Deck 1: Introduction: the Citizen and Government

Question 1

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

Answer 1

B

Question 2

What do Americans expect from the government? Which of the following is a service or a program people expect the government to provide?

A) national security
B) primary education
C) a safe food supply
D) all of these are correct

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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

A) be able to determine who belongs and who doesn't 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.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

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

A) remained stable
B) increased sharply
C) declined sharply
D) completely dissolved

Question 5

The "digital divide" refers to the fact that

A) email has become one of the primary ways that Americans follow politics in the last 20 years.
B) Democrats and Republicans rely on very different sources of information online.
C) news websites rarely provide links to other news websites.
D) some groups are excluded from online participation in society.

Question 6

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 7

"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 8

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 9

African Americans and Latinos

A) express 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 10

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 11

Since 1960, Americans' sense of political efficacy has

A) increased considerably.
B) decreased considerably.
C) remained relatively constant.
D) had no effect on the quality of American democracy.

Question 12

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 13

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 14

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 15

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 16

A decline in political efficacy is likely to lead to

A) an increase in political participation and a renewed interest in political life.
B) a decline in political participation and a withdrawal from political life.
C) less dishonesty by elected representatives.
D) a stronger belief in the values of liberty and equality.

Question 17

In order to increase political efficacy, it is necessary to

A) increase political knowledge.
B) decrease political knowledge.
C) reduce political participation.
D) eliminate trust in government.

Question 18

The belief that citizens can influence what government does is called

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

Question 19

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 20

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 21

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 22

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

A) 95
B) 78
C) 62
D) 43

Question 23

The goal of politics is to

A) get as much power as possible in order to serve one's own interests.
B) construct a perfect constitutional order.
C) construct a political system that is conducive to economic growth.
D) have a say in a government's leadership, organization, and policies.

Question 24

The bourgeoisie sought to change which of the following institutions into an instrument of political participation?

A) monarchies
B) universities
C) newspapers
D) parliaments

Question 25

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 top government officials.
D) gives citizens the ability to debate important constitutional decisions.

Question 26

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.

Question 27

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 28

Politics can be defined as

A) conflicts over the character, membership, and policies of any organization to which people belong.
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 29

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 30

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

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

Question 31

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.

Question 32

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 33

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

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

Question 34

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 35

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.

Question 36

Which of the following statements best describes direct democracy in the United States?

A) Every state and local government allows direct democracy but the federal government does not.
B) The federal government allows direct democracy but state and local governments do not.
C) Some state and local governments allow direct democracy but the federal government does not.
D) Direct democracy does not exist in the United States.

Question 37

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

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

Question 38

Which of the following is an instrument of direct democracy?

A) the electoral college
B) litigation
C) ballot initiatives
D) social media

Question 39

What is the main benefit of a constitutional government?

A) The government is limited by the rule of law.
B) The government will distribute social goods equally.
C) The government is stable.
D) The government will produce high levels of economic growth.

Question 40

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 41

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 42

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 43

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 44

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 45

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 46

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 47

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 48

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 49

"One person, one vote" reflects the principle of

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

Question 50

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 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

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 53

________ 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 54

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 himself or herself as a member of more than one racial group.

Question 55

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) 12; Mexico and Central America
D) 12; Asia and Africa

Question 56

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 57

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

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

Question 58

About ____ percent of the American adult population identifies with the Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish faiths.

A) 15
B) 35
C) 55
D) 75

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

Which of the following statements about the changes in American society between 1900 and 2010 is true?

A) There has been an increase in the percentage of Americans who identify themselves as Protestants.
B) The average age of Americans has increased.
C) There has been a decrease in the percentage of Americans who live in urban areas.
D) There has been a decrease in the percentage of Americans who identify as multiracial.

Question 61

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 62

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 63

What is the most 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 64

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.

Question 65

Political analysts have identified a significant change in the American public's level of trust in government over the last 50 years. Describe the direction of this change and discuss some of the recent events that have led Americans to reevaluate their feelings toward government. Is there any reason to be worried about how much trust citizens have in their government?

Question 66

Individual political rights are a protection against

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

Question 67

The Bill of Rights was designed to protect

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

Question 68

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 69

The fact that the tax code in the United States is more advantageous to wealthy citizens than that of almost any other Western nation supports the claim that Americans

A) strongly reject the ideal of popular sovereignty.
B) strongly endorse the ideal of equality of opportunity.
C) generally tolerate economic inequality.
D) believe in majority rule with minority rights.

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 and how has our ideal of citizenship been influenced by the ancient Greeks? How important is political knowledge to citizenship?

Question 72

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 73

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.