Government Quiz 2 Univ.

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.

Members of which of the following groups would be most likely to support immigration reform ​that includes a path to citizenship?

Democrats

__________ 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.

Whether a political system is "democratic" is chiefly defined by

It cannot be simply defined by any of the above.

_________ theory prescribes that a group should decide to do what the majority of its participant wants to do.​

Procedural

​In America, when the wealthy and the rest of the population have differing policy goals

The preference of the wealthy will most likely prevail

​According to the text, in the past few years, there has been ________ in the number of democracies around the world.

a slight decline

Studies of the congressional agenda demonstrate that it is characterized by

an emphasis on business-related legislation

The basic standard of substantive democracy is that government must guarantee

civil rights and liberties

The Greek word demos, which is the root of the term democracy, means

common people.

A politician who appeals to and often deceives the masses by manipulating their emotions and prejudices is a(n)

demagogue

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

economic

A referendum is best described as a(n)

election on a policy issue.

Suppose that top government jobs for both political parties are filled only from an inner circle of top corporate leaders. This would be evidence for

elite theory

A sign that pluralist democracy might not be working well in the United States is the

fact that the best represented sectors in Washington are business and professional groups.

Americans tend to define democracy in terms of

freedoms, rights, or liberties.

The procedural view of democracy is most concerned with

how government decisions are made.

When citizens circulate petitions to gather signatures to put a policy question on the ballot, it is called a(n)​

initiative

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.

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

interest group.

Although they are instruments of majoritarian democracy, initiatives are often sponsored by

interest groups.

Participatory democracy today

is rare in the United States and in other democracies.

One of the weaknesses of the procedural model of democracy is that

it permits policies that violate standards of substantive democracy.

Studies on decision making concerning public policy issues suggest that much of the elite's power comes from the ability of elites to

keep issues off the political agenda.

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

Cohesive political parties with well-defined programs contribute to the

majoritarian model of democracy.

All of the following are principles of procedural democracy except

minority rights.

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.

In 2011, the state of Ohio approved an initiative to

overturn a law that had weakened unions.

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

pluralist

Whereas majority rule is defined as decision making by 50 percent plus one person, _________ is defined as decision making by most participants.

plurality rule

A country abiding by the principle "one man, one vote" is practicing

political equality.

The Greek word kratos, one of the roots of the word democracy, means

power

According to the ____________ view of democracy, anti-gay marriage laws are democratic.​

procedural

Democratization is the

process of institutionalizing the rules of procedural democracy and establishing substantive democratic policies.

​An election on a public policy issue is called a(n)

referendum

Agreement among substantive theorists breaks down when the discussion moves from civil rights to

social rights and economic rights.

Civil libertarians commonly assert that "We don't put our fundamental rights, like freedom of speech, up for a vote!" This statement reflects the __________ view of democracy​

substantive

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.

substantive

In August of 2010, a federal judge overturned a decision by the voters of California that had banned gay marriage. This judicial decision is an example of

substantive democracy.

Suppose a majority of Congress passes a law to permit organized prayer in public schools and the Supreme Court declares that the Constitution forbids this rule; this would be an example of

substantive democracy.

The Bill of Rights is at the core of our

substantive theories of democracy.

According to the text, it is difficult for a country with a market economy to remain _________ in its internal politics.

undemocratic

What rules govern the use of referenda at the federal level?

~~No provisions exist for the use of referenda at the federal level.

A popular election is the primary mechanism for democratic government in which model?

~~The majoritarian model

The idea that the most important government decisions are made by an identifiable and stable minority that shares certain characteristics -- particularly wealth and business connections -- is called

~~elite theory.

The principle of responsiveness requires that legislators

~~follow the general contours of public opinion.

New England town meetings are an example of

~~participatory democracy.

One primary challenge to democratization in Iraq after the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein is

~~religious conflict between Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam.

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

~~the mass electorate; organized groups

The ancient Greeks classified governments as autocracies, oligarchies, or democracies based on

~~the number of citizens involved in governing.

_________ theorists have a narrower view of the scope of social and economic rights that should be guaranteed by a ​democratic government than _________ theorists.

~~​Conservative, liberal

In 2014, voters in Switzerland approved an initiative to​

~~​limit immigration.

An important problem with the procedural view of democracy is that it can clash with​

~~​minority rights.

Although public opinion does not fluctuate erratically, change can occur​

~~​when different generations with different experiences enter the electorate.

Which of the following is not an assumption of the majoritarian model of democracy? Citizens

​All of these choices are assumptions of the majoritarian model.

​Which of the following can be considered an institutional mechanism in politics?

​All of these choices may be considered institutional mechanisms in politics.

​In a system of participatory democracy,

​citizens govern themselves, without electing representatives.

The principal drawback of the pluralist model is that it

​favors groups who need help the least.

Portland's incorporation of neighborhood associations into its municipal government is an example of​

​participatory democracy.

​Based on polls testing how closely Americans follow news about politics, the text implies that policymakers should

​place less credence in polls measuring public opinion on policy questions.

Bible readings in public schools would violate ​a _________ principle, freedom of religion.

​substantive

The concept that everyone in a democracy should participate in governmental decision making is ​

​universal participation.

​According to procedural theory, the government should do

​​whatever the majority wants