline in political efficacy in the United States is

A)unlikely to matter at all for the functioning of American democracy because America's constitutional form of limited government is so well established.
B)likely to have negative effects on American democracy because it will lead to less citizen participation in government.
C)likely to have negative effects on American democracy because it will lead to more citizen participation in government.
D)likely to have positive effects on American democracy because it will lead to more citizen participation in government.

Question 59

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Native Americans have always been recognized as citizens of the United States.
B)Native Americans became U.S.citizens in 1868.
C)Native Americans became U.S.citizens in 1924.
D)Native Americans have never become U.S.citizens under American constitutional law.

Question 60

The American population grew from approximately ________ million people in 1790 to approximately ________ million people in 2018.

A)4; 327
B)4; 150
C)15; 327
D)15; 150

Question 61

"One person, one vote" reflects the principle of

A)political equality.
B)equality of opportunity.
C)majority rule.
D)popular sovereignty.

Question 62

The incomes of middle-class Americans

A)have largely stagnated over the last 40 years.
B)have increased significantly over the last 40 years.
C)have decreased significantly over the last 40 years.
D)decreased significantly between 1976 and 1996 but have increased significantly since 1996.

Question 63

During the last 50 years, the American population has

A)not experienced any regional shifts.
B)shifted as a result of people leaving the Northeast and Midwest and moving to the South and Southwest.
C)shifted as a result of people leaving the South and Southwest and moving to the Northeast and Midwest.
D)shifted as a result of people leaving urban areas and moving to rural areas.

Question 64

The essential documents of the American founding are the ________ and the ________.

A)Declaration of Independence; Constitution
B)Declaration of Independence; Magna Carta
C)Constitution; Magna Carta
D)Constitution; Mayflower Compact

Question 65

The separate but equal doctrine was created in

A)Plessy v.Ferguson (1896).
B)McCulloch v.Maryland (1819).
C)Brown v.Board of Education of Topeka, KS (1954).
D)Marbury v.Madison (1803).

Question 66

In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that family businesses

A)could be exempted from the Affordable Care Act's requirement to cover contraception on the basis of religious objections.
B)could discriminate in their hiring practices on the basis of an applicant's religious affiliation.
C)would not have to provide any health insurance coverage to their employees.
D)could not opt out of providing contraceptive care under the Affordable Care Act, even if they raised religious objections.

Question 67

Which of the following best describes the history of income inequality in the United States?

A)The New Deal of the 1930s created massive income inequality that dramatically increased the share of annual national income going to the top 1 percent.
B)Income inequality has remained relatively constant throughout American history, with the top 1 percent accounting for approximately 10 percent of national income.
C)In 1976, the top 1 percent accounted for less than 10 percent of annual national income.
D)The top 1 percent has never accounted for at least 10 percent of annual national income.

Question 68

In the Declaration of Independence, which rights were declared inalienable?

A)"Life, Liberty and Equality."
B)"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
C)"Liberty, Equality and Fraternity."
D)"Life, Equality and the pursuit of Happiness."

Question 69

The original goal of strict registration requirements and scheduling of elections was to

A)reduce the influence of the electoral college in selecting the president.
B)eliminate the role of money in politics.
C)rid politics of corruption.
D)limit voting to property-owning white males.

Question 70

Women were granted the right to vote in

A)1863.
B)1870.
C)1920.
D)1965.

Question 71

The Affordable Care Act required businesses with more than ________ employees to provide health coverage to their employees.

A)50
B)500
C)5,000
D)50,000

Question 72

Throughout American history, the concept of liberty has been linked to the idea of

A)privacy.
B)limited government.
C)unlimited government.
D)economic equality.

Question 73

The Affordable Care Act was controversial partly because it

A)expanded economic freedom by cutting taxes on any business that chose to provide health insurance coverage for its employees.
B)limited economic freedom by creating a government-run health insurance program funded entirely by taxes on corporate profits.
C)expanded economic freedom by allowing businesses to choose which health services would be covered under the insurance plans provided to their employees.
D)limited economic freedom by requiring businesses to provide health coverage for their employees and establishing standards about which health services should be covered by the insurance.

Question 74

The controversy over city governments' passage of so-called sit-lie ordinances is an example of the ongoing conflict in the United States over

A)the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause.
B)perjury punishments in grand jury hearings.
C)how to educate children.
D)what to do when personal liberties violate community norms.

Question 75

Edward Snowden was a significant figure in 2013 because he

A)started a successful ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana use in Colorado.
B)was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama.
C)led the Occupy Wall Street protests against income inequality.
D)leaked top secret documents from the National Security Administration (NSA) to the press.

Question 76

Political culture refers to the

A)way artists, musicians, filmmakers, and cultural critics use their messages to influence political decision-making.
B)shared values, beliefs, and attitudes that serve to hold a nation and its people together.
C)system of organizing politically, which is defined historically in the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.
D)formal rules that govern the interaction between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Question 77

Which of the following statements about property restrictions on the right to vote in the United States is true?

A)They are explicitly forbidden in the Constitution and have never been instituted.
B)They were in effect early in the country's history but were eliminated by 1828.
C)They were instituted in 1828 and are still in effect in many states.
D)They were in effect early in the country's history but were eliminated with the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.

Question 78

Which of the following statements about the 2013 leaks related to the National Security Administration (NSA) is NOT accurate?

A)The leaks revealed that the NSA had created the "Stuxnet" computer worm in order to damage Iran's nuclear weapons program.
B)The leaks revealed that the NSA had been using "metadata" to track the connections among American citizens for more than three years.
C)The leaks revealed that the American government was listening in on the private communications of foreign governments, including many American allies, such as Germany and Brazil.
D)The leaks revealed that the NSA had access to Americans' Facebook, Google, Apple, and Yahoo! accounts, among many other electronic data sources.

Question 79

The belief that political authority should rest with the people themselves is called

A)political equality.
B)pluralism.
C)popular sovereignty.
D)federalism.

Question 80

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between so-called whiteness and American citizenship throughout history?

A)American citizenship has never been tied to whiteness, and the meaning of white has remained constant over time.
B)American citizenship has never been tied to whiteness because the meaning of white has shifted considerably over time.
C)American citizenship has always been tied to whiteness, even as the meaning of white shifted over time.
D)American citizenship has always been tied to whiteness, and the meaning of white has remained constant over time.