AP Gov, Chapter One Questions, Studying Set

Roughly how much of the United States' GDP is spent on national, state, and local government? a. 1/10 b. 1/4 c. 1/3 d. 1/2 e. 2/3

c. Roughly 1/3 of the United States' GDP is spent on national, state, and local government.

True/False: Compared to other nations around the world, US taxes are relatively high.

False. "Compared to most other economically developed nations, the United States devotes a smaller percentage of its resources to government...the tax burden on Americans is small compared to other democratic nations." -Government in America

True/False: The theory of hyperpluralism is based on the assumption that input from interest groups is a good thing for the political decision-making process.

False. "Hyperpluralism is pluralism gone sour. In this view, groups are so strong that government is weakened, as the influence of many groups cripples the government's ability to make policy." -Government in America

True/False: The American national government spends more money annually on national defense than it does social security.

False. "National defense takes about 1/6 of the budget...Social Security consumes more than 1/5 of the budget." -Government in America

True/False: A public good is a service that is provided by the government and is available to individuals who meet certain criteria.

False. A public good is offered to all members of society, not just those who meet certain criteria.

True/False: The federal government ran a budget deficit every year form 1969 through 1997.

True. "The federal government ran a budget deficit every year from 1969 through 1997. The last few Clinton budgets showed surpluses, but soon after George W. Bush took over the government was running a deficit once again." -Government in America

Most political scientists consider _________ a fourth policy making institution. a. The media b. The bureaucracy c. Political parties d. Public opinion Lobbyists

b. Most political scientists consider the bureaucracy a fourth policy making institution.

Seymore Martin Lipset argued that all of the following are elements of America's creed EXCEPT: a. Egalitarianism b. Traditionalism c. Populism d. Laissez-faire e. Individualism

b. Seymore Martin Lipset argued that egalitarianism, populism, laissez-faire, and individualism elements of America's creed. Traditionalism is not mentioned.

Which of the following is NOT an example of a single issue group? a. The NRA b. PETA c. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) d. AARP e. National Right to Life Committee (NRLC)

d. AARP is not a single issue group.

Currently, there are _________ elected officials in the United States. a. 50,000 b. 100,000 c. 200,000 d. 500,000 e. 700,000

d. There are 500,000 elected officials in the United States

According to Robert Dahl's traditional democratic theory, an ideal democratic process should satisfy all but which of the following criteria? a. Equality in voting b. Effective participation c. Enlightened understanding d. Citizen control of the agenda e. Equal participation

e. According to Robert Dahl's traditional democratic theory, an ideal democratic process should satisfy: equality in voting, effective participation, enlightened understanding, and citizen control of the agenda. Equal participation is not included.

Which of the following are NOT considered linkage institutions? a. Political parties b. Interest groups c. The courts d. The media e. Political elections

e. The courts are not considered a linkage institution. "A linkage institution is a structure within a society that connects the people to the government or centralized authority. These institutions include: elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media." -Wikipedia