Sociology: Government and Politics

Which statement best explains the meaning of "one person, one vote"?

All people's votes should count equally.

Which sociologist is not associated with conflict theory?

George H. Mead

The U.S. Supreme Court case _________________ led to the revision of voting districts to account for differences in population density

Reynolds vs. Sims

The power in ________ is held by a small, elite group.

dictatorship

Karl Marx believed social structures evolve through:

confict

Sociologist G. William Domhoff's Who Rules America? asserts that wealth is often necessary to exert the most influence over social and political systems. This is a ____ perspective.

conflict theory

Max Weber

said that power is the ability to exercise one's will over others, perhaps involving force, despite the opposition of others. He identified 3 types of authority

According to ________, the struggles between and within groups have historically been spurred by the drive to protect or gain territory and wealth, and the need to preserve liberty and autonomy.

social conflict theorists

Unfortunately, in June 2013 the Supreme Court repealed several important aspects of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, ruling that

southern states no longer needed the stricter scrutiny that was once required to prohibit racial discrimination in voting practices in the south.

Which statement best expresses the difference between power and authority?

Authority is based on the perceived legitimacy of the individual in power.

Oligarchy

The power in an oligarchy is held by a small, elite group. Unlike in a monarchy, members of an oligarchy do not necessarily achieve their statuses based on ties to noble ancestry. Rather, they may ascend to positions of power because of military might, economic power, or similar circumstances.

According to Karl Marx, struggles between groups are necessary for the development of

a more egalitarian society

Anarchy

absence of organized government. does not facilitate a desirable living environment for society, but it is much harder for individuals to agree upon the particulars of how a population should be governed.

Many constitutional monarchies started out as

absolute monarchies

Reynolds v. Sims

14th amendment requires state legislative districts reflect fair "one person, one vote" rule

Dictatorship

A form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority.

Which is not a characteristic of a democracy?

A king or queen holds the majority of governmental control.

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them. A democracy is a form of government that strives to provide all citizens with an equal voice, or vote, in determining state policy, regardless of their level of socioeconomic status. Another important fundamental of the democratic state is the establishment and governance of a just and comprehensive constitution that delineates the roles and responsibilities of leaders and citizens alike.

For years, ________ who were brave enough to vote were discouraged by discriminatory legislation, passed in many southern states, which required poll taxes and literacy tests of prospective voters. The question has been evaluated.

African Americans

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used his public speaking abilities and magnetism to inspire African Americans to stand up against injustice in an extremely hostile environment. He is an example of a(n) __________ leader.

Charismatic

Followers accept the power of ________ because they are drawn to the leader's personal qualities. The appeal of such a leader can be extraordinary, and can inspire followers to make unusual sacrifices or to persevere in the midst of great hardship and persecution.

Charismatic Authority

Which statement best expresses why the United States is not a true democracy?

Citizens elect representatives who vote on their behalf to make policy.

Which statement best expresses why there have been so few charismatic female leaders throughout history?

Few women have had the opportunity to hold leadership roles over the courseof history.

Which concept corresponds best to functionalism?

Interdependence

________ believed that the only way for the underprivileged to eventually gain some measure of equality would be to continue to struggle against one another.

Karl Marx

Which of the following present and former government leaders is generally considered a dictator?

Kim-jong-un

Which of the following types of authority does not reside primarily in a leader?

Legal-rational

Which president signed the Voting Rights Act?

Lyndon Johnson

Which nation is an absolute monarchy?

Oman

In any given election year roughly ________ of the population does not vote.

One half

________ affects more than personal relationships; it shapes larger dynamics like social groups, professional organizations, and governments.

Power

Which current world figure has the least amount of political power?

Queen Elizabeth 2

Politics

Sociology studies politics as a means to understand the underlying social norms and values of a group. A society's political structure and practices provide insight into the distribution of power and wealth, as well as larger philosophical and cultural beliefs.

Monorchy

Strictly speaking, a monarchy is a government in which a single person (a monarch) rules until he or she dies or abdicates the throne. Usually, a monarch claims the rights to the title by way of hereditary succession or as a result of some sort of divine appointment or calling. As mentioned above, the monarchies of most modern nations are ceremonial remnants of tradition, and individuals who hold titles in such sovereignties are often aristocratic figureheads.

The US judicial system

The 3rd branch of the us government. which consists of local, state, and federal courts. The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, and it has the final say on decisions about the constitutionality of laws that citizens challenge.

The Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street protests, and the Tea Party movement have the following in common:

They are examples of conflict theory in action

In the U.S. Senate, it is customary to assign each senator a seniority ranking based on years of government service and the population of the state he or she represents. A top ranking gives the senator priority for assignments to office space, committee chair positions, and seating on the senate floor. What type of authority does this example best illustrate?

Traditional

Which factor does not influence voting practices?

Voting Booths

________ is a form of government that strives to provide all citizens with an equal voice, or vote, in determining state policy, regardless of their level of socioeconomic status. Another important fundamental part of this government is the establishment and governance of a just and comprehensive constitution that delineates the roles and responsibilities of leaders and citizens alike.

democracy

Power in ________ is held by a single person, or a very small group, that wields complete and absolute authority over a government and population.

dictatorship

Which is not one of functionalism's four main purposes of government?

equally distributing resources

Symbolic Interaction Theory

focuses its attention on figures, emblems, or individuals that represent power and authority. not interested in large structures such as the government. As micro-sociologists, they are more interested in the face-to-face aspects of politics. most interested in the interaction between these small groups who make decisions, or in the case of some recent congressional committees, demonstrate the inability to make any decisions at all.

Conflict Theory

focuses on the social inequalities and power difference within a group, analyzing society through this lens. Karl Marx was a seminal force in developing the conflict theory perspective; he viewed social structure, rather than individual personality characteristics, as the cause of many social problems, such as poverty and crime. C. Wright Mills elaborated on some of Marx's concepts, coining the phrase power elite to describe what he saw as the small group of powerful people who control much of a society. Mills believed the power elite use government to develop social policies that allow them to keep their wealth.

Which of the following paradigms would consider movements such as Occupy Wall Street undesirable and unnecessarily forcing social change?

functionalism

Constitutional Monarchy

governments of nations that recognize monarchs but require these figures to abide by the laws of a greater constitution. Many countries that are now constitutional monarchies evolved from governments that were once considered absolute monarchies. In most cases, constitutional monarchies, such as Great Britain and Canada, feature elected prime ministers whose leadership role is far more involved and significant than that of its titled monarchs. In spite of their limited authority, monarchs endure in such governments because people enjoy their ceremonial significance and the pageantry of their rites.

Representative Democracy

is virtually synonymous with republic, can also be used to describe a government in which citizens elect representatives to promote policies that favor their interests

In the past, Southern states discouraged African Americans from voting by requiring them to take a _____________________ test.

literacy

Some nations called ________ recognize kings, queens, princes, princesses, and other figures with official royal titles. The power held by these positions varies from one country to another.

monarchy

According to Karl Marx, struggles between groups are necessary for the development of

power;authority

According to Weber, power which is made valid by laws, written rules, and regulations is termed ________. In this type of authority, power is vested in a particular rationale, system, or ideology and not necessarily in the person who implements the specifics of that doctrine. A nation that follows a constitution applies this type of authority.

rational-legal authority

Authority

refers to accepted power—that is, power that people agree to follow.

Absolute Monarchy

run by governments wherein a monarch has absolute or unmitigated power. Recently, living conditions and opportunities for Oman's citizens have improved, but many citizens who live under the reign of an absolute ruler must contend with oppressive or unfair policies that are installed based on the unchecked whims or political agendas of that leader.

According to ________, the government has four main purposes: planning and directing society, meeting social needs, maintaining law and order, and managing international relations. According to this theory, all aspects of society serve a purpose.

structural functionalist

Functionalist Theory

the government has four main purposes: planning and directing society, meeting social needs, maintaining law and order, and managing international relations. All aspects of society serve a purpose.view government and politics as a way to enforce norms and regulate conflict. See active social change, such as the sit-in on Wall Street, as undesirable because it forces change and, as a result, undesirable things that might have to be compensated for. Dysfunction creates social problems that lead to social change. For instance, functionalists would see monetary political contributions as a way of keeping people connected to the democratic process.

A(n) _________________ is an extremely oppressive government that seeks to control all aspects of its citizens' lives.

totalitarian dictatorship

3 types of power (Max Weber)

traditional, charismatic, rational-legal

Patriomonialism

which is traditional domination facilitated by an administration and military that are purely personal instruments of the master. In this form of authority, all officials are personal favorites appointed by the ruler. These officials have no rights, and their privileges can be increased or withdrawn based on the caprices of the leader.