Deck 15: Politics

Question 1

Political action committees are a threat to American democracy because they have the capability of influencing elected officials more than the voters who placed them in office.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

People who have a burning desire for social change are the most likely to vote.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The United States first began as city-states.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Sociologist Nicholas Timasheff suggests that social causes of war are can be traced to societies that have a cultural tradition of war combined with an antagonistic situation involving incompatible objectives.

Question 5

Power relations, wherever they exist, refer to politics.

Question 6

The Democrats and Republicans are classified as noncentrist parties because their political views diametrically oppose each other.

Question 7

Traditional authority is based on what has been agreed to by reasonable people and written into law.

Question 8

The inclination to wage war is a universal characteristic common to all human societies.

Question 9

A political gender gap is developing in presidential polls with women being likely to support the Democratic candidate and men supporting the Republican candidate.

Question 10

To protect America the Presidents have participated in targeted killings of men and women including minors and American citizens throughout the world.

Question 11

Because there are no rules regulating lobbyists, they tend to be former and current White House officials who "have the president's ear."

Question 12

Pluralism, the process that prevents any single group from gaining control of the government, is most aligned with the functionalist perspective.

Question 13

The United States, Canada, and Mexico are all members of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Question 14

City-states first appeared with the industrialization of society.

Question 15

It is possible, and in some cases desirable, for a leader to possess more than one type of authority.

Question 16

Rational-legal authority is vested in the elected officials of the government, rather than traditional or written rules.

Question 17

Bureaucratic authority and charismatic authority are identical forms of power.

Question 18

The present U.S. political system that is dominated by the Democrats and Republicans emerged just prior to the Civil War.

Question 19

Nazi Germany serves as a prime example of a totalitarian regime.

Question 20

Of the three ideal types of authority, charismatic authority has the least formalized rules for succession of a new leader.

Question 21

What is the literal translation of the word charismatic based on its Greek origin?

A) It means a nation of laws, not men.
B) It means a gift freely and graciously given.
C) It means government by the people.
D) It means those who are divinely chosen.

Question 22

The term micropolitics is most aligned with which sociological perspective?

A) the conflict perspective
B) symbolic interactionism
C) functionalism
D) feminism

Question 23

Why is every group considered as being political?

A) All groups are composed of at least two parties.
B) There is a power struggle of some sort in every group.
C) All groups have elections and only allow members to vote.
D) Democratic values are predominant in all groups.

Question 24

Which of the following best describes rational-legal authority?

A) rule by custom and folkways
B) rule by the power of personality
C) rule by tradition
D) rule by written laws

Question 25

Leaders sometimes have a combination of the ideal types of authority. What two types of authority did the Ayatollah Khomeini most represent?

A) charismatic and traditional authority
B) charismatic and rational-legal authority
C) traditional and rational-legal authority
D) rational-legal and coercive authority

Question 26

Why did Joan of Arc, Adolph Hitler, and Jesus Christ all have in common?

A) They were all driven to success by political ambition.
B) They were all charismatic leaders.
C) They were elected to the positions they held.
D) They were all ultimately successful in their ambitions.

Question 27

What is another term for power relations wherever they exist?

A) politics
B) government
C) economics
D) nationalism

Question 28

During the Middle Ages in Europe, what physical structure dominated the landscape of a city-state?

A) a castle
B) a town meeting hall
C) an amphitheater
D) a courthouse

Question 29

Why was it possible for a peaceful transfer of power to take place in South Africa when President de Klerk (a powerful white South African) was replaced by Nelson Mandela (a black South African)?

A) The transfer of power was based on cultural tradition.
B) The Mandela faction had control of a large military power base.
C) The de Klerk regime ran out of funds and could no longer make the necessary payoffs to remain in office.
D) The nation followed the procedures based on rational-legal authority.

Question 30

What is armed resistance with the intention of overthrowing a government called?

A) a riot
B) a national protest
C) a strike
D) a revolution

Question 31

Max Weber used the term ________ to refer to the transition of authority from a charismatic leader to either a rational-legal authority or traditional authority.

A) routinization of charisma
B) passing of the gavel
C) transfer of power
D) rationalization of leadership

Question 32

Why was the American Revolution classified a revolution?

A) It was armed resistance designed to overthrow the existing British government.
B) It was an effort to improve the quality of life for the colonists.
C) It was led by George Washington, a charismatic leader.
D) There was a master plan designed and agreed upon by representatives of the people.

Question 33

What did sociologist Peter Berger suggest as being the ultimate foundation of any political state?

A) violence
B) authority
C) charisma
D) tradition

Question 34

Why do rational-legal and traditional authorities take careful precautions in opposing charismatic leaders?

A) Charismatic leaders have more followers than traditional or rational-legal leaders.
B) Charismatic leaders create a greater degree of social stability.
C) Charismatic leaders direct followers according to personal preference.
D) Charismatic leaders are usually mentally unstable.

Question 35

What is another name for rational-legal authority?

A) fascism
B) totalitarianism
C) democratic socialism
D) bureaucratic authority

Question 36

What was Max Weber's term for a composite of characteristics found in many real-life examples?

A) the real thing
B) the alpha model
C) the ideal type
D) the ultimate example

Question 37

Which sociologist is credited with describing violence as "the ultimate foundation of any political order?"

A) Herbert Spencer
B) W. E. B. Du Bois
C) Peter Berger
D) Pitirim Sorokin

Question 38

Which United States president does the author cite as an example of a leader who combined charismatic and rational-legal authority?

A) Lyndon B. Johnson
B) Richard M. Nixon
C) George W. Bush
D) John F. Kennedy

Question 39

For a government to be stable, what quality must exist?

A) The government must have a large military force to back it.
B) The leader must be charismatic.
C) The government must be based on democratic principles.
D) The source of the power must be perceived as legitimate.

Question 40

The exercise of power over large groups, such as by governments, is called ________.

A) micropolitics
B) macropolitics
C) democracy
D) totalitarianism

Question 41

In the United States, we elect candidates whom we believe will best represent our interests in state capitals and in Washington, D.C. This is an example of a(n) ________.

A) direct democracy
B) indirect democracy
C) citizen democracy
D) representative democracy

Question 42

Which political party garnished 19 percent of the vote for president in 1992, but dropped to 8 percent in the 1996 election, and virtually none in subsequent elections?

A) Bull Moose Party
B) Libertarian Party
C) Green Party
D) Reform Party

Question 43

What is the basis of universal citizenship?

A) Anyone living in the country is entitled to full benefits of citizenship.
B) Citizenship is universally granted to all those who can pass a literacy test.
C) By birth or naturalization, everyone in the country has the same basic rights.
D) Anyone who pays property taxes is entitled to special rights and privileges.

Question 44

Nicola lives in Greece and is a representative of the Greenpact party. In the last election, the Greenpact party won 15 percent of the vote and was awarded 15 percent of the seats in Greek parliament. This form of government is a ________.

A) representative democracy
B) direct democracy
C) winner-take-all system
D) proportional representation

Question 45

Phong Lhu is a small business owner and a recently naturalized citizen of the United States. Since there are very few Vietnamese serving in public office, Phong Lhu will most likely vote in accord with ________.

A) his interests as a member of an ethnic minority
B) his interests as a member of the small business community
C) his religious interests
D) those who share his social class position

Question 46

In the United States, which political party is most associated with the working class?

A) Republican
B) Socialist Worker
C) Democrat
D) Reform Party

Question 47

What is the specific gift the U.S. gave to the world that addressed a person's rights based by birth and residence?

A) the concept of one man, one vote
B) the concept of citizenship
C) the concept of representative democracy
D) the concept of direct democracy

Question 48

What transpires in a proportional representation electoral system when the largest party aligns itself with one or more smaller parties to make national decisions?

A) centrist party
B) democratic government
C) coalition government
D) noncentrist party

Question 49

Carl lives in a small New England town where he and other residents attend monthly town meetings. At these meetings, they publicly vote on issues concerning the town. These monthly town meetings are an example of ________ democracy.

A) indirect
B) representative
C) direct
D) universal

Question 50

How would a political party be classified that advocates making nuclear power plants illegal, dismantling the Social Security system, and legalizing victimless crimes such as prostitution and marijuana use?

A) centrist
B) neo-liberal
C) noncentrist
D) conservative

Question 51

What is a system of government in which decision-making is vested in a small group of people?

A) a monarchy
B) a democracy
C) an oligarchy
D) a patriarchy

Question 52

Which of the following power styles is the best example of totalitarianism?

A) the Bush administration since the passage of the Patriot Act
B) Queen Elizabeth II's rule over England and Wales
C) tribal rule in villages of the Amazon River Basin
D) Nazi Germany and the Gestapo

Question 53

The American statesman who said, "A little rebellion now and then is a good thing...the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." was ________.

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) Alexander Hamilton
C) George Washington
D) Benjamin Franklin

Question 54

What is the key to determining if someone will vote?

A) their net worth in terms of liquid assets
B) The degree to which they believe they have a stake in the political system.
C) their marital status
D) their race

Question 55

In Kolondahar, a small group of high ranking military officers make the decisions that determine national policy. This form of government describes ________.

A) a representative democracy
B) a fascist dictatorship
C) an oligarchy
D) a monarchy

Question 56

Richard is an aspiring businessman that nets over 10 million dollars a year in profit. Based on this single fact, what political party would Richard most likely belong to?

A) Democrat
B) Republican
C) Reform Party
D) Green Party

Question 57

What is the key factor in a representative democracy?

A) property ownership
B) the citizenship of the resident
C) gender of the citizen
D) race of the resident

Question 58

Another term used for pre-elections in which voters decide which candidates will represent their parties is ________.

A) general election
B) political caucus
C) primary
D) electoral college

Question 59

What do Ross Perot and Theodore Roosevelt have in common?

A) They were both Reform Party candidates for President of the United States.
B) They were both war heroes who later became high-ranking elected officials.
C) They were the most successful third party candidates to ever run for President of the United States.
D) Neither of them was ever successful in their bid to become President of the United States.

Question 60

The present two-party system dominating political activity in the United States has been in existence since ________.

A) the signing of the Declaration of Independence
B) the framing of the Constitution
C) the end of the American Revolution
D) the Civil War

Question 61

What are some of the characteristics required for cities to develop?

Question 62

People who think alike on a particular issue and who can be mobilized for political action are described as ________.

A) political parties
B) special-interest groups
C) social movements
D) power elites

Question 63

What are the similarities and difference between authority and coercion?

Question 64

What is the three branch system which is designed to ensure that power remains distributed in U.S. government so that no one branch dominates?

A) proportional representation
B) power politics
C) checks and balances
D) the centrist solution

Question 65

Which war began with the "Gulf of Tankin incident" when our President declared that one of our naval ships had been attacked, when in fact it never had?

A) WWII
B) Iraq
C) Vietnam
D) WWI

Question 66

NAFTA is to North America as ASEAN is to ________.

A) Southeast Asia
B) Europe
C) Africa
D) Australia

Question 67

Organizations that solicit contributions from many donors and then use the large total to influence legislation are referred to as ________.

A) special-interest groups
B) lobby committees
C) political action committees
D) power elite committees

Question 68

What is the origin of the word democracy?

Question 69

What is the difference between direct democracy and representative democracy?

Question 70

People who influence legislation on behalf of their clients are referred to as __________.

A) special-interest groups
B) lobbyists
C) campaign contributors
D) political action committees

Question 71

According to your author, during WWII the brutal and infamous events of the Japanese invasion were a clear demonstration of __________.

A) guerilla war
B) alientation
C) terrorism
D) dehumanization

Question 72

According to the functionalist perspective, what keeps the government of the United States from turning against its citizens?

A) a fear of nationwide anarchy
B) political gridlock between the major parties
C) the pluralism in distributing power
D) the power of political action committees

Question 73

In the early 1900s, what did U.S.-born Americans fear the most from the massive wave of immigrants entering this country?

A) They would take jobs from hard working, deserving "natural" Americans.
B) They would not assimilate into U.S. culture.
C) the socialism and communism they would bring with them as a political ideal
D) the devaluation of the dollar

Question 74

Currently eight nations compose a summit of the most powerful nations in the world, known as the G8. The last nation to be admitted to this group was ________, and the nation wanting to be added to it, forming the G9, is ________.

A) Canada; Mexico
B) Russia; China
C) Germany; Russia
D) China; Mexico

Question 75

Marcus has not voted for the last fifteen years because he feels that the political system has never done anything positive for him, so his vote really would not affect his life one way or the other. What is the emotional reaction Marcus is experiencing?

A) hostility
B) anomie
C) alienation
D) confusion

Question 76

What are the three types of authority?

Question 77

What are the similarities and differences between monarchies, dictatorships, oligarchies, and totalitarian regimes?

Question 78

What term does William Domhoff use to refer to the top one percent of Americans who belong to the super-rich and capitalist class?

A) the upper class leaders
B) the power elite
C) the ruling class
D) the political supreme

Question 79

In the 2004, presidential election, women appeared to favor voting for John Kerry while men voted for George W. Bush. What is this phenomenon called?

A) the hidden curriculum
B) the second shift
C) the feminization of politics
D) the political gender gap

Question 80

What is the purpose of a revolution?