Chapter 5

What does Barrington Moore's 1966 observation "No bourgeoisie, no democracy" imply about the requirements for stable democracy?

A stable democracy can only take hold in a society with a large and educated middle class.

What is true of consumer needs or wants in a totalitarian system?

They are considered unimportant and ignored by the government.

What is meant by representatives acting as trustees?

They are responsible for carrying out the wishes of constituents when it is feasible, and acting in the best interests of the whole.

How have Russia and China justified the necessity of an authoritarian capitalist state?

as a means of ensuring rising living standards

Which of the following conditions, if true, might have prevented Germany from succumbing to totalitarian rule?

if the allies had concluded a less punitive peace deal after World War I

Which of the following characteristics is especially prevalent in authoritarian regimes?

strict hierarchical organization

In a modern democracy, what aspect of government is aimed at protecting the rights of the minority?

the existence of an independent judiciary

Which of the following reforms would move a regime from a totalitarian system to an authoritarian one?

If it relaxed its commitment to ideological purity, while still maintaining a strong grip on power.

What distinguishes a kleptocracy from other types of authoritarian states?

In a kleptocracy, power is solely a means for amassing personal wealth and distributing favors among privileged elites.

How would a pluralist explain increases in defense spending?

Increases in defense spending occur when the public demands greater attention to national security threats.

What is the effect of individual vote switching between parties?

It avoids culture wars and makes sure politicians remain accountable to voters' concerns rather than exploiting divisions within the electorate.

What does the "two-turnover test" do?

It reveals whether a state has achieved stable democracy.

In what way is Egypt an illiberal democracy?

Its leaders are elected fairly and properly, but they ride roughshod over the peoples' rights and freedoms.

Which of the following best describes the essence of a modern representative democracy?

The people control the general direction of policy; lawmakers provide the details.

Which of these best illustrates an example of direct democracy?

citizens voting on a ballot referendum

Which of the following examples best illustrates the quote, "democracy does not always equal freedom"?

Even free and fair elections can produce regimes and policies that limit the rights and freedoms of minorities.

Recent Supreme Court decisions loosened restrictions on campaign spending, allowing billionaires unprecedented influence in U.S. elections. How would modern elite theorists most likely respond to this development?

They would oppose this development as unfair and undemocratic, tilting elections in favor of moneyed interests.

What is the main difference between autocratic regimes of the past and twentieth-century totalitarian regimes?

Totalitarian leaders demand mass mobilization and participation from their subjects, whereas modern autocratic regimes prefer to demobilize their populations

Given that voting in Iraq correlates closely along religious lines, how is the health of its representative democracy compromised?

With such inherent divisions, governance becomes difficult and it invites uprisings.

In totalitarian systems, elites are _______________.

almost completely unaccountable to the people

Based on democratic peace theory, if more democracies turn into authoritarian regimes, then one can expect __________.

an increase in violent conflicts between states

Why is the press in teh United States often referred to as the fourth branch of government?

because of its key role in keeping government accountable to citizens demands.

Why do petrostates often fail to democratize?

because they concentrate wealth and, consequently, power in the hands of a very few

Why is the transition from dictatorship to democracy particularly difficult?

because voters unused to democracy tend to turn to authoritarian figures

How might democratization be encouraged in petrostates?

by distributing revenue from oil exports more widely

What do scholars point to most often as the catalyst of the recent wave of democratization in the Third World?

economic modernization that allows for the emergence of a middle class

Which of the following trappings of democracy is most likely to persist in an authoritarian regime?

elections

Which essential characteristic of representative democracy is undermined by the observation that the National Rifle Association can block gun control legislation that is favored by most Americans?

majority rule

Despite the fact that she knows all research and development funds have been frozen, during a reelection campaign a candidate promises increased funding to a research facility in her district. According to Robert Dahl, what type of influence is she using?

manipulative persuasion

Following World War II, the breakup of colonial empires led to the creation of new states. One reason that democracy failed to take hold in these newly independent states was because __________.

of the low levels of education and income in the population in these newly independent states

What do authoritarian leaders seek from their subjects in an absolute sense, which democratically elected leaders do not?

passivity and obedience

What is China's Central Commission on Discipline Inspection tasked with combatting?

pervasive corruption

Which element of representative democracy is comprised by the widespread use of gerrymandering by state legislatures in the United States?

political competition

According to Dahl's "influence terms," threatening to jail someone for criticizing the government would be and example of

power.

What evidence would pluralists most likely cite to support their claims that elites are ultimately accountable to society?

the millions of dollars that tobacco firms have paid out in lawsuits and settlements.

What evidence would elite theorists most likely cite to support their ideology?

the richest one percent influencing elections more than other segments of society

What was a weakness of Communist regimes, such as the Soviet Union, that led to their downfall?

the rigidity of Communist ideology

The economic performance of the totalitarian regime in the Soviet Union was undermined primarily by __________.

the routine corruption and graft that comprised much of Soviet economic life

What is the principle means by which governments are held accountable to citizens in a democracy?

through regular elections

Although elite theorists and pluralists both agree that political power has a tendency to concentrate in the hands of the few, which of the following represents the sharpest aspect of their disagreement?

whether or not any one group has truly cornered the market on influencing government policies.