Deck 1: A Changing America

Question 1

In which of the following periods did the American population grow most slowly?

A)1930s
B)1950s
C)1970s
D)1980s
E)1990s

Answer 1

A

Question 2

"The total value of goods and services produced by a nation's economy in a year,excluding transactions with foreign countries" is a definition of

A)standard of living.
B)gross domestic product.
C)inflation.
D)income distribution.
E)net economic growth.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following statements is

A)The United States is the world's most populous nation.
B)The United States has the world's largest GDP.
C)The United States is the largest nation in the world in terms of land area.
D)The United States accepts very few immigrants each year.
E)The population of the United States is actually shrinking.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

"A system of government in which ultimate political authority is vested in the people" is a definition of

A)capitalism.
B)socialism.
C)mixed economy.
D)democracy.
E)communism.

Question 5

Which of the following is the source of France's immigration problem today?

A)Immigrants lack important skills.
B)Immigrants from former French colonies refuse to learn French.
C)Islamic immigrants have posed problems of cultural integration.
D)Muslim families have come to France only to live for short periods of time.
E)Most of the recent immigrants have come from Protestant countries.

Question 6

"The widely held,deeply rooted political values of a society" is a definition of

A)political culture.
B)liberalism.
C)politics.
D)conservatism.
E)ethical culture.

Question 7

What was the annual growth rate of the American population between 2000 and 2008?

A)1.9 percent
B)1 percent
C)2 percent
D)10 percent
E).5 percent

Question 8

Approximately how many illegal immigrants reside in the United States?

A)50,000
B)More than 11 million
C)275,000
D)42.5 million
E)Less than 3 million

Question 9

As measured by GDP,which nation has the largest economy in the world?

A)Japan
B)United States
C)Germany
D)Russia
E)Ireland

Question 10

According to the Census Bureau,what is the population of the U.S.?

A)Less than 100 million
B)150 million
C)850 million
D)More than 300 million
E)One billion

Question 11

Is having access to alternative sources of information considered a key criterion of democracy?

A)No,because most Americans are not interested in keeping up with current events
B)Yes,because citizens in a democracy have a right to access information sources that are not controlled by the government
C)Yes,because government control over media is common in the world's democracies
D)No,because government-controlled media would provide more and better information about all political processes
E)No,because alternative sources are too biased to be of any use

Question 12

"An economic system characterized by individual and corporate ownership of the means of production" is a definition of

A)communism.
B)liberalism.
C)capitalism.
D)socialism.
E)greed.

Question 13

According to the census,which of the following statements is

A)A majority of Americans live in the Frostbelt.
B)A majority of Americans live in rural areas and small towns.
C)African Americans,Asian Americans,and Hispanic Americans combined now constitute a majority of the nation's population.
D)The population is getting younger.
E)A majority of Americans live in the Sunbelt.

Question 14

According to the census data,which of the following is

A)Americans are 20 percent urban.
B)Americans are 80 percent urban.
C)American are split 50-50 between the urban and rural areas of the country.
D)White Americans are urbanized but Latinos are rural.
E)Americans are equally divided among urban,suburban,and rural areas.

Question 15

During which period of time was the baby boom generation born?

A)Between the first and second world wars
B)During the Great Depression
C)In the 1940s and 1950s
D)During the 1980s
E)Before the Great Depression

Question 16

Which group of U.S.states receives the largest number of immigrants?

A)Alabama,Mississippi,Tennessee
B)California,New York,Texas
C)Utah,Montana,Idaho
D)Vermont,New Hampshire,Maine
E)Oregon,Washington,Idaho

Question 17

According to demographers,what percentage of the nation's population is white,non-Hispanic?

A)65 percent
B)10 percent
C)85 percent
D)25 percent
E)20 percent

Question 18

"The goods and services affordable to and available to the residents of a nation" is a definition of

A)standard of living.
B)gross domestic product.
C)inflation.
D)income distribution.
E)net annual trade rate.

Question 19

Federally funded programs that provide healthcare for certain groups in society include

A)Food Stamps.
B)Medicare and Medicaid.
C)WIC and rent vouchers.
D)Social Security.
E)unemployment.

Question 20

The baby boom generation refers to which age group currently?

A)Under 20
B)Over 60
C)20-30
D)Under 15
E)Over 100

Question 21

The high point in U.S.population growth appears to have been a result of soldiers returning from World War I.

Question 22

Frostbelt is the term used to describe the northwest corner of America.

Question 23

Which of the following is

A)There is no poverty in America.
B)Nearly 150 million people in America live in poverty.
C)The poverty threshold for a family of four is $22,050.
D)Poverty only affects adults with no children.
E)Few who live in poverty are legal citizens.

Question 24

The issue of wage rates in the U.S.is central to arguments both for and against illegal immigration.

Question 25

Japan now has the world's largest economy,as measured by GD

Question 26

What effect do population changes have on the House of Representatives?

Question 27

Describe the demographic changes in America over the last few decades.

Question 28

To remedy problems with Muslim immigrants,France has stopped immigration of all North Africans.

Question 29

According to the census,a majority of Americans live in the South and West,the region known as the Sunbelt.

Question 30

What is the baby boom generation,and why is this generation so significant to policymaking in America?

Question 31

The U.S.spends more on the military than all potential adversaries.

Question 32

What would be the impact on a democratic society if the government took control of all media sources?

Question 33

Latinos now make up 15.4 percent of the United States population.

Question 34

What is political culture? What makes political culture significant when studying the politics of a nation?

Question 35

Which groups)in society tend to be more educated?

A)African Americans
B)Hispanic Americans
C)Asian Americans and African Americans
D)Women and Native Americans
E)Asian Americans and whites

Question 36

Social Security is a federal retirement program funded by the taxpayers.

Question 37

Attitudes toward democracy and capitalism constitute the core of America's political culture.

Question 38

What are the arguments used for and against illegal immigration? What issues are common to both?

Question 39

Which of the following nations has the largest GDP per capita?

A)Japan
B)United States
C)Mexico
D)United Kingdom
E)South Africa

Question 40

On what basis does government set the poverty threshold?

A)Persons with below-average income are considered poor by the official definition.
B)Persons without sufficient incomes to purchase basic necessities are considered poor by the official definition.
C)Anyone earning less than $8,000 a year is considered poor by the official definition.
D)Anyone who claims to be poor on government surveys is considered poor by the official definition.
E)Persons earning less than half the average income are considered poor by the official definition.

Question 41

Write an essay on the proper role of government concerning poverty.Should the government participate in income redistribution? Should the government take care of those deemed to be living below the poverty level? From where should the government take the money it redistributes within the economy?

Question 42

How does the government measure poverty? Does this method over- or underestimate the problem?

Question 43

How does the size and strength of the U.S.economy compare with the economies of Japan,Canada,Germany,and the United Kingdom? Write an essay in which you consider the following measures of economic performance: GDP,per capita income,standard of living,and rate of economic growth.

Question 44

What is the difference between the Sunbelt and the Frostbelt? Why do we use these terms?

Question 45

What are some of the issues that have changed the place of the Sunbelt in American political life?

Question 46

Suppose you are conducting research to write an essay on the political culture of another country,such as Italy or Australia.What information would you study to determine the sources of this country's political culture?

Question 47

Compare the immigration issues that face France and the U.S.What elements are common to each,and how have political responses differed between the two countries?

Question 48

What are the common measures of a country's economy,and what does each reflect?

Question 49

Immigration accounts for a substantial share of the nation's population growth.Write an essay on immigration in which you accomplish the following goals: a)compare the current immigration rate in the U.S.with the immigration rate earlier in this century;b)identify the main countries of origin of recent immigrants to the U.S. ;and c)discuss the arguments for and against immigration.