Dr.Mac Pols

Imagine a system where there is significant control of industry but there are few welfare benefits paid out to citizens. Which of the following labels would best apply, given the circumstances?

Statism

Which of the following would demonstrate institutionalized power?

The U.S. Supreme Court striking down a law as unconstitutional

At the heart of the concept of a federal system is __________.

The existence of component states with some powers that cannot be easily overridden by the central government

Which of these is a risk inherent in the American concept of judicial review?

Conservative or liberal judges may rule based on their political ideology.

Which of these figures is one of the founders of classic conservatism?

Edmund Burke

Governments often engage in overt socialization through __________.

Education

The term laissez-faire generally indicates a desire for government intervention in economic matters.

False

Limits on free speech in the United States usually connect with __________.

national security concerns

Which of the following is a subfield of political science that studies the interface of politics and economics?

public policy

If it can be measured using numbers, it can be _________

quantifiied

Rationality is based on which of the following?

reason

Although political scientists must have some natural interest in their subjects, proper __________ is not biased

scholarship

What is essentially the opposite of capitalism?

socialism

The term "judicial activism" refers to a court's tendency to __________.

strike down laws

Political parties differ from interest groups because parties __________.

Must win elections to influence policy

A written document outlining the structure of a political system is a __________.

constitution

Which of the following would you expect to have the most direct influence on a country's political culture?

its dominant religious beliefs

The ability of courts to decide if laws are constitutional is called __________.

judicial review

Which of the following best describes the term laissez-faire?

leaving the economy alone

The laissez-faire viewpoint recommends _________

leaving the economy alone to promote growth

The Founding Fathers created a separation of powers system in the U.S. Constitution because they wanted to __________.

limit the power of the government

A process of devolution involves __________.

shifting some powers from central government to component units

Which of the following is the strongest source of political socialization?

Family

Which of these is an extreme form of nationalism?

Fascism

Which statement best explains the pro-choice position of libertarians?

The government has no place making personal decisions about peoples' private lives

Political institutions represent established and durable patterns of __________ in a country.

Authority

Which of these is an assumption underlying feminism?

Gender roles and attitudes are socially conditioned.

Voting for someone who is charismatic but whose policies might not benefit you would be considered __________ behavior

Irrational

When people base their political views on beliefs that may not be based in reality, they are behaving __________

Irrationally

Which of these is true about the party system in the United States?

It is rare for individuals to change their party identification.

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

It is shorter and more vague than most other constitutions.

Federalism is the balancing of power between a nation's central government and __________.

Its autonomous subdivisions

Which of these is a difference between newspapers and blogs?

Newspapers offer more objective coverage than blogs

The ability to shape others' behavior is known as __________

Power

United States turnout seldom falls below 40 percent in __________ elections.

Presidential

Americans must __________ sometimes months before the election and before campaign excitement mounts.

Register to vote

The National Rifle Association generally supports __________ candidates.

Republican

__________ often try to win elections by focusing on the values of religion, family, and self-reliance.

Republicans

What do studies on political culture and public opinion have in common?

Responses are often tracked over time to find patterns.

Weak states are characterized by __________.

The penetration of crime into politics

Which statement explains why the interpretation of the Second Amendment as an individual right to bear arms is controversial?

The text of the amendment refers only to "well-regulated militias."

Which of the following statements is true of most political scientists?

They are skeptical of power and see long-term consequences

A country where crime has penetrated its politics would be considered a weak state.

True

The act of __________ is merely the starting point for political participation.

Voting

An ideology consists of __________

a set of plans to improve society

Which of these forms of media tend to be the most partisan?

blogs

Interest groups in the United States tend to over-represent __________.

business interests

The Republican Party could attract more female supporters if it __________.

changed its position on reproductive rights

The right to vote is usually viewed as a __________ right.

civil

Survey results show that __________ Americans tend to be more tolerant and more in favor of civil rights than the public as a whole.

college-educated

Political scientists use __________ data to look for patterns and eventually form theories

empirical

The UN's Universal Declaration on Human Rights has helped to further the cause of human rights globally by __________.

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

An interest group whose membership is dominated by retired persons is most likely to lobby __________.

for an expansion of Medicare benefits

The U.S. president is commander-in-chief of the military but needs approval from the Senate to sign treaties. This shows the __________ in the United States.

operation of checks and balances

A strong party system is likely to produce __________.

high levels of voter turnout

What does public opinion polling provide that election results cannot?

insight into citizens' views on specific issues

The elite press exposes public wrongdoing __________.

investigative reporting

Lower levels of education, along with corresponding lower incomes, reduce the likelihood that people will __________.

participate in politics

Studies of __________ look for basic, general values regarding politics and government

political culture

In the United States, a modern conservative is most likely to support government action that __________.

supports traditional christian values

How does news coverage on television compare to news coverage on the Internet and social media?

television coverage is more uniform while internet coverage is varied

The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision by the Supreme Court led to __________.

the end of racial segregation in schools

Which of these was most helpful to the Occupy Wall Street protesters?

the use of social media

Which of the following statements is true of most politicians?

they seek popularity and hold firm views

A critic of television is most likely to blame sound bites for __________.

trivializing politics

If you read reports from a particular country that indicate how easily people can bribe police officers, prosecutors, and judges to get themselves out of legal trouble, this would most likely suggest the existence of what kind of state?

weak

Political institutions involve the __________ of a government.

working structures

A written document outlining the structure of a political system is a __________.

Constitution

Liberals are more likely than conservatives to espouse nationalist views in the United States.

False

How was voter turnout essential to the outcome of the 2012 U.S. presidential election?

Democrats boosted the participation rates of their traditional voters and pushed voter registration for those favorably disposed to the Democratic Party, while the Republicans paid less attention to grassroots work, concentrating instead on television advertising.

A state that is able to control and tax its entire territory would be considered __________.

Effective

A state that is unable to control and tax its entire territory would be considered an effective state.

False

Whether minority students have the right to be educated in their first language is primarily an issue of __________.

multiculturalism

Federal governments cannot always demand policy change in their component states, but they are often able to exert their influence in other ways. What would be an example of this dynamic?

withholding grants from states that refuse to adopt a national policy standard