Intro to US gov. Final
A body known as the __________is responsible for electing the President. A. Electoral College B. Supreme Court C. Board of Elections
A
A good that is highly rivalrous and easily excludable is called a A. private good B. club good C. common pool resource D. public good
A
According to Schumpeter, democracies don't necessarily reflect the common good of the people, because people differ on what the common good means. A. True B. False
A
According to sociologist Martin Lipset, what is important for the development of democracy? A. a middle class B. social and economic equality C. a benevolent ruling elite D. labor unions
A
An example of the vertical organization of the US government is that the federal government supersedes the state government which supersedes more local governments. A. True B. False
A
As part of the horizontal organization of the US government, all cabinet secretaries lead departments within the executive branch of the federal government and are given primary responsibility for certain policy areas. A. True B. False
A
Because US Presidents are chosen by electors and only indirectly via the voters, it is possible for a candidate to lose the popular vote but still win the election. A. True B. False
A
Civil liberties are "negative" rights in that governments are forbidden from denying them to citizens in most circumstances. A. True B. False
A
Consumer goods like clothes, computers, phones, etc. are also known as A. private goods B. club goods C. common pool resources D. public goods
A
Dahl's notion of Polyarchy assesses countries based on two dimensions, inclusiveness and A. contestation B. participation C. equality D. representation
A
Despite the First Amendment, political speech can be censored if it presents a "clear and present danger." A. True B.False
A
Goods are often defined by a matrix typology combining the two characteristics of A. rivalry and excludability B. contestation and participation C. rivarly and contestation D. excludability and participation
A
Governments often play a strong role in providing public goods as a means of overcoming free-rider incentives. A. True B. False. Free-rider incentives are mostly just a problem with private goods.
A
How many articles are there in the Constitution? A. 7 B. 8 C. 12 D. 20
A
If the US had a proportional representation system, which of the following is true about the 2018 House of Representatives elections? A. Third parties would have won more seats. B. Third parties would have lost more seats. C. Third parties would have won the same number of seats.
A
In 1913, the 16th Amendment established the A. income tax B. property tax C. foreign tariff D. all of the above
A
In 1996, legislation was passed to transfer more responsibility over distributing welfare benefits from the federal government to the states. This is an example of A. devolution B. horizontal organization C. Common Law D. parliamentary convention
A
In Denmark, people have the right to peaceably assemble, with the stipulation that they be "unarmed". A. True B. False
A
In a proportional representation system, are smaller parties more, less, or equally likely to win seats in the legislature? A. More B. Less C. Equally
A
Most economic experts believe that private goods are best provided via a competitive marketplace. A. True B. False. Business leaders prefer marketplace provision despite the objection of economists.
A
Relative to citizens in other democracies, what is true about Americans' participation in nonelectoral political activities? A. US citizens engage in activities more often. B. US citizens engage in activities less often. C. Participation is about the same.
A
Relative to most democracies, the United States constitution is A. old B. new C. about average in its age
A
Relative to most other developed democracies, the United States has a constitution that is harder to modify. A. True B. False
A
Relative to other democracies, which of the following is true? A. America has more civil liberties protections B. America has more civil rights protections C. America has both more civil rights and civil liberties protections D. America has both less civil liberties and civil rights protections.
A
Relative to other developed democracies, the United States tends to have more checks and balances. A. True B. False
A
Representatives serve for a period of __________ years. A. 2 B. 4 C. 6 D. 8
A
The authors believe that the United States has more in common with other democracies than many Americans think. A. True B. False
A
The authors point out that in the United States, unpopular presidents usually serve out their term, but in other countries like _____________, they often face early election challenges. A. England B. Nigeria C. North Korea D. Indonesia
A
The legislative branch has the primary responsibility of __________. A. making laws B. enforcing laws C. interpreting laws D. none of the above
A
The only stipulation for the term of office of a federal judge is "__________." A. good behavior B. until death C. before senility
A
Through the mechanism of judicial review, the Supreme Court can declare certain laws unconstitutional violations of civil liberties any time it wants. A. True B. False
A
To become president of the United States, a candidate must have majority support of A. electors B. Voters C. both A & B
A
What did James Madison warn against in Federalist 10? A. The tendency of democratic passions to subvert the rights of minorities. B. The tendency of influential minorities to thwart the will of the people. C. The failure of democratic government to represent the preferences of the majority.
A
What is the difference between a republican form of government and a direct democracy? A. In a republican form of government, citizens are governed by representatives. B. In a direct democracy, citizens get to elect their political leaders. C. There are no differences.
A
What is the district magnitude in the United States? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
A
What is the main point of the authors' analogy to green and purple glasses? A. Without analyzing American government relative to other countries, we are likely to miss out on important insights and observations. B. All perspectives on government are relative and biased, and there is no right and wrong. C. Americans and Italians can't agree on much because they have completely different values.
A
Which is true about the number of elections in the US? A. It is higher than most democracies. B. It is lower than most democracies. C. It is about the same as most democracies.
A
Which model tends to best explain voter behavior in the US? A. the socio-psychological model B. the instrumental model C. both D. neither
A
Which of the following best describes a "laissez-faire" approach to the economy? A. The state has little interference in economic matters. B. The state controls economic matters. C. The state shares equal influence over economic matters with private interests.
A
Which of the following is an example of a federal system? A. Individual states in the US have primary responsibility for educating its citizens. B. The FBI is primarily responsible for domestic security while the CIA protects against foreign enemies. C. The transportation secretary has assistants in charge of maritime and aviation divisions. D. All of the above
A
Which of the following is true about district magnitude in the United States? A. It tends to be low compared to other wealthy democracies. B. It tends to be high compared to other wealthy democracies. C. It's about the same as other wealthy democracies.
A
Who said that politics is about "who gets what, when and how"? A. Harold Lasswell B. Alexis de Tocqueville C. John Winthrop
A
A good that is not rivalrous but easily excludable is called a A. private good B. club good C. common pool resource D. public good
B
According to Tocqueville's observations in the 19th century, Americans tended to be A. more free-thinking than other citizens. B. more conformist and reticent than other citizens. C. of similar freedom of thought as other citizens.
B
According to the authors, the terms totalitarian and authoritarian are synonymous. A. True B. False. A totalitarian system is an extreme version of an authoritarian one.
B
According to the authors, there are no widely agreed upon principles by which we can distinguish between democracies and non-democracies. A. True B. False
B
All modern democracies have essentially the same ballot structure. A. True B. False
B
An important check on the power of the President is the ___________'s authority to conduct trials of impeachment. A. House of Representatives B. Senate C. Supreme Court D. Special Counsel
B
Civil rights are also known as "negative" rights because similar to civil liberties, it would be wrong for governments to deny them to citizens. A. True B. False
B
Each state has__________ senators. A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
B
Economic and environmental rights are best described as A. civil liberties B. civil rights C. neither A nor B
B
Electoral system design is a trade-off between stability and A. revolution B. representation C. recession D. retribution
B
If Congress's session runs out before the President has to sign a bill, and he does nothing, the bill does not become a law. This is called a "__________." A. Silent Veto B. Pocket Veto C. Nuclear Option D. Big Diss
B
If the Senate is equally divided on an issue, the __________can vote to break the stalemate. A. President B. Vice President C. Speaker of the House D. Chief Justice
B
If the US had a proportional representation system, which of the following is true about the 2018 House of Representatives elections? A. The Democrats would have won more seats. B. The Democrats would have won fewer seats. C. The Democrats would have won the same number of seats.
B
If the US had a proportional representation system, which of the following is true about the 2018 House of Representatives elections? A. The Republicans would have won more seats. B. The Republicans would have won fewer seats. C. The Republicans would have won the same amount of seats.
B
In order to be President you need to be at least __________years old. A. 30 B. 35 C. 40 D. 45
B
In the concept of social democracy, economic equality is much less important than political equality. A. True B. False
B
It is currently considered unconstitutional to restrict the right of travel to the United States based on national origin. A. True B. False.
B
Like most civil liberties, the right habeas corpus has never been denied to citizens in our history. A. True B. False
B
Relative to other democracies, it is easier in the United States for the legislature to pass laws that expand Constitutional civil liberties and rights. A. True B. False
B
Relative to other democracies, the United States tends to favor proportionality when weighing how much protection of civil liberties to grant its citizens. A. True B. False
B
Section 2 of Article IV of the Constitution guarantees that citizens in all states will be entitled to a speedy and __________ trial. A. private B. public C. community D. judicious
B
The 18th Amendment was later undone by the 21st Amendment. These were both concerned with the sale of __________. A. slaves B. liquor C. votes D. indulgences
B
The Constitution guarantees to each state a __________ form of government. A. democratic B. republican C. consociational D. majoritarian
B
The Lemon Test states that no government funds can ever support any religious institution for any purpose. A. True B. False
B
The President of the United States is elected to a term of __________ years. A. 2 B. 4 C. 6 D. 8
B
The US system of primary elections is typical of most democracies. A. True B. False
B
The United States Constitution is typical of which of the following frameworks? A. Majoritarian B. Consenus C. Neither D. Both
B
The United States frequently expands the scope of civil liberties and rights by signing international treaties and requiring legal accession to them by the individual states. A. True B. False
B
The most powerful judicial body in the United States is called the __________. A. Federal Court of Appeals B. Supreme Court C. Hall of Justice
B
There are two legislative bodies, the __________ and the __________. A. White House and the Congress B. House of Representatives and Senate C. Senate and Supreme Court D. none of the above
B
Unlike the social democracies of Europe, the United States does not have a welfare state. A. True B. False
B
When Tocqueville traveled through the US in the 19th century, he found that citizens tended to care much about which of the following phenomena? A. liberty and order B. liberty and equality C. equality and order D. order and respect
B
Which of the following is "rule by a small group of rich or powerful elite"? A. Monarchy B. Oligarchy C. Theocracy D. Kakistocracy
B
Which view of American "exceptionalism" do the authors appear to hold? A. The US has the best system of government in virtually every category. B. The US version of democracy suits its own purposes well, but is not necessarily better than other democracies for their given contexts. C. The idea of American exceptionalism is an example of embarrassing jingoism.
B
A good that is rivalrous but not easily excludable is called a A. private good B. club good C. common pool resource D. public good
C
According to Freedom House's Index, which countries in the Western hemisphere are neither "Free" nor "Partially Free"? A. Ecuador and Peru B. Cuba and Chile C. Venezuela and Cuba D. Mexico and Guatemala
C
According to the authors, about how many school shootings have their been in the US since the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012? A. 50 B. 100 C. 300 D. 1000
C
According to the authors, major policy differences in education, social welfare benefits, etc, between the United States and Germany are a function of different core values. Americans tend to be more ____________ while Germans tend to be more ____________. A. collectivist; individualist B. survivalist; communist C. individualist; collectivist D. capitalist; socialist
C
For every dollar produced by the US economy, approximately how much is collected by the government in taxes? A. one penny B. a dime C. a quarter D. fifty cents.
C
If the President refuses to sign (or "vetoes") a bill, the Congress can override him with a __________majority vote. A. three-fifths B. five-eighths C. two-thirds D. three-fourths
C
In Mexico, a woman who has given birth has a right to 50 weeks of maternity leave. How many weeks of leave can most American women claim? A. 100 B. 75 C. 12 D. zero
C
On average, how long do democratic constitutions last? A. 51 years B. 34 years C. 17 years D. 10 months
C
Proponents of which type of democracy tend to be critical of the connection between capitalism and democracy? A. Deliberative democracy B. Direct Democracy C. Radical Democracy D. None of the above
C
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments are known as the Civil War amendments, and gave citizenship and voting rights to __________. A. women B. immigrants C. former slaves D. none of the above
C
The Tenth Amendment of the Constitution states that authority not given to the federal government belongs to the __________. A. cities B. counties C. states D. citizens
C
The United States government is more consociational when it comes to which of the following elements? A. Judiciary B. Central Bank C. both A & B D. neither A nor B
C
There are __________ Supreme Court justices serving at any one time. A. 5 B. 7 C. 9 D. 12
C
What is the point of the authors' description of the democratic response to chemical attacks by Syria, and assassination attempts by Russia? A. Democracies are often weak and sterile in the face of authoritarianism. B. Democracies quite frequently widely disagree about how to confront foreign threats. C. Democracies tend to share common purposes and values.
C
Which Constitutional Amendment protects citizens from having to house soldiers during peacetime? A. First B. Second C. Third D. Fourth
C
Which amendment expands the purview of civil liberties to states and localities? A. 12th B. 13th C. 14th D. 25th
C
Which of the following Enlightenment thinkers influential in American government thought that the common good superseded individual rights and private property? A. Thomas Hobbes B. John Locke C. Jean Jacques Rousseau D. Baron de Montesquieu
C
Which of the following countries spend less (as a % of GDP) on social welfare than the US? A. Canada B. Australia C. Both A and B D. Neither A nor B
C
Which of the following countries technically has/had elections but is not considered a democracy? A. Iraq under Saddam Hussein B. Russia under Vladimir Putin C. Both A and B D. Neither A nor B
C
Which of the following terms best describes the US system of elections? A. proportional B. consensus C. majoritairan D. none of the above
C
Which of the following would likely not exist if the US had a unitary system? A. cabinet secretaries B. a professional bureaucracy C. state constitutions D. All of the above
C
A good that is not rivalrous and difficult to exclude people from is called a A. private good B. club good C. common pool resource D. public good
D
According to Dahl, the right to formulate preferences requires all of the following EXCEPT: A. freedom of assembly B. freedom of expression C. the right to vote D. the right to a job
D
According to Lijphart's majoritarian/consociational criteria, which country most resembles the United States? A. England B. Australia C. Canada D. Germany
D
According to the authors, which of the following is true? A. Americans tend to be more outwardly patriotic than citizens from other countries. B. Germans see excessive flag-waving as awkward due to their nationalist past. C. The idea of American exceptionalism is more about difference than superiority. D. All of the above
D
According to the authors, which of the following is true? A. Both the United States and Scotland passed fundamental gun-control legislation in the aftermath of horrific elementary school shootings. B. Neither the United States nor Scotland passed fundamental gun-control legislation in the aftermath of horrific elementary school shootings. C. Only the United States (not Scotland) passed fundamental gun-control legislation in the aftermath of horrific elementary school shootings. D. Only Scotland (not the United States) passed fundamental gun-control legislation in the aftermath of horrific elementary school shootings.
D
Goods like national security and clean air are best described as A. private goods B. club goods C. common pool resources D. public goods
D
In order for the Constitution to be amended, two-thirds of both houses of Congress must agree, as well as __________of state legislatures. A. two-thirds B. three-fifths C. five-eighths D. three-fourths
D
In which of the following states is voting compulsory? A. California B. Illinois C. Maryland D. none of the above
D
Relative to other democracies, which structural factor tends to lower voter participation in the US? A. Tuesday voting B. registration rules C. the Electoral College system D. all of the above
D
The Bill of Rights protects citizens from government usurpation of freedoms and privileges. Which political faction demanded it be a part of the constitution? A. Democrats B. Republicans C. Federalists D. Anti-Federalists
D
The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the freedoms of A. religion B. press C. speech D. all of the above
D
The free-rider incentive is most keenly felt in the provision of what type of good? A. private good B. club good C. common pool resource D. public good
D
Unlike in the United States, a number of countries subsidize college tuition through taxation. In which of the following countries is tuition "free" for individual students (that is, covered by others' tax contributions)? A. Germany B. Sweden C. Finland D. All of the above
D
Which country has the oldest living constitution in the world? A. France B. England C. China D. United States
D
Which of the following are important elements of "liberal democracy"? A. limited government B. the rule of law C. limited government influence on the economy D. all of the above
D
Which of the following are path-dependent explanations for why American government is distinct? A. The particular personalities of those who took the risk of traveling to and founding this country. B. The relative lack of feudal arrangements and subsequent socialist reactions. C. The continuity of a singular Constitution. D. All of the above
D
Which of the following countries have high levels of inclusiveness and contestation? A. United States B. New Zealand C. Israel D. All of the above
D
Which of the following countries have low levels of contestation? A. Afghanistan B. Saudi Arabia C. Russia D. All of the above
D
Which of the following countries have single-member plurality systems? A. The United States B. India C. Canada D. All of the above
D
Which of the following impacts stability and representation? A. district magnitude B. ballot structure C. electoral formula D. all of the above
D
Which of the following tends to be true about Single Member Plurality systems like the United States has? A. They are highly stable. B. They are not very representative. C. They are highly disproportional. D. All of the above
D
In the United States, only closed primaries exist which means that you have to belong to a certain party to vote in its primary elections. A. True B. False
False
