Question 1

According to political scientist Louis Hartz,the United States

Accepted Answer

A)  constitutes a "corporate dictatorship."
B)  was "born free."
C)  formed a perfect union.
D)  is basically a monarchical state.
E)  "perfected" socialist democracy.F) A) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 2

Define politics,power,and authority.

Accepted Answer

Politics is the means by which society s...

Question 3

To what degree is American democracy majoritarian,and what are the limits to that majoritarianism?

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Majoritarianism exists where the majorit...

Question 4

What is a major limit on majoritarianism suggested by the text?

Accepted Answer

A)  The public as a whole takes an interest in only a few of the hundreds of policy decisions that U.S.officials make each year.
B)  The public lacks access to the information required to take informed political action on most issues dealt with by the government each year.
C)  The actions of special interest groups are ultimately more influential than the voting power of the public.
D)  The rapid turnover of government officials and members of the legislature prevents the majority public from making a sustained effort for any single issue.
E)  The most power tends to reside with a wealthy minority of the voting public,preventing the majority public from setting the issue agenda.F) A) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 5

The United States has certain rules in place to keep politics within peaceful bounds.These rules include all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  autocracy.
B)  democracy.
C)  constitutionalism.
D)  free markets.
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) B) and E)
G) All of the above

Question 6

Compared to two decades ago,contemporary Americans are,on average,

Accepted Answer

A)  far better informed about political affairs.
B)  at about the same level of being informed about political affairs.
C)  getting most of their news from traditional media sources such as newspapers.
D)  much more knowledgeable about the functioning of America's political institutions.
E)  paying more attention to news sources that have an obvious ideological bias.F) A) and C)
G) B) and C)

Question 7

Which of the following characterizes journalist Walter Lippmann's views on democracy?

Accepted Answer

A)  He felt that well-funded private interest groups and lobbyists had taken the true majoritarian power of democracy away from the voting public.
B)  He felt that modern democratic government had become an unhealthy,pluralistic enterprise.
C)  He believed that among forms of government,only democracy could provide a citizen with the ability to be a "progressive being."
D)  He worried that most citizens are too uninformed to play the role democracy assigns them.
E)  None of these answers is correct.F) A) and E)
G) D) and E)

Question 8

From 1945 until the late 1960s,there was the highest degree of bipartisanship in the area of

Accepted Answer

A)  economic regulation.
B)  taxation levels.
C)  civil rights.
D)  foreign affairs.
E)  environmental policy.F) B) and D)
G) None of the above

Question 9

In an oligarchy,

Accepted Answer

A)  the state is run by corporate interests and companies instead of individuals.
B)  control rests with a small group of popularly elected individuals.
C)  control rests with a single individual,such as a dictator.
D)  control rests with a small group,such as military officers or a few wealthy families.
E)  the state controls all aspects of individuals' lives,including family relations and the practice of religion.F) A) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 10

Individualism is a perspective that

Accepted Answer

A)  individuals should be free to act and think as they choose.
B)  all individuals are equal in their moral worth.
C)  people are the ultimate source of governing authority.
D)  supports personal commitment and self-sufficiency.
E)  there should be formal limits on the power of citizens.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 11

West Virginia,the state with the lowest percentage of college graduates in the United States,

Accepted Answer

A)  is indicative of Americans' relative indifference to higher education.
B)  is evidence of the general truth that the states with the highest percentage of college graduates are located between the Rockies and the Mississippi River.
C)  is one of seven U.S.states with fewer than five institutions of higher learning.
D)  demonstrates how closed higher education in the United States is compared to the rest of the world.
E)  has a higher proportion of college graduates than most European countries.F) A) and E)
G) B) and C)

Question 12

What new policy was established by the U.S.Supreme Court's landmark Gideon v.Wainwright ruling?

Accepted Answer

A)  the right to trial by jury
B)  the need to charge an arrested suspect with a specific crime within 24 hours of arrest
C)  the requirement that police read a suspect his rights before or during arrest
D)  government provision of free legal counsel to the accused if they are too poor to hire a lawyer
E)  the practice of allowing a suspect out on bail until the time of the trialF) C) and D)
G) A) and B)

Question 13

The Bill of Rights added to the Constitution,among other things,

Accepted Answer

A)  a guarantee of freedom of speech.
B)  a division of governmental authority into three branches.
C)  checks and balances among the three branches of government.
D)  restrictions against the power of corporations to influence the election process.
E)  term limits for elected officials to reduce their power.F) B) and D)
G) A) and E)

Question 14

What are some of the barriers to political thinking in the United States?

Accepted Answer

The major barrier to political thinking ...

Question 15

John Stuart Mill believed that any form of government should be judged on its ability to

Accepted Answer

A)  offer the individual a "plethora of policy options" in the democratic process.
B)  transfer power peacefully from one set of governing officials to the next.
C)  provide social services for its citizenry.
D)  maintain peace and order in the territory over which it has control.
E)  promote the individual as "a progressive being."F) C) and E)
G) B) and E)

Question 16

The fact that farmers have more influence over agricultural price-supports than do other groups is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  majoritarianism.
B)  pluralism.
C)  elitism.
D)  constitutionalism.
E)  corporate power.F) A) and B)
G) C) and E)

Question 17

In a democratic society,who or what is responsible for personal development?

Accepted Answer

A)  the education system
B)  political parties
C)  the progressive being
D)  the individual
E)  parents,ministers,and political leadersF) C) and E)
G) A) and B)

Question 18

Which of the following is an accurate description of the prevalence of college education in the United States?

Accepted Answer

A)  Among adults twenty-one years of age and older,roughly half are college graduates.
B)  Among adults twenty-one years of age and older,roughly one in four is a college graduate.
C)  Every U.S.state has at least twenty colleges or universities within its borders.
D)  Despite having a much higher rate of colleges and universities per capita than European countries; the U.S.has a lower rate of college graduation per capita.
E)  Although the U.S.has a lower number of colleges and universities per capita than Europe,it has a much higher rate of college graduation per capita.F) A) and B)
G) A) and E)

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT one of the core values of American political culture?

Accepted Answer

A)  individualism
B)  equality
C)  cooperation
D)  liberty
E)  self-governmentF) B) and D)
G) B) and C)

Question 20

Which one of the following is NOT true of cultural or political beliefs in America?

Accepted Answer

A)  America's origins as a wilderness society led to the belief that government is responsible for providing material assistance to its citizens.
B)  Americans place a greater emphasis than Europeans on personal advancement through education.
C)  Americans have traditionally favored a free-market economy.
D)  America has a strong individualistic culture.
E)  America's individualistic culture has not proven to be an absolute barrier to government assistance programs.F) C) and E)
G) A) and C)

Exam 1: Political Thinking and Political Culture: Becoming a Responsible Citizen

In an oligarchy,

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The Bill of Rights added to the Constitution,among other things,

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According to political scientist Louis Hartz,the United States

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Which one of the following is NOT true of cultural or political beliefs in America?

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Which of the following is an accurate description of the prevalence of college education in the United States?

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In a democratic society,who or what is responsible for personal development?

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Define politics,power,and authority.

Correct AnswerverifiedPolitics is the means by which society s...View AnswerShow Answer

John Stuart Mill believed that any form of government should be judged on its ability to

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Compared to two decades ago,contemporary Americans are,on average,

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From 1945 until the late 1960s,there was the highest degree of bipartisanship in the area of

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Which of the following is NOT one of the core values of American political culture?

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The United States has certain rules in place to keep politics within peaceful bounds.These rules include all of the following EXCEPT

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What are some of the barriers to political thinking in the United States?

Correct AnswerverifiedThe major barrier to political thinking ...View AnswerShow Answer

The fact that farmers have more influence over agricultural price-supports than do other groups is an example of

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West Virginia,the state with the lowest percentage of college graduates in the United States,

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What is a major limit on majoritarianism suggested by the text?

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Which of the following characterizes journalist Walter Lippmann's views on democracy?

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What new policy was established by the U.S.Supreme Court's landmark Gideon v.Wainwright ruling?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Individualism is a perspective that

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To what degree is American democracy majoritarian,and what are the limits to that majoritarianism?

Correct AnswerverifiedMajoritarianism exists where the majorit...View AnswerShow Answer

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Politics is the means by which society s...
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The major barrier to political thinking ...
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Majoritarianism exists where the majorit...
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