Unit 1: Chapter 2 Mini-Lesson Questions

Which of the following arguments would a proponent of the pluralist system of political participation most likely make?

a. American democracy is furthered when groups representing all points of view help make public policy b. Gridlock results when too many groups seek to influence the policy making process c. Although many groups participate in policymaking, wealthy groups have the most influence d. American society should return to a rugged frontier philosophy and reliance on individual Answer: a

An informal group advocating for a $15 minimum wage collects 590,000 signatures from registered voters in their state. In the next election, this initiative appears on the ballot for voters to decide whether it becomes a state constitutional amendment.

a. Participatory democracy b. Elite democracy c. Pluralist democracy d. Representative democracy Answer: a

"In a pure democracy the people are the sovereign, and their will is declared by themselves; for this purpose they must all come together to deliberate, and decide. This kind of government cannot be exercised, therefore, over a country of any considerable extent; it must be confined to a single city, or at least limited to such bounds as that the people can conveniently assemble, be able to debate, understand the subject submitted to them, and declare their opinion concerning it." -Brutus No. 1, 1787 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

a. Participatory democracy does not work in large countries b. Elite democracy is the best model of representative democracy c. Countries should be limited to small territories d. Pure democracy is impossible Answer: a

In June 2017, voters in Puerto Rico voted on a referendum to make Puerto Rico the 51st state of the United States. This is an example of which of the following models of democracy?

a. Pluralist democracy b. Indirect democracy c. Participatory democracy d. Elitist democracy Answer: c

"When the Articles of Confederation were drafted, Americans had little experience of what a national government could do for them and bitter experience of what an arbitrary government could do to them. In creating a central government they were therefore more concerned with keeping it under control than with giving it the means to do its job." -Edmund S. Morgan, The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89, 1956 Which of the following concepts is most consistent with the author's argument?

a. Republicanism b. Natural rights c. Participatory democracy d. Limited government Answer: d

Which of the following aspects of the US Constitution best illustrates the concept of elite democracy?

a. The ban on "corruption of the blood" in cases of treason b. The process for adding amendments to the Constitution c. The apportionment of representatives in the House according to state population d. The original wording of the Constitution regarding the selection of US senators Answer: d