Government quiz 2
Why do most democracies give power to representatives rather than directly to citizens?
Bringing large numbers of citizens together for discussions and votes is difficult, decisions may require specialized knowledge not possessed by the average citizen, and discussion of political issues consumes more time than most people are willing to spend.
__________ allows a person to acquire information and documents online and also provides a medium to register opinions and complaints to government officials.
E-government
The concept of democracy was initially defined centuries ago in ancient
Greece
In 2014, voters in Switzerland approved an initiative to
Limit immigration
For some years our two congressional parties have been increasingly polarized, working less together to fashion compromise legislation. This is consistent with the _________ of democracy.
Majoritarian model of democracy
Portland's incorporation of neighborhood associations into its municipal government is an example of
Participatory democracy
According to the ____________ view of democracy, anti-gay marriage laws are democratic.
Procedural
(Blank) theory prescribes that a group should decide to do what the majority of its participant wants to do.
Procedural theory
Which of the following can be considered an institutional mechanism in politics?
all of them: political parties legislatures interest groups elections
A politician who appeals to and often deceives the masses by manipulating their emotions and prejudices is a(n)
demagogue
The principle of responsiveness requires that legislators
follow the general contours of public opinion
A citizen's group gathers enough signatures on a petition to force a popular vote on a statewide lottery proposal. This proposal would represent a(n)
initiative
Participatory democracy today
is rare in the United States and other democracies
Compared with majoritarian thought, the pluralist model of democracy shifts the focus of democratic decision making from __________ to _________.
mass electorates, organized groups
In a system of participatory democracy,
members of the group gather to make decision w/o electing representatives
An important problem with the procedural view of democracy is that it can clash with
minority rights
In most democracies other than the United States, there is __________ support for the view that jobs and incomes for the unemployed are a right.
much more
Whether a political system is "democratic" is chiefly defined by
none of the above
A form of government that puts power in the hands of an elite is a(n)
oligarchy
An autocracy is a political system ruled by
one individual
New England town meetings are an example of
participatory democracy
A country abiding by the principle "one man, one vote" is practicing
political equality
An election on a public policy issue is called a(n)
referendum
One primary challenge to democratization in Iraq after the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein is
religious conflict b/w Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam
In 2005, voters in Texas voted by over a 60% margin to ban gay marriage. Arguing that gay marriage should be allowed in Texas anyway implies a reliance on the _____________ view of democracy.
sunbstantive
A popular election is the primary mechanism for democratic government in which model?
the majoritarian model
Which of the following is not a question asked by procedural democratic theory?
the three questions asked are: who should participate in decision making? how much should each participant's vote count? how many votes are needed to make a decision? ***What democratic outcomes violate the rights of minorities? ANSWER
According to the text, it is difficult for a country with a market economy to remain _________ in its internal politics.
undemocratic
According to procedural theory, the government should do
whatever the majority wants
Although public opinion does not fluctuate erratically, change can occur
when different generations with different experiences enter the electorate
