Deck 3: The Industrialized Democracies

Question 1

Your party wins thirty percent of the vote in a recent election and therefore is awarded thirty percent of the seats in the legislature. This is an example of

A) direct democracy.
B) proportional representation.
C) single-member district.
D) run-off voting.
E) coalition building.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

When the things that people are allowed to do or not do are spelled out in a constitution or in laws, this is known as

A) rule of law.
B) anarchy.
C) totalitarianism.
D) fascism.
E) democracy.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The United States is unique among industrialized democracies because it has

A) a written constitution.
B) regular, competitive elections.
C) a free press.
D) an elected parliament.
E) two major political parties.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

An important element of political legitimacy is

A) acceptance of a country's underlying political regime.
B) unquestioning loyalty to a country's political elite.
C) a government's ability to maintain law and order.
D) the maintenance of an established social hierarchy.
E) massive voter turnout at elections.

Question 5

Political scientists Almond and Verba's main contribution was in the study of

A) bureaucracy.
B) party formation.
C) voting rules.
D) corporatism.
E) civic culture.

Question 6

Which of the following is true about the development of the state and of national identification?

A) Most countries still lack a state but have national identification.
B) Most countries still lack national identification but have a state.
C) The first modern states came before national identification.
D) Both state development and national identity formation occurred at the same time.
E) National identification came before the first modern states.

Question 7

" Laissez-faire" refers to

A) the philosophy that says people can do whatever they want.
B) the French concept of democracy.
C) a policy eliminating government intervention in the economic market place.
D) a planned capitalist economy like that in France.
E) government regulation to ensure that every economic actor has a chance to succeed.

Question 8

According to the criteria listed in the text, is Israel "unquestionably democratic"?

A) Yes, because it has met the criteria for over 30 years.
B) Yes, because it is part of the European continent.
C) Yes, because its Jewish citizens participate in free, competitive elections.
D) Yes, because it is part of the United Nations.
E) No, because it limits the civil right and liberties of its non-Jewish residents.

Question 9

The political theorist who believed that a large and powerful state was necessary to save people from anarchy was __________.

A) Rene Descartes
B) John Locke
C) Margaret Thatcher
D) Thomas Hobbes
E) Thomas Jefferson

Question 10

With the upsurge in protest movements of the __________ and the more uncertain economic times since then, academic interest in a civic culture and civil society waned.

A) 1940s
B) 1950s
C) 1960s
D) 1970s
E) 1930s

Question 11

John Locke wrote that the role of government was to protect life, liberty, and

A) property.
B) the pursuit of happiness.
C) human rights.
D) the public good.
E) slavery.

Question 12

Freedom of speech is an example of a(n)

A) coalition.
B) right.
C) rule.
D) civil code.
E) penalty.

Question 13

The role of competitive elections is best described as

A) one of multiple factors, including rule of law and civil society, for determining if a society is democratic.
B) the sole determining criteria for establishing if a society is democratic.
C) best achieved through the use of force.
D) only legitimate if 75 percent of eligible voters cast their ballot.
E) necessary for the development of a capitalist economy.

Question 14

What is the term used to describe the right to vote?

A) Laissez-faire
B) Electoral permission
C) Suffrage
D) Polling
E) Democracy

Question 15

The different ways of counting votes and allocating seats in legislatures is known by what term?

A) Separation of powers
B) Selective representation
C) Division of labor
D) Electoral systems
E) Separation of powers

Question 16

Which of the following countries is NOT considered a full democracy according to the textbook?

A) United States
B) Japan
C) Mexico
D) Belgium
E) France

Question 17

Which of the following countries is considered a full democracy according to the textbook?

A) Mexico
B) Chile
C) Greece
D) Turkey
E) Argentina

Question 18

The total value of all goods and services produced by people in a country in a year is known as

A) iron triangle.
B) civil society.
C) gross national product.
D) realignment.
E) annual economic growth.

Question 19

Rather than operating under the literal "rule by the people," democratic countries have adopted

A) authoritarianism.
B) representative forms of government.
C) communism.
D) capitalism.
E) fascism.

Question 20

Freedom House has developed an influential scale to determine how __________ a country is.

A) liberal
B) conservative
C) legitimate
D) politicized
E) democratic

Question 21

When durable changes occur in the coalition of voters who support each political party, we call that

A) evolution.
B) realignment.
C) pressure politics.
D) democratization.
E) moderation.

Question 22

In which country would citizens be more likely to support the relationships making up the iron triangle?

A) United States
B) Russia
C) France
D) Italy
E) Egypt

Question 23

In which county has a Green party had the most influence in recent years?

A) The United States
B) England
C) Japan
D) France
E) Germany

Question 24

Which of the following politicians is more likely to be assured of getting their legislation passed?

A) President
B) Speaker of the house
C) Prime minister
D) Majority party chair
E) Senate majority leader

Question 25

Radical parties are most closely aligned with the __________.

A) Left
B) Right
C) Center
D) Moderates
E) Christian Democrats

Question 26

An interventionist state

A) enforces rules of behavior uniformly.
B) provides goods and services to citizens.
C) involves itself in economic issues only as a last resort.
D) provides an environment in which individuals can maximize their freedom.
E) regularly sends military forces to other countries.

Question 27

The British Conservative, French Gaullist and German CDU parties are (were) all examples of

A) Green parties.
B) Social Democratic parties.
C) Liberal parties.
D) communist parties.
E) catch-all parties.

Question 28

Voters who most value things such as alternative energy, preserving the environment, protecting endangered species, and reducing the use of nuclear power are likely to support

A) Christian democratic parties.
B) nationalist parties.
C) Green parties.
D) labor parties.
E) social democratic parties.

Question 29

Who was the first to discuss the need for professional, efficient bureaucracies?

A) Karl Marx
B) Max Weber
C) John Locke
D) Woodrow Wilson
E) Sydney Verba

Question 30

The guarantee for citizens in liberal democracies of reasonably clear and fair rules, rather than arbitrary use of power, is called the __________.

Question 31

A strong __________ tends to make democracies more stable and limit anti-system protests.

Question 32

The gender gap in politics refers to

A) ways women have succeeded in reducing the differences between their power and that of men.
B) the fact that women have always been more liberal than men.
C) differences between the political behavior of men and women.
D) the absence of women in positions of political power.
E) men's large-scale support of female candidates.

Question 33

One theory for why women have shifted away from supporting conservative parties is because of

A) a decline in religious faith.
B) increased economic independence and employment outside the home.
C) the twenty four hour new cycle gives them access to more information.
D) a decrease in the level of attention given to family and cultural issues in political campaigns.
E) more women run for office in liberal parties.

Question 34

What is the term for a person's belief that what he/she does politically matters, that he/she can make a difference when dealing with political decisions for which he/she disagrees?

A) Suffrage
B) Pragmatism
C) Attitude
D) Efficacy
E) Idealism

Question 35

Why is it rare for a member of a national parliament to vote "no confidence" in their party's leadership?

A) Members of parliaments have unwavering support for their leadership.
B) Parliaments do not have "no confidence" votes.
C) Voting "no confidence" in leadership is purely symbolic and has no meaning.
D) Voting "no confidence" in leadership is a good way to end your own political career.
E) It is too financially expensive to conduct "no confidence" votes.

Question 36

The increased reliance on television news for getting political information is cited as one of the reasons

A) for the increased popularity of "infotainment" shows.
B) significant policy issues get debated in detail.
C) more young people are voting.
D) more incumbents are not re-elected.
E) political parties have trended away from ideological arguments.

Question 37

Legislative gridlock is unlikely in a parliamentary system where a single party controls a majority of the seats because

A) legislative committees must act on proposals within strictly-enforced time limits.
B) an elected executive outside the legislature can rally public opinion and force legislative action.
C) the legislative majority acts as the executive and proposes laws it wishes to enact.
D) parliaments consist of single legislative bodies.
E) opposition parties can easily step in and take control of the legislative process.

Question 38

A political party that attempts to reach out to a broad cross-section of society instead of to narrow class, regional, or issue groups is called a(n)

A) losing party.
B) old-fashioned party.
C) catch-all party.
D) communist party.
E) conservative party.

Question 39

What is the primary purpose of political parties?

A) Contesting elections and forming governments afterward
B) Rallying popular opinion around ideological platforms
C) Getting information to television news outlets
D) Converting new members to particular religious doctrines
E) Eliminating other political parties from the political system

Question 40

Postmaterialist voters are people who

A) would have been expected to support left-wing causes in the past.
B) are more concerned about personal economic security than about broader social issues like the environment.
C) assume they will maintain their lifestyles in the foreseeable future.
D) tend to be more nationalistic than earlier generations.
E) seek wealth more than "self-actualization".

Question 41

Parliamentary systems are also often referred to as __________ systems because of the British system upon which they are modeled.

Question 42

__________ was the political theorist who claimed that, if people were left to their own devices, it would lead to "war of all against all."

Question 43

In America, the term __________ means a person who supports the left and an interventionist government, but in most of the rest of the world, it means someone who opposes government interference in the economy or with individual decision making.

Question 44

The author highlights claims that liberal democracies face unprecedented threats in the second decade of the twenty-first century. Do you agre? Why (not)?

Question 45

The author asserts that democracies are characterized by individual rights, competitive elections, the rule of law, a civil society and civic culture, and capitalism and affluence. Are any of these unnecessary for a democratic system? Which one(s) and why? OR , why are all these characteristics necessary?

Question 46

What are the major types of political parties in contemporary industrialized democracies, and what are the major differences between them?

Question 47

The author notes that female legislators do not make up a majority in the powerful lower houses of any legislature in any industrialized democracy. How do the different electoral systems affect the number of women in legislatures? What is the significance of seeing an increase in the number of women in a national legislature?

Question 48

The __________ Amendment gave women in the United States the right to vote beginning in 1920.

Question 49

What were the transformations that played a major role in shaping most industrialized democracies? Which transformation was the most important? Why?

Question 50

What are three different types of services traditionally offered to its citizens by an interventionist state? Why are these services difficult to reduce or eliminate now?

Question 51

Social democratic parties favor the nationalization of industry and support extensive social welfare programs, but unlike Communists, they oppose __________.

Question 52

In a parliamentary system, when several ideologically similar parties agree to work together to form a majority government, this is known as a __________.

Question 53

Among the criteria for evaluating democracies is the holding of competitive elections. What elements are necessary for an election to be considered competitive? Can a country be considered democratic if some of those elements are missing? Explain.

Question 54

Some people argue that there is a trade-off between having a strong state or a strong democracy; that is, as the power of the state grows, it is harder for average people to influence decision making. On the other hand, as people gain more power, it becomes harder for elites to reach and implement effective public policy. Do you agree? Why or why not? Be specific and use examples to illustrate your arguments.

Question 55

What is an iron triangle? Do you believe they are healthy or unhealthy for a democracy? Why might they be both good and bad for a country's governance?

Question 56

Winston Churchill once called democracy the worst form of government except for all the others. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Question 57

A vote in a parliamentary system that may cause new elections at any time is called a vote of __________.

Question 58

What life experiences might explain the existence of the gender gap in the politics of industrial democracies? Use specific examples to support your argument.