Intro to Political Science Final (Reading Quizzes)

Americans tend to equate democracy with our ? system.

free enterprise

? is the willingness of an individual to come to the assistance of someone in need, with the understanding that the needy individual will return the favor at some future time.

generalized reciprocity

True or false, because of the ideological character of our national identity, political crusades such as McCarthyism in the 1950s, often apply the label un-American in accusing citizens of disloyalty to American ideals.

True

True or false, corporate ownership of the media ensures that journalists who inquire too deeply into issues that raise questions about the position of businesses in society will not see their stories in print.

True

True or false, despite concerns about political parties, the founding fathers ultimately acknowledged that political parties are an indispensable institution for organizing voters and their representatives.

True

True or false, divided government has become more common in the past half century.

True

True or false, in a parliamentary system, both executive and legislative powers are concentrated in a government composed of members of whichever party or coalition of parties has a majority in a democratically elected legislature (or parliament).

True

True or false, in homogenous lifestyle enclaves, individualistic residents can practice their ideal brand of consensus politics among like-minded individuals.

True

True or false, in the US personal successes and failures are perceived in highly individualistic terms.

True

True or false, in the US state constitutions created an institutional structure designed to permit maximum responsiveness to popular majorities.

True

True or false, in theory, based on Truman's assumptions, no one group in society should be able to develop a privileged position in government because opposing groups will quickly form to counter it.

True

True or false, liberalism heavily influences the protective democracy model.

True

True or false, many of the institutional arrangements established in the US Constitution were intended to reduce the potential for a majority to threaten institutional liberty.

True

True or false, numerous studies have shown a strong relationship between propensity to vote and education.

True

True or false, one major criticism to Hudson's thesis of the "privileged position of business" is that big businesses have been subjected to unpopular regulations and unfavorable legislation from Congress.

True

True or false, political parties in most parliamentary systems are more closely associated with a consistent set of policy positions than those in the United States.

True

True or false, responsiveness to citizens is an underlying concern of all the models discussed in the introduction but it is of special concern to the participatory and developmental models.

True

True or false, social media sites, such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook now offer candidates the opportunity to overcome the limitations of mainstream media coverage and bypass journalistic filters.

True

True or false, socioeconomic status has a significant impact on a person's propensity to vote.

True

True or false, the emergence of the Internet and the ability of individuals to decimate their ideas through their own individual webpages, personal blogs and interactive sites has expanded opportunities for free speech.

True

True or false, the parliamentary system does not offer any opportunity to deflect responsibility for government performance on another branch of government or the opposition party.

True

True or false, the text of the constitution makes no mention of judicial review and assigns no such power to the judiciary.

True

True or false, the winner take all principle used in most states means that a candidate may win states by a very small margin thereby accumulating a majority of electoral votes even when the opponent may win by a large margin in fewer states, gaining a majority of votes nationwide.

True

True or false, there has been an increase in citizens participating through institutions of direct democracy, such as initiatives and referendums.

True

True or false, there is major disagreement among democratic theorists regarding the role of citizens in democracy.

True

True or false, unlike other democracies, voter registration in the US is considered an individual responsibility.

True

The ? Court expanded the Supreme Court as a significant policymaking institution by its willingness to use its power to expand civil rights in the landmark Brown v, Board of Education decision.

Warren

There is a concern among some theorists that citizens who choose not to participate in normal times may not possess a sufficient commitment to democratic values, and so, when arouse, they will be prone to support ? solutions to problems.

authoritarian

The decline in corporate profits and the resulting decrease standard of living for some Americans, was initially brought on by

greater international competition

With ? economic security middle-class Americans moved away from the communities urban and rural in which they has grown up to settle in brand new suburbs without a common history that characterized the old communities.

increasing

The founding fathers believed that the purpose of the republic was the protection of...

individual liberty

? favor a minimal government whose principal role is protecting individual rights and which it's self must not interfere with those rights.

Libertarians

The Court's power to overturn an act of Congress was established in Marbury v Madison under the ? Court.

Marshall

? traces reduced civic engagement to a variety of social trends that limit the time available to people foe social interaction.

Putnam

Businesses may employ sophisticated ? campaigns to create an appearance of "grassroot" support.

Astroturf

The controversial decision in Roe v. Wade, which struck down state laws restricting abortion, was made under the ? Court.

Burger

Americans tend to equate democracy with American ? structure.

Constitutional

(True or false) According to your text, for most of American history the protective model of democracy dominated Americans' interpretation of their political life.

False

True or false, Toqueville had no concerns about individualism in relation to democracy and was entirely optimistic about the future of democratic government in the United States.

False

True or false, attempts to regulate individual behavior on behalf of the broader good, such as requiring the wearing of seat-belts or motorcycle helmets, are typically embraced by Americans.

False

True or false, it is easier to remove an American president as opposed to a prime minister.

False

True or false, separation of powers was intended to increase the responsiveness of government.

False

True or false, the United States is one of many countries in the world in which the federal judiciary has the power to invalidate a law or official action.

False

True or false, voting is a cost free activity.

False

James Madison argues in ? that representative democracy and a large territory will lead to a more stable popular government.

Federalist 10

? realized that corporations would not earn profits unless workers themselves could afford to purchase mass produced industrial products.

Henry Ford

Power for important decisions in the United States has been conceded to unelected officials including

(The federal reserve board, the judiciary, and the bureaucracy) All of the above

Congressional incumbents of both parties can avoid responsibility when running for election by

(blaming deficits and failed policies on the presidential administration, and claiming that whenever the collective congressional responsibility for the problem, they individually have not contributed to the problem) a & b only

Putnam found that regions possessing large amounts of social capital seem successful in all areas of social existence including ?

(culture, economics and politics) all of the above

Although some citizen groups have local chapters, most national organizations connect directly with individual members though ?

(email, mailings and social media) all of the above

Which of the following are politically relevant groups in America?

(farmers, businessmen, retailers, environmentalists) all of the above

Which of the following promotes group formation in the United States?

(free speech and right to petition) a & b only

Liberal theories begin with the following basic assumptions about human nature:

(humans are reasonable creatures who can use their reason to improve their social existence, and humans are self-interested and concerned with their individual well-being) a & b only

Socioeconomic status is generally measured by ?

(income, level of education, and occupational status) all of the above

According to Hudson, political resources include

(lobbying power, electoral influence, and media manipulation) all of the above

According to your text, good citizens are...

(regular voters, informed on political issues, and write to their elected representatives) all of the above

Which of the following helps describe define American identity?

(rule of law, limited government, and political equality) all of the above

People in most other nations understand their national attachment in terms of ?

(shared historical experience, common religious beliefs, and ethnicity) all of the above

Individual factors that influence voter turnout include ?

(social status, personal characteristics, and attitudes) all of the above

The founders had which of the following complaints against state legislatures

(state governments are too chaotic with annual elections producing frequent turnover, and state legislatures are prone to enacting the transitory passions of their constituents into law) a & b only

Hudson argues that elections in the US fall short of meeting which of the following criteria for equal representation

(structure of the Senate, electoral college, and single-member plurality elections) all of the above

Hudson argues that ultimately the benefits or voting are ?

(symbolic and expressive) a & b only

Examples of business friendly policies include

(tax cuts, reduced business regulation, globalization, and barriers to unions) all of the above

Narrow interest groups include

(the American Bankers Association and the National Association of Homebuilders) a & b only

Systematic factors that influence voter turnout include ?

(the legal rules and processes associated with voting, the governmental and political institutions that organize elections, and the political culture) all of the above

Benthem and Mill favored which of the following aspects of democratic institutions?

(universal male suffrage, free press, and frequent elections) all of the above

Political scientists have found that since the 1980s, corporations, trade associations and general business organizations account for about ? of all groups with Washington representation.

75%

? are a critical part of the "rules of the game" because they provide for continuing responsiveness of government officials to a wide variety of interest groups.

Elections

? are the mechanism that makes a system democratic and ensures rule by the people.

Elections

The model in which governments that could mobilize the country on behalf of an electoral majority in spite of separation of powers was labeled the ? model

Jeffersonian

In democracies with ? systems, citizens are less likely to feel disenfranchised because they happen to live in a geographical region where they are part of a minority.

PR

Which of the following is likely the largest donor to your Georgia congressman?

Pharmaceutical PAC

In 2010 the ? regained majority control of the House and Senate.

Republicans

? has driven much of the politics around judicial appointments.

Roe v. Wade

? electoral systems give the victory in an election to the candidate who wins a plurality of votes in a district.

SMP

(True or False) The concept of pluralist democracy is based on the iron law of oligarchy.

True

(True or False) The goal of participatory democracy is encourage active participation.

True

(True or False) The purpose of the social contract, and of government that follows it, is to maximize the opportunity for individual self-fulfillment.

True

(True or false) According to sociologists, individualism impacts how Americans see their role as democratic citizens.

True

(True or false) Adversaries of business groups include labor unions and public interest groups.

True

(True or false) Among industrializes democracies, the United States ranks low in comparison with European democracies in terms of voter turnout.

True

(True or false) Protective democracy is a model that advocates popular control of government as a means of protecting individual liberty.

True

(True or false) The concept of the "good citizen: is central to the model of developmental democracy.

True

(True or false) The pluralist model emerged as citizens became apathetic and uninformed about political matters.

True

True of false, colleges and university towns are notorious for the use of residency requirements to prevent students from voting in local elections.

True

True or false, Americans have always associated individualism with the chance to get ahead based on one's own efforts, free of cultural, social, or political constraints.

True

True or false, Hobbs felt that a liberal society could be best protected if as part of the original social contract, people turned over all power to a single absolute sovereign leader (who would also provide law and order) protecting citizens in return of their absolute obedience.

True

True or false, Locke favored some citizen participation in government.

True

True or false, SMP contributes to partisan polarization.

True

True or false, according to Hudson there has been a growing disconnect between the policy supported by business elites and the needs of most citizens.

True

True or false, according to Hudson, citizens demanding rights without accepting the responsibilities that go along with them has affected how individuals perceive their relation to government.

True

True or false, activist judges are not afraid to overturn laws enacted by elected representatives in pursuit of "just" outcomes.

True

True or false, although political conservatives are often identified with the "strict constitutionalist" approach and political liberals with the "living constitution", neither approach os necessarily linked with the particular political ideology.

True

The role of political parties in campaigns has

decreased

The view of the government and individual rights of property are very compatible with the emergence of ? economic relations.

capitalist

The ? is a financial manipulation technique in which corporate investors seek high profits through high-risk investments.

casino economy

Hudson argues that without involvement in ? Americans will have less opportunity to acquire the skills needed for effective citizenship.

civic associations

According to theorists, people learn how to be good democratic citizens who are capable of understanding what is in the public interest through ?

civic engagement

John Stuart Mill believed that civic participation was a way of acquiring ?

civic virtue

The value of voting benefits in relation to voting cost is low when we take into account what political scientists called the paradox of ?

collective action

For pluralists the difference between authoritarian governments and democracy is...

competitive elections

Civic disengagement combined with the new style of national activist groups, coincides with a ? shift in American politics.

conservative

In the 1980s the court began to change to a more ? direction.

conservative

The Americans system of separation of powers gives constituents the ? ability to hold their representatives accountable.

direct

Despite the differences among the models, the concepts of popular rule, liberty and ? constitute the core of democracy's definition.

equality

According to the text, ? was influential in the emergence of modern conceptions of democracy.

liberalism

Because of the separation of powers the President has ? control over the members of his own party in Congress.

limited

The main focus of citizen group activity is ? on national public policy issues of concern to the group.

lobbying

Habits of the Heart published in 1985 by sociologist Robert Bellah was based on interviews from several hundred ? class families.

middle

In the 1883 Civil Rights Cases the Supreme Court imposed a very ? interpretation of the 14th amendment.

narrow

It is thought that the social contract would place ? rights on a more secure and stable basis than they had been in the state of nature.

natural

American national identity is based on a set of ? ideas.

political

Education level, political knowledge, and ? are strongly associated with one another and seem to be correlated with economic advantages.

political efficacy

A Prime minister is held accountable by their ? in elections.

political party

Hudson argues the electoral college is undemocratic because the distribution of votes is not made in proportion to the ?

population

Which of the following theories assert that dangers arise when citizens become too active in a democracy?

protective

Some democratic theorists believe that high rates of participation are needed as participation promotes a healthy democracy by ensuring that ? will reflect the good of all and not just the interests of the few.

public policy

"Zapping labor" is a strategy where worker's wages and benefits are ? to lower production costs.

reduced

By ?, Truman meant the variety of procedures, forma and informal, that ensure that a wide variety of societal interests will be able to influence government.

rules of the game

? exposes a person to indoctrination regarding the duties of citizenship.

schooling

Robert Putnam identified trust and past success at collaboration as characteristics of ? that support good government and economic success.

social capital

The ? mortgage is a class of home mortgages given to people who would not typically qualify to receive a mortgage.

subprime

According to Hudson, the ? were the perfect setting for a radical individualistic society to grow.

suburbs

Members of Congress are dependent on electoral majorities in ?

their individual constituency

A scenario in which individual choices lead to collective failure is known as?

tragedy of the commons