CHAPTER 1: Political Thinking & Political Culture: Becoming a Responsible Citizen
Which governing structure represses individuals and groups that oppose the regime?
Authoritarianism
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
______ is the recognized right of officials to exercise power
Authority
Which of these is not considered to be a core value of American political ideals?
Collectivism
Americans' belief in self-government formed in
Colonial America
Individualism in the U.S. is best described as
Deeply ingrained
In what year was discrimination against Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian immigrants finally removed from U.S. immigration law?
1965
Democracy may free the mind, but who determines how that freedom will be used?
Democracy frees the mind, but the individual citizen determines how that freedom will be used
Which of the following is a system of majority rule through elections, empowering majorities, groups, and officials?
Democratic
In a(n) ______ form of democracy (for example, the type that might be conducted through town meetings) citizens decide policy instead of depending on elected representatives.
Direct
Which of the following are true of party polarization?
Partisanship has increased dramatically over the past few decades Partisan fights have become prolonged and bitter Partisan divisions have surfaced on nearly every issue
When political leaders respond to the policy desires of the majority, it is referred to as
Majoritarianism
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
Slavery in America lasted for ______ years
250 years
An economic system that operates mainly on private transactions where firms are free to make their own production, distribution and pricing decisions is known as
A free-market system
Compared to other countries, Americans have pursued their individual rights
Aggressively and in many areas.
Political culture in the U.S. is based upon Americans'
Allegiance to common goals
Statements that are true about American ideals and government?
Americans generally believe that government power should be widely shared Americans believe that their government should have a high purpose
The text suggests that Americans tend especially toward selective memory and recasting history because
Americans' beliefs are so idealistic
As political leaders have become more willing to make deceptive claims, the public has
Become more tolerant of the practice
Which of the following were placed in the United States Constitution in order to prevent majority tyranny?
Bill of rights Separation of powers Checks and balances
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
The idea that there are lawful restrictions on government power is called
Constitutionalism
What term refers to the influence of business firms on public policy?
Corporate Power
According to sociologist C. Wright Mills, who or what has greater control over economic policy than even elected officials have?
Corporate elites
Despite the existence of institutions that encourage widespread participation, wealth gives rise to ______, the power that well-positioned and highly influential individuals have.
Elitism
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.
Under socialism as it is practiced today in Sweden and other countries, the government
Guarantees its citizens a minimal standard of living
Individualism
Is a commitment to personal initiative and self-sufficiency
Authority
Is recognized right of officials to exercise power
Liberty
Is the principle that individuals should be free to act and think as they choose, provided they do not infringe unreasonably on the freedom and well-being of others
America's Core Political Ideas
Liberty Individualism Equality Self-Government
Which of the following correctly describes political culture?
It helps define the relationship between citizens and their government It is derived from the country's traditions. It helps define citizens' relationships to each other
Which of the following are true of legal action?
It involves the Bill of Rights, an independent judiciary, and firm attachment to private property It involves use of the courts to assert rights and interests It is a channel through which ordinary Americans exercise power
People who are acting in a way that promotes critical thinking?
Jamal is a liberal but his best friend is conservative. The two often compare sources before forming opinions on political issues.
The use of the courts as a means of asserting rights and interests is known as
Legal Action
The tools of political science attempt to
Sharpen students' understanding of American politics
The overall way in which society settles conflicts and allocates the resulting benefits and costs is called
Politics
Who or what owns the means of production in a free-market economic system?
Private firms
The state of California barred individual of Japanese descent from doing what?
Purchasing property in the state
Critical thinking should involve which of the following?
Putting forth considerable effort Evaluating information carefully
Confirmation Bias
Reinterpret information in ways that reinforce what we already believe
What are tools that political science offers to increase one's ability to think critically?
Reliable information about how the U.S. political system operates Systematic generalizations about major tendencies in American politics Terms and concepts that precisely describe key aspects of politics
What best describes the ways in which our media system has presented obstacles to critical thinking in recent history?
Some sources purposely hide contradictory information Some sources invent information that suits their purpose Media consumers fail to question media sources
Pluralism asserts that, on most issues, the actors who exercise the most influence over government policy are
Special interest groups
What document proclaimed that "Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed"?
The Declaration of Independence
Which of the following statements are true about the motivations for creating American democracy?
The idea of individual potential could be achieved more easily in the New World than in the Old World Colonists, following Enlightenment ideas, wanted to overturn the European way of governing The American Revolution sought to create a radically different form of society
At what point in American history did the influence of business firms on public policy become a defining feature of American politics?
The late 1800s
Equality
The notation that all individuals are equal in their moral worth and thereby entitled to equal treatment under the law
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
The term party polarization refers to
The situation resulting from the intense conflicts between Republicans and Democrats in recent years
Political Culture
The widely shared and deep-seated beliefs of its people about politics
If citizens do not develop the habit of critical thinking, what may result?
Their choices may not result in the outcome they expect They may engage in wishful thinking They may invent odd versions of reality
Participants in a free-market economy depend primarily on which of the following for their economic security?
Themselves
In America, majoritarianism occurs mainly
Through competition between the Republican and Democratic parties
A country's political culture derives from its
Traditions
Which of the following accurately describe higher education in the U.S.?
U.S. states with the 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 The U.S. has the most elaborate system of higher education in the world
Concerning power sharing, the U.S. is
Unique
People who are said to live in an echo chamber are hearing
What they want to hear
Under an authoritarian government
opposition leaders are sometimes brutalized or imprisoned the regime is usually backed by the military or police political opposition is openly repressed
Politics are necessary because
society's resources are limited conflict in a society is inevitable people do not all think alike