govt 2305 chapt 1

Which of the following are true of party polarization?

-Partisan fights have become prolonged and bitter. -Partisan divisions have surfaced on nearly every issue. -Partisanship has increased dramatically over the past few decades.

What best explains why European governments gave the American colonies a degree of self-determination?

The geographical distance that separated them was too great to do otherwise.

How are the media treated under an authoritarian government?

They are tightly controlled.

Political culture in the United States is based upon Americans'

allegiance to common goals

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

According to sociologist C. Wright Mills, who or what has greater control over economic policy than even elected officials have?

corporate elites

What term refers to the influence of business firms on public policy?

corporate power

Which of the following is a system of majority rule through elections, empowering majorities, groups, and officials?

democratic

What does the text describe as "America's most elusive ideal"?

equality

What is critical thinking?

forming an opinion after weighing the relevant facts

The ability of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political developments is called

power

In the United States, who or what is the ultimate source of governing authority?

the people

Which of the following were placed in the U.S. Constitution in order to prevent the tyranny of the majority?

- separation of powers - a bill of rights - checks and balances

Which of the following statements are true about American ideals and government? (Choose every correct answer.)

-Americans generally believe that government power should be widely shared -Americans believe that their government

Which of the following accurately describe higher education in the United States?

-The United States has the most elaborate system of higher education in the world. -U.S. states with the lowest proportion of college grads have more residents with a bachelor's degree than most European countries. -The United States has one of the world's highest levels of people over 25 with a college degree.

In the democratic system of the United States, which of the following possess legal authority to exercise power?

-members of Congress - judges -the president

Under an authoritarian government,

-political opposition is openly repressed -political opposition is sometimes brutalized =the regime is usually backed by the military or police

The text suggests that Americans tend especially toward selective memory and recasting history because

Americans' beliefs are so idealistic

Which governing structure represses individuals and groups that oppose the regime?

Authoritarianism

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.

Which of the following is true about a democracy?

It lets people decide for themselves what to think, and how much effort to put into it.

Political scientists use the term Blank______ to describe the situation in which more than half of citizens effectively determine what government policy will be.

Majortism

Why do citizens differ in their opinions even when their views are informed by the same facts?

People vary in what they value.

What role, generally, do politicians play in misinformation?

Politicians' deceptions have always been part of our politics, and they have contributed to the current rise in misinformation.

Upon what assumption was Chinese immigration to the United States suspended in 1882?

The Chinese were an inferior people.

Which of the following is true of American democratic political ideals?

They come from European Enlightenment beliefs about individual worth.

As a discipline, political science relies upon Blank______, which requires critical thinking.

analysis

The text cites President Biden's decision to impose severe economic sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine as an example of

authority

a single individual controls governance in which of these forms of government?

autocracy

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

Individualism in the United States is best described as

deeply ingrained

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

Some misinformation is expected, but widespread misinformation is dangerous because it makes

effective government difficult

Despite the existence of institutions that encourage widespread participation, wealth gives rise to Blank______, which is the power possessed by well-positioned and highly influential individuals.

elitism

Which of the following is an economic system that centers on the transactions between private parties?

free market

Under socialism as it is practiced today in Sweden and other countries, the government Blank______.

guarantees its citizens a minimal standard of living

The obstacles to critical thinking have Blank______ in recent decades.

increased

Pluralism asserts that, on most issues, the actors who exercise the most influence over government policy are

interest groups

When political leaders respond to the policy desires of more than half of the people, that system is referred to as

majoritarianism

Compared to other countries, the United States holds

more elections

In terms of opportunity, Blacks in the United States today are

not equal in terms of opportunities for a better life for their children

Basic to politics is Blank______, which is needed to influence political developments.

political power

The state of California barred individual of Japanese descent from doing what?

purchasing property

Which of these ideals encompasses the principle that the people are the ultimate source of government authority and should have a voice in their governing?

self-government

As practiced today, Blank______ is a system in which the government stresses economic equality and owns a number of major industries.

socialism

Which of the following are tools that political science offers to increase one's ability to think critically? (Choose every correct answer.)

systematic generalizations about major tendencies in American politics reliable information about how the U.S. political system operates treliable information about how the U.S. political system operates

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

In a pluralist system, who or what would have the most influence on policies regarding regulation of Internet service providers?

the providers themselves

The term party polarization refers to

the situation resulting from the intense conflicts between Republicans and Democrats in recent years

A defining characteristic of American politics is

the widespread sharing of power

In America, majoritarianism occurs mainly blank __________.

through competition between the Republican and Democratic parties

True or false: When large numbers of Americans are misinformed and base their behavior on that misinformation, democracy is at risk. t/f

true