Deck 2: Concentration of Power: Economic and Political Institutions

Question 1

Which of the following ideas is expressed in the power elite model?

A)The middle level in the political structure of the U.S.consists of the great mass of citizens who have the power to elect the elite members.
B)The elite do not have the power to determine which candidates political parties will place before the electorate.
C)The members of the power elite group maintain a consensus about their interests through their elaborate social networks.
D)There are veto groups in society with the ability to block decisions that might adversely affect their positions.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A(n)________ is a corporation that owns other companies in fields quite different from that of the parent company.

A)anomie
B)in-group
C)monopsony
D)conglomerate

Answer 2

D

Question 3

An oligopoly is different from a monopoly in that an oligopoly is characterized by the ________.

A)control of a market by few companies
B)multinational nature of the companies involved
C)complete domination of some markets by a company
D)control of a market by a conglomerate

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In a capitalist economy,the government is prohibited from ________.

A)framing policies to maintain public order
B)deciding the prices of goods and wages of laborers
C)protecting companies against foreign threats
D)allowing market forces to operate unhindered

Question 5

The country of Renada follows capitalism.Which of the following problems is it most likely to face due to its economic system?

A)exploitation of workers by factory owners to increase their own profits
B)the absence of a variety of quality products for consumers to choose from
C)losses incurred by private owners due to the greater role played by the government in making economic decisions
D)the inability of manufacturers to meet specific customer needs due to the pressure to achieve collective goals

Question 6

According to the world-system theory,which of the following characteristics of capitalism has led to the emergence of an international stratification system?

A)its emphasis on the achievement of collective goals
B)its ability to create a highly centralized structure for decisions regarding production and distribution
C)its principle of producing goods based on people's needs rather than their purchasing ability
D)its drive to expand and find new markets

Question 7

The ________ refers to the relationship between the armed forces that want to purchase weapons and the corporations that produce the weapons.

A)pluralist model
B)military-industrial complex
C)world-system theory
D)medical-industrial complex

Question 8

Which of the following models or theories has been developed to assess how decision making actually is in the United States?

A)the Zelinsky model
B)the post-development theory
C)the power elite model
D)the institutional theory

Question 9

Which of the following ideas is emphasized by the functionalist perspective?

A)A conflict of interests and maldistribution of resources is necessary to maintain a normal state of affairs in a society.
B)Concentration of power and resources in the hands of a few should be encouraged so that only a few people have the authority over others.
C)The various interrelated parts of a society should be sufficiently integrated so that people can use them to work together toward common goals.
D)Collective action by oppressed groups can lead to the elimination of inequalities in power and rearrangement of resources.

Question 10

In capitalism,the production of goods is based on ________.

A)government orders
B)power concentration
C)economic demand
D)collective goals

Question 11

Which of the following is true of a socialist economy?

A)Goods and services are provided if people can afford to purchase them.
B)The primary motivation for economic activity is to achieve profits.
C)Decisions on what to produce and how to distribute products are made only by private owners.
D)The primary motivation for economic activity is to achieve collective goals.

Question 12

Cultural values in the United States place emphasis on ________.

A)the importance of democratic decision making
B)government rights to control the destiny of the people
C)collectivistic and public ownership of properties
D)the importance of unequal concentration of power and wealth

Question 13

A form of restrictive growth in the marketplace in which one company controls a product or service is known as ________.

A)oligopsony
B)monopoly
C)monopsony
D)duopoly

Question 14

A ________ is a business enterprise that is owned by stockholders,most of whom are not involved in running the daily affairs of the business.

A)proprietorship
B)corporation
C)law firm
D)social institution

Question 15

In the country of Zuri,all industries and institutions of economic production are privately owned.With free competition among producers and consumers,profit-making is the main target.Which of the following types of economies is prevalent in Zuri?

A)command economy
B)mixed economy
C)socialist economy
D)capitalist economy

Question 16

The economies of most nations today are ________.

A)market economies
B)planned economies
C)command economies
D)traditional economies

Question 17

Amy is a conflict theorist.She is most likely to describe a society to be ________.

A)made up of many interrelated and interdependent elements
B)made of a variety of different interest groups that compete with one another over the resources available
C)characterized by day-to-day interactions between people who use symbols to understand the meaning of these interactions
D)characterized by maldistribution of resources and power that can be eliminated by collective action

Question 18

Which of the following responsibilities was given to the central government of the United States during the formation of the new Constitution post independence?

A)raising an army
B)regulating banks
C)providing healthcare facilities to its citizens
D)overseeing the allocation of resources

Question 19

According to the power elite model,who among the following is most likely to become a member of the power elite group?

A)Kiara,who owns a very large and successful corporation
B)Dave,who is a lobbyist
C)Angelo,who is a college student with the right to vote
D)Sally,who is an employee at a software firm

Question 20

Which of the following is the difference between a capitalist economy and a socialist economy?

A)A capitalist economy is characterized by production based on economic demand,whereas a socialist economy is characterized by production based on human demand.
B)A pure capitalist economy is very rare,whereas a pure socialist economy is followed in most of the countries today.
C)A capitalist economy is primarily motivated to achieve collective goals,whereas a socialist economy is motivated to make higher profits.
D)A capitalist economy allows greater government intervention in deciding on economic activities,whereas a socialist economy restricts government intervention in such activities.

Question 21

Fight for Animals is an interest group started by a group of college students.This group focuses on reducing the ill-treatment of animals and tries to find families that are willing to adopt strays or abandoned pets.The group uses the resources available for its various advertising and campaigning activities.Fight for Animals is an example of a ________.

A)total institution
B)nongovernmental organization
C)booster club
D)professional association

Question 22

According to investment firms,how can workers' pension funds be used to empower them?

Question 23

What measures have been taken by employers in the recent years to oppose unionization?

Question 24

The policies of organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have been criticized because they ________.

A)do not permit policies that are likely to exacerbate economic inequality and ethnic tensions
B)give greater importance to environmental conservation
C)have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of poor people,often to less desirable areas
D)can be easily manipulated by the governments of individual countries to suit their needs

Question 25

The country of Ohana is a highly developed and technologically advanced country.Corporations in this country constantly search for other less-developed countries that can provide cheaper labor and can serve as sources of raw materials.Ohana is a ________.

A)peripheral nation
B)third-world country
C)semi-peripheral nation
D)core nation

Question 26

What is the influence of large corporations on the social and economic policies of smaller nations?

Question 27

What factors have contributed to the increasing hostility of the U.S.public toward unions?

Question 28

Why is the privatization of government activities considered to be ineffective in reducing the size of a government?

Question 29

In large corporations,what is the effect of the power concentration on worker unions?

A)It has empowered unions to represent workers' issues.
B)It has reduced the extent to which unions can push their demands.
C)It has given unions power to decide the wages of workers.
D)It has led to the enactment of policies that ban the formation of unions.

Question 30

Which of the following government activities has the lowest share in the total budget of the United States?

A)defense disbursement
B)social security programs
C)social insurance programs for the elderly
D)public assistance

Question 31

Which of the following ideas has been expressed by proponents of an extreme power elite position with the intention of reducing the concentration of power and resources in societies?

A)Capitalism can be modified to work for the benefit of all people irrespective of their power.
B)The avarice inherent in capitalism can be reduced by injecting an element of the public good into economic activities and decisions.
C)Some form of mixed economy can be established to ensure that capitalism is possible in an economy characterized by equal sharing of wealth and power.
D)A society based on capitalism can benefit only the powerful.

Question 32

________ involves an attempt to provide laborers with management authority and responsibility and more control over the operation of corporations.

A)Capitalism
B)Worker empowerment
C)World-system theory
D)Industrialization

Question 33

Which of the following measures will help regulate governments more closely and efficiently?

A)reducing the number of agencies that do the regulating to reduce inefficiency in monitoring
B)increasing protections and rewards for internal auditors in government agencies
C)firing bureaucrats in government agencies who are whistle-blowers
D)avoiding public disclosure of information that could be detrimental to those heading government agencies

Question 34

According to historical records,what changes have been observed across countries due to world capitalism?

A)The inequitable distribution of wealth and power around the world persists.
B)The divide between the rich and poor nations has decreased.
C)The exploitation of less powerful people by the elite in core nations has reduced.
D)The increased trade and investment produced by globalization has benefited all groups of people equally.

Question 35

What role do core nations play in the emergence of political and economic elites in the peripheral nations?

Question 36

Why do some labor unions believe that the labor movement must become transnational?

Question 37

What was the effect of the Internet and modern communication technologies on the job outsourcing patterns in the United States?

Question 38

According to the international stratification system,what are the characteristics of semiperipheral nations?

Question 39

Why do supporters of the laissez-faire approach oppose big governments?

Question 40

One of the problems resulting from massive governments is that they ________.

A)restrict the ability of isolated bureaucrats to make decisions that benefit themselves
B)give excess power to the private sector that results in the maldistribution of resources
C)distance individuals from those who actually make economic and political decisions
D)become more liable to be controlled by the general public