Capstone test 1

Which of the following is one reason why Marx believed the capitalist system would eventually collapse?

A severe economic depression was inevitable

The "end of ideology" argument was developed by __________.

Francis Fukuyama

Given the history of legal disputes over the First Amendment, what is the most likely fate of First Amendment issues in the future?

Free speech controversies are likely to continue, especially given the openness of the Internet

Milton Friedman and Adam Smith both argued that __________.

markets function best when left alone

The subfield of __________studies major thinkers and attempts to define the good polity.

political theory

Although they seized __________, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan lacked __________.

power; legitimacy

Compared to FPTP, proportional representation means that the country's legislature more accurately reflects __________.

public opinion and party strength

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

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

strike down laws

What evidence would pluralists most likely cite to support their claims that elites are ultimately accountable?

the millions of dollars that tobacco firms have paid out in lawsuits and settlements

Jeremy Bentham would have been most likely to agree with which of the following statements?

Rights are granted by society

What German thinker argued that any organization, no matter how democratic its intent, ends up run by a small elite?

Robert Michels

Which condition suggests that a state's elections are rigged?

The regime controls most or all of the press in the country

Which idea did the Code of Hammurabi contribute to the modern concept of constitutionalism?

The supreme law of the land should be clear and written down

Authoritarian systems that are often in the category of failed states deliberately confuse rule of law with "rule by law," which essentially means that __________.

authorities use the law to achieve their ends, but are themselves above the law

The Founding Fathers particularly embraced Adam Smith's and John Locke's idea of the right to __________, which Locke felt was a primary reason why humans created civil society.

private property

A process of devolution involves __________.

shifting some powers from the central government to component units

While the application of Marxism in the Soviet Union was disastrous, Marx's focus on the role of _________ in politics has been very insightful.

social class

The current economic situation in China can be described by which of the following?

state capitalism

Francis Fukuyama would likely agree with which of the following statements regarding democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq?

America's effort to democratize these countries has been met with very limited success because it essentially skipped over the prerequisites of a strong state, a large middle class, and the rule of law

The main way that democratic governments are held accountable is through __________.

periodic electoral challenges

If a small part of the population in a proportional representation system really believes in something, it can run as a party and win seats, meaning that it is _________.

not forced to amalgamate into bigger parties and dilute its view

Single-member districts produce winners on the basis of __________.

plurality

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"

If a "first-past-the-post" country has three viable political parties, but no one ever reaches 50 percent of the vote, what is the most likely result over time?

The two parties that share the most ideologically will merge into a single political party

A media that is critical of its nation's government is typically indicative of a __________.

high degree of democracy

Potential explanations that a scientist tests in order to arrive at generalizations and theories are known as __________.

hypotheses

Which statement accurately describes present-day China?

China retains an authoritarian political structure even as it continues to pursue state capitalism

Which of these can be considered an example of direct democracy?

Citizens voting on a ballot referendum or in a town hall meeting

Which statement explains how civil rights differ from human rights?

Civil rights only arose with the advent of modern democracy but are essential for ensuring human rights

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 two scholars posited the "end of ideology," with the latter even going so far as to posit "the end of history," the triumph of democracy and capitalism, and the end of destructive world wars?

Daniel Bell and Francis Fukuyama

Which of these is true of Adam Smith's legacy?

He influenced the development of the classical liberal ideology

Which of the following thinkers would be most likely to accept a paternalistic and autocratic king, who believed in law and order in order for there to be progress and prosperity?

Hobbes and Machiavelli

A modern liberal would most likely support which of the following policy proposals?

Increase regulations on the banking sector

How did the UN General Assembly react to Nazi and Japanese actions during World War II?

It adopted the Universal Declaration on Human Rights

What did the Magna Carta do?

It limited the power of the monarch and gave feudal lords more power than they previously had

Why was it significant that the Bush administration deemed suspected terrorists as "unlawful enemy combatants"?

It made it intentionally unclear how the suspects would be treated

The Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital were written by __________.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Which of the following philosophers did not discuss the concept of the social contract?

Machiavelli

Which statement, if true, undermines the arguments of Daniel Bell and Francis Fukuyama?

Many nations still have authoritarian leaders and practice variants of socialism with some success

Which of the following examples most clearly illustrates an application of anthropology to political science?

Many ruling families maintained power by passing down their authority from one generation to the next

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

Republicans

Which of the following would be expected in a state that practices constitutionalism?

The leadership's power is limited and citizens' individual rights are guaranteed

Which of the following is often the basis for center-periphery tensions?

regionalism

The Wealth of Nations was written by __________ in the year ......

Adam Smith, 1776

A modern liberal in the U.S. would argue that free market capitalism __________.

requires governmental regulation to function properly

In most European countries, __________ is an illegal form of speech.

denying the Holocaust

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

According to Lenin, imperialist countries build colonial empires to __________.

exploit people, the colony's resources, and sell their services and surplus manufactured goods

Most FPTP systems are also called majoritarian systems because they __________.

give a clear parliamentary majority to one party

Which doctrine allows detainees to argue their innocence before a judge?

habeas corpus

Gerrymandered electoral districts __________.

make seats "safe" for one party or the other

Which of these countries has had a fascist government?

Italy

Which of these is an assumption underlying "constitutionalism"?

The people need written laws to prevent violations of their basic freedoms

Which of the following, if true, best supports the argument that campaign contributions are a form of protected speech?

Associations of citizens express their views through monetary donations

Which statement best depicts China?

China has become more capitalistic economically, but has an authoritarian political structure

Why have U.S. states been called laboratories of democracy?

States can experiment with new programs, which, if successful, can be copied nationwide

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

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

Imagine that you are looking at a country's main political institutions to find out whether they meet a standard of good, effective governance. Which of the following characteristics would signify that they fail to meet this standard?

They are inflexible and have not evolved

How do classic conservatives address the issue of change?

They believe that change should happen gradually rather than suddenly

What do England, Germany, and India have in common?

They each have a federal system

Which statement fits with feminist views of the challenges women face in the present-day world?

Women have difficulty gaining economic and political power because patriarchy and men being socialized into leadership roles

A Marxist utopia would include which of the following elements?

a classless society, with a small government, equal distribution of wealth, and no conflict

Which of these provides a nationalist country with the strongest unifying factor?

a common enemy

Which of the following would make the Universal Declaration on Human Rights more effective?

a feasible mechanism for enforcement

A constituent assembly is __________.

a legislature convened to draft a new constitution

Adam Smith is associated with __________.

classic liberalism

A political scientist who studies the politics of Russia and several Eastern European countries, following the fall of the Soviet Union would, most specifically, be considered an expert in the subfield of __________.

comparative politics

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

constitution

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

its autonomous subdivisions

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

judicial review

Which ideology prefers virtually no government involvement in anything other than personal and national security?

libertarianism

The Founding Fathers include the separation of powers and checks and balances in the in the U.S. Constitution because they wanted to __________.

limit the power of the executive branch of government

Which of the following would highlight a critical downside of a unitary system?

local officials unable to make basic decisions without the express consent of the central government

Many Americans find it difficult to grasp the power of extreme ideological motivations because of __________.

the emphasis on moderation and pragmatism in American culture

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

The laissez-faire viewpoint recommends __________.

the government not regulating or intervening in the economy, so that it can grow and prosper

If you were most concerned with what could be the best agent of modernization in your country, experts would most likely point you toward the role of __________.

the state

The process of decentralization in Britain and France was intended to make these two countries less __________.

unitary

Neo-conservatives are opposed to __________.

welfare spending

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

Political institutions involve the __________ of a government.

working structures

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

Edmund Burke

Which statement describes a central difference between Marx and Lenin?

Marx focused on the situation within developed countries in highly mature stages of capitalism, whereas Lenin focused on promoting global revolution with the help of Communist Parties

Which statement accurately describes the relationship between classical liberalism and modern conservatism?

Modern conservatism retains many of the principles of classical liberalism

The Pentagon Papers case is generally seen as a victory for those who support __________.

an activist press

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

multiculturalism

Which statement explains the claim that "democracy does not always equal freedom"?

Even democratic elections can produce regimes that limit rights and freedoms

What was Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes's example of yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater intended to illustrate?

Freedom of speech is not an unlimited right

Which of these is an assumption underlying feminism?

Gender roles and attitudes are socially conditioned

Why would one of the oldest democracies in the world, such as Great Britain, not have a formal, condified constitution?

Great Britain's unique history established customs and legal practices that made a written constitution unnecessary

Which of the following is the best example of theory?

People join groups because of an innate desire to be with others who have similar views

Imagine a country that has new leadership and is committed to transitioning to a welfare state similar to Sweden or Denmark. What is a likely policy action that would allow this?

Raising tax rates significantly

Which of these ideas was first advanced by Adam Smith?

Self-interest on the part of individuals and groups can produce socioeconomic benefits

Weak states are characterized by __________.

a lack of law and order, and the penetration of crime into politics

Countries that have single-member districts, with plurality voting systems (SMD-P), or "first-past-the-post" (FPTP) electoral systems, or "winner-take-all" electoral systems, tend to have __________ systems.

multiparty

In the U.S., the press is often referred to as the "fourth branch of government" because __________.

of its key role in keeping government accountable to citizen demands;

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 U.S.

operation of checks and balances

Empirical data and numerical analysis are useful for reviewing poll results, but not for analyzing negotiations between world powers. In other words, political science must involve both __________ and __________ data.

quantitative; qualitative