Government Exam 1

Which political philosopher inspired the phrase "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration of Independence?

John Locke

Thomas Hobbes's ideal form of government was...

a single ruler with unquestioned authority.

The following group values both equality and order more than freedom, and its members support both affirmative action and laws that restrict pornography:

communitarians.

The text suggests that there are _____ forces that may be pushing authoritarian governments toward democratization.

economic.

Examples of public goods are...

education, sanitation, and parks.

Liberals are more likely to favor generous government support for...

education, wildlife protection, public transportation, and a whole range of social programs.

A referendum is best described as a(n)...

election on a policy issue.

Government's "modern dilemma" is how best to balance...

equality and freedom.

When one person has the same chance to succeed in life as another, this is called...

equality of opportunity.

Social order is usually defined as...

established patterns of authority and traditional modes of behavior.

Conservatives strongly...

favor free enterprise, argue against government job programs, and want to preserve traditional patterns of social relations.

During the 1990's, Congress prohibited private businesses from discriminating in employment, public services, and public accommodations on the basis of physical or mental disabilities. This act creates a clash between...

freedom and equality.

An organized group that seeks to influence government policy is called a(n)...

interest group.

The broad, basic definition of government given by the text is...

legitimate use of force within specified geographic boundaries to control human behavior.

Elite theory is discredited as an explanation of American national politics because studies show that...

no one identifiable group regularly prevails on different issues.

According to Thomas Hobbes, author of Leviathan, the proper objective of government is to ensure...

order.

The text suggests that the United States fulfills the _____ model quite well.

pluralist.

An alleged weakness of the majoritarian democratic model is its...

reliance on the American public to be knowledgeable and participatory.

In 2010 Congress passed the Affordable Health Care Act that...

required nearly all Americans to buy health coverage or pay a penalty.

A person who favors government ownership of some basic industries and a strong government role in directing the economy, but also some private ownership of productive capacity, would best be labeled as a...

socialist.

The Bill of Rights is at the core of our...

substantive theories of democracy.

Capitalism is best described as a(n)...

system of government that favors privately owned businesses.

The broad, basic definition of politics given by the text is...

the authoritative allocation of values for a society.

Compared with majoritarian thought, the pluralist model of democracy shifts the focus of democratic decision making from ____ to _____.

the mass electorate; organized groups.

Compared to citizens in other nations, Americans...

value freedom of speech more than order.