Question 1

Your sociology instructor probably decides what the class will do each time that you meet. The fact that your instructor can make these decisions and that the students follow his/her lead is an example of

Accepted Answer

Power is the ability to influence or control the behavior of people, and in this context, the instructor has the power to decide the class activities, which the students follow.

Question 2

Power relations can involve

Accepted Answer

Power relations can involve large organizations, small groups, and people in an intimate association.

Question 3

A man changes his position on the issue of immigrant refugees being granted asylum in the United States after a dinner-table argument with his grown children. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

Influence refers to the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, which is what happened when the man's children persuaded him to change his stance.

Question 4

Legal-rational authority refers to leaders who derive their authority from

Accepted Answer

Legal-rational authority is based on a system of rules and laws that are formally established, and leaders derive their authority from these written rules and regulations.

Question 5

During an inner-city riot, the governor of a state calls up members of the National Guard to protect stores and private citizens. She is able to take this action based on the state's constitution and powers granted her by the state's legislative bodies. Her power is based on which type of authority?

Accepted Answer

The governor's power to call up the National Guard is based on legal-rational authority, which is derived from laws and regulations established by the state's constitution and legislative bodies.

Question 6

Charismatic authority refers to leaders who derive their authority from

Accepted Answer

Charismatic authority refers to leaders who derive their authority from their exceptional personal or emotional appeal.

Question 7

Which of the following factors did Sociologist Carl Couch say the electronic media has facilitated the development of

Accepted Answer

Electronic media has facilitated the development of charismatic authority by allowing leaders to reach a wider audience and build a personal connection with them.

Question 8

Karl Marx believed that society is ruled by a small group of individuals who share a common set of political and economic interests, such as those represented by

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx believed that society is ruled by the capitalists and the dominant bourgeoisie, who control the means of production and have a common set of political and economic interests.

Question 9

Karl Marx believed that

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx believed that representative democracy was a facade, industrial societies were controlled by a small capitalist class, and government officials and military leaders were part of this class, influencing political and economic agendas.

Question 10

Which theorist believed that government officials and military leaders were essentially servants of the capitalist class and followed their wishes?

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx believed that government officials and military leaders served the interests of the capitalist class, acting as instruments to maintain the power and wealth of the bourgeoisie.

Question 11

As described by C. Wright Mills, the "power elite" is

Accepted Answer

The "power elite" as described by C. Wright Mills refers to a small group of military, industrial, and government leaders (A) who control the fate of the United States, and they stand at the top of the power structure (C).

Question 12

Which sociologist argued that the United States is dominated by corporate, military, and political elite?

Accepted Answer

C. Wright Mills argued that the United States is dominated by a power elite consisting of corporate, military, and political leaders.

Question 13

Which one of the following is an example of the power elite, according to C. Wright Mills?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Secretary of State is part of the federal government and holds significant power and influence, fitting C. Wright Mills' concept of the power elite, which includes top political, military, and economic leaders.

Question 14

Which of the following criticisms were expressed regarding Mills's power elite model?

Accepted Answer

Mills's power elite model was criticized for not clearly defining when the power elite would oppose or tolerate protests and for not adequately substantiating the interrelationships between its members.

Question 15

According to G. William Domhoff the two different coalitions in the electoral arena that have exercised influence are the

Accepted Answer

G. William Domhoff identifies the corporate-conservative coalition and the liberal-labor coalition as the two main coalitions that have historically influenced the electoral arena in the United States.

Question 16

Which sociological perspective would be most likely to emphasize the unequal distribution of power in the political system of the United States, in maintaining social, economic, and political control?

Accepted Answer

The conflict perspective focuses on the power differentials and inequalities within society, emphasizing how the elite maintain control over resources and power, which aligns with the question's focus on unequal distribution of power.

Question 17

A city wants to build a drug rehabilitation center; business, religious, educational, and political groups argue back and forth about where to place this center. These competing groups illustrate which theory?

Accepted Answer

Pluralist theory suggests that power is distributed among many groups in society, and these groups compete and negotiate to influence public policy and decision-making, as seen in the scenario described.

Question 18

Which term refers to the social institution through which goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed?

Accepted Answer

The economic system is the social institution responsible for the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Question 19

The economy of the United States is changing, which is due partly to

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B because the economy of the United States is changing, which is due partly to being intertwined with and dependent on the global economy.

Question 20

Today, the workforce of the United States is more reflective of the diversity of the population as ethnic minorities enter the labor force and immigrants and their children move from marginal jobs or employment in the informal economy to positions of greater visibility and responsibility. Which sociological perspective notes that workers will find themselves supervising and being supervised by people very different from themselves?

Accepted Answer

The interactionist perspective focuses on the daily interactions and social processes that occur between individuals, including how people from diverse backgrounds interact in the workplace.

Quiz 9: Social Institutions: Education, Government, and the Economy