Question 1

Why are Americans sometimes fearful of pluralist politics?

Accepted Answer

A)   They are fearful that organized groups will not come together to compete for influence.
B)   They are fearful that organized groups will successfully advance public interests at the expense of special interests.
C)   They are fearful that organized groups will successfully advance special interests at the expense of public interests.
D)   They are fearful that organized groups represent a challenge to liberty.
E)   They are fearful that organized groups will reduce the need for public goods.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

A)   powerful friends.
B)   money.
C)   political knowledge.
D)   strongly held convictions.
E)   a college degree.

Question 3

A government that is not constrained by legal limits and also seeks to eliminate those organized social groups that might challenge or limit their authority is known as

Accepted Answer

A)   oligarchic.
B)   authoritarian.
C)   totalitarian.
D)   democratic.
E)   republican.

Question 4

The right of each citizen to vote is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)   equality of opportunity.
B)   equality of result.
C)   political equality.
D)   educational opportunity.
E)   laissez-faire capitalism.

Question 5

What observation did philosopher Immanuel Kant make in his 1795 essay "Toward Perpetual Peace"?

Accepted Answer

A)   The only way to achieve peace is by promoting more religion.
B)   Perpetual peace is an impossible dream because people are blinded by narrow self-interest.
C)   The best route to peace is through strategic balance of power between the United States and major European nations.
D)   Democratic regimes seldom make war on each other.
E)   Autocratic regimes seldom make war on each other.

Question 6

Which of the following is not an accurate statement about the consequences of declining trust in government?

Accepted Answer

A)   Distrust threatens the government's ability to attract good workers to the public sector.
B)   Distrust makes people less willing to pay the taxes necessary for public activities.
C)   Distrust motivates people to participate in politics through voting, volunteering for political campaigns, and running for office.
D)   Distrust weakens the government's ability to help people in times of crisis.
E)   Distrust weakens the government's ability to defend our national interest in the world economy.

Question 7

How does the United States Constitution create a system that underrepresents urban areas?

Accepted Answer

A)   It provides representation based on population in the House of Representatives.
B)   It provides each state with two senators regardless of population.
C)   It provides for a system of direct democracy at the federal level.
D)   It requires the federal government to spend the same amount of money in rural and urban areas of the country.
E)   It requires that the federal government impose higher taxes on people living in urban areas of the country.

Question 8

John Locke and John Stuart Mill are important philosophers for which of the following ideologies?

Accepted Answer

A)   popular participation
B)   liberty and political rights
C)   tradition and religion in government
D)   revolutionary action
E)   socialism and communism

Question 9

Political rights are a protection against

Accepted Answer

A)   pluralism.
B)   the tyranny of the majority.
C)   the tyranny of the minority.
D)   the equality of result.
E)   socialism.

Question 10

Direct democracy is best defined as

Accepted Answer

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.
E)   a system that allows citizens to elect representatives who play a significant role in governmental decision making

Question 11

If the government were controlled by a small group of wealthy landowners and corporate leaders, this would be best described as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)   oligarchy.
B)   autocracy.
C)   authoritarian regime.
D)   totalitarian state.
E)   monarchy.

Question 12

Which of the following statements best describes naturalization laws in the United States prior to 1870?

Accepted Answer

A)   All free people could become naturalized citizens after living in the country for at least five years.
B)   All free people could become naturalized citizens after living in the country for at least ten years.
C)   Only free whites could become naturalized citizens.
D)   Only freed black slaves could become naturalized citizens.
E)   Only Native Americans could become naturalized citizens.

Question 13

The United States has never accepted the principle of popular sovereignty.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union are both examples of autocracies.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

The Constitution's Preamble, beginning with the words "We the People," is an illustration of what principle?

Accepted Answer

A)   majority rule
B)   political equality
C)   popular sovereignty
D)   minority rights
E)   political rights

Question 16

Which of the following statements best describes how Americans currently feel about laissez-faire capitalism?

Accepted Answer

A)   Americans strongly support capitalism and economic liberty and reject all restrictions on economic freedom.
B)   Americans strongly support capitalism and economic liberty but also endorse policies that are designed to guarantee economic equality among all citizens.
C)   Americans strongly support capitalism and economic liberty but also endorse some restrictions on economic freedoms to protect the public.
D)   Americans strongly oppose capitalism and economic liberty and endorse policies that are designed to guarantee economic equality among all citizens.
E)   Americans strongly oppose capitalism and economic liberty and endorse some restrictions on economic freedoms to protect the public.

Question 17

Government can best be defined as the

Accepted Answer

A)   institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled.
B)   set of political principles and values that guide political life.
C)   legalized theft of others' property.
D)   invisible hand that turns private interests into public goods.
E)   shared set of values, beliefs, and attitudes that people have about politics.

Question 18

The proletariat was the key social force leading to limited government during the eighteenth century.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

A representative democracy is a system of government that

Accepted Answer

A)   allows citizens to vote directly on laws and policies.
B)   allows citizens to make, veto, or judge statutes personally.
C)   gives citizens a regular opportunity to elect top government officials.
D)   gives citizens the ability to make important military decisions directly.
E)   legally requires government officials to vote for policies that a majority of their constituents prefer.

Question 20

Which of the following is not an example of a totalitarian regime?

Accepted Answer

A)   pre-World War II Italy
B)   pre-World War II Japan
C)   Nazi Germany
D)   the Soviet Union under Stalin
E)   the United Kingdom

Exam 1: American Political Culture

The right of each citizen to vote is an example of

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A representative democracy is a system of government that

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Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union are both examples of autocracies.

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What observation did philosopher Immanuel Kant make in his 1795 essay "Toward Perpetual Peace"?

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Which of the following statements best describes naturalization laws in the United States prior to 1870?

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A government that is not constrained by legal limits and also seeks to eliminate those organized social groups that might challenge or limit their authority is known as

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The United States has never accepted the principle of popular sovereignty.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

If the government were controlled by a small group of wealthy landowners and corporate leaders, this would be best described as a(n)

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

John Locke and John Stuart Mill are important philosophers for which of the following ideologies?

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Which of the following statements best describes how Americans currently feel about laissez-faire capitalism?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Political rights are a protection against

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The proletariat was the key social force leading to limited government during the eighteenth century.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Direct democracy is best defined as

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How does the United States Constitution create a system that underrepresents urban areas?

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The Constitution's Preamble, beginning with the words "We the People," is an illustration of what principle?

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Government can best be defined as the

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

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Why are Americans sometimes fearful of pluralist politics?

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Which of the following is not an accurate statement about the consequences of declining trust in government?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is not an example of a totalitarian regime?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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