Chapter 01. American Political Culture

Picture

Fill in the blanks to complete the table.

The power of the federal government has increased.

How has the power of the federal government developed over time?

Same question

Same question

increased Latin America and Asia.

Since the 1920s, immigration to the united states has _______. This has been particularly true of people emigrating from________

Liberty Equality (Equality typically means that government helps achieve an equality of opportunity for all people to reach their fullest potential.The goals of equality and liberty typically contradict one another, as achieving the goals of equality typically requires limiting others' liberty.)

Whereas ________ limits the role of government, _________ implies an obligation of the government to the people.

True

African Americans and Latinos express greater trust in government than Whites.

it undermined popular control of government

What is a consequence of Americans' lack of political knowledge?

Correct Answer(s) The income of most Americans has only risen slightly since the 1975. The richest 5 percent have seen their incomes increase dramatically since 1975. Incorrect Answer(s) The income of the highest fifth of the population only started increasing in 2010. Income inequality has increased because the poor have seen their income drop over time.

According to the graph, which of the following statements are correct, and which are incorrect? -The income of most Americans has only risen slightly since the 1975. -The richest 5 percent have seen their incomes increase dramatically since 1975. -The income of the highest fifth of the population only started increasing in 2010. -Income inequality has increased because the poor have seen their income drop over time.

Correct Answer(s) The largest group of immigrants in the first half of the twentieth century came from Europe. Today most immigrants come from Asia or the Americas. Incorrect Answer(s) The decade with the greatest percentage of immigrants from the Americas was the 2000s. The big expansion in Asian immigration came in the 1950s.

According to the graph, which of the following statements are true?

Conservative Maintaining or increasing

Although more Americans identify as _________most Americans support _______funding for Social Security.

Protestantism and Catholicism

Americans' concerns over immigration were originally heightened by religious disputes between which two faiths?

Protestantism and Catholicism (Although the first wave of immigrants to the United States were largely Protestant, the second wave of Germans and Irish immigrants were largely Catholic.The early religious oppositions to immigrants were not between members of Christianity and some other religion, but within Christian denominations.)

Americans' concerns over immigration were originally heightened by religious disputes between which two faiths?

Politics Political Power (Power involves being able to make others do things they might not otherwise do.Politics and power are both nuanced concepts. Politics can encompass any number of activities such as protesting, voting, or engaging in political debate. Power is a more abstract concept than a specific expression.)

Conflict over the direction, identity, and resources of an organization is _________The ability to influence that process is ________

Ten states have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use through ballot initiatives.-majority rule,direct democracy Several lawmakers want to protect the Senate filibuster because it allows a single member to hold up legislation unless a supermajority votes for cloture.- minority rights U.S. House passed the CARES Act as a response to COVID-19.-majority rule

Identify the examples of majority rule, minority rights, and/or direct democracy. Note, some instances can encompass more than one concept. majority rule minority rights direct democracy Ten states have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use through ballot initiatives.- Several lawmakers want to protect the Senate filibuster because it allows a single member to hold up legislation unless a supermajority votes for cloture. U.S. House passed the CARES Act as a response to COVID-19.

picture West South Northeast Midwest

Order the regions from those experiencing the greatest population growth between 1900 and 2018 to those experiencing the greatest population decline.

False (The shift in population is actually the reverse; more Americans have left the Midwest and Northeast for the South and Southwest. This has led to major shifts in congressional representation with many states in the South or Southwest, like Texas, gaining seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.)

Over the past few decades, Americans have left the South and Southwest and moved to the Midwest and Northeast. As a consequence, the Midwest and Northeast have seen increased political representation in Congress.

constitutional authoritarian totalitarian

Place these types of governments in order from those with the most legal limits placed upon their power to those with the fewest. constitutional authoritarian totalitarian

Ordinary Decrease (Declining feelings of political efficacy are harmful for America's democracy because fewer people feel that they can participate effectively in government.)

Political efficacy is the idea that _______ citizens can influence the government and its policies. The number of Americans who have a sense of political efficacy has _________ over time.

True (Citizen participation in the political process is vital for the health of a democracy.)

Political participation is the source of democratic legitimacy.

picture Correct Answer(s) Youth turnout surged during 2018, compared to the 2014 election, and it far outpaced the overall increase in voter turnout within the total population. Incorrect Answer(s) Although youth turnout did experience an increase from the 2014 election to the 2018 election, the level of turnout was not significantly higher than the increase seen in the total population. Youth voter turnout increased in 2018 compared to 2014, yet turnout among the total population declined significantly from 2014 to 2018. Youth turnout declined from the 2014 election to the 2018 election, which is likely due to voter apathy among America's youth.

Study the Who Participates? infographic, and then answer the question that follows.Which of the statements are correct, and which are incorrect?

The hand of the people (Ultimately, politicians in the United States are accountable to the people.In a democracy, political power ultimately comes from the people. The Constitution is a guiding document to the government, but the government's authority comes from the people.)

The idea of popular sovereignty means that political authority ultimately rests in

More Likely to Participate higher levels of education knowledgeable about the issues belief that government cares about citizens' opinions readily available internet access Less Likely to Participate lack of political efficacy

Which factors influence whether an individual is likely to participate in politics?

Picture More Than 10 Percent of the Population Black Latino White Less Than 10 Percent of the Population Asian

Which groups, as of 2018, make up more than 10 percent of the American population?

Correct Answer(s) The percentage of Americans identifying as Protestant has declined substantially since 1900. There has been a sizable increase in the number of Americans identifying as belonging to no organized religion. Incorrect Answer(s) The percentage of Americans identifying as Jewish has increased substantially since 1900. Americans identifying as Muslims now outnumber Catholic Americans. (Although the number of Muslim Americans has increased, Catholic Americans still outnumber Muslim Americans.)

Which of the following statements about religion in America are correct?

Correct Answer(s) Most persons of African descent were not deemed U.S. citizens until 1868. A 1790 law stated that only free Whites could become naturalized U.S. citizens. Native Americans were not officially considered U.S. citizens until 1924. Incorrect Answer(s) Since the early 1900s, Asians have had no restrictions or barriers to entering the United States and becoming citizens. (Although the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to any persons born in the United States, the amendment had been interpreted to exclude Native Americans. The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 granted full U.S. citizenship to the indigenous peoples of the United States. Questions concerning who is legally permitted to come to the United States and who are citizens have raged on for nearly two centuries and remain fiercely debated issues during elections.)

Which of these statements regarding citizenship are correct? Most persons of African descent were not deemed U.S. citizens until 1868. A 1790 law stated that only free Whites could become naturalized U.S. citizens. Native Americans were not officially considered U.S. citizens until 1924. Since the early 1900s, Asians have had no restrictions or barriers to entering the United States and becoming citizens.

Correct Answer(s) It can advance citizen interests. It helps protect their rights. It increases knowledge of available services. Incorrect Answer(s) It means that government will always act in citizens' best interests.

Why is political knowledge necessary for citizens?

liberty (The Bill of Rights lays out Americans' civil liberty protections from the government by stating what the government cannot do to citizens.)

The Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution primarily addresses which core American value?

False (The mere act of holding an election does little to distinguish between democracies and autocracies. Autocracies often will hold elections; however, the elections are generally not free and fair in the same sense as they are in a democracy.)

A key defining characteristic that distinguishes autocracies from democracies is that democracies hold elections, whereas autocracies do not.

Smaller Undermines (There is a dangerous downward spiral of trust and participation. Declining levels of political participation lead to a less responsive federal government, which further erodes political trust and decreases the likelihood that people will participate.)

As political efficacy and trust decrease, government decisions are made by a _________ group of people, which __________ the notion of government by the people

Direct (Direct democracy usually only works on a small scale or on limited things. Could you imagine having to vote every day on the potentially hundreds of complex issues that Congress deals with on a daily basis?

Ballot initiatives and referenda in the United States are examples of what kind of democracy?

more populous South urban areas Southwest less populous Northeast Midwest rural areas

Identify whether each geographic area has gotten more or less populous over time.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent over $1 billion of his own money to fund his run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.-liberty Opponents of campaign finance disclosure laws argue that these requirements present an extraordinary burden on citizens wishing to participate in politics.-liberty In Shaw v. Reno, the Supreme Court struck down a majority minority district in North Carolina as vote dilution in violation of the equal protection clause.-political equality

Identify whether the examples exemplify the principle of political equality or the principle of liberty. liberty political equality New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent over $1 billion of his own money to fund his run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. Opponents of campaign finance disclosure laws argue that these requirements present an extraordinary burden on citizens wishing to participate in politics. In Shaw v. Reno, the Supreme Court struck down a majority minority district in North Carolina as vote dilution in violation of the equal protection clause.

Picture Correct Answer(s) The percentage of White Americans has significantly declined as the population has gotten more diverse. Incorrect Answer(s) Native Americans and Asian Americans were equivalent in their proportions within the population in 2018. Asian Americans and Latino Americans represented the largest non-White groups in 2018. Black Americans have seen significant growth from 1900 to 2018.

Study the Who Are Americans? infographic, and then answer the question that follows. Identify the correct and incorrect statements.

California Texas Colorado South Carolina Mississippi Louisiana

Study the Who Participates? Infographic, and then answer the question that follows. Order the states from those experiencing the greatest increase in turnout to those experiencing the greatest decline.

America Asia Africa Europe

This graphic breaks down where immigrants to the United States came from, by continent, between the 1900s and the 2010s. Study the graphic, and then answer the question that follows.Comparing the 1900s to 2010s, order the continents from those that experienced the greatest growth in proportion of the U.S. immigrant population to those experiencing the least growth (or greatest decline).

it undermines popular control of government (If Americans lack political knowledge, they are less capable of holding elected officials accountable.)

What is a consequence of Americans' lack of political knowledge?

picture Growing Proportion of the U.S. Population 65+ 45-64 Declining Proportion of the U.S. Population 20-44 0-19

Which age groups experienced growth in their percentage of the U.S. population from 1900 to 2018, and which experienced a decline?

correct Answer(s) A lack of trust could endanger tax revenue. Trust is important to attract talented people to work the government. A mistrusted government can do little to work with its citizens. Incorrect Answer(s) Political dissent is only likely with a lack of trust. Citizens who trust the government are less likely to be politically involved. (If citizens do not trust the government, they are less likely to come to it for assistance or accept offers of aid.)

Which of the following are reasons it is important for Americans to trust their government?

Correct Answer(s) A mistrusted government can do little to work with its citizens. Trust is important to attract talented people to work the government. A lack of trust could endanger tax revenue. Incorrect Answer(s) Political dissent is only likely with a lack of trust. Citizens who trust the government are less likely to be politically involved.

Which of the following are reasons it is important for Americans to trust their government? A mistrusted government can do little to work with its citizens. Trust is important to attract talented people to work the government. A lack of trust could endanger tax revenue. Political dissent is only likely with a lack of trust. Citizens who trust the government are less likely to be politically involved.

correct Answer(s) gathering signatures for a candidate or policy initiative to appear on the ballot contacting your representative about an issue that is important to you protesting the government's involvement in a military conflict that you oppose Incorrect Answer(s) sharing a meme on Twitter (Protests are an important form of expressing discontent with government's actions.)

Which of these actions would constitute citizenship, according to the definition posed by the ancient Greeks?

Correct Answer(s) -protesting the government's involvement in a military conflict that you oppose -contacting your representative about an issue that is important to you -gathering signatures for a candidate or policy initiative to appear on the ballot Incorrect Answer(s) -sharing a meme on Twitter

Which of these actions would constitute citizenship, according to the definition posed by the ancient Greeks? -protesting the government's involvement in a military conflict that you oppose -contacting your representative about an issue that is important to you -gathering signatures for a candidate or policy initiative to appear on the ballot -sharing a meme on Twitter

Wealth inequality has grown over the past 40 years.

Which statement about socioeconomic status in the United States is true?

All citizens should have the same opportunity to succeed.-more supportive Women should have the same rights as men.-more supportive All citizens should have the opportunity to vote.-more supportive The government should help improve the position of Black Americans.-less supportive

Which statements about equality do Americans support more, and which do they support less? more supportive less supportive All citizens should have the same opportunity to succeed.Press Space to openmore supportiveless supportive Women should have the same rights as men.Press Space to openmore supportiveless supportive All citizens should have the opportunity to vote.Press Space to openmore supportiveless supportive The government should help improve the position of Black Americans.