Quiz
american government chapters 1-8 not including 6
Questions in this quiz (70)
1Barriers to political thinking include which of the following?
- Apeople's inattentiveness to politics
- Bpeople's reliance on sources that slant information to fit their agendas
- Cthe tendency of politicians to "spin" information
- Dall of the above
2america's political culture includes all except which of the following ideals?
- Aelitism
- Bliberty
- Cequality
- Dself-government
3when people are able to control policy decisions and prevail in political conflicts, they are said to have...
- Apolitical culture
- Bpolitical power
- Cpluralism
- Ddiversity
4america's commitment to the principle of constitutionalism means...
- Athe majority can decide all policy issues
- Bthere are limits on the rightful power of government over citizens
- Cdirect democracy will be favored over representative democracy
- Da "mixed economy" must be upheld at all costs
5the text mentions each of the following theories of power concerning who governs america, except...
- Amajoritaraianism
- Bpluralism
- Cfactionalism
- Delitism
6in a free market system, the allocation of benefits and costs is determined primarily by...
- Ainteraction between a private party and another private party
- Binteraction between a government entity and another government entity
- Cinteraction between a private party and government
- Dnone of the above
7an obstacle to majoritarianism is the fact that the general public pays little attention to most policy issues
- ATrue
- BFalse
8in the united states, as compared with most other democracies, corporations are relatively weak in terms of their political influence and control over what happens in the workplace.
- ATrue
- BFalse
9authority can be defined as the recognized right of officials to make binding decisions.
- ATrue
- BFalse
10cultural beliefs are based on wishful thinking and serve no purpose for society.
- ATrue
- BFalse
11the principle of checks and balances in the u.s. system of government...
- Arequires the federal budget to be a balanced budget
- Bprovides that checks cashed at u.s. banks will be honored as legal tender
- Cwas a principle invented by the Progressives
- Dallows the majority's will to work through representative institutions but places checks on the power of those institutions
12the u.s. constitution provides for limited government mainly...
- Athrough direct election of representatives
- Bthrough indirect systems of popular election of representatives
- Cby defining lawful powers and by dividing those powers among competing institutions
- Dby making state law superior to national law when the two conflict
13the U.S. constitution provides for representative government mainly...
- Athrough direct and indirect systems of popular election of representatives
- Bby defining the lawful powers of government
- C by dividing governing powers among competing institutions
- Dby giving the majority absolute power to govern as it pleases
14the articles of confederation...
- Aestablished a weak central government that was subordinate to the states
- Bdefined the legal relationship between the colonies and great britain
- Cwere proposed by the Progressives as a means of strengthening the power of the voters
- Dwere the constitutional articles proposed by the southern states at the 1787 Philadelphia convention
15the addition of the bill of rights to the u.s. constitution meant that...
- Aa list of individual rights would be protected by law
- Bthe anti-federalists no longer had any reason to oppose the adoption of the constitution
- Cthe national government could infringe on the rights of the states
- Dthe state governments could infringe on the rights of the national government
16of the issues taken up during the constitutional convention, which one consumed the most time and attention?
- Astructure of the presidency
- Bstructure of congress
- Cstructure and powers of the federal judiciary
- Dratification of the new constitution
17the framers of the constitution feared political apathy more than tyranny of the majority.
- ATrue
- BFalse
18the idea of popular government-- in which the majority's desires have a more direct and immediate impact on public policy--has gained strength since the nation's beginning.
- ATrue
- BFalse
19the supreme court decision in marbury v. madison gave the courts power to declare governmental action null and void when it is found to violate the constitution.
- ATrue
- BFalse
20the Virginia plan (also known as the large state plan) called for a congress with equal representation of each state but with greatly strengthened powers.
- ATrue
- BFalse
21Describing the United States as having a federal system of government means that...
- Athe states are not included in the power arrangement.
- Bconstitutional authority for governing is divided between a national government on the one hand and the state governments on the the other.
- Cthe states are not bound by the rules and regulations of the national government.
- DAmerica set up the same type of governing structure as Britain except for its monarchy.
22the significance of the preamble to the constitution's reading "we the people" rather than "we the states" is that...
- Athere was to be no change in the power relationship between the states and the nation in the new constitution.
- Bthe new constitution symbolically recognized the people for winning the Revolutionary War.
- Cthe states would not have to pay their war debts.
- Dthe national government under the Constitution would have direct power over the people, which it did not have under the Articles of Confederation.
23which type of power was given to the states under the constitution?
- Athe power to declare war
- Bsupremacy over the national government
- Creserved power
- Dnecessary and proper power
24the supreme court in McCulloch v. Maryland...
- Aruled in favor of state-centered federalism.
- Baffirmed that national law is supreme over conflicting state law.
- Cestablished the principle of judiciary review.
- Ddeclared the "necessary and proper" clause unconstitutional.
25which one of the following does not describe trends in government revenues and intergovernmental relations in the United States?
- Athe federal government raises roughly as much revenue as much revenue as do all state and local governments combined.
- Bunlike states and localities, the federal government controls the american dollar and has a nearly unlimited ability to borrow money to cover its deficits.
- Cthe states possess the organizational resources to make fiscal federalism a workable arrangement
- Dfinancial assistance from the federal government to the states is gradually being eliminated.
26the concept of devolution is used to explain...
- Aa shift in authority from the federal government to state and local governments.
- Bthe necessity for keeping federal and state spheres of responsibility absolutely separate from each other.
- Csupreme court rulings in the period between the civil war and the new deal
- Dincreased recognition that the industrial economy is not confined by state boundaries and must be subject to national regulation.
27categorical grants allow the states more flexibility and discretion in the expenditure of funds than do block grants
- ATrue
- BFalse
28the primary goal of writers of the constitution was to establish a national government strong enough to forge a union secure in its defense and open in its commerce.
- ATrue
- BFalse
29dual federalism is the idea that the national and state governments should not interfere in each other's activities.
- ATrue
- BFalse
30fiscal federalism involves the states raising money for programs and the federal government administering the programs.
- ATrue
- BFalse
31which constitutional amendment, as interpreted by the supreme court after 1925, provides protection of individual rights against the actions of state and local governments?
- A14th
- B10th
- C5th
- D4th
- E1st
32the exclusionary rule holds that...
- Apeople who are biased against the defendant may be excluded from serving on a jury.
- Ba court can order or constrain an action by an individual.
- Cevidence obtained by unconstitutional methods ordinarily cannot be used in a trial.
- D"fighting words" can be excluded from constitutional protection.
33the U.S bill of rights as originally approved and interpreted protected individual liberties from violation by...
- Astate governments only
- Bthe national government only
- Cboth national and state governments
- Dall levels of government in the United States
34the establishment clause prohibits government from...
- Aestablishing exceptions to the bill of rights
- Binterfering in any matters where church and the state conflict
- Cfavoring one religion over another or supporting religion over no religion
- Dinterfering with a person's practice of religion
35the right of privacy was the basis for the supreme court ruling in
- ARoe V. Wade
- BMapp V. Ohio
- CMiranda V. Arizona
- DSchenk V. United States
36the term that refers to the methods that authorities must use before a person can legitimately be punished for an offense is...
- Athe three-point test
- Bthe right of privacy
- Cprocedural due process
- Dsubstantive due process
37Sexual material that is offensive to any one individual in society is automatically deemed obscene and is not protected under the first amendment.
- ATrue
- BFalse
38selective incorporation refers to the process by which the supreme court through the fourteenth amendment's due process clause has applied many of the bill of rights guarantees to actions by state governments.
- ATrue
- BFalse
39To win a libel suit, public officials must prove that a news organization or journalist acted with knowing or reckless disregard for the truth.
- ATrue
- BFalse
40the supreme court supported the effort of the state of Texas to outlaw the burning of the american flag.
- ATrue
- BFalse
41the term civil rights refers to...
- Atreating groups equally under the law
- Bprotecting an individual's right to religious belief
- Cprotecting public safety
- Dpermitting marriage by justices of the peace
42the supreme court of the United States
- Ahas never tolerated discriminating against people on the basis of their race
- Boutlawed discrimination based on race in the plessy case
- Crefused to hear the legal case involving school segregation in Topeka, Kansas, because Kansas was not considered part of the south.
- Din Brown V. Board of education prohibited the practice of separate public schools for the purposes of racial segregation.
43the legal test that in some cases (such as the legal consumption of alcohol) allows government to treat people differently based on their characteristics (such as age) is called the...
- Areasonable basis test
- Bstrict-scrutiny test
- Csuspect classification standard
- Dnone of the above
44government policies that have been implemented to eliminate discrimination with the goal of achieving "equality of result" include...
- Afood stamps
- Baffirmative action
- Cunemployment benefits
- Dall of the above
45regarding job-related issues, women...
- Ahave made gains in many traditionally male-dominated fields.
- Bhave achieved gains in the workplace through programs such as day care and parental leave.
- Chold a disproportionate number of the lower-wage jobs and are less likely to hold top-level management positions.
- Dall of the above.
46regarding affirmative action, supreme court decisions in the 1980's and 1990's have...
- Amoved to outlaw it entirely.
- Bmoved to narrow its application to specific past acts of discrimination.
- Casked congress to clarify the policy.
- Dasked the president to clarify the policy.
47de facto discrimination is much harder to overcome than de jure discrimination
- ATrue
- BFalse
48the history of discrimination against hispaniccs is virtually the same as the history of discrimination against african americans, which helps account for the similarity of their political and economic situations.
- ATrue
- BFalse
49in recent years, the equal-protection clause of the fourteenth amendment has been extended to include the elderly but not the disabled
- ATrue
- BFalse
50asian americans have made such great progress in overcoming discrimination that the percentage of asian americans in top managerial positions and elected political offices is greater than the percentage of asian americans in the U.S. population.
- ATrue
- BFalse
51low voter turnout in U.S. elections compared to other democracies is explained by all of the following except...
- Adifferences in registration requirements
- Buse of screen ballot
- Cfrequency of elections
- Ddifferences in the political party systems
52unconventional political activism includes all of the following except...
- Aparticipating in a social movement
- Btaking part in a political demonstration or march
- Cpracticing civil disobedience
- Ddoing volunteer work for a political candidate or party.
53which group has the lowest voter turnout level?
- Ahigh-income americans
- Bcollege educated americans
- Cyoung adult americans
- Damericans with a strong sense of civic duty
54in European democracies, voting registration is...
- Apurely an individual's responsibility
- Bthe responsibility of government officials
- Ctaxed, although the tax is only a small amount in most european countries
- Dopen only to citizens of thirty years of age or older in most european countries
55in comparison with citizens of european democracies, americans are more likely to...
- Avote in national elections
- Bjoin labor unions
- Cparticipate in community activities
- Dregard protest as the most patriotic form of participation
56which of the following statements does not describe political participation in america?
- Amany people who participate in politics often do so from a sense of civic duty
- Bamerica's culture of individualism discourages a reliance on political involvement
- Cthere are more barriers to regular participation in elections in the united states than in Europe.
- Damericans place more emphasis on the public (political) sphere as a means of attaining their social and economic goals that they place on the private (economic) sphere.
57more than in other western democracies, political participation in the united states is related to income level.
- ATrue
- BFalse
58people who participate in social movements tend to be younger than nonparticipants.
- ATrue
- BFalse
59the internet has increasingly been an important medium of election participation, including as a vehicle for contributing money to candidates' campaigns
- ATrue
- BFalse
60with regard to election campaigns, americans are more likely than europeans to contribute money and to volunteer their time to help a candidate or party.
- ATrue
- BFalse
61the formation of political parties...
- Aacts as a support for an elitist government
- Bmakes it difficult for the public to participate in politics
- Ccan mobilize citizens to collective action to compete for power with those who have wealth and prestige
- Dcan function as an alternative to free and open media
62a major change in party activity in the south since the 1960's is...
- Athe emergence of a viable third party.
- Ba sharp decline in voter turnout.
- Ca decline in the level of two-party competition in state and local elections.
- Da switch to support republican candidates in presidential elections
63the chief electoral factor supporting a two party system in the united states is...
- Aproportional representation
- Bmultimember election districts
- Csingle-member districts with proportional voting
- Dsingle-member districts with plurality voting.
64the high cost of campaigns in the united states is largely related to...
- Arunning televised ads
- Bdeveloping an effective website
- Corganizing door-to-door canvassing efforts
- Dpaying the legal and accounting expenses related to filing information about campaign donors and expenditures with the federal elections commisions
65in the recent decades, state political party organizations in the united states have...
- Abecome weaker and less effective
- Btaken over control and direction of the national parties
- Cbeen hurt by services provided by the national party organizations
- Dbecome more professional in staffing and support of statewide races
66European and American political parties differ in which of the following ways?
- Athe degree to which they are party centered as opposed to candidate centered.
- Bthe nature of their party organizations: the extent to which they are organized at the local and national levels, and the amount of power that exists at each of these levels.
- Cthe type of electoral system in which they elect their candidates to office.
- Dall of the above.
67the coalitions of voters that make up the republican and democratic parties are virtually identical.
- ATrue
- BFalse
68primary elections help strengthen party organizations in the united states
- ATrue
- BFalse
69U.S. political parties are organized largely from the bottom up, not the top down.
- ATrue
- BFalse
70modern-day parties in the united states are described in the text as having more of a service than a power relationship with candidates.
- ATrue
- BFalse
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- end of chapter self quizes from chapters 1 through 8, but not including chapter 6 in the american democracy eleventh edition by Thomas E. Patterson
- Author
- Jess Todd
- Language
- English
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