Deck 6: Government and Policymaking

Question 1

Systems with high levels of indirect public participation tend to be

A)authoritarian.
B)totalitarian.
C)democratic.
D)those in which voter turnout in national elections is correspondingly high.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The most common form of geographic distribution of government power is a

A)unitary system.
B)federal system.
C)confederal system.
D)dictatorship regime.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

A set of basic decision rules that also outlines basic rights and the distribution of authority in a society is referred to as a

A)contract.
B)systemic outline.
C)statutory regulation.
D)constitution.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In most democracies,the organization of the legislature is

A)unicameral.
B)bicameral.
C)trilateral.
D)proportional.

Question 5

Which of the following is generally true about political elites?

A)They are representative of the population by age,but not gender or class.
B)They are representative of the population by gender,but not class or age.
C)They are representative of the population by class,but not gender or age.
D)They are not representative of the population by age,gender,or class.

Question 6

In federal systems,the two chambers generally represent

A)population and geography.
B)two separate political parties.
C)ideological separation.
D)social status groups.

Question 7

Separation of powers in the different branches of government refers to

A)the wall between church and state.
B)the banning of inherited titles of nobility.
C)the practice whereby presidents or prime ministers may undertake all political powers.
D)a means of checking power by distributing roles among the executive,legislature,and judiciary.

Question 8

The words "unicameral" and "bicameral" describe legislatures in terms of

A)whether their members are elected in single-member districts or proportionately.
B)their size relative to each other.
C)their methods of reapportionment.
D)the number of chambers they contain.

Question 9

In the United States,the chief executive fulfills the role of

A)head of state.
B)head of government.
C)both head of state and head of government.
D)neither head of state nor head of government.

Question 10

Parliamentary systems

A)are not bound by constitutions.
B)involve the separate election of the executive and legislative branches.
C)can be dissolved by a vote of no confidence.
D)have strict term limits.

Question 11

In parliamentary systems,the cabinet is generally selected by

A)the president.
B)the prime minister.
C)the assembly.
D)the Senate.

Question 12

Which of the following is true about constitutions?

A)They are not based upon case law.
B)They do not consider customs and practices in law.
C)They are seldom authoritative for determining statutory law.
D)They are often written as a document or a series of documents.

Question 13

In most countries,the actual formulation of legislation occurs

A)in the assembly.
B)in the executive branch and appropriate bureaucracies.
C)through the work of political party representatives.
D)through the work of conferences between all involved.

Question 14

The major disadvantage of federalism is that

A)it protects ethnic,linguistic,or religious minorities at the expense of the majority.
B)it cannot serve as a check on overly ambitious rulers.
C)it allows subunits to experiment with different policy programs.
D)it may come at the expense of the equality of citizens.

Question 15

Under the Constitution of 1787,the U.S.government became a

A)federal system.
B)fourth wave of democratization.
C)confederal system.
D)unitary system.

Question 16

A defeat in a war,internal revolution,or national independence are all events that may prompt

A)ongoing economic concerns.
B)an increase in systemic inputs.
C)a return to national identity.
D)basic constitutional change.

Question 17

All of the following are checks on top policymakers EXCEPT

A)voting.
B)judicial review.
C)impeachment.
D)the ability to veto legislation.

Question 18

Responsibilities of the political executive include all of the following EXCEPT

A)enacting legislation.
B)carrying out policy.
C)establishing a climate of trust and confidence in the political system.
D)recruitment.

Question 19

One disadvantage of qualified majority rule is that

A)it can protect against poorly made and hasty decisions.
B)it can disadvantage large proportions of the population.
C)it can give a small minority the power to block proposals favored by a large majority.
D)it disqualifies some individuals from running for office.

Question 20

"The conversion of social interests and demands into authoritative public decisions" refers to

A)lawmaking.
B)policymaking.
C)interest aggregation.
D)social change.

Question 21

The theory of separation of powers allows for a democratic regime to function properly.

Question 22

In most countries,the formulation of policy occurs within the committee system of the legislature.

Question 23

Confidence votes are normally introduced by the opposition to get the prime minister to call for new elections.

Question 24

In multiple-chambered legislatures,the multiple chambers most often represent different regions of a country.

Question 25

The majority of countries across the globe utilize a federal system of government.

Question 26

In most countries,the head of state and the head of government rest in two separate positions.

Question 27

In both democratic and authoritarian regimes,constitutions establish the basic rules governing how decisions are made and the structures of government.

Question 28

The independence of the courts within a country dictates the degree to which the courts can exercise judicial review.

Question 29

Parliamentary systems with proportional representation often produce unstable coalitions with no party controlling a majority of seats in the legislature.