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

Question 1

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

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

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following characterizes journalist Walter Lippmann's views on democracy?

A)He felt that well-funded private interest groups and lobbyists had taken the true majoritarian power of democracy away from the voting public.
B)He felt that modern democratic government had become an unhealthy,pluralistic enterprise.
C)He believed that among forms of government,only democracy could provide a citizen with the ability to be a "progressive being."
D)He worried that most citizens are too uninformed to play the role democracy assigns them.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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

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.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is the major barrier to political thinking?

A)unwillingness of citizens to make the effort
B)lack of access to governmental institutions
C)elite control of political power resources
D)failure of politicians and government institutions to communicate policy details to the public
E)lack of access to news media sources outside of sensationalist television or Internet content

Question 5

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

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

Question 6

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

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

Question 7

In which of the following policy areas does the U.S.spend more than European nations?

A)social welfare
B)military policy
C)subsidized housing for the poor
D)public works
E)public health care

Question 8

According to the Declaration of Independence,governments get their "just powers" from

A)"God Almighty."
B)"the consent of the governed."
C)"the various factions."
D)"the teachings of Jesus Christ."
E)"the benevolence of a just king."

Question 9

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

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 10

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

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

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT one of the core values of American political culture?

A)individualism
B)equality
C)cooperation
D)liberty
E)self-government

Question 12

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

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.

Question 13

What type of government suppresses individuality,forcing people to think and act in prescribed ways or risk punishment?

A)communistic
B)socialistic
C)authoritarian
D)egalitarian
E)republican

Question 14

Based on his conception of responsible citizenship,John Stuart Mill felt that the best form of government was

A)authoritarianism.
B)anarchism.
C)communism.
D)democracy.
E)socialism.

Question 15

John Stuart Mill believed that any form of government should be judged on its ability to

A)offer the individual a "plethora of policy options" in the democratic process.
B)transfer power peacefully from one set of governing officials to the next.
C)provide social services for its citizenry.
D)maintain peace and order in the territory over which it has control.
E)promote the individual as "a progressive being."

Question 16

The citizens of which of the following countries pay the lowest tax rates relative to the country's gross domestic product (GDP)?

A)Germany
B)Canada
C)France
D)the United States
E)Great Britain

Question 17

West Virginia,the state with the lowest percentage of college graduates in the United States,

A)is indicative of Americans' relative indifference to higher education.
B)is evidence of the general truth that the states with the highest percentage of college graduates are located between the Rockies and the Mississippi River.
C)is one of seven U.S.states with fewer than five institutions of higher learning.
D)demonstrates how closed higher education in the United States is compared to the rest of the world.
E)has a higher proportion of college graduates than most European countries.

Question 18

Europeans have a greater acceptance than Americans of

A)tax and social policies that redistribute wealth.
B)the strength of the executive branch of government.
C)the majoritarian system of government.
D)the influence of corporate special interests in the legislative process.
E)the influence of corporate money in the election process.

Question 19

According to political scientist Louis Hartz,the United States

A)constitutes a "corporate dictatorship."
B)was "born free."
C)formed a perfect union.
D)is basically a monarchical state.
E)"perfected" socialist democracy.

Question 20

Research suggests which of the following is primarily to blame for the increase in faulty perceptions of news items among the public?

A)changes in the forms of communication
B)a failure of government officials to communicate truthfully
C)a growing disinterest in seeking out news items
D)the growing public gap in access to more advanced forms of media transmission,such as the Internet
E)the increasing political polarization of elected politicians

Question 21

Which of the following is an accurate description of the prevalence of college education in the United States?

A)Among adults twenty-one years of age and older,roughly half are college graduates.
B)Among adults twenty-one years of age and older,roughly one in four is a college graduate.
C)Every U.S.state has at least twenty colleges or universities within its borders.
D)Despite having a much higher rate of colleges and universities per capita than European countries;the U.S.has a lower rate of college graduation per capita.
E)Although the U.S.has a lower number of colleges and universities per capita than Europe,it has a much higher rate of college graduation per capita.

Question 22

The process by which a society settles its conflicts and allocates the resulting benefits and costs is called

A)politics.
B)government.
C)elitism.
D)socialism.
E)communism.

Question 23

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

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

Question 24

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

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 25

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

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

Question 26

The Bill of Rights

A)reduced the restrictiveness of constitutionalism.
B)enhanced the powers of the executive.
C)further checked the power of the majority.
D)enhanced the majoritarian nature of government.
E)restricted the power of corporate influence in the government.

Question 27

The Greek words demos and kratis together mean

A)majority rule is sacred.
B)the people rule.
C)government is good.
D)politics is immoral.
E)the king is good.

Question 28

Pluralism contends that,on most issues,

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 29

The fact that farmers have more influence over agricultural price-supports than do other groups is an example of

A)majoritarianism.
B)pluralism.
C)elitism.
D)constitutionalism.
E)corporate power.

Question 30

French philosopher Michel Foucault referred to politics as "________."

A)like making sausage
B)the burden of citizens
C)a means to an end
D)war by other means
E)a necessary evil

Question 31

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

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 32

How many lawyers does the United States have in comparison to Britain,Germany,and Italy?

A)The U.S.has twice as many lawyers on a per capita basis.
B)The U.S.has roughly the same amount of lawyers on a per capita basis.
C)The U.S.has roughly twice as many lawyers,in terms of total numbers.
D)The U.S.has roughly five times as many lawyers on a per capita basis.
E)The U.S.has roughly half as many lawyers on a per capita basis.

Question 33

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

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 34

Which of the following describes socialism as practiced today in Sweden?

A)The government does not attempt to manage the overall economy,but owns a number of major industries and provides for people's basic economic needs.
B)The government manages the overall economy through ownership of most major industries,and does not allow private property.
C)The economy operates almost exclusively on private transactions.
D)The government does little to manage the economy and owns no major industries,serving mainly to provide for people's basic economic needs.
E)Firms are largely free to make their own production,distribution,and pricing decisions,and individuals depend largely on themselves for economic security.

Question 35

The United States has certain rules in place to keep politics within peaceful bounds.These rules include all of the following EXCEPT

A)autocracy.
B)democracy.
C)constitutionalism.
D)free markets.
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question 36

In an oligarchy,

A)the state is run by corporate interests and companies instead of individuals.
B)control rests with a small group of popularly elected individuals.
C)control rests with a single individual,such as a dictator.
D)control rests with a small group,such as military officers or a few wealthy families.
E)the state controls all aspects of individuals' lives,including family relations and the practice of religion.

Question 37

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

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 38

A government's authority

A)is evidenced when government officials use their right to exercise power.
B)is by definition not coercive.
C)does not include the power to arrest and imprison.
D)ensures that lawlessness prevails most of the time.
E)is based on pluralism.

Question 39

Which of the following is a difference between communism and socialism,as described by the text?

A)Under socialism,the government owns some firms,but under communism the government does not own any major assets.
B)Under communism,the government assumes total management of the economy,whereas under socialism,the government does not try to manage the overall economy.
C)Under socialism,the economy operates mainly through private transactions,but under communism,the government owns a number of major industries and tries to provide for people's basic economic needs.
D)Under communism,the government manages the economy completely but does not attempt to provide for people's basic needs;under socialism,the government does not manage the economy completely,but does attempt to provide for people's basic needs.
E)Under socialism,the government owns more industries than a communist government does,but provides less direct benefit for individuals' welfare.

Question 40

In a constitutional system,

A)there are no restrictions on the lawful uses of power,as long as this power is obtained by majority rule.
B)there are lawful restrictions on a government's power.
C)the economy is based on the free enterprise system.
D)officials govern according to the traditions established by their predecessors.
E)all citizens have absolute free speech rights.

Question 41

In which of the following ways is the U.S.free-market system distinct from European economies?

A)its lack of regulatory intervention
B)its lack of intervention through taxation
C)its lack of intervention through spending policies
D)the extent to which private transactions determine the allocation of economic costs and benefits
E)the extent to which it exercises regulatory intervention by altering interest rates

Question 42

To what degree is American democracy majoritarian,and what are the limits to that majoritarianism?

Question 43

Enormous concentrations of wealth and power exist in the U.S.private sector,primarily in the hands of

A)the largest labor unions.
B)elite political families such as the Kennedys and the Bushes.
C)middle class Americans.
D)small businesses.
E)large corporations.

Question 44

The United States' economy operates primarily as a

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 45

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

Question 46

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

Question 47

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.

Question 48

As described in the text,"political thinking"

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 49

The average incomes of minimum-wage workers in the United States and Europe reflect a greater influence of which of the following in the United States,when compared to Europe?

A)majoritarianism
B)elitism
C)corporate power
D)judicial action
E)constitutionalism

Question 50

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

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

Question 51

Define politics,power,and authority.