POL CH 3-5

Following World War II, the breakup of colonial empires led to the creation of new states. One reason that democracy failed to take hold in these newly independent states was because __________.

of the low levels of education and income in the population in these newly independent states

Why is the practice of judicial review controversial?

There is a fear that justices will impose their personal opinions instead of the intentions of the framers.

Why do successful political institutions provide lasting stability?

They allow actors to make choices by letting them know who holds power and what the rules are in a system

What is true of consumer needs or wants in a totalitarian system?

They are considered unimportant and ignored by the government.

Although human rights are not directly enforceable, what makes them a constraining factor in the actions of governments?

They are part of the norms of behavior surrounding how governments treat their own people.

What is meant by representatives acting as trustees?

They are responsible for carrying out the wishes of constituents when it is feasible, while acting in the best interests of the whole.

How do PR systems typically address discrepancies between the percentage of the vote a party receives and the seats it is allocated in parliament?

They use a mathematical formula to determine which party or candidate will win the seat.

Which of the following do most socialist systems and welfare systems have in common?

They usually both provide substantial welfare benefits.

Why is the press in the United States often referred to as the fourth branch of government?

because of its key role in keeping government accountable to citizen demands

Why do petrostates often fail to democratize?

because they concentrate wealth and, consequently, power in the hands of a very few

According to Aristotle, what is the main problem with democracy?

Leaders in a democracy often place the interests of the polity second.

Which of the following offers the most probable explanation for why hate speech is more curtailed in Europe than in the United States?

Many of the constitutions in Europe were created or revised after the atrocities committed during World War II, to insure that such things could never occur again.

Which of the following is found in a proportional representation system but not in a mixed member system?

Multimember districts

Which is a feature of federal systems that is not found in a confederate system?

Over centralization has the potential to stagnate and burden the system.

Which of the following is an example of devolution in terms of federalism?

The British government gives home-rule powers to Scotland, allowing them to run their education, judicial, and local government systems independently of London.

What were the differences between the French and the British paths to modernization?

The French believed in a strong state to oversee economic development of infrastructure and key industries, collect heavy taxes, and reduce regional differences by turning "peasants into Frenchmen."

How does the concept of free speech in the United States differ from the way most other countries treat freedom of expression?

The U.S. government is generally less restrictive of hate speech than other countries.

Which of the following best describes the essence of a modern representative democracy?

The people control the general direction of policy; lawmakers provide the details.

Which of the following countries has the newest constitution, including specifically stated individual rights and freedoms?

Canada

How do civil rights differ from human rights?

Civil rights vary from country to country and are not as self-evident, but are essential for ensuring human rights.

What do the Supreme Court cases District of Columbia v. Heller and Miller v. the United States illustrate about constitutional interpretation?

Constitutions are subject to reinterpretation over time.

What is the difference between a unitary and a federal system?

Federal systems balance power between a central government and states; these states have political lives of their own and cannot be easily altered by the central power.

Given the history of legal disputes over the First Amendment, what is the most likely fate of First Amendment issues in the future?

Free speech controversies are likely to continue, especially given the openness of the Internet.

What was Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes's example of yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater intended to illustrate?

Freedom of speech is not a right without limits or restrictions.

Which of the following statements is true about Germany's mixed-member voting system?

Germany's citizens elect their representatives through a two-plus voting system that allows them to vote using both plurality and proportionality, which is more representative and balanced.

Why doesn't Great Britain have a formal written constitution?

Great Britain's unique history established customs and common law practices that do not require a written constitution.

How would an advocate of judicial restraint most likely respond to the Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller?

He would respond with disapproval, given that the Court struck down a law.

What distinguishes a kleptocracy from other types of authoritarian states?

In a kleptocracy, power is solely a means for amassing personal wealth and distributing favors among privileged elites.

Which of the following is the key advantage of proportional representation systems?

Proportional representation systems tend to reflect public opinion more accurately.​

Why did Aristotle consider the polity to be the best form of government?

A polity allows for all citizens to have a voice in the government.

Which of the following legal questions is most likely to arise as a result of the Supreme Court's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller?

Does the Second Amendment automatically allow Americans to carry concealed weapons?

Which of the following is the most frequent conservative critique of economic rights?

Economic rights are, in reality, economic aid, and since providing economic aid is costly, the increased tax revenues needed to fund programs to provide for some members of society constitute an unreasonable burden on other members of society.

How would a pluralist explain increases in defense spending?

Increases in defense spending occur when the public demands greater attention to national security threats.

What is the effect of individual vote switching between parties?

It avoids culture wars and makes sure politicians remain accountable to voters' concerns rather than exploiting divisions within the electorate.

Which of the following is true of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

It establishes norms of human rights conduct that nations are reluctant to openly violate.

How does the Russian constitution differ from the U.S. constitution?

It gives more power to the chief executive.

4. In what way does the U.S. Constitution differ from most other constitutions?

It is shorter and more vague than most other constitutions.

What does the "two-turnover test" do?

It reveals whether a state has achieved stable democracy.

In what way is Egypt an illiberal democracy?

Its leaders are elected fairly and properly, but they ride roughshod over the peoples' rights and freedoms.

Which of the following is true of proportional representation (PR) systems?

Parties in PR systems do not have to appeal to the middle of an electoral spectrum, and can thus have focused and clear principles and ideologies.

Which of the following is an assumption underlying "constitutionalism"?

People need established written laws to prevent violations of their basic freedoms by their government.

Which of the following is necessarily true of a state that practices constitutionalism?

People's written rights are protected.

Why was Josip Tito of Yugoslavia unable to create lasting institutions?

The institutions that Tito sought to create depended too much on his personal power.

Which of the following situations is only possible under a unitary system?

The local government needs permission from the capital to install a traffic light.

Recent Supreme Court decisions loosened restrictions on campaign spending, allowing billionaires unprecedented influence in U.S. elections. How would modern elite theorists most likely respond to this development?

They would oppose this development as unfair and undemocratic, tilting elections in favor of moneyed interests.

Suppose that a law had been passed in the United States, making English the official language. What conclusion would you most likely draw from this action, with reference to the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

This law violates the Declaration's statement that minorities have the right to preserve their cultures.

What is the difference between a weak state and a failed state?

Weak states, despite having many problems of governance such as crime, corruption, and poverty, still have a legitimate national government that is recognized by most in the country and by the international community, something that failed states lack.

Given that voting in Iraq correlates closely along religious lines, how is the health of its representative democracy compromised?

With such inherent divisions, governance becomes difficult and it invites uprisings.

Welfare states receive the revenue for the benefits they provide their citizens in which of the following ways?

by charging high taxes

How might democratization be encouraged in petrostates?

by distributing revenue from oil exports more widely

Which of these best illustrates an example of direct democracy?

citizens voting on a ballot referendum

What do scholars point to most often as the catalyst of the recent wave of democratization in the Third World?

economic modernization that allows for the emergence of a middle class

Which of the following trappings of democracy is most likely to persist in an authoritarian regime?

elections

Which essential characteristic of representative democracy is undermined by the observation that the National Rifle Association can block gun control legislation that is favored by most Americans?

majority rule

Despite the fact that she knows all research and development funds have been frozen, during a reelection campaign a candidate promises increased funding to a research facility in her district. According to Robert Dahl, what type of influence is she using?

manipulative persuasion

The "threshold clause" in a proportional representation system is the

minimum percentage of the vote a party must obtain in order to be represented in parliament.

What do authoritarian leaders seek from their subjects in an absolute sense, which democratically elected leaders do not?

passivity and obedience

What is China's Central Commission on Discipline Inspection tasked with combatting?

pervasive corruption

Sedition laws have existed in the United States since 1798, and have been used to target individuals based on their__________.

political affiliation

Which element of representative democracy is comprised by the widespread use of gerrymandering by state legislatures in the United States?

political competition

In a modern democracy, what aspect of government is aimed at protecting the rights of the minority?

the existence of an independent judiciary

What is gerrymandering?

the practice of drawing electoral districts to favor one party

What evidence would elite theorists most likely cite to support their ideology?

the richest one percent influencing elections more than other segments of society

What does Barrington Moore's 1966 observation "No bourgeoisie, no democracy" imply about the requirements for stable democracy?

A stable democracy can only take hold in a society with a large and educated middle class.

3. Which type of entity is usually sovereign and powerful enough to enforce its laws?

A state

Which of the following is true of all constitutions?

They describe the rules and customs by which governments are supposed to operate.

Why did the founding fathers create a separation of powers system in the U.S. Constitution?

They did not wish to entrust the executive branch with more power than the other branches and hoped to prevent any one sector of government from exerting too much influence over policy decisions.

Why is it accurate to say that "almost all nations have constitutions"?

They operate according to some set of rules.

Unlike unitary systems, federal systems __________.

give component units powers that are distinct from those of the national government in drafting legislation and government administration

Which of the following conditions, if true, might have prevented Germany from succumbing to totalitarian rule?

if the allies had concluded a less punitive peace deal after World War I

A __________ is an electoral system that elects one person per district.

single-member district

A system such as the Soviet Union's, in which the state is the primary employer, the primary provider of services such as housing, and the primary producer of commodity goods, is best described as an example of

socialism.

A __________ system is one in which the government sees itself as having a primary role in the country's economic growth.

statist

Which of the following characteristics is especially prevalent in authoritarian regimes?

strict hierarchical organization

Which of the following would be an example of a country's political culture?

strict obedience to authority

The U.S. states are often called "laboratories of democracy" because

the citizens can more easily influence their local government, and policies that are successful at the state level may be applied at the federal level.

The concept of judicial interpretation of a constitution is fairly new and was developed because__________.

the framers of constitutions cannot envision every problem that may arise

What evidence would pluralists most likely cite to support their claims that elites are ultimately accountable to society?

the millions of dollars spent by corporations to back the major political parties

How do Americans' attitudes about government differ from those of the French?

Americans are more likely to believe that government should be kept small, whereas the French are more comfortable with a large paternalistic state.

What is a key difference between laws and constitutions?

Constitutions are the basis for an entire legal system, which may include many different laws.

Constitutions are limited in what they can tell us about political institutions. Why?

Constitutions can tell us how institutions were originally designed, but not how they are currently run.

Which of the following reforms would move a regime from a totalitarian system to an authoritarian one?

If it relaxed its commitment to ideological purity, while still maintaining a strong grip on power.

Why was it significant that the George W. Bush administration regarded suspected terrorists as "unlawful enemy combatants"?

It treated these suspects as individuals outside of the protections of law and denied them right to trial.

What is the greatest potential danger for countries that constantly introduce new constitutions?

It undermines the legitimacy of government and the concept of the rule of law.

Which of these systems involves the least government intervention in the economy?

Laissez-faire

What are the key attributes of effective states?

Effective states are able to provide their citizens with effective security, fair elections, impartial rule of law, and to finance most of their budget by collecting at least 25 percent of GDP for state revenues.

Which of the following examples best illustrates the quote, "democracy does not always equal freedom"?

Even free and fair elections can produce regimes and policies that limit the rights and freedoms of minorities.

Which is a disadvantage of single-member districts?

Single-member-district voting systems produce little variety between the parties, often elect parties that don't represent public opinion, and provide no representation for voters whose parties or candidates don't win a majority.

Which of the following statements is true about the relationship between successful institutions and leaders?

Successful institutions have a greater role and lasting effect than individual leaders.

5. What is the principal means by which governments are held accountable to citizens in a democracy?

Through regular elections

What is the main difference between autocratic regimes of the past and twentieth-century totalitarian regimes?

Totalitarian leaders demand mass mobilization and participation from their subjects, whereas modern autocratic regimes prefer to demobilize their populations.

Why does freedom of speech thrive better under long-established, legitimate governments than under unstable governments?

Unstable governments are more likely to clamp down on expressions of dissent, whether in the form of statements or actions.

In which of the following scenarios would it be most difficult to implement a strong federal system?

a diverse state where the component parts are highly nationalistic and feel that the current distribution of resources and power is unfair

A state with no recognized government that is run by warlords and militias is most likely an example of __________.

a failed state

Which of the following would make the Universal Declaration on Human Rights more effective at securing them for all people?

a feasible mechanism for enforcement

A nation can best be described as

a population with a shared history, culture, often times a language, and with a common sense of itself as a distinct group.

Which of the following acts could be restricted under the reasoning of clear and present danger?

a public statement advocating the assassination of the president

In totalitarian systems, elites are _______________.

almost completely unaccountable to the people

Which of the following is an essential quality of an effective state?

an ability to keep its citizens safe and enforce its laws within its territory

Which of the following promotes an equal distribution of power in federal systems?

an arrangement of shared authority between the central government and component units

A state that collects taxes at a rate of 25 percent of GDP is most likely an example of

an effective state.

Based on democratic peace theory, if more democracies turn into authoritarian regimes, then one can expect __________.

an increase in violent conflicts between states

How have Russia and China justified the necessity of an authoritarian capitalist state?

as a means of ensuring rising living standards

If the Swedish and Italian constitutions are so similar on paper, why do they work so differently in practice?

because of the countries' different political cultures and customs

Why is the transition from dictatorship to democracy particularly difficult?

because voters unused to democracy tend to turn to authoritarian figures

In what became known as the Pentagon Papers case, the Supreme Court quickly and unanimously rejected the government's claim that official secrets concerning the Vietnam War, which had been leaked by a reporter, had compromised national security and should be kept from the public. This decision, written by Justice Hugo Black, is as an example of ________.

checks and balances

According to Dahl's "influence terms," threatening to jail someone for criticizing the government would be an example of __________.

power

Which of the following is guaranteed by the constitution of the United States?

protection against illegal seizures and searches

Which of the following rights is not guaranteed by the Universal Declarations of Human Rights?

the right to instruct children of a minority group in their native language

Which of the following offers the best example of a civil right in the United States?

the right to vote

What was a weakness of Communist regimes, such as the Soviet Union, that led to their downfall?

the rigidity of Communist ideology

The economic performance of the totalitarian regime in the Soviet Union was undermined primarily by __________.

the routine corruption and graft that comprised much of Soviet economic life

Constitutions are the most difficult to implement in which of the following environments?

weak or unstable states that are ruled by changing coalitions of warlords

A __________ system is one in which the government owns little or no industry but still redistributes wealth to less well off citizens.

welfare state

Which of the following conditions would most likely reinforce a constitution's status as the "supreme law of the land"?

when the constitution is difficult to revise and is the measure by which all other laws are evaluated

Although elite theorists and pluralists both agree that political power has a tendency to concentrate in the hands of the few, which of the following represents the sharpest aspect of their disagreement?

whether or not any one group has truly cornered the market on influencing government policies