Question 1

As described in the text,"political thinking"

Accepted Answer

A) is the reflection of an individual's ideological position when applied to political issues. 
B) results from an individual allowing personal bias to inform all thoughts about political issues,instead of doing objective learning or research to form an opinion. 
C) involves the careful gathering and sifting of information in the process of forming a knowledgeable view about a political issue. 
D) is the result of an individual's attempts to seek out news media that reinforce a pre-existing political bias. 
E) is a strategy taken by those seeking election to public office in which their publicly stated positions are designed to maximize their attractiveness to the widest voting bloc.
Essay Questions

Question 2

________ is the ability of persons,groups,or institutions to influence political developments.

Accepted Answer

A) Apathy 
B) Politics 
C) Power 
D) Liberty 
E) Political culture

Question 3

Pluralism contends that,on most issues,

Accepted Answer

A) corporate elites have more control over economic policy than do "the politicians in the visible government." 
B) the will of the majority of the voting public determines government policy. 
C) it is the preferences of special interests that largely determine what government does. 
D) true authority lies with the elected politicians,and not with the public that put them in office. 
E) the diverse nature of the citizenry enhances the democratic process in policymaking.

Question 4

From 1945 until the late 1960s,there was the highest degree of bipartisanship in the area of

Accepted Answer

A) economic regulation. 
B) taxation levels. 
C) civil rights. 
D) foreign affairs. 
E) environmental policy.

Question 5

Compared to two decades ago,contemporary Americans are,on average,

Accepted Answer

A) far better informed about political affairs. 
B) at about the same level of being informed about political affairs. 
C) getting most of their news from traditional media sources such as newspapers. 
D) much more knowledgeable about the functioning of America's political institutions. 
E) paying more attention to news sources that have an obvious ideological bias.

Question 6

What are some of the barriers to political thinking in the United States?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are some of the barriers to...

Question 7

The United States' economy operates primarily as a

Accepted Answer

A) free-market system. 
B) free-market system with major elements of socialism. 
C) socialist system with some free-market elements. 
D) socialist system. 
E) communist system.

Question 8

Which one of the following is NOT true of cultural or political beliefs in America?

Accepted Answer

A) America's origins as a wilderness society led to the belief that government is responsible for providing material assistance to its citizens. 
B) Americans place a greater emphasis than Europeans on personal advancement through education. 
C) Americans have traditionally favored a free-market economy. 
D) America has a strong individualistic culture. 
E) America's individualistic culture has not proven to be an absolute barrier to government assistance programs.

Question 9

This person was the chief architect of the United States Constitution and also one of America's top political scientists:

Accepted Answer

A) James Madison. 
B) Andrew Jackson. 
C) Woodrow Wilson. 
D) Benjamin Franklin. 
E) John Adams.

Question 10

Roughly two-thirds of all lobbyists in the nation's capital represent

Accepted Answer

A) activist organizations. 
B) labor unions. 
C) business firms. 
D) foreign-based political action groups. 
E) nonprofit organizations.

Question 11

What new policy was established by the U.S.Supreme Court's landmark Gideon v.Wainwright ruling?

Accepted Answer

A) the right to trial by jury 
B) the need to charge an arrested suspect with a specific crime within 24 hours of arrest 
C) the requirement that police read a suspect his rights before or during arrest 
D) government provision of free legal counsel to the accused if they are too poor to hire a lawyer 
E) the practice of allowing a suspect out on bail until the time of the trial

Question 12

To what aspect of America were William Watts and Lloyd Free referring when they labeled it "the country of individualism par excellence"?

Accepted Answer

A) the majoritarian nature of the voting and election system 
B) the ability of any individual to aspire to high political office 
C) the judicial nature of American politics,in which any individual can challenge powerful interests 
D) the emphasis that Americans place on economic self-reliance and free markets 
E) the ability of the individual to join in labor unions and interest groups to pursue his or her political and financial self-interests

Question 13

Which of the following has democracy come to mean in practice?

Accepted Answer

A) pluralistic government through the combination of popularly elected representatives and the influence of interest groups 
B) oligarchic government through a legislature chosen through popular election 
C) elitist control through interest group politics 
D) pluralism through the election of representatives and the influence of corporate interests 
E) majority rule through the free and open election of representatives

Question 14

How could one argue that America is not run by a small power elite?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How could one argue that America is...

Question 15

In a democratic society,who or what is responsible for personal development?

Accepted Answer

A) the education system 
B) political parties 
C) the progressive being 
D) the individual 
E) parents,ministers,and political leaders

Question 16

The Bill of Rights added to the Constitution,among other things,

Accepted Answer

A) a guarantee of freedom of speech. 
B) a division of governmental authority into three branches. 
C) checks and balances among the three branches of government. 
D) restrictions against the power of corporations to influence the election process. 
E) term limits for elected officials to reduce their power.

Question 17

Describe the differences between how Americans define themselves and how other,older nations define what it means to be a part of their nations' cultural identity.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the differences between how Americans define...

Question 18

Which important aspect of European thought had a big impact on the formation of the political culture of America?

Accepted Answer

A) Romanticism 
B) Reformation 
C) Renaissance 
D) Rationalism 
E) Enlightenment

Question 19

What is a major limit on majoritarianism suggested by the text?

Accepted Answer

A) The public as a whole takes an interest in only a few of the hundreds of policy decisions that U.S.officials make each year. 
B) The public lacks access to the information required to take informed political action on most issues dealt with by the government each year. 
C) The actions of special interest groups are ultimately more influential than the voting power of the public. 
D) The rapid turnover of government officials and members of the legislature prevents the majority public from making a sustained effort for any single issue. 
E) The most power tends to reside with a wealthy minority of the voting public,preventing the majority public from setting the issue agenda.

Question 20

In a survey of college students,the Intercollegiate Studies Association found that the best predictor of a student's later participation in the nation's civic and political life is

Accepted Answer

A) a college degree. 
B) a solid understanding of public affairs. 
C) participation in student government. 
D) participation in Greek life. 
E) attending a school with a residential campus versus a "commuter" campus.

Exam 1: Political Thinking and Political Culture: Becoming a Responsible Citizen