Deck 12: The Economy and Politics

Question 1

The symbolic interactionist perspective on the economy, such as found in the work of Weber, analyzes

A) the functions of capitalism for members of society.
B) how subjective meanings affect economic action.
C) the exploitative side of capitalism.
D) how socialism leads to strong communal values and political activity.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is one way industrialization changes the values of a society?

A) It leads to the development of the mass media, which can further the role of traditional values.
B) It increases the division of labor and mass production.
C) It places renewed emphasis on family and community values.
D) It discredits traditional values and ways of living.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Functionalists suggest that free competition is beneficial to a societyʹs economic health for all the following reasons EXCEPT

A) efficient use of resources.
B) production of best goods and services.
C) products available at lowest prices.
D) ensures equality in profits for all producers.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to Karl Marx, problems could arise in a capitalist system to such a point it would lead to

A) industrialism.
B) socialism.
C) communism.
D) free enterprise.

Question 5

Socialist economies have improved living standards, for the most part, for members of their society but the centralized planning of a socialist state often

A) creates inequalities for its society.
B) creates surpluses of food.
C) creates new products for worldwide distribution.
D) creates shortages of food and other products.

Question 6

The author of the text suggests that the governmentʹs deregulation of business has led to

A) corporate corruption.
B) more tax benefits for corporations.
C) increased wage earnings for employees.
D) higher quality of products produced.

Question 7

The systems that societies evolved to produce goods and services, and distribute them, are called

A) economic corporations.
B) economic institutions.
C) agricultural institutions.
D) the business sector of a society.

Question 8

The text calls the giving of tax credits and the provision of loopholes to the wealthy

A) needed subsidies.
B) welfare for the rich.
C) illegal tax practices.
D) state socialism.

Question 9

That the U.S. government limits competition, and China allows some free enterprise, indicates that

A) capitalism does not work.
B) communism does not work.
C) socialism is the best economic system in the world today.
D) most societies have developed mixed economic systems.

Question 10

A hotel chain buys a movie studio and fast-food chain. This new corporation is called an)

A) monopoly.
B) oligopoly.
C) conglomerate.
D) mixed economy.

Question 11

Industrialization impacts societies and the social institutions in all the following ways EXCEPT

A) education becomes more important.
B) family relinquishes some of its functions to other institutions.
C) creates global inequality.
D) brings world-wide equality and peace.

Question 12

While Adam Smith saw how private ownership of property would lead to a prosperous economy, Karl Marx saw private property owners

A) providing a model of morality and discipline for the workers.
B) helping their workers overcome alienation and share in the wealth they create.
C) become new moral and political leaders.
D) inevitably exploiting their workers.

Question 13

Free competition and privately owned property are the key elements of

A) capitalism.
B) socialism.
C) communism.
D) industrialization.

Question 14

In the United States, General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford are examples of

A) monopoly.
B) oligopoly.
C) cottage industries.
D) conglomerates.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT true about womenʹs economic status?

A) The job market has an increased demand for women.
B) Although 60 percent of all women work, most women are not free from traditional housework.
C) Feminist theorists are very impressed with the economic status of U.S. women.
D) Women are concentrated in the lower-paid, lower-status jobs.

Question 16

Overall, the countries remain considerably more productive than other countries.

A) capitalist
B) socialist
C) mixed system
D) younger

Question 17

In a socialist society

A) social classes cease to exist.
B) the private sector controls the market.
C) the state owns and operates the means of production.
D) individual interests are put above all else.

Question 18

The industrial revolution

A) substituted animal labor for human labor.
B) brought about better smaller organizations.
C) initiated the demise of cottage industries and shift to a factory system.
D) replaced large organizations with smaller, more intimate working environments.

Question 19

The majority of developing countries do not threaten the economy of developed countries because

A) they are self sufficient.
B) they are preoccupied with trying to alleviate poverty in their own country.
C) they do not produce products desired by developed countries.
D) they do not have the necessary means for exporting their products.

Question 20

The textʹs author feels that the spread of high technology throughout the world and instant communication will lead to more economic wealth and

A) more political freedom.
B) less political freedom.
C) less leisure time.
D) an international cultural uniformity.

Question 21

John works in a large office. He largely obeys the instructions of his supervisor because he feels his boss is the only person who can see the overall mission of the office. Johnʹs supervisor is an example of authority.

A) traditional
B) modern
C) charismatic
D) legal

Question 22

John was facing two exams and three papers, but was persuaded by his friends to cut class and go to the beach instead. His experience is an example of

A) coercion.
B) influence.
C) illegitimate power.
D) authority.

Question 23

All of the following statements about third party politics are true EXCEPT

A) third party candidates may win a local or state election but have never won a national election.
B) no third party has had any influence in congress.
C) third party candidates can split votes, causing neither of the traditional parties to obtain a majority vote.
D) third parties are always left-wing liberals.

Question 24

Someone opposed to government involvement in economic or social issues would most likely be an)

A) ideological liberal.
B) ideological conservative.
C) operational liberal.
D) democrat.

Question 25

The term ʺdual economyʺ refers to the distinction between

A) government and privately owned businesses.
B) large corporations and small firms.
C) jobs held by men and jobs held by women.
D) jobs held by whites and jobs held by minorities.

Question 26

Multinational corporations affect developing and Third World nations by

A) promoting social unity among clans or tribes.
B) making everyone in the developing country content with poverty.
C) encouraging workers to migrate to other countries.
D) reducing a nationʹs economic, social, and political independence.

Question 27

High income groups tend to be economic conservatives and social liberals while members of the working class tend to be

A) both economic and social conservatives.
B) both economic and social liberals.
C) economic liberals and social conservatives.
D) uninterested in politics.

Question 28

When a robber forces someone to hand over money or valuables, the robber is exercising a type of illegitimate power called

A) coercion.
B) influence.
C) authority.
D) charisma.

Question 29

Voter turnout in the United States is

A) the highest in the democratic world.
B) among the lowest in the democratic world.
C) equally distributed among social classes.
D) highest for people with a high school education or less.

Question 30

To minimize production costs, corporations have come to increasingly hire workers.

A) permanent, loyal
B) foreign
C) temporary
D) older

Question 31

Growing up, Jillʹs parents were conservative Republicans. Jill is most likely to choose which political party?

A) conservative Republican
B) liberal Democratic
C) liberal Republican
D) libertarian

Question 32

According to the text, the ethnic group that probably has faced the most economic discrimination is

A) Asian Americans.
B) white ethnic Americans.
C) Hispanic Americans.
D) African Americans.

Question 33

is the type of human interaction that involves some people acquiring and exercising power over others.

A) Legitimate power
B) The state
C) Politics
D) Charisma

Question 34

Generally, when compared to whites, all U.S. ethnic groups experience

A) unlimited economic opportunity.
B) a large amount of economic equality.
C) some economic inequality.
D) ruthless competition and exploitation.

Question 35

Ever since 1970, the number of Americans working on farms has

A) declined and is expected to continue declining.
B) declined but is now on the increase.
C) not changed in number but rather in type of work being done.
D) shifted from large to small farms.

Question 36

Political is a learning process by which individuals acquire political knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes.

A) authority
B) indoctrination
C) socialization
D) education

Question 37

Studies suggest that younger workers indicated less job satisfaction because

A) they expect their jobs to be stimulating.
B) they continually feel stressed.
C) they are not career-oriented.
D) they do not see work as their first priority.

Question 38

Workers today have basically rejected the traditional work ethic for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT

A) increased educational levels of workers.
B) emphasis on self-development.
C) workers value autonomy in the workplace.
D) workers do not desire to work as hard as those in the past.

Question 39

Martin Luther King and Ghandi exemplified power based on

A) charisma.
B) persuasion.
C) a combination of legal and charismatic authority.
D) authority stemming primarily from the family name and prestige.

Question 40

Which statement about social diversity in U.S. politics is true?

A) The number of African Americans serving in political office now far exceed their numbers in the general population.
B) Most Mexican Americans are members of the Democratic party.
C) Native Americans mostly live on reservations and do not participate in politics.
D) The most politically successful assign group is the Chinese.

Question 41

Monopoly is a situation in which one firm controls the output of an industry

Question 42

Which of the following statements about the issue of who really governs in American society is the most true?

A) The ruling class definitely controls almost all decisions made in American society.
B) Each theory of political power contains part of the truth.
C) The masses of voters hold the most political power.
D) The question of who governs is really not part of the subject matter of sociology.

Question 43

People everywhere are political animals.

Question 44

Charisma is the illegitimate use if force or threat of force to compel obedience.

Question 45

The hijacking of airplanes by individuals seeking to make political statements is an example of

A) revolution.
B) lobbying.
C) striking.
D) terrorism.

Question 46

John is a sociologist who is studying interest groups. His thesis is that interest groups are central to democracy because each restrains the other from exercising power. What is Johnʹs view about who really governs?

A) the pluralist view
B) the elitist view
C) the Marxist view
D) the democratic view

Question 47

The capacity to use the government to make decisions that affect all of society is called

A) power.
B) political power.
C) illegitimate power.
D) authority.

Question 48

The most successful Asian Americans in the United States are those of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean decent.

Question 49

Which of the following is not a condition that is likely to lead to revolution?

A) weak political leadership
B) a well-organized, totalitarian government
C) serious economic problems within the country
D) a government that is unpopular and not supported by most of the people

Question 50

Power is the ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will.

Question 51

Most revolutionary and terrorist leaders come relatively affluent families.

Question 52

According to German sociologist Robert Michels, there is by which democracy degenerates into rule by the few.

A) an ʺiron law of oligarchyʺ
B) a ʺpower eliteʺ
C) ʺpluralist veto groupsʺ
D) ʺspecial interest independentsʺ

Question 53

One fear is that outsourcing can cause a lot of job loss in the United States.

Question 54

Poverty is the breeding ground for revolution and terrorism.

Question 55

According to C. Wright Mills, the base of power in American society is found in a group comprised of federal government, big business, and

A) veto groups.
B) interest groups.
C) the military.
D) ivy league colleges.

Question 56

Interest groups

A) control political parties.
B) attempt to influence members of both parties.
C) depend on political parties for their financing.
D) are illegal.

Question 57

A corporation that owns companies in various unrelated industries.

A) dual economy
B) conglomerate
C) oligopoly
D) monopoly

Question 58

Both elitists and Marx see power concentrated in the hands of a small group. They differ however on who holds the power. Marxists believe the ruling class holds the economic power while the elitists believe

A) that power lies with the citizens of a society.
B) that power lies with the dominant religion of a society.
C) that power lies with the leadership of business, government and the military.
D) that power is equally distributed between religion, politics and government.

Question 59

The Industrial Revolution began in England around 1760.

Question 60

The U.S. government consists of three branches: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary.

Question 61

Coercion is the ability to control others behavior.

Question 62

Sam belongs to a group of chicken farmers who are attempting to influence the government to regulate egg prices. Sam is a member of an group.

Question 63

Legitimate power institutionalized in organization is .

Question 64

The change of an economy into one dominated by high technology is .

Question 65

Weber described three sources for authority: traditional, legal and .

Question 66

Revolutionary and terrorist leaders are mostly poor.

Question 67

The began with the introduction of machines into the work process and led to dramatic economic changes.

Question 68

A hotel chain buying a shoe company and a television company is an example of an)
.

Question 69

theorist do not view the increased number of women in the workplace as increased economic opportunities.

Question 70

A societyʹs system for producing and distributing goods is called its .

Question 71

The threat of physical force in order to achieve obedience is what Max Weber calls .

Question 72

Helenʹs parents were former 1960s radicals who were involved in many political movements. As she grew up they frequently talked to her about political events and their own feelings about the country. Helen was therefore experiencing .

Question 73

is Marxʹs term for laborersʹ loss of control over their work process.

Question 74

The violent overthrow of the existing government, producing drastic social change, is known as , and has occurred in the United States and the Soviet Union.

Question 75

is an economy that comprises a core of giant corporations dominating the market and periphery of small firms competing for the remaining, smaller shares of business.

Question 76

Oligopoly is a situation in which a very few companies control the output of an industry.

Question 77

Big corporations are owned by even though they do not control their daily operations.

Question 78

Mixed economy is an economic system that contains only socialism.

Question 79

Despite the civil rights movement, discrimination has kept most Mexican Americans in low-wage jobs.

Question 80

An organized collection of people who attempt to influence government policies is an)
.