POL 101: Chapter 1: Critical Thinking and Political Culture: Becoming a Responsible Citizen: SmartBook
Which of the following were placed in the United States Constitution in order to prevent majority tyranny?
* A bill of rights. * Checks and balances. * Separation of powers.
A properly designed legal system enables citizens to do which of the following?
Assert their rights and interests.
A single individual controls governance in which of these forms of government?
Autocracy
Which of these is not considered to be a core value of American political ideals?
Collectivism
An elite few hold the power to govern in which of these forms of government?
Oligarchy
In a pluralist system, who or what would have the most influence on policies regarding regulation of Internet service providers?
The providers themselves.
As political leaders have become more willing to make deceptive claims, the public has
become more tolerant of the practice.
The idea that there are lawful restrictions on government power is called
constitutionalism.
A particularly strong example of Americans' determination to build a more equal society is its
public education system.
Pluralism asserts that, on most issues, the actors who exercise the most influence over government policy are
special interest groups.
The "two Americas" referenced in the text are
white America and black America.
The best way to characterize political power in the United States is that it is
widely shared.
The power exercised by well-positioned and highly influential individuals is known as
elitism.
When political leaders respond to the policy desires of the majority, it is referred to as
majoritarianism.
The ability of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political developments is called
power.
Which of the following statements are true about American ideals and government? (Select all that apply.)
* American generally believe that government power should be widely shared. * Americans believe that their government should have a high purpose.
Which of the following statements are true of economic power in the United States? (Select all that apply.)
* Firms have greater control over wages and working conditions than in other Western democracies. * Corporate power operates in part through the influence that firms have with government officials. * Roughly two-thirds of all lobbyists in the nation's capital represent business firms.
In the democratic system of the United States, which of the following are bestowed with legal authority to exercise power?
* Members of Congress * The President * Judges
Which of the following are true of party polarization? (Select all that apply.)
* Partisan divisions have surfaced on nearly every issue. * Partisan fights have become prolonged and bitter. * Partisanship has increased dramatically over the past few decades.
Which of the following accurately describe higher education in the U.S.? (Select all that apply.)
* The U.S. has the most elaborate system of higher education in the world. * U.S. states witht he lowest proportion of college grads have more residents with a bachelor's degree than the typical European country. * The U.S. ranks second only to Canada in the number of people over 25 with a college degree.
If citizens do not develop the habit of critical thinking, what may result?
* They may engage in wishful thinking. * They may invent odd versions of reality. * Their choices may not result in the outcome they expect.
Politics are necessary because
* conflict in a society is inevitable. * society's resources are limited. * people do not all think alike.
Slavery in America lasted for ______ years.
250
What best describes the ways in which our media system has presented obstacles to critical thinking in recent history?
All the answers are correct. * Some sources purposely hide contradictory infromation. * Some sources invent information that suits their purpose. * Media consumers fail to question media sources.
Which of the following is a system based on rule of law, including legal protections for individuals, empowering individuals by enabling them to claim their rights in court?
Constitutional
What term refers to the influence of business firms on public policy?
Corporate Power
Despite the existence of institutions that encourage widespread participation, wealth gives rise to ______, the power that well-positioned and highly influential individuals have.
Elitism
What does the text describe as "America's most elusive ideal"?
Equality
Which of the following statements about political institutions and interests in the United States is true?
Few nations have as many competing interests and institutions as the United States.
Which of the following is an economic system that centers on the transactions between private parties?
Free Market
Which of the following is a core value of American political ideology?
Government should serve the people.
______ is a commitment to personal initiative and self-sufficiency.
Individualism
How would your grandparents likely have reacted to deceptive claims when they were young?
Less Tolerance
What role, generally, do politicians play in misinformation?
Politicians' deceptions have always been part of our politics, and they have contributed to the current rise in misinformation.
The state of California barred individual of Japanese descent from doing what?
Purchasing Property
Upon what assumption was Chinese immigration to the U.S. suspended in 1882?
The Chinese were an inferior people.
Democracy may free the mind, but who determines how that freedom will be used?
The Individual
In the U.S., who or what is the ultimate source of governing authority?
The People
Who is the "self" in the political ideal of self-government?
The people
Participants in a free-market economy depend primarily on which of the following for their economic security?
Themselves
Which of the following is true of American democratic political ideals?
They come from European Enlightenment beliefs about individual worth.
Helga and Halla are sisters who vehemently disagree about politics and support opposing parties. When they watch a news story about how a Republican congressional representative has been accused of embezzling campaign funds to support his drug addiction, Republican Helga immediately dismisses the story, while Democrat Halla counters that "of course it's true." Both women are demonstrating
a confirmation bias.
Political culture in the U.S. is based upon Americans'
allegiance to common goals.
As a discipline, political science relies upon ______, which requires critical thinking.
analysis
The text cites President Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change—even though two-thirds of Americans polled disagreed with the decision—as an example of
authority.
Americans have a(n) ______ view of their rights and freedoms.
expansive
The use of the courts as a means of asserting rights and interests is known as
legal action.
Confirmation bias is the tendency to
reinterpret information in ways that reinforce what we already believe.
The tools of political science attempt to
sharpen students' understanding of American politics.
As practiced today, ______ is a system in which the government stresses economic equality and owns a number of major industries.
socialism
The term party polarization refers to
the situation resulting from the intense conflicts between Republicans and Democrats in recent years.
In America, majoritarianism occurs mainly
through competition between the Republican and Democratic parties.
