Chapter 1

What aspect of citizenship was most important for the ancient Greeks? d. talking and debating

D

The struggle of competing interest groups for governmental influence is called a. pluralism. b. direct action politics. c. direct democracy. d. oligarchy.

A

The key group in Europe that pushed for limited government was a. the bourgeoisie. b. the idiotes. c. the citizens. d. the poor.

A

The separate but equal doctrine was introduced in what Supreme Court case? a. Plessy v. Ferguson b. the Civil Rights Cases c. Brown v. Board of Education d. Roe v. Wade

A

A service that a person needs but is usually unable to provide for him- or herself individually is called a. a public good. b. a cultural commodity. c. an oligarchy. d. an entitlement.

A

According to the text, which of the following is not a necessary part of the knowledge a citizen must possess? a. the structures of government

A

Affirmative action is very controversial because a. Americans argue about whether it promotes or restrains equality. b. it is inherently an undemocratic way of achieving liberty. c. some argue that it limits political equality in order to promote cost effectiveness. d. it is a legacy of the Jim Crow years.

A

An autocracy exists when a. the government is controlled by a single individual. b. the government is controlled by a small but powerful group of people. c. the constitution of a government is followed strictly. d. the government is controlled by one dominant religious group.

A

Disputes over affirmative action demonstrate that a. Americans disagree over the public's legitimate role in ensuring the equality of opportunity. b. Americans are generally supportive of equality of results. c. economic liberties are more important than democracy. d. Americans have stopped valuing democracy.

A

Government can best be defined as a. the institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled.

A

Politics can be defined as a. conflicts over the character, membership, and policies of any organization to which people belong. b. the informal, private organizations through which a land and its people are ruled. c. a hierarchically structured organization that is designed to distribute labor among several different groups of people. d. a line-and-staff organization that is designed to facilitate control over complex social arrangements.

A

The demand that there be no taxation without representation is a good example of what political reform of the eighteenth century? a. more popular influence on government b. the decline in citizenship c. the spread of autocracy d. greater attention to the economic effects of politics

A

What are the three core values of American politics? a. liberty, equality, and democracy b. democracy, patriotism, and the rule of law c. equality, oligarchy, and free enterprise d. anarchy, equality, and patriotism

A

Which major changes in Western governments led to the establishment of constitutional government? a. legal limits on government and the right of more people to vote b. the right of revolution and the spread of socialism c. debt relief for the poor and the right of citizens to hold office d. the colonialism of the New World and the right of revolution

A

Which of the following statements concerning political values in the United States is true? a. American values often conflict with each other in practice. b. Because of their diversity, Americans do not share a similar set of core political values. c. The origins of American political values are found in the 1960s. d. American politics relies on its value neutrality.

A

The belief that you can influence how your government acts is called

Aa. political efficacy.

A government that accepts no legal limits on its power but may accept the restraint of other social institutions, such as churches, is known as a. oligarchic. b. authoritarian. c. totalitarian. d. democratic.

B

Having some share or say in the composition of a government's leadership, how it is organized, or what its policies are going to be is called a. government. b. power. c. autocracy. d. federalism.

B

John Locke and John Stuart Mill are important philosophers for which of the following ideologies? a. popular participation b. liberty and political rights c. tradition and religion in government d. revolutionary action

B

Survey data shows that the level of Americans' political knowledge is b. low and spotty.

B

The Bill of Rights was designed to protect a. equality. b. liberty. c. democracy. d. all of the above.

B

The willingness to be restrained by the power of social institutions, but not political or legal institutions, is a hallmark of a(n) __________ regime. a. totalitarian b. authoritarian c. democratic d. oligarchic

B

Throughout American history, the concept of liberty has been linked to a. the idea of privacy. b. the idea of limited government. c. the idea of unlimited government. d. the Articles of Confederation.

B

What is the principle difference between an autocracy and an oligarchy? b. the number of people in charge

B

Who said that the best government was the one that "governed least"? a. John Locke b. Thomas Jefferson c. Abraham Lincoln d. Franklin D. Roosevelt

B

Which of the following has been involved in major corporate misconduct in recent years?

B. Enron

Before the eighteenth century, a. governments were primarily democratic. b. totalitarian rule was common. c. governments rarely sought the support of their people. d. most governments were based on respect for the rule of law.

C

Direct democracy is best defined as a. a state of continual revolution. b. the system that allows people to vote by telephone or over the Internet. c. a system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies. d. the competition between interest groups for governmental power.

C

In order to be a good citizen, it is most critical to possess c. knowledge.

C

Low voter turnout and political apathy endanger a. equality. b. economic liberty. c. democracy. d. constitutionalism.

C

Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education reveal two very different visions of what political value? a. liberty b. democracy c. equality d. fairness

C

Political culture refers to a. the way that artists, musicians, filmmakers, and cultural critics use their message to influence political decision making. b. the factors that influence the way informal social organizations make decisions. c. the shared values, beliefs, and attitudes that serve to hold a nation and its people together. d. the system of organizing politically, which is defined in the Articles of Confederation.

C

Studies show that an increasing number of young Americans receive their political knowledge from c. late-night comedy shows.

C

The Constitution's Preamble, beginning with the words "We the People . . .," is an illustration of what principle? a. majority rule b. political equality c. popular sovereignty d. minority rights

C

The __________ is the most important concept for the theory of pluralism. a. individual b. state c. group d. vote

C

The right of each citizen to vote is an example of a. equality of opportunity. b. equality of result. c. political equality. d. educational opportunity.

C

Which of the following is not a common explanation for why the United States should pursue a policy of democratization? a. There are important humanitarian aims to democratization. b. Democratization helps promote world peace. c. Democratization is less expensive than diplomacy. d. Democratization leads to political stability.

C

Which of the following is not a reason given to explain American citizens' increased political apathy? c. an increase in the knowledge of how government operates

C

Who described politics as "who gets what, when, and how"? a. James Madison b. Abraham Lincoln c. Harold Lasswell d. Franklin Roosevelt

C

Why did the Progressives support women's suffrage in the early twentieth century? a. The Progressives were a group dominated by women. b. The Progressives wanted to make the United States as democratic as possible. c. The Progressives believed women would support their reform movement. d. The Progressives needed to develop a voting bloc to check and limit upper-middle-class northerners.

C

According to the text, the United States did not become a fully democratic nation until a. the 1860s, after the Civil War. b. the 1820s, when property requirements for voting were dropped. c. the early twentieth century, when women were granted suffrage. d. the 1960s, when the right of African Americans to vote was enforced by federal laws.

D

According to the text, which of the following is not one of the core American political values? a. liberty b. equality c. democracy d. socialism

D

According to the text, which of the following is the most important act of a citizen? d. being born in the nation of which you are a citizen

D

The American value of pluralism was identified most clearly by which Founder? a. John Adams b. George Washington c. Alexander Hamilton d. James Madison

D

The belief that political authority should rest with the people themselves is called a. equality of opportunity. b. political equality. c. pluralism. d. popular sovereignty.

D

The term laissez-faire means a. fair trade. b. laziness is folly. c. hard work. d. leave alone.

D

Which of the following is not an example given by the text of a totalitarian regime? a. pre-World War II Italy b. the Soviet Union c. Nazi Germany d. the United Kingdom

D

Which of the following was not once a restriction placed on the right to vote? a. race b. gender c. property d. All of the above were restrictions.

D

Which of the following is not a consequence of the decline in trust toward the government?

D. All of the above are consequences of a decline in trust.

Since the 1960s, Americans' trust in their government has generally

D. fallen sharply.