Deck 14: Politics

Question 1

Power is ____ when the norms and statuses of social organization govern the use of power.These norms and statuses define how authority should be used,how individuals can achieve authority,and how much authority is attached to each status within an organization.

A)coercion
B)authority based
C)authority driven
D)organized
E)institutionalized

Answer 1

E

Question 2

What type of authority involves the widespread belief that a family's right to monopolize leadership derives from the will of a God?

A)individual
B)traditional
C)legal-rational
D)charismatic

Answer 2

B

Question 3

When extraordinary individuals challenge authority because they claim to be inspired by a God or some higher principle that transcends authority,they are claiming or establishing which type of authority?

A)individual
B)traditional
C)legal-rational
D)charismatic
E)none of these choices

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In modern societies,authority derives from respect for the law.Laws specify how one can legitimately accomplish a task or achieve an office.If someone achieves an office by following these laws then their authority is:

A)individual
B)traditional
C)legal-rational
D)charismatic
E)none of these choices

Question 5

Power is ____ when people regard its use as valid or justified.

A)institutionalized
B)legitimate
C)illegitimate
D)coercive
E)unorganized

Question 6

The institutions that specialize in the exercise of power and authority are know as:

A)forms of authority
B)civil society
C)coercive institutions
D)the state
E)formal organizations

Question 7

The ability to control others,even against their will is called:

A)power
B)authority
C)influence
D)politics
E)social control

Question 8

An attempt by many people to overthrow existing political institutions and establish new ones is a(n):

A)political change
B)collective behavior
C)political revolution
D)charismatic authority
E)charismatic revival

Question 9

When widespread and successful oppositional movements overthrow traditional or legal-rational authority a(n)____ has taken place?

A)outbreak of charismatic authority
B)political revolution
C)Jeffersonian rebellion
D)counterrevolution
E)coup

Question 10

The reign of Louis XIV of France (circa 1670)is an example of which kind of authority?

A)individual
B)traditional
C)legal-rational
D)charismatic
E)none of these choices

Question 11

Which type of authority is most associated with tribal and feudal societies?

A)individual
B)traditional
C)legal-rational
D)charismatic
E)none of these choices

Question 12

The question,"What accounts for the degree to which a political system responds to the demands of all its citizens?" is:

A)the central question of political sociology
B)the primary concern of political science
C)the focus of world politics
D)the main issue for sociology
E)the main issue of American politics

Question 13

When the norms and statuses of social organizations govern the use of power we say that power is:

A)institutionalized
B)legitimate
C)illegitimate
D)coercive
E)unorganized

Question 14

Which of the following social settings are political sociologists mainly concerned with in their research?

A)intimate face-to-face relationships
B)families
C)colleges and universities
D)the state
E)formal organizations

Question 15

Although a wave of competitive elections swept across many formerly non-democratic countries from the early 1970s to the early 1990s,the new regimes were often feeble and limited democracies.As a result,political sociologists:

A)rethought the democratic electoral process
B)began to reconsider the social preconditions of democracy
C)began to turn to economic analysis
D)began to ignore analysis of political elites
E)renewed their interest in the study of subjects other than the social roots of democracy

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT one of Weber's types of authority?

A)individual
B)traditional
C)legal-rational
D)charismatic

Question 17

Brym and Lie contend that genuine political democracy is not solely based on:

A)political elites
B)overcoming income disparities
C)the political education of citizens
D)elections
E)a balance of power between state institutions

Question 18

When most people basically agree with how the political system is organized and run,power becomes:

A)coercion
B)visible to all
C)authority
D)organization
E)institutionalized

Question 19

When people regard the use of power as valid or justified it is said to be:

A)coercive
B)visible to all
C)illegitimate
D)legitimate
E)based on tradition

Question 20

In his 1863 speech at Gettysburg,Abraham Lincoln used the phrase,"government of the people,by the people,for the people",to refer to:

A)autocracy
B)oligarchy
C)democracy
D)authoritarianism
E)totalitarianism

Question 21

The institutions that formulate and carry out a country's laws and public policies are called:

A)forms of authority
B)civil society
C)coercive institutions
D)the state
E)formal organizations

Question 22

In the state of Dystopia,rulers allow citizens only a little free speech and freedom of assembly.Most political behavior is fairly tightly controlled.Dystopia is a(n)____ type of state.

A)authoritarian
B)libertarian
C)democratic
D)charismatic
E)organizational

Question 23

The private sphere of social life that is regulated by the state but not organized by it is called:

A)the lobby system
B)civil society
C)the spoils system
D)the family
E)the system of formal organizations

Question 24

What form of state allows citizens little or no public voice or representation?

A)militaristic
B)authoritarian
C)democratic
D)charismatic
E)organizational

Question 25

According to research conducted in the 1990s,the rich contribute ____ to election campaigns.

A)17.5 times more money than the poor
B)roughly the same amount of money as the poor
C)175 times more money than the poor
D)less money than the poor

Question 26

A collective attempt to change all or part of the political and social order is:

A)a political party
B)a lobby
C)a voluntary organization
D)an alternative mass medium
E)a social movement

Question 27

Which political organization competes for control of the government in regular elections and puts forward policy alternatives?

A)political parties
B)lobbies
C)political revolution
D)mass media
E)public opinion

Question 28

A group of cohesive people,led by owners of big business,who self-consciously and cohesively act to advance their common interests are known as a(n):

A)citizens
B)elite
C)ruling class
D)intellectual cadre
E)coterie

Question 29

Jean-Paul is angry with his University because he believes that grants,student work projects,and financial aid,are given to the wrong students.He organizes other students and together they create an organization that mounts protests,educates the public and the student body,and attempts to change the policy from within.This is an example of a(n):

A)political party
B)lobby
C)political revolution
D)voluntary organization
E)social movement

Question 30

What form of state allows citizens the highest degree of control over the state?

A)authoritarian
B)totalitarian
C)democratic
D)charismatic
E)all of these choices

Question 31

In modern democracies,citizens do not control the state directly.Which of the following is (are)(a)means of controlling the state in modern democracies?

A)political parties
B)lobbies
C)mass media
D)public opinion
E)all of these choices

Question 32

Small groups that occupy the command posts of America's most influential institutions are known as:

A)citizens
B)elites
C)ruling class
D)intellectuals
E)coteries

Question 33

The view that the United States is a heterogeneous society with many competing interests and with no one power center consistently dominating,is the main argument of:

A)pluralist theory
B)elite theory
C)power resource theory
D)state-centered theory
E)state theory

Question 34

Which of the following is NOT a sociological theory of politics?

A)pluralist theory
B)elite theory
C)power resource theory
D)state theory
E)state-centered theory

Question 35

What form of the state allows citizens to choose representatives in regular,competitive elections?

A)authoritarian
B)totalitarian
C)democratic
D)charismatic
E)all of these choices

Question 36

Groups that seek to influence politicians through their members' votes,organizing skills,and campaign contributions are

A)political parties
B)lobbies
C)voluntary organizations
D)revolutionary movements
E)civil societies

Question 37

The social scientists that studied New Haven politics in the 1950s argued that the city was highly democratic because power was widely dispersed.They showed that few of the prestigious families in New Haven's Social Register were economic leaders in the community.Different groups of people decided various political issues.Which theory is based on this research?

A)pluralist theory
B)elite theory
C)power resource theory
D)state-centered theory
E)state theory

Question 38

In the early 1990s,a team of researchers surveyed a representative sample of more than 15,000 American adults.They asked the respondents if they voted in the 1988 Presidential campaign,how many contacts they had with public officials,how many hours they worked in the election campaign,and how many dollars that they contributed to the campaign.The researchers concluded that:

A)the pluralist theory is correct
B)people with higher incomes are more politically active; this calls pluralism into question
C)people from the middle class were more active than the rich or the poor
D)no clear pattern emerged from the data
E)the poor were more likely to vote than the middle class

Question 39

What part of civil society specializes in keeping a close eye on the activities of politicians and the state and informing the public about the activities and quality of government?

A)political parties
B)lobbies
C)voluntary organizations
D)the mass media
E)civil societies

Question 40

The Democratic,Republican,and Green Parties are all examples of:

A)political parties
B)lobbies
C)political revolution
D)mass media
E)public opinion

Question 41

According to power resource theory,change in the distribution of power between major classes partly accounts for the fortunes of different political parties.However,class is not the only factor that distinguishes political parties.Another factor that influences parties is:

A)gender
B)religion
C)race
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 42

The theory that focuses on how variations in the distribution of power affects the fortunes of parties and policies is:

A)elite theory
B)pluralist theory
C)organizational theory
D)power resource theory
E)state-centered theory

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT one of the three "waves of democracy"?

A)the wave that began when property-owning white adult males in the United States became eligible to vote in 1828
B)the wave of student protest that began in 1968
C)the wave of democratization that took place between 1943 and 1962 when Allied victory in World War II returned democracy to many defeated countries
D)the wave of democracy that began with the overthrow of military dictatorships in Portugal and Greece in 1974
E)none of these choices

Question 44

The theory of politics that focuses on how public policy is influenced by the balance of power between different classes,races,or other groups is called:

A)elite theory
B)pluralist theory
C)organizational theory
D)power resource theory
E)state-centered theory

Question 45

The theory that focuses on how variations in the distribution of power affects the fortunes of parties and policies is:

A)elite theory
B)pluralist theory
C)organizational theory
D)state-centered theory
E)none of these choices

Question 46

According to Brym and Lie,political sociology has made good progress since the 1950s.Each theory they discuss has made useful contributions.For example,state-centered theory has contributed to our understanding of how:

A)democratic politics is about compromise and the accommodation of group interests
B)despite compromise and accommodation,power is concentrated among high-status groups
C)despite the concentration of power in society,shifts in the distribution power do occur
D)despite the influence of the distribution of power on political life,the state exerts a powerful,independent influence on political life
E)none of these choices

Question 47

In the United States about ____ of American citizens are registered to vote.

A)10%
B)30%
C)50%
D)70%
E)90%

Question 48

According to Brym and Lie,political sociology has made good progress since the 1950s.Each political theory they discuss has made useful contributions.For example,power resource theory has contributed to our understanding of how:

A)democratic politics is about compromise and the accommodation of group interests
B)despite compromise and accommodation,power is concentrated among high-status groups
C)despite the concentration of power in society,shifts in the distribution of power do occur
D)despite the influence of the distribution of power on political life,the state exerts a powerful,independent influence on political life
E)none of these choices

Question 49

Clawson,Neustadtl,and Scott's research on Political Action Committees (PACs)shows that:

A)unions donate little to political campaigns
B)for the most part,big business is unified in its political views and tends to donate money to the Republican Party
C)the poor donate no money to political campaigns
D)PACs frequently return money from big business rather than using it

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the high rate of nonvoting in the United States?

A)voter registration law
B)the influence of American churches
C)the American political structure
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 51

The policies favored by different parties have different effects on different groups of people.Therefore,different parties tend:

A)to be the sole determinant of political activity
B)to be supported by people from different classes,religious groups,races,etc.
C)to be little different in terms of who favors which party
D)to organize,mobilize,and raise funds in different areas of the country
E)none of these choices

Question 52

The theory that examines how the state itself can influence and structure political life is known as:

A)elite theory
B)pluralist theory
C)organizational theory
D)power resource theory
E)state-centered theory

Question 53

When the state supports the creation of anthems,flags,ceremonies,celebrations,and sporting events that stimulate patriotism and help justify existing political arrangements,the state is engaged in making:

A)constitutions
B)laws
C)ideology
D)religion
E)none of these choices

Question 54

State structures resist change.Which of the following are NOT reasons for this resistance?

A)constitutions
B)laws
C)ideology
D)party financing

Question 55

Political sociologists who focus mainly on how power is concentrated in the hands of high status groups are:

A)elite theorists
B)pluralist theorists
C)organizational theorists
D)power resource theorists
E)state-centered theorists

Question 56

According to Brym and Lie,political sociology has made good progress since the 1950s.Each theory they discuss has made useful contributions.For example,elite theory has contributed to our understanding of how:

A)democratic politics is about compromise and the accommodation of group interests
B)despite compromise and accommodation,power is concentrated among high-status groups
C)despite the concentration of power in society,shifts in the distribution of power do occur
D)despite the influence of the distribution of power on political life,the state exerts a powerful,independent influence on political life
E)none of these choices

Question 57

In the early to mid-1990s,Russia's transition to a market economy and democracy involved:

A)soaring consumer prices
B)irregular payments to workers
C)valuable government real estate being sold to senior members of the communist party and organized crime syndicates
D)a surge in support for communist and extreme right-wing nationalist parties
E)all of these choices

Question 58

The main insight of power resource theory is that:

A)power is the most important source of class support
B)power is a source of organization
C)change in the distribution of power between major classes influences the level of support for different political parties and the policies they favor
D)b and c
E)none of these choices

Question 59

In most Western democracies,the main factor that distinguishes parties is the ____ membership of their supporters:

A)class
B)religious
C)regional
D)gender
E)racial or ethnic

Question 60

According to Brym and Lie,political sociology has made good progress since the 1950s.Each theory they discuss has made useful contributions.For example,pluralist theory has contributed to our understanding of how:

A)democratic politics is about compromise and the accommodation of group interests
B)despite compromise and accommodation,power is concentrated among high-status groups
C)despite the concentration of power in society,shifts in the distribution of power do occur
D)despite the influence of the distribution of power on political life,the state exerts a powerful,independent influence on political life
E)none of these choices

Question 61

Which of the following facts suggest that the postmaterialist thesis is wrong?

A)Not everyone is rich in the United States
B)Inequality is not decreasing in the United States
C)Bread-and-butter issues are still important for most voters.
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 62

To create democracies,certain conditions must be met.Which of the following is one important precondition for democracy?

A)well organized economic elites
B)substantial international trade
C)powerful middle and working classes
D)bureaucracies
E)strong religious movements

Question 63

Countries that hold regular,competitive elections but do not strongly support individual and collective freedoms through constitutional protections are known as:

A)formal democracies
B)informal democracies
C)titular democracies
D)global democracies
E)liberal democracies

Question 64

Economic development creates what kinds of social classes?

A)weak lower classes that are large,well organized,and literate
B)middle classes that are large,well organized,and literate
C)working classes that are large,well organized,and literate
D)intractable ruling classes that are large,well organized,and literate
E)large,well-organized and literate middle and working classes

Question 65

The American political system is less responsive than other rich democracies to the needs of the disadvantaged because:

A)the working class is comparatively non-unionized
B)the working class is unfocused and has too many varied interests
C)the middle class is consistently ignored by political elites
D)the upper class has total control over political resources
E)all of these choices

Question 66

With the passage of the National Registration Act,the percentage of American adults registered to vote increased about ____ between 1995 and 1998.

A)2%
B)12%
C)22%
D)32%
E)42%

Question 67

Public opinion refers to:

A)newspaper editorials
B)values and attitudes of the adult population as a whole
C)town hall meetings
D)ideas and criticisms of government policy at the grass-roots level
E)notes from the underground

Question 68

American voter registration law is a pathway to democracy for some and a barrier to democracy for others.Even the new motor voter law:

A)is of greater benefit to middle-class Americans than poor Americans
B)is of greater benefit to poor Americans than middle-class Americans
C)is of equal benefit to all social classes
D)has significantly increased voter registration
E)none of these choices

Question 69

Compared to the less developed countries of the world,the United States is:

A)more prosperous
B)less stratified
C)more stratified
D)more prosperous and more stratified
E)more prosperous and less stratified

Question 70

When power is legitimized and institutionalized to the point that people generally accept political operations,power becomes:

A)totalitarian
B)monopolized
C)authority
D)ideology
E)normalized

Question 71

Countries that hold regular,competitive elections and support individual and collective freedoms through constitutional protections are known as:

A)formal democracies
B)informal democracies
C)constitutional democracies
D)global democracies
E)liberal democracies

Question 72

In the United States,citizens have to overcome a major structural barrier to voting,namely:

A)voting centers are far removed from voter's homes
B)voting is too easy
C)citizens have to take the initiative to go out and register themselves as voters
D)there is no consistent voter registration system
E)voter registration has been abandoned

Question 73

When a country's military is a powerful political force,democracy is often:

A)precarious and merely formal
B)strong because of the support of the military
C)well organized
D)based on a strong constitution
E)based on a weak constitution

Question 74

The United States has not always been a friend of democracy because:

A)American leaders have destabilized some democratic governments supported by its enemies
B)American leaders refuse to export arms to antidemocratic forces even if they meet U.S.foreign policy goals
C)American leaders always support democracies even if they are supported by their enemies
D)all of these choices
E)none of these choices

Question 75

Which is a question of political sociology?

A)What accounts for the degree to which a political system responds to the demands of all its citizens?
B)What are the effects of social structures,especially class structures,on politics?
C)How do state institutions and laws affect political processes?
D)All of the above.
E)None of the above.

Question 76

Experiments with electronic public meetings show that they:

A)substantially increase political participation
B)substantially decrease political participation
C)would involve no more than a third of the population even if the technology were available to everyone
D)would involve no more than a third of the population even if the technology were available to half the population
E)none of these choices

Question 77

Since 1960,class voting in the United States has:

A)increased
B)decreased
C)remained the same
D)fluctuated but with no clear trend

Question 78

The United States is an example of what kind of democracy?

A)formal democracy
B)informal democracy
C)elected democracy
D)global democracy
E)liberal democracy

Question 79

The belief that economic issues are becoming less important in American politics is known as:

A)electronic democracy
B)materialism
C)postmaterialism
D)virtual democracy
E)consumerist politics

Question 80

An upper class that can create PACs to support Republican candidates and lobbies to support conservative laws is more powerful than an upper class that cannot take such action.This illustrates what concept about political power?

A)The influence of a group or class depends on how socially organized or cohesive classes are.
B)Power is a zero-sum process.
C)The upper class is not always unified.
D)Political parties represent only the interests of their benefactors.
E)All of these choices.