Contemporary American Democracy.docx

Contemporary American democracy The who of politics includes voters, candidates, groups and parties; the what refers to the institutions that respond to voters, candidates, groups, and parties. substance of politics and government-benefits and burdens. winners and losers. Procedures through which voters, candidates, groups, and parties get what they want. Media organizations that cover voters, candidates, groups, and parties. 2) The recent proliferation of interest groups would be seen as a positive development to proponents of ______ theory. bureaucratic pluralist class hyperpluralist elite Public policy involves making decisions includes what government chooses NOT to do. Consists of laws passed by Congress. All of the above. None of the above. The basic principles of traditional democratic theory include all of the following EXCEPT citizen control of the agenda. equality in voting. effective participation. government control of information. inclusion. What unites Americans more than anything else? A belief in group politics Participation in elections Their political culture Liberal attitudes toward immigration The president 8) Which of the following is TRUE about the United States? A) The United States, more than western European democracies, displays a preference for free markets. B) The United States, more than western European democracies, displays a preference for limited government. C) The United States, more than western European democracies, displays a preference for more generous social welfare benefits. D) Both A and B. E) All of the above. 9) According to Michael DelliCarpini and Scott Keeter, political knowledge is important because it A)promotes active participation in politics. B)helps citizens identify policies that would benefit them. C)fosters civic virtues. D) All of the above. E) None of the above. 10) Public Policy A)only relates to democracies. B)includes all decisions and nondecisions made by government. C)is specifically designed as government action. D) is not relevant unless it is coupled with political culture. E) None of the above. 11) Which of the following statements about American youth is false? A) In a 2007 nationwide survey, only 37 percent of college freshman said that “keeping up with politics” was an important priority for them. B) Political interest among college students rose to record heights following September 11th, surpassing levels of interest among college students of the 1960s. C) American youth are more likely to be informed about politics than are older Americans. D) All of the above. E) Both B and C. 12) Which of the following is NOT part of the national government? A) Presidency B) Judiciary C) Federal administrative agencies D) Congress E) Interest Groups 14) Which of the following is a linkage institution? A) USA Today B) The House of Representatives C) The president’s cabinet D) All of the above 15) President George W. Bush’s statement, “Our opponents trust the government; we trust the people,” is an expression in favor of A) reducing the scope of the government B) increasing the scope of the government C) increasing government spending D) increasing the role of congress E) reducing the role of representation in American democracy 17) Which of the following best describes a linkage institution? A) An environment where one learns about the political process B) A gathering of people to represent a public opinion C) A location to express a political opinion D) Formation of a special interest group E) A channel through which people’s concerns become a part of the political agenda 18) Those who argue that the United States is in the middle of a cultural war argue that Americans are becoming increasingly A) polarized” B) secular C)egalitarian D) hypocritical E) isolationist 19) One of the primary reasons for the comparatively small scope of American government is A) pluralism B) individualism C) liberalism D) capitalism E) judicial review 20) Free speech and a free press are essential to which principle of traditional democracy theory? Citizen control of the agenda Equality in voting Effective participation Enlightened understanding Inclusion 22) Which of the following statements is NOT true of age and political knowledge? Young people in 2004 are less knowledgeable than older Americans. In 1964, there was virtually no relationship between age and political knowledge. Young people in 2004 are more knowledgeable than older Americans. In 1964, Americans under the age of 30 ranked higher on measures of political knowledge than did the senior citizens. In 2004, young people gave fewer correct answers to political knowledge questions than did the older Americans. 23) A primary difference between President Clinton and President G. W. Bush is that Bush favored widening the scope of government; Clinton favored narrowing it. Clinton believed that people, not government, should make important decisions about matters such as health care; Bush believed that government, not people should make important decisions about matters such as health care. Clinton favored widening the scope of government; Bush favored narrowing it. Bush wanted to cut the federal work force; Clinton wanted to expand it. Both C and D 24) Which of the following statements is False? a) Most advanced industrialized democracies have a system of national health insurance; the U.S does not. (Before Obama) b) Compared to most other economically developed nations, the U.S devotes a smaller percentage of its resources to government. c) Government in the U.s does more than governments of similar countries. d) The U.S, more than Western Europe democracies, prefers limiter government and free markets. e) Both C and D 25) Escalating campaign cost pose a challenge to contemporary American democracy because Candidates may be more likely to pay attention to PACs because they depend on PAC contributions for reelection. Candidates have become dependent on PACs, which represent specific economic interests rather than the American people as a whole. Candidates’ reliance on PACs and PAC contributions make them more likely to get involved in single- issue politics All of the above None of the above 26) Which of the following statements is TRUE of the relationship between age and political knowledge as suggested by data from the National Election Studies? A) Americans age 65 and older display higher levels of political knowledge in 2004 than they did in 1964. B) Americans younger than age 30 had higher levels of political knowledge in 1964 than in 2004. C) Americans younger than age 30 have higher levels of political knowledge in 2004 than they did 1964. D) Since 1964, all Americans’ political knowledge has decreased. 27) Who claimed that there has been, nor ever will be, a people who are politically ignorant and free? A) George W. Bush B) Bill Clinton C) Franklin D. Roosevelt D) Thomas Jefferson E) Ronald Reagan 28) Hyperpluralists believe that the dominant players in American politics are A) groups B) government officials C) rich individuals D) poor individuals E) the media 30) The nature of groups and the government in hyperpluralist theory is A) strong groups and weak government. B) weak groups and strong government. C) strong government and strong groups. D) weak groups, strong elites, and weak government. E) too few groups result in the creation of many governments. 31) ________ is the process by which policy comes into being and evolves over time. A) The policymaking system B) The bureaucracy C) A constellation D) Government E) Democracy 32) Which president said, “I want to talk to you about what the government can do because I believe government must do more,” in a presidential address to Congress Ronald Reagan Gerald Ford Bill Clinton Richard Nixon Jimmy Carter 33) The principle that, in a democracy, choosing among alternatives requires the majority’s desire to be respected is called pluralism. majority rule. representation. enlightened understanding. minority rights. 34) At the center of all theories of the elite domination of politics is A) big business. B) the nouveau riche. C) the president. D) the Trilateral Commission. E) the Congress. 35) The describes those issues that attract serious attention from public officials and policymakers. bureaucracy backburner gatekeeper policy agenda policymaking process 36) The institutions and processes through which public policies are made for a society are all collectively called government. power. politics. the separation of powers. federalism. 37) Pluralist theory suggests that, in the United States, A) society is governed by an upper-class elite. B) too many influential groups cripple government’s ability to govern. C) many groups vie for power with no one group dominating politics. D) because most citizens fail to pay attention to serious issues, government has become an elite institution. E) Congress is stronger and more influential than the presidency. 38) The diversity of the American people is reflected in a great diversity of, which may pose a challenge to democracy to the extent that A) interests conflict and, thus, each interest uses its influence to thwart others. B) it contributes to policy gridlock. C) it leads to lower levels of political participation. D) it makes it more difficult for government to deliver policies thata re responsive to all citizens’ needs and interests. E) All of the above 39) The notion that, in politics, the desires of the people should be replicated in government through the choices of elected officials is called A) majority rules. B) pluralism. C) political participation. D) representation. E) minority rights. 40) Which of the following statements is TRUE? A) The authors of the U.S. Constitution were wary of democracy and doubted the ability of ordinary Americans to make informed judgments about what government should do. B) Government “by the people,” is literally impossible in the U.S. C) Most in most democracies around the world believe that although democracy has its faults, it is the best form of government. D) All of the above E) Both A and B 41) What kind of public policy involves the legislative enactment of taxes and expenditures? A) Congressional statute B) Court decision C) Presidential action D) Regulation E) Both A and B 42) Which of the following is an example of a linkage institution? A) Political parties B) Interest groups C) The presidency D) All of the above E) Both A and B 44) The U.S. troop invasion of Iraq resulted from a A) Congressional statute. B) court decision. C) budgetary choice. D) presidential action. E) regulation. 45) Patrick Henry’s exclamation, “Give me liberty or give me death,” was an expression of which element of the American creed? A) Liberty B) Populism C) Laissez-faire D) Egalitarianism E) Individualism 46) According to James Q. Wilson, an “intense commitment to a candidate, a culture, or an ideology that sets people in one group definitely apart from people in another, rival group,” is a definition of A) polarization B) liberalism C) laissez-faire economics D) socialization E) reification 47) The theory that argues that group competition results in a rough approximation of the public interest in public policy is A) hyperpluralist theory B) pluralist theory C) bureaucratic theory D) elite and class theory E) balance of power theory 48) The well-known phrase, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal,” in the Declaration of Independence is a statement of the principle of A) libertarianism B) republicanism C) egalitarianism D) individualism E) communism 49) PAC stands for A) Policy Advisory Committee B) Politically Active Constituency C) Partisan Assistance Commission D) Party Affairs Council E) Political Action Committee 50) A law passed by Congress and an agency adoption of a regulation are both examples of A) interest groups B) exercises in public opinion C) majoritarian politics D) red tape E) public policies 51) Which of the following is NOT policymaking institution established by the Constitution? A) Congress B) The presidency C) The media D) The courts E) Both C and D 53) Which of the following statements helps explain the link between youth voter turnout and changes in the media communication and technology? A) Most young Americans have not developed habits of following the news B) The current generation is the first to grow up in a media environment with few shared experiences C) The proliferation of televisions channels makes it easier for young Americans to avoid exposure to politics D) All of the above E) A and B only 54) Another name for a law passed by Congress is a(n) A) budgetary choice B) bill C) congressional statute D) regulation E) presidential action 56) Enlightened understanding, inclusion, and majority rule are A) among Robert Dahl’s five criteria for democracy. B) of little consequence to the United States’ constitution. C) incompatible with pluralist politics. D) second in importance to equality in voting and citizen control of the agenda. E) impossible to achieve in the United States 57) Which principle of traditional democracy theory is violated in circumstances in which the wealthy have influence far exceeding what would be expected based on their numbers? A) Effective participation B) Equality in voting C) Citizen control of the agenda D) Enlightened understanding E) Inclusion 58) Which of the following is TRUE of voter turnout in the United States? A) People over 65 have turned out to vote at a higher rate than young Americans since the early 1970’s. B) Young Americans have increased voter participation in the early twenty-first century, but still vote at lower rates than they did in the early 1970s. C) In 2004, young Americans surpassed a record of voter turnout, set earlier in the 1970s. D) Both A and B are true. E) None of the above is true. 1) B 2) B 3) D 4) E 5) D 6) C 7) D 8) D 9) D 10) B 11) E 12) E 13) A 14) A 15) A 16) B 17 ) E 18) A 19) B 20) D 21) C 22) C 23) C 24) C 25) D 26) B 27) D 28) A 29) A 30) A 31) A 32)C 33) B 34) A 35) D 36) A 37) C 38) E 39) D 40) D 41) E 42) E 43) A 44) D 45) A 46) A 47) C 48) C 49) E 50) E 51) C 52) C 53) D 54) C 55) D 56) A 57) C 58) D