Deck 4: Political Inequality

Question 1

Which of the following is a core idea of the pluralist view?

A) Power is shared by a variety of groups and individuals.
B) Groups are interdependent and have relatively broad interests.
C) The average citizen has very little opportunity to become politically influential.
D) All of the above.

Answer 1

Power is shared by a variety of groups and individuals.

Question 2

Keller's "strategic elite" thesis:

A) is essentially the same as power-elite theory
B) suggests that a ruling class dominates U.S. politics
C) suggests that economic elites dominate over other groups
D) suggests that elites perform important functions that serve the interests of the whole society

Answer 2

suggests that elites perform important functions that serve the interests of the whole society

Question 3

Pluralism as a theory of U.S. power structure has been criticized for:

A) arguing that power has no role in U.S. society
B) not seeing voluntary associations as representatives of the average citizen
C) overemphasizing the significance of economic elites in controlling the society
D) not being able to account for the fact that many problems of concern to people are never even addressed by government

Answer 3

not being able to account for the fact that many problems of concern to people are never even addressed by government

Question 4

In Mills' view of the power-elite:

A) Congress is part of the power-elite
B) groups such as the farm bloc, labor unions, and white-collar workers, and even the average citizens have a great deal of power
C) Congress has little to do with decisions of national consequence
D) the wealthy and political officials involved in local interests will eventually become important at the national level

Question 5

The power elite is made up of high-ranking members of:

A) military, political, and economic institutions
B) political, military, and educational institutions
C) economic, educational, and political institutions
D) educational, cultural, and economic institutions

Question 6

Mills's "higher immorality" refers to the idea that:

A) individuals at the top are "power-hungry"
B) corruption is rooted in the weak moral principles of individuals
C) there is widespread sexual escapades among high-level governmental officials
D) because of the way that society is structured, certain individuals can take advantage of others and their positions

Question 7

In a "mass society," Mills asserts that:

A) education serves to liberate the masses
B) the masses are organized and effective in bringing about political change
C) the opinions of the masses are expressed in the media
D) none of the above

Question 8

The ruling-class perspective differs from the power-elite perspective in that it:

A) emphasizes the economic institution as dominant
B) does not assume a strong relationship between the upper class and political power
C) views the bottom of the power structure as being relatively powerless
D) all of the above

Question 9

Mills' power elite theory has been criticized for:

A) being a conspiracy theory
B) the methodology used by him to uncover power
C) the selectivity of the data he uses to test his theory
D) all of the above

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a mechanism cited by Domhoff through which the upper class rules?

A) lobbying
B) public opinion
C) military control
D) policy formation

Question 11

Individuals and groups can participate in the political process by:

A) voting
B) holding political office
C) lobby and monetary support
D) all of the above

Question 12

Lower socioeconomic individuals may suffer if they don't vote because:

A) the affluent and more highly educated vote for candidates and legislation that favors their own position
B) candidates tend to pay more attention to policy issues impacting those that do not vote
C) they are better able to gain political power
D) none of the above

Question 13

Among those listed below, who has the lowest voting rate in U.S. national elections?

A) Hispanics
B) the middle class
C) Blacks
D) the working class

Question 14

Which is true relative to members of the U.S. Congress?

A) most come from working-class origins
B) most have business, banking, or legal backgrounds
C) Blacks and Hispanics are now overrepresented relative to their population proportion
D) none of the above

Question 15

Evidence suggests that well-educated offspring:

A) rarely develop civic skills
B) tend to be politically informed
C) are no better off politically than less-educated offspring
D) none of the above

Question 16

Prominent issues such as gay marriage, abortion, medical malpractice, stem cell research, marijuana usage, and immigration incite groups organized around:

A) race
B) class
C) religion/culture
D) age

Question 17

Which of the following is a true statement regarding political office holding?

A) White females dominate political positions at the federal level.
B) In total, minorities made up 7 percent of the Senate in 2007.
C) Blacks compose approximately 10 percent of all elected officials.
D) Across the globe, approximately 200 women have held a country's top political position in the last decade.

Question 18

Research on Cabinet members reveals that:

A) few have been lawyers
B) few are from upper class backgrounds
C) a variety of religious and ethnic groups have been well-represented
D) almost all held top corporate positions before or after being Cabinet members

Question 19

Since the 1960s, there has been:

A) a decline in the number of single-issue interest groups
B) a significant rise in the number and activity of interest groups
C) less formal penetration of interest groups into governmental activity
D) an increased dispersion of interest-group headquarters outside Washington, D.C.

Question 20

Recent analysis of data from numerous advanced democratic nations revealed that greater income inequality:

A) increases interest in political issues
B) enhances political debate
C) lowers voter participation among all but the wealthy
D) all of the above

Question 21

Political Action Committees (PACs):

A) have decreased in number in recent years
B) are in opposition to corporations, labor, and assorted trade associations
C) have contributed much of the "soft money" candidates receive during their election campaigns
D) are monolithic in terms of their interests

Question 22

From studying the U.S. institutional elite, Thomas Dye observes that although it is characterized by a general consensus on key
Values, a split between two factions is now evident. He labels these factions:

A) "new rich" vs. "old rich"
B) "bourgeoisie" vs. "proletariat"
C) "capitalist conservatives" vs. "radic-libs"
D) "sunbelt cowboys" vs. "established yankees"

Question 23

Useem's study of inner-circle corporate leaders found that:

A) as individuals, these leaders were equally powerful
B) they tended to embrace a confrontational approach to politics
C) the U.S. economy has moved from one based on institutional capitalism to one based on family
Capitalism.
D) they are very concerned with serving the broad interests of capitalism, as opposed to the narrower interests of specific companies

Question 24

The "structuralist" position regarding power in America emphasizes that:

A) a socialist society can evolve if people are willing to politically mobilize.
B) the government and economy are naturally antagonistic to each other within the overall structure
Of the society.
C) the military is in the most dominant position within the power structure because it controls the
Organized means of violence.
D) the government must act in ways that support the interests of capitalists and capitalism in general in order to create a stable economy

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT a way in which Useem found that inner-circle members play crucial political roles? They:

A) direct nonprofit organizations
B) serve as philanthropists
C) endorse/contribute to candidates
D) influence media content

Question 26

Power and bullying are especially likely to operate in the workplace when:

A) power is failry evenly distributed
B) there is a fair amount of job stability
C) serious competition exists
D) resources are abundant

Question 27

In "homosocial reproduction," executives tend to hire:

A) others for high positions who have similar backgrounds and beliefs to theirs
B) minorities for high positions so that they can appear to be fair
C) those with varied backgrounds to maintain diversity
D) none of the above

Question 28

To move up the authority ladder one must:

A) express their individuality because that shows creativity and initiate
B) appear to be similar to colleagues
C) have their own vision for the organization
D) spend as little time at the office as possible

Question 29

Part of the world's "new geography of power" are:

A) transnational corporations that are controlled by nation-states
B) transnational legal institutions that regulate international economic relationships
C) space limitations for economic transactions
D) all of the above

Question 30

An example of "soft power" in terms of a nation's power and influence would be:

A) economic power
B) military might
C) reputation of a nation's values, ideas, and cultural traditions
D) all of the above

Question 31

Political inequality focuses on inequality in political power at both the national level as well as in everyday relationships between individuals.

Question 32

The pluralist view is fundamentally based on a perception of a society in which there is widespread consensus on a basic set of values.

Question 33

Mills views "higher immorality" among those in power as personal immorality as opposed to a structural immorality.

Question 34

In Mills' view, there is a concerted effort on the part of the power-elite to control political power in the U.S.

Question 35

Domhoff (1998) argues that the power of the elite is based both class position and corporate attachment.

Question 36

In contrast to its power-elite counterpart, ruling-class theory often views the lower segments of society as more active and in conflict with those at the top.

Question 37

Whites are more likely than Blacks to vote in national elections.

Question 38

Politicians are more likely to respond to group needs than to group demands.

Question 39

Voting turnouts for national elections in the U.S. are higher than in most industrial democratic nations.

Question 40

Americans tend to be more politically aware than adults in similar countries.

Question 41

Research shows that among Blacks, class position tends to outweigh the significance of race when it comes to choosing candidates or voting for legislation.

Question 42

Historically, the less economically advantaged have been the most politically organized and powerful in terms of influencing the political system.

Question 43

Class-based politics has moved into the foreground while status-based politics has receded.

Question 44

Data support the pluralist view of a balance of power between groups with different interests in that there is fairly broad representation of women, racial minorities, and lower-class individuals in national-level offices of political power.

Question 45

Research consistently shows that PACs systematically impact the way members of Congress vote.

Question 46

Jones and Keiser (1987) found that the less visible the issue, the greater the effects of PAC contributions on the voting behavior in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Question 47

Congress has been extremely proactive in making sweeping changes to curb the economic involvement of special interests in the election process.

Question 48

The Enron scandal increased interest in more closely regulating the connection between those with economic power and those with political power.

Question 49

Studies suggest that top leaders tend to agree on general values but not on as much on specific issues.

Question 50

Studies have shown that the elite tend to be heterogeneous in terms of basic values.

Question 51

Concerns about soft money and the power of PACs is related to suspicions that those with abundant resources are unified and will exercise disproportionate control of the political process.

Question 52

Dye's "established yankees" tend to be more individualistic and conservative compared to "sunbelt cowboys."

Question 53

The results from attitudinal and positional studies on class unity are mixed and statisitics are available to support both positions.

Question 54

Dependency is the opposite of power.

Question 55

Power based on position within a formal organization is called coercive power.

Question 56

Research indicates that women face greater pressure and discrimination when they are less experienced in a job.

Question 57

A recent study of U.S.-born Mexican Americans found that the more women earned outside the family and participated in decision making at home, the less abuse by their spouses they reported.

Question 58

An effective, smart political strategy in working with other nations involves a combination of hard and soft power.

Question 59

Numerous studies have found that political democracy is related to less economic inequality.

Question 60

What are the connections between economic and political power at both the individual and structural levels? Which theory of power is best supported by these connections?

Question 61

After reviewing the evidence on voting, office holding, and candidate selection, which of the theories concerning the structure of power in the U.S. is the most viable? Defend your answer.

Question 62

How is it possible that Republican candidates often win the presidency of the nation, when most of the American adult population does not identify with that party? (In answering this question, be sure to use an explanation based on stratification concepts.)

Question 63

With an increase in the political salience of ethnicity, religion, nationalism, gender, and sexual orientation, discuss how status inequality may be related to varying levels of political participation and inequality.

Question 64

How have stereotypes about gender impacted women holding office?

Question 65

Discuss the relationship between economic and political power. Use data to support your assertions.

Question 66

Discuss the arguments regarding the impact of PACs on politics.