Deck 1: Introduction: The Citizen and Government

Question 1

Why did the Progressives support women's suffrage in the early twentieth century?

A)The Progressives were dominated by women.
B)The Progressives believed women would support their reform movement.
C)The Progressives needed to develop a voting bloc to check and limit upper-class northerners.
D)The Progressives needed to develop a voting bloc to check and limit lower-class southerners.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Direct democracy is best defined as

A)the system of government run by one person.
B)a system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies.
C)the competition between interest groups for governmental power.
D)a system that allows citizens to elect representatives who play a significant role in governmental decision making.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Having some share or say in the composition of a government's leadership,how it is organized,
Or what its policies are going to be is called

A)government.
B)power.
C)autocracy.
D)federalism.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A representative democracy is a system of government that

A)allows citizens to vote directly on laws and policies.
B)allows citizens to make,veto,or judge statutes personally.
C)gives citizens a regular opportunity to elect government officials.
D)gives citizens the ability to debate important constitutional decisions.

Question 5

The demand that there be "no taxation without representation" is a good example of what political reform of the eighteenth century?

A)the decline of popular influence on government
B)more popular influence on government
C)the decline in citizenship
D)the spread of autocracy

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of the process of direct democracy?

A)citizens in a state approving the use of medical marijuana through a popular referendum
B)a citizen calling her representative to complain about potholes on local roads
C)a group of citizens coming together to debate the pros and cons of higher taxes
D)a citizen deciding to contribute money to his preferred presidential candidate

Question 7

Government is best defined as the

A)institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled.
B)set of political principles and values that guide political life.
C)means by which wealth is redistributed.
D)invisible hand that turns private interests into public goods.

Question 8

Prior to the eighteenth century,

A)governments were primarily democratic.
B)governments rarely sought the support of their people.
C)most governments were based on respect for the rule of law.
D)autocracies were extremely rare.

Question 9

The willingness to be restrained by the power of social institutions,but not political or legal institutions,is a hallmark of a(n)________ regime.

A)totalitarian
B)authoritarian
C)democratic
D)monarchic

Question 10

A government that is formally limited by laws and rules is called

A)democratic.
B)constitutional.
C)oligarchic.
D)totalitarian.

Question 11

Approximately ________ percent of the world's population currently lives in a constitutional democracy.

A)95
B)75
C)60
D)40

Question 12

A government that is not constrained by legal limits and also seeks to eliminate any challenges
To its authority is known as a(n)________ government.

A)authoritarian
B)totalitarian
C)democratic
D)republican

Question 13

What major legal and political changes led to the rise of constitutional government in the West?

A)legal limits on government and the right of more people to vote
B)the right of revolution and the spread of socialism
C)debt relief for the poor and the right of average citizens to hold office
D)the growth in ethnic and religious diversity

Question 14

The ________ was the key group in Europe that pushed for limited government.

A)bourgeoisie
B)gendarmes
C)peasantry
D)Socialist Party

Question 15

Which of the following statements best characterizes the bourgeoisie's view of electoral and representative institutions?

A)They were opponents of electoral and representative institutions and favored a government run by a single monarch.
B)They were opponents of electoral and representative institutions and favored a government run by a small group of aristocrats and clergy members.
C)They were advocates of electoral and representative institutions that allowed for universal participation among all adults.
D)They were advocates of electoral and representative institutions,but they favored limiting participation to the middle and upper classes.

Question 16

After the Civil War,Republicans attempted to ________ in order to maintain Republican control
Over the defeated southern states.

A)disenfranchise newly freed slaves
B)enfranchise newly freed slaves
C)disenfranchise all property-owning whites
D)enfranchise women

Question 17

Politics can be defined as

A)conflicts over the character,membership,and policies of government.
B)the informal,private organizations through which a land and its people are ruled.
C)a hierarchically structured organization that is designed to distribute labor among several different groups of people.
D)a line-and-staff organization that is designed to facilitate control over complex social arrangements.

Question 18

Generally speaking,in order to be a good citizen in the United States,it is most critical to have

A)a lot of corporate connections.
B)significant resources,such as money.
C)knowledge of the American political system.
D)strongly held convictions.

Question 19

Although the United States is a(n)________ at the federal level,there are provisions for
________ democracy at the state and local levels.

A)direct democracy; representative
B)representative democracy; direct
C)oligarchic government; direct
D)oligarchic government; representative

Question 20

________ described politics as "who gets what,when,and how."

A)James Madison
B)Abraham Lincoln
C)Harold Lasswell
D)John Locke

Question 21

The belief that citizens can influence what government does is called

A)political efficacy.
B)political saliency.
C)popular sovereignty.
D)autocracy.

Question 22

Democracy functions best when

A)less than a majority of citizens vote in every election.
B)citizens are informed.
C)all candidates for office are highly educated.
D)all candidates for office are wealthy.

Question 23

About ________ percentage of the American adult population identifies with the Protestant,
Catholic,or Jewish faiths?

A)12
B)32
C)52
D)72

Question 24

Approximately what percentage of the American public is African American?

A)6
B)13
C)18
D)24

Question 25

Americans' sense of political efficacy has

A)remained relatively constant between 1960 and 2015.
B)increased dramatically between 1960 and 2015.
C)decreased dramatically between 1960 and 2015.
D)decreased between 1960 and 1975 but increased between 1975 and 2015.

Question 26

The National Origins Quota System

A)allowed a large quota of new immigrants from northern European countries but only a small quota of new immigrants from eastern and southern European countries.
B)allowed only a small quota of new immigrants from northern European countries but a large quota of immigrants from eastern and southern European countries.
C)allowed the same quota of new immigrants from every country around the world.
D)outlawed all immigration from European countries.

Question 27

The American population has grown from approximately ________ million people in 1790 to approximately ________ million people in 2018.

A)4; 327
B)4; 150
C)15; 323
D)15; 150

Question 28

Most Americans of African descent were not officially citizens in the United States until

A)1857,when the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dred Scott v.Sandford.
B)1868,when the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution conferred citizenship on the freed slaves.
C)1896,when the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Plessy v.Ferguson.
D)1920,when the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution allowed for universal suffrage.

Question 29

In 1900,residents who traced their origin to Latin America or Asia each accounted for

A)less than 1 percent of the entire population.
B)approximately 10 percent of the entire population.
C)approximately 33 percent of the entire population.
D)approximately 50 percent of the entire population.

Question 30

Immigrants from Asian countries were

A)allowed to enter the country in unlimited numbers by a 1924 Supreme Court decision.
B)not mentioned in any federal law prior to 1973.
C)strongly recruited to the United States by the federal government between 1882 and 1943.
D)largely prohibited from entering the United States prior to the 1940s.

Question 31

The decline in political efficacy in the United States is

A)unlikely to matter at all for the functioning of American democracy because America's constitutional form of limited government is so well established.
B)likely to have negative effects on American democracy because it will lead to less citizen participation in government.
C)likely to have negative effects on American democracy because it will lead to more citizen participation in government.
D)likely to have positive effects on American democracy because it will lead to more citizen participation in government.

Question 32

Citizenship refers to

A)the process of providing passive consent for government's activities.
B)the act of paying taxes to the government.
C)informed and active membership in a political community.
D)receiving benefits from government programs.

Question 33

Which of the following statements best describes naturalization laws in the United States
Prior to 1870?

A)All free people could become naturalized citizens after living in the country for at least five years.
B)Only free whites could become naturalized citizens.
C)Only freed African American slaves could become naturalized citizens.
D)Only Native Americans could become naturalized citizens.

Question 34

At the time of the founding of the republic,approximately ________ percent of non-Native
American inhabitants of the 13 states were of European ancestry.

A)25
B)50
C)65
D)80

Question 35

Which of the following statements is true?

A)Native Americans have always been recognized as citizens of the United States.
B)Native Americans became U.S.citizens in 1868.
C)Native Americans became U.S.citizens in 1924.
D)Native Americans have never become U.S.citizens under American constitutional law.

Question 36

"Digital citizenship" is

A)the ability to participate in society online.
B)the constitutional right to vote in federal elections using the internet.
C)a new government program designed to deliver daily legislative updates to citizens via email.
D)the federal government's recent initiative to allow immigrants to complete citizenship forms electronically.

Question 37

In 2017,what percentage of Americans did not know that "Obamacare" and the "Affordable
Care Act" are the same thing?

A)5
B)15
C)33
D)75

Question 38

The foreign-born population in the United States reached an all-time low of 5 percent in 1970
Because the

A)Constitution was amended to eliminate naturalization and provide citizenship only to people born within the United States.
B)federal government chose to deport nearly all foreign-born residents after World War II.
C)struggling American economy made the United States an unattractive destination for most immigrants.
D)National Origins Quota System placed strong restrictions on the number of immigrants who could enter the United States.

Question 39

A majority of the foreign-born population living in the United States today come from

A)Africa.
B)Asia.
C)Latin America and the Caribbean.
D)Europe.

Question 40

It is important for Americans to have political knowledge so that they will

A)be able to determine who belongs and who does not belong.
B)be better able to assess their own interests when making political choices.
C)be better able to judge the legitimacy of other nations.
D)feel a stronger sense of patriotism.

Question 41

How does the U.S.Constitution create a system that underrepresents urban areas?

A)It provides representation based on population in the U.S.House of Representatives.
B)It provides each state with two U.S.senators,regardless of population.
C)It requires federal officials to spend the same amount of money in rural and urban areas of the country.
D)It requires that federal officials impose higher taxes on people living in urban areas of the country.

Question 42

Individual political rights are a protection against

A)pluralism.
B)the tyranny of the majority.
C)the tyranny of the minority.
D)socialism.

Question 43

Which of the following statements best describes how Americans currently feel about
Laissez-faire capitalism?

A)Americans strongly support capitalism and economic liberty and reject all restrictions on economic freedom.
B)Americans strongly support capitalism and economic liberty but also endorse policies that are designed to guarantee economic equality among all citizens.
C)Americans strongly support capitalism and economic liberty but also endorse some restrictions on economic freedoms to protect the public.
D)Americans strongly oppose capitalism and economic liberty and endorse some restrictions on economic freedoms to protect the public.

Question 44

Since 1900,the percentage of Americans over the age of 65 has ________ while the percentage of Americans under the age of 18 has ________.

A)increased; decreased
B)decreased; increased
C)increased; remained relatively constant
D)remained relatively constant; decreased

Question 45

There are approximately ________ million people living in the United States without legal authorization and the majority of these people are from________.

A)2; Mexico and Central America
B)6; Mexico and Central America
C)11; Mexico and Central America
D)11; Asia and Africa

Question 46

The Declaration of Independence defined which three inalienable rights?

A)"Life,Liberty and Equality"
B)"Life,Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
C)"Liberty,Equality and Fraternity"
D)"Life,Equality and the pursuit of Happiness"

Question 47

Which of the following best describes the history of income inequality in the United States?

A)The New Deal of the 1930s created massive income inequality that dramatically increased the share of annual national income going to the top 1 percent.
B)Income inequality has remained relatively constant throughout American history,with the top 1 percent accounting for approximately 10 percent of national income.
C)In 1976,the top 1 percent accounted for less than 10 percent of annual national income.
D)The top 1 percent has never accounted for at least 10 percent of annual national income.

Question 48

The essential documents of the American founding are the ________ and the ________.

A)Declaration of Independence; Constitution
B)Declaration of Independence; Magna Carta
C)Constitution; Magna Carta
D)Constitution; Mayflower Compact

Question 49

In American political culture,economic freedom is MOST closely linked to the idea of

A)job security.
B)capitalism.
C)the absence of income taxes.
D)a government-controlled stock market.

Question 50

________ are the three core values in American politics.

A)Liberty,equality,and democracy
B)Democracy,patriotism,and the rule of law
C)Equality,oligarchy,and free enterprise
D)Anarchy,equality,and patriotism

Question 51

During the last 50 years,the American population has

A)not experienced any regional shifts.
B)shifted as a result of people leaving the Northeast and Midwest and moving to the South and Southwest.
C)shifted as a result of people leaving the South and Southwest and moving to the Northeast and Midwest.
D)shifted as a result of people leaving urban areas and moving to rural areas.

Question 52

Which of the following statements about the United States Census is MOST accurate?

A)The census has always counted every person living within the boundaries of the United States,regardless of race or ethnicity.
B)The census has always categorized people in one of five racial groups: Native Americans,Latino Americans,African Americans,Caucasian Americans,and Asian Americans.
C)Whom census officials count and how they are categorized by race and ethnicity have changed significantly throughout American history.
D)The current census does not allow a person to identify him- or herself as a member of more than one racial group.

Question 53

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between so-called "whiteness"
And American citizenship throughout history?

A)American citizenship has never been tied to "whiteness" and the meaning of "white" has remained constant over time.
B)American citizenship has never been tied to "whiteness" because the meaning of "white" has shifted considerably over time.
C)American citizenship has always been tied to "whiteness" even as the meaning of "white" shifted over time.
D)American citizenship has always been tied to "whiteness" and the meaning of "white" has remained constant over time.

Question 54

The right of each citizen to vote is an example of

A)equality of opportunity.
B)equality of result.
C)political equality.
D)educational opportunity.

Question 55

Throughout American history,the concept of liberty has been linked to the idea of

A)privacy.
B)limited government.
C)unlimited government.
D)economic equality.

Question 56

The incomes of middle class Americans have

A)largely stagnated over the last 40 years.
B)increased significantly over the last 40 years.
C)decreased significantly over the last 40 years.
D)decreased significantly between 1976 and 1996 but have increased significantly
Since 1996.

Question 57

"One person,one vote" reflects the principle of

A)political equality.
B)equality of opportunity.
C)majority rule.
D)popular sovereignty.

Question 58

The existence of slavery in the United States is a good example of how

A)American values are not always reflected in practice.
B)Americans have never valued liberty.
C)European ideals have influenced American political culture.
D)political needs are often placed above economic needs.

Question 59

The belief that political authority should rest with the people themselves is called

A)political equality.
B)pluralism.
C)popular sovereignty.
D)federalism.

Question 60

The Bill of Rights was designed to protect

A)equality.
B)liberty.
C)democracy.
D)capitalism.

Question 61

What is an important check on majority rule in the United States?

A)popular sovereignty
B)the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights
C)laissez-faire capitalism
D)"one person,one vote"

Question 62

The power of the federal government began to expand after 1933 in response to

A)the Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy v.Ferguson.
B)World War II.
C)the stock market crash of 1929,the Great Depression,and the run on banks of 1933.
D)the stock market boom of 1929 and the economic expansion of the "Roaring Twenties."

Question 63

According to surveys,most African Americans and Latinos

A)express slightly greater levels of trust in government than whites.
B)express the same level of trust in government as whites.
C)express lower levels of trust in government than whites.
D)almost always express "no opinion" when asked whether they trust the government.

Question 64

No ideal is more central to American values than liberty.Discuss what Americans mean by liberty and some of the ways that this conception has changed over time.

Question 65

The federal government

A)is not allowed to directly employ any Americans.
B)employs a very small number of Americans.
C)is the nation's fifth-largest employer.
D)is the nation's largest employer.

Question 66

The U.S.House of Representatives was designed to

A)ensure minority rights.
B)ensure majority rule.
C)be the least democratic chamber of Congress.
D)protect the rights of citizens who belong to third parties.

Question 67

Although equality is an essential element of American political culture,there is little agreement on exactly what it means and how to best achieve it.What are some of the different meanings of equality and why has it been hard for Americans to reach consensus on questions of equality?

Question 68

Political analysts have identified a significant change in the American public's trust in government and feeling of political efficacy over the last 50 years.Is there any reason to be worried about how much trust citizens have in their government or how much political efficacy they have? In your answer,be sure to define political efficacy.

Question 69

Which of the following is an accurate statement about the consequences of declining trust in government?

A)Distrust makes people more willing to pay the taxes necessary for public activities.
B)Distrust makes it difficult for government to attract talented and effective workers to public service.
C)Distrust makes it easier for the government to help people in times of crisis.
D)Distrust strengthens the government's ability to defend our national interests in the world economy.

Question 70

There are many types of governments in the world today.What characteristics do political scientists use to distinguish between different types of government? What are the defining characteristics of a democracy? What are the defining characteristics of a constitutional government,an authoritarian government,and a totalitarian government?

Question 71

What does it mean to be a citizen today? How important is political knowledge to citizenship? In your answer,be sure to address the internet's influence on political knowledge and discuss the concepts of "digital citizenship" and the "digital divide."

Question 72

Today,the federal government is

A)nonexistent in the lives of most Americans.
B)a small institution that creates a small number of programs affecting relatively few Americans.
C)an enormous institution that creates a large number of programs affecting virtually all Americans.
D)an enormous institution that creates a small number of programs affecting relatively few Americans.

Question 73

Overall,Americans' trust in their government has ________ since the 1960s.

A)remained stable
B)increased sharply
C)declined sharply
D)increased slightly

Question 74

Which of the following statements best characterizes the relationship between government action,liberty,and equality?

A)Both liberty and equality require very few limitations on the role of government and suggest that government has an obligation to act on behalf of the people.
B)Both liberty and equality require strict limits on the role of government and suggest that government has no obligation to act on behalf of the people.
C)In contrast to liberty,which requires limits on the role of government,equality implies an obligation of the government to act on behalf of the people.
D)In contrast to equality,which requires limits on the role of government,liberty implies an obligation of the government to act on behalf of the people.

Question 75

Which of the following statements concerning political values in the United States is MOST accurate?

A)American values often conflict with each other in practice.
B)Because of their diversity,Americans do not share a similar set of core political values.
C)The origins of American political values are found in the 1960s.
D)American politics relies on its value neutrality.