Deck 1: Five Principles of Politics

Question 1

Political institutions help government function, while relieving communities have to reinvent collective action each time it is required.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Legislators typically make their decisions with forethought and calculation.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

All political behavior has a purpose.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

If a country has all political authority vested in a single individual, then it has a totalitarian government.

Question 5

In the U.S. Senate, a simple majority can end debate and call for a vote.

Question 6

The conflicts and struggles over the leadership, structure, and policies of government are called politics.

Question 7

A government may be as simple as a tribal council.

Question 8

When a small group of individuals controls most of the governing decisions, a government is said to be an oligarchy.

Question 9

Few citizens have political goals, and fewer still work to achieve those goals.

Question 10

When large numbers of people have some influence over government decision making, the government is said to be constitutional.

Question 11

Governments that are generally unrestrained by law but have leaders that are kept in check by other political or social institutions are called authoritarian governments.

Question 12

Nazi Germany was an example of a totalitarian regime.

Question 13

The two questions that motivate the discovery of order in the chaos of politics are "What do we observe?" and "Why?"

Question 14

In the U.S. Senate, 60 votes (out of 100) are required to shut off debate on most legislation.

Question 15

The more a large organization values participation by the broadest range of its members, the less it actually needs rules for making decisions.

Question 16

Some political acts take great effort, time, and financial resources.

Question 17

Elected officials are motivated by reelection, but political actors who are not elected do not have identifiable motivations.

Question 18

A tribal council that meets occasionally to advise the chief has all the essential elements of a government.

Question 19

The term politics is defined as the decisions reached by democratic processes.

Question 20

The Speaker of the House is free to send a newly introduced bill to any committee he or she likes.

Question 21

The control over what a group will consider for discussion is called agenda power.

Question 22

The fact that America's single-member district plurality voting rules, established in the eighteenth century, continue to shape the nation's party system today supports the notion of path dependency.

Question 23

Through the agenda power, the president can prevent Congress from taking up a particular bill.

Question 24

Elected officials' support of a party "brand name" is an example of a tragedy of the commons.

Question 25

Past events and experiences are largely irrelevant to decisions made today because the world is fundamentally different today than even 20 years ago.

Question 26

Members of Congress are motivated solely by their ambitions for reelection.

Question 27

Because the agent's preferences sometimes differ from those of the principal, usually the principal entirely eliminates the agent's prospective deviations by spelling out the agent's actions in a detailed contract.

Question 28

What is the difference between an empirical question and a normative question?

A)An empirical question is about observing facts and patterns about politics, while a normative question is about how the political world should be.
B)An empirical question focuses on theorizing about political phenomena, while a normative question seeks to describe typical behavior.
C)An empirical question asks how the world should be, while a normative question asks how it actually works.
D)An empirical question focuses on a single person or event, while a normative question focuses on patterns of behavior.

Question 29

Another term for agenda power is veto power.

Question 30

Almost all politics takes place through formal, structured bargaining with clear winners and losers.

Question 31

The following question is an example of a(n) __________ question in political science: "Which political party do a majority of Latinos support in presidential elections?"

A)empirical
B)analytical
C)normative
D)policy

Question 32

A public good is any service provided by the government.

Question 33

The ability to defeat something even if it has made it on to the agenda of an institution is called veto power.

Question 34

What is the general term used to describe the formal political arrangement by which a land and its people are ruled?

A)authoritarianism
B)government
C)autarky
D)monarchism

Question 35

If all the members of a group share common values and objectives, a well-organized group usually emerges easily.

Question 36

A negotiation session over wages and working conditions between labor and management at the local manufacturing plant is likely to be based on informal bargaining.

Question 37

The tragedy of the commons shows that self-interest usually leads to better outcomes than the pursuit of noble and altruistic goals.

Question 38

The following question is an example of a(n) __________ question in political science: "Should a majority of Latinos support the Democratic Party in presidential elections?"

A)empirical
B)analytical
C)normative
D)policy

Question 39

The following question is an example of a(n) __________ question in political science: "Are African American legislators more likely to support African American interests than other legislators with similar districts?"

A)empirical
B)analytical
C)normative
D)policy

Question 40

The policy principle holds that political outcomes are the products of individual preferences and institutional procedures.

Question 41

Political scientists would most accurately classify a governing system that recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it as

A)autocratic.
B)dictatorial.
C)authoritarian.
D)totalitarian.

Question 42

Which term describes a system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of government?

A)pluralism
B)monarchy
C)authoritarian government
D)constitutional government

Question 43

States and tribal councils are examples of which institutions and procedures through which a land and its people are ruled?

A)governments
B)legislative bodies
C)democracy
D)bureaucracies

Question 44

A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the selection of key public officials, is called

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

Question 45

The Soviet Union during the rule of Joseph Stalin was a classic example of a(n) __________ society.

A)democratic
B)authoritarian
C)constitutional
D)totalitarian

Question 46

When France was ruled by King Louis XVI, Napoleon Bonaparte, and then Louis XVIII, it exemplified the governmental system known as

A)an autocracy.
B)an oligarchy.
C)totalitarianism.
D)a democracy.

Question 47

In many nations in Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa, the law imposes few real limits, but the government is nevertheless kept in check by other political and social institutions that it does not control. Examples of these outside actors include autonomous territories, an organized church, organized business groups, or organized labor unions. Such governments are generally called

A)autocratic.
B)totalitarian.
C)constitutional.
D)authoritarian.

Question 48

According to Harold Lasswell, the struggle over "who gets what, when, how" is known as

A)government.
B)politics.
C)lobbying.
D)redistribution.

Question 49

A government with specific limits on what governments control and how political power is exercised is called a

A)theocracy.
B)constrained system.
C)divided government.
D)constitutional government.

Question 50

In the years leading up to World War II, the National Socialist (Nazi) Party rose to power in Germany and consolidated its hold on political institutions by effectively striking down any significant opposition through violence and intimidation. Nazi Germany achieved almost absolute control over every facet of its citizens' lives. In terms of limits on governmental power, the political system of Nazi Germany would most accurately be categorized as

A)totalitarian.
B)monarchical.
C)constitutional.
D)authoritarian.

Question 51

To win elections, presidential candidates typically focus their campaign visits and spending on "swing states" that could vote for either major candidate. This strategic allocation exemplifies which of the five principles of politics?

A)rationality principle
B)institution principle
C)policy principle
D)collective action principle

Question 52

The conflicts and struggles over the leadership, structure, and policies of government are called

A)government.
B)politics.
C)lobbying.
D)war.

Question 53

Autocracy can best be defined as rule by

A)all.
B)one.
C)many.
D)few.

Question 54

When a small group of landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants controls most of the governing decisions, the government is said to be a(n)

A)autocracy.
B)oligarchy.
C)meritocracy.
D)democracy.

Question 55

If the populace has some direct role in political decision making, the government is most likely

A)pluralistic.
B)autocratic.
C)constitutional.
D)democratic.

Question 56

On the small island nation of Tamazia, the small but elite group of purple-spotted Tamazians, who own most of the land on the more fruitful north side, have invaded the less productive southern sections of the island. Now they have taken control of all political institutions. Consequently, the pink-spotted and green-spotted Tamazians who make up the majority of the island inhabitants have to submit to the will of the purple-spotted Tamazians. This new government on the island nation of Tamazia would most correctly be classified as

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

Question 57

In early thirteenth-century England, King John had few formal limits on his power yet needed the permission of the Catholic pope to marry many of his potential spouses and needed the cooperation of English nobles to wage war. A general term for a political system with informal limits on power is

A)teleological.
B)indirect government.
C)authoritarian government.
D)totalitarian.

Question 58

The kind of rule in which the power of government has only minimal legal limits but is effectively restrained by other social, religious, or economic institutions is called

A)autocratic.
B)totalitarian.
C)constitutional.
D)authoritarian.

Question 59

A form of government in which a single individual-king, queen, or dictator-rules is known as

A)an autocracy.
B)an oligarchy.
C)totalitarianism.
D)anarchy.

Question 60

Efforts to gain power, influence those in power, bring new people to power, or throw current leaders out are forms of

A)autocracy.
B)pluralism.
C)interest-group bargaining.
D)politics.

Question 61

A state legislature is considering raising taxes to pay for road improvements. Each legislator must decide whether he or she is going to support this bill, which has polarized public opinion in the state. The legislator from the Seventh District is particularly concerned about the consequences of her vote because her constituents are about equally divided for and against the bill. If the legislator votes for the bill, she will gain future electoral support from supporters of the bill but will likely also face a tough reelection campaign as bill opponents may mobilize to try and defeat her. If she votes against the bill, she still faces the same situation because bill supporters will mobilize against her in the next election. In either case, the legislator will benefit from her decision but also face some uncertain costs. This description of the legislator's decision making is an example of which principle of politics?

A)the policy principle
B)the rationality principle
C)the institution principle
D)the collective action principle

Question 62

A politician who helps a constituent navigate through the federal bureaucracy to find a misplaced Social Security check is engaging in __________ politics.

A)retail
B)wholesale
C)systematic
D)institutional

Question 63

The Senate's rule that requires 60 votes to close debate and move to a final passage vote is an example of

A)legislative jurisdiction.
B)direct democracy.
C)deliberative democracy.
D)decisiveness rules.

Question 64

Politicians plan their activities and attempt to behave in a manner that recognizes a full calculation of political risk because their actions are not random but rather are

A)corrupt.
B)ethical.
C)instrumental.
D)exceptional.

Question 65

Those who exercise some form of agenda power are said to engage in

A)earmarking.
B)logrolling.
C)pork barreling.
D)gatekeeping.

Question 66

The saying "All political behavior has a purpose" is an expression of the

A)institution principle.
B)rationality principle.
C)collective action principle.
D)history principle.

Question 67

A five-term member of the House has developed a reputation as being particularly successful at securing federal resources for his district to revitalize the historic downtown area, build new bridges, and repair dilapidated roads and sidewalks. This member of the House of Representatives has also been criticized for accepting large campaign contributions from agricultural entities that maintain substantial interests in the rural areas of the district. This legislator defends his actions as necessary to win reelection. After five terms, the representative abruptly decides he will retire at the end of his next term for personal reasons. In the following two years, he fails to obtain any federal resources for his district but continues to accept campaign contributions from the agricultural industry and advocate for agricultural interests in the hope of obtaining a job as a lobbyist with an agricultural group. This scenario is an example of which kind of behavior?

A)institutional
B)democratic
C)ideological
D)instrumental

Question 68

A politician who helps a constituent's child apply for a Washington internship is engaging in __________ politics.

A)retail
B)wholesale
C)systematic
D)transitional

Question 69

Routine, structured relations based on rules and procedures that shape politics by providing incentives for political behavior are called

A)institutions.
B)social culture.
C)planning agendas.
D)classifications.

Question 70

Which is NOT an example of a political actor rationally pursuing a political goal?

A)a lobbyist donating to a politician to obtain a meeting
B)a bureaucratic agency trying to maximize its budget allocation
C)a congressional committee chair bargaining to expand her committee's jurisdiction
D)the Social Security Agency automatically increasing its income payments to senior citizens as the cost of living increases

Question 71

According to the text, the five principles that help explain why government does what it does are (1) all political behavior has a purpose; (2) institutions structure politics; (3) all politics is collective action; (4) political outcomes are the products of individual preferences and institutional procedures; and (5)

A)how we got here matters.
B)political socialization shapes government.
C)government shapes political socialization.
D)public opinion matters.

Question 72

The designated domain over which institutional actors have the authority to make decisions is referred to as

A)jurisdiction.
B)decisional alignment.
C)trespass boundary.
D)zoning.

Question 73

When politicians vote in a particular way in order to win reelection, their behavior is best described as

A)corrupt.
B)ethical.
C)instrumental.
D)exceptional.

Question 74

The specific control over what a group will consider for discussion in the first place is called

A)veto power.
B)agenda power.
C)docket authority.
D)discretionary authority.

Question 75

A citizen attending a city council meeting to complain about the lack of city parks exemplifies the principle that

A)cooperation is difficult.
B)rules and procedures matter.
C)all political behavior has a purpose.
D)policy results when political goals meet institutions.

Question 76

The governor of Louisiana asks the president of the United States to reform the national flood insurance program so that residents of coastal states like Louisiana would pay less money to be protected from hurricanes. The governor is engaging in __________ politics.

A)retail
B)wholesale
C)systematic
D)local

Question 77

The power to make proposals and to block proposals from being made is known as

A)jamming.
B)damming.
C)gatekeeping.
D)obstruction.

Question 78

One of the unique features of the U.S. Congress is the jurisdiction assigned to each

A)standing committee.
B)congressional staff.
C)oversight authority.
D)special authority.

Question 79

The responsibility of the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the marketing of pharmaceuticals is its

A)jurisdiction.
B)decisional alignment.
C)trespass boundary.
D)zoning.

Question 80

A legislator who introduces a bill to increase Social Security payments to senior citizens across the country is engaging in __________ politics.

A)retail
B)wholesale
C)systematic
D)local