PSCI A180 QUIZ 1

Politics are necessary because

- conflict in a society is inevitable - society's resources are limited - people do not all think alike

Which of the following statements are true of economic power in the United States?

- corporate power operates in part through the influence that firms have with government officials - roughly two-thirds of all lobbyists in the nation's capital represent business firms - firms have greater control of wages and working conditions than in other Western democracies

goals of the framers of the Constitution included

- creating a national government that could meet the nation's defense needs - preserving the states as governing entities - dividing power between the national government and the states

the US Constitution placed limitations on popular rule in which of the following ways

- having the president elected by the electoral college - limiting the right to vote to a minority of citizens - having US senators elected by state legislatures

Elements of Constitutionalism include

- lawful restrictions of governmental power - officials being required to follow the laws - the protection of individual rights

Which of the following statements concerning the influence of technology on political participation are true?

- modern technology may confuse citizens because unreliable information is mixed with true information - modern technology enhances the flow and access of information to citizens

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

Under an authoritarian government,

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

Which of the following are tools that political science offers to increase one's ability to think politically?

- reliable information about how the U.S. political system operates - terms and concepts that precisely describe aspects of politics - systematic generalizations about major tendencies in American politics

Which of the following is true concerning responsible political thinking?

- responsible political thinking enables citizens to cast votes intelligently - responsible political thinking involves the critical evaluation of information in the process of forming a judgement - options not reached by carefully evaluating information are usually incomplete and misguided

Which of the following are characteristic of an authoritarian form of government?

- suppression of individuality - suppression of minority rights

Which of the following beliefs are core values of American government?

- that all citizens deserve equal treatment under the law - that citizens are the ultimate authority - that people can act as they choose if they don't infringe on the rights of others

during the debate over ratification of the Constitution, what objections did the Anti-Federalists raise?

- too much power being taken from the states and given to the national government - the absence of a Bill of Rights

the framers of the Constitution wanted a government

- where popular majorities could not disregard the rights of others - that protected unpopular groups from mob rule and violence - where people could be free to do as they pleased if they didn't harm others

Public policies in America include

- where to build roads and bridges - how to educate children - how to use military power

in the framers' view, a Republican government

-adds constraints that protect rights of individuals - prevents tyranny of the majority - reduces likelihood of reckless, hasty actions

government

1) refers to those institutions, processes, and rules that facilitate control of a particular area 2) the political and administrative organization of a state, nation, or locality

How many seats does the House of Representatives have?

435

True or false: Direct or pure democracy features majority rule through free and open elections of representatives

False

Which of the following statements are true about American ideals and government?

- Americans believe that their government should have a high purpose - Americans generally believe that government power should be widely shared

How many seats does the Senate have?

100

Republic/Representative Democracy

A system in which the people participate in the decision-making process of government not directly, but indirectly, through the election of officials & politicians to represent their interests.

Judicial Review

American courts have the power to strike down laws, statutes, and some government actions that contravene the U.S. Constitution

What are the three branches of government?

Executive, Legislative, Judicial

which series of essays did James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay write in support of the Constitution

Federalist papers

constitutionalism

The idea that there are definable limits on the rightful power of a government over its citizens -the principle of limiting governmental power by a written charter -also established the basic idea that no official, no matter how high is above the law

Which of the following is true of American democratic political ideals

They come from European Enlightenment beliefs about individual worth

Marbury v. Madison

This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review.

gate keepers

Those certain individuals, groups, or institutions who are responsible to control the flow, blocking, or facilitation of political demands to the government due to their access, or position.

True or false: Americans turn to the courts to make rights claims more often than people elsewhere in the world

True

True or false: Many people prefer to receive messages from the media that confirm what they already believe

True

individualism

a) the idea that people should take the initiative, be self-sufficient, and accumulate the material advantages necessary for their own well-being b) a commitment to personal initiative and self-sufficiency and it asserts that people, if free to pursue their own path and if not unfairly unburdened, can attain their full potential

In which form of government do leaders suppress individuality, forcing people to think or act in prescribed ways or else risk punishment?

an authoritarian government

communism

an economic system in which the government owns most, or all, major industries for overall management of the economy

which document served as the first Constitution of the United States

articles of confederation

A properly designed legal system enables citizens to do which of the following?

assert their rights and interests

political thinking

can be improved through practicing the use of the tools of political science

Democratic governments chiefly depend on which of the following actions to establish legitimacy?

citizen participation

Which governing structure allows for majority rule while simultaneously upholding the rights of the minority?

constitutional

public policies

decisions by government to pursue particular courses of action

The U.S. system of government is said to be __________ in providing for majority influence through elections.

democratic

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

democratic

Which of the following statements are true concerning the private sector in the United States

enormous concentrations of wealth and power exist in the private sector

Which of the following reflects the notion that all individuals have the same moral worth and treatment under the law?

equality

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

An economic system that operates mainly on private transactions where firms are free to make their own producing, distribution, and pricing decisions is known as

free market capitalism

Which of the following is a core value of American political ideology?

government should serve the people

Madison, Hamilton, and Jay wrote The Federalist papers

in support of the Constitution

political power

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

The use of the courts as a means of asserting rights and interests is known as

legal action

Political scientists use the term ______________ to describe the situation in which the majority of citizens effectively determines what government policy will be

majoritarianism

another term for inalienable rights is

natural rights

delegates to the constitutional convention decided that the constitution would take effect for ratifying states when ____ of the thirteen states approved it.

nine

An elite few hold the power to govern in which of these forms of government?

oligarchy

The overall way in which society settles conflicts and allocates the resulting benefits and costs is called

politics

The Constitution was designed to

provide for a limited government

even if passed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, a constitutional amendment must still be ________ by three-quarters of the states

ratified

masses

refers to those persons who have no political power and influence due to them having no large amounts of political resources (money and skills)

Jefferson and Jackson had different views concerning the branch of government that was best equipped to

represent the views of the majority

a governing form that is responsive to the majority but not captive to it is a

republic

the Philadelphia convention was called to

revise the articles of confederation

As practiced today, _________ is a system in which the government stresses economic equality and owns a few major industries

socialism

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

special interest groups

legitimacy

the belief on the part of the people that they should obey and follow the decisions/policies of government because it is the right, moral, and/or appropriate thing to do. It is a byproduct of the political socialization process

political culture

the characteristics and deep-seated beliefs of a particular people

party/partisan polarization

the condition in which opinions and actions in response to political issues and situations divides substantially along political/partisan party lines

majoritarianism

the idea that the majority prevails, not only in elections at election time, but also in determining public policy

political socialization

the learning process by which people acquire their political opinions, beliefs, and values. Refers to the ways in which we learn about our government and our political system

Anti-Federalists believed that

the national government was going to have excessive power under the Constitution

corporate power

the notion that wealthy and well-connected individuals exercise power over certain areas of public policy

diversity

the principle that individual, and group differences, should be respected and that these differences are themselves a source of strength, as well as a source of national strength

liberty (i.e. your "liberties")

the principle that whereby individuals should be free to act and think as they choose, provided that they do not infringe unreasonably on the rights and freedoms of others

authority

the recognized right of an individual or institution to exercise power

bureaucratic rule

the tendency of large-space organizations to develop into the bureaucratic form, with the effect those administrators make key policy decisions

elitism

the view that the United States is essentially run by a tiny elite (composted of the wealthy or well-connected individuals) who control public policy through both direct and indirect means

Participants in a free market economy depend on which of the following for their economic security?

themselves

to amend the Articles of Confederation, it required ________ states to approve the amendment.

thirteen

elites

those persons who have political power and influence due to them having a fair amount of political resources (money and skills)

In America, majoritarianism occurs mainly

through competition between the republican and democratic parties

natural rights are defined as those possessed by all people

true

The best way to characterize political power in the United States is that it is

widely shared

political system

Refers to the various governmental and political components of American Government. The parts are separate, but they connect with each other, affecting how each performs.

mayflower compact

served as the first agreement for "self-governance" that was ever enforced in America

Which of the following statements about Shays' Rebellion are correct?

- Shays' followers were a large group of farmers - The primary purpose of the rebellion was to prevent land foreclosures - The rebellion was led by a former captain in the American army

Which of the following were placed in the United States Constitution in order to prevent majority tyranny?

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

how did the views of average Americans differ from the views of the framers of the Constitution?

- average Americans felt that the constitution should allow for increased majority rule - average Americans began to challenge restrictions on majority rule - average Americans felt more strongly in favor of pure self-government

Citizens can participate in government responsibly by

- casting votes - forming opinions on political issues - contributing to political causes

Which of the following statements are true about the motivations for creating American democracy?

- colonists, following Enlightenment ideas, wanted to overturn the European way of governing - the idea of individual choice could be achieved more easily in the New World than in the Old World - the American Revolution sought to create a radically different form of society

choose the events that led to the creation of the US Constitution

- the Annapolis convention did not have enough participants to revise the articles of confederation - Madison and Hamilton encouraged delegates at the Annapolis convention to meet again to revise the articles of confederation - Shay's rebellion had shown the weakness of the national government under the articles of confederation

Which of the following are true of grants of power?

- the framers of the Constitution limited the national government by confining its scope to grants of power - they are powers granted to the national government - powers not granted to the national government are denied it unless they are needed to carry out the granted powers

Which of the following statements describe the terms democracy and republic as understood by the framers of the Constitution

- the government of a republic responds to the needs of the majority while protecting the minority - in a democracy, the power of the majority is unlimited - the separation of powers is a characteristic of republican government

the president has the following "checks" on the judicial branch

- the power of implementation of laws - the power to pardon those convicted in court - the power to nominate federal judges

In a democracy, which of the following have the recognized right to exercise power

- the president - judges - members of Congress

politics

1) The process through which society makes it governing decisions 2) The competition for political power and influence 3) The process by which it is determined whose values will prevail in society.

ideology

1) a "strongly held set of ideas/ideals" concerning the proper political and economic system under which people should live 2) the term is used interchangeably with the term "political ideas", also refers to the kind of government people think they should have

democracy

1) a form of government in which the people govern, either directly or through elected representative 2) a system of government (in America) which derives its consent and will based on the will of the majority

capitalism

1) an economic system based on a "free-market" principle that allows the government only a "limited role" in determining how economic costs and benefits will be allocated 2) an economic system based on the idea that government should interfere with economic transactions as little as possible. It is the principle of "free enterprise" and "self-reliance" that are the collective and individual principles that underpin this system.

Which of the following statements is true concerning political thinking?

Political thinking involves the gathering and sifting of information to form a knowledgeable view about a political issue

pluralism

a "theory" of American politics which holds that society's interests are substantially represented through the activities of groups (and not individuals)

free-market system

a economic system based on the idea that government should interfere with economic transactions as little as possible