A political scientist is studying a major infrastructure bill passed by Congress but vetoed by the president. Following an institutional approach to this study, she could examine the _______.
a. relative costs and benefits of the project in question
b. general mood of the public regarding government spending
c. committee system in Congress and the advisory circle of the president
d. economic status of president and the people in Congress who voted in favor of the bill
Q. 2The rational-material view assumes that people are fundamentally interested in _____.
a. military strength and power
b. personal comfort and security
c. limited government and economic liberty
d. acting in ways that advance their ideals in the political sphere
Q. 3Institutions do which of the following?
a. They shape behavior by creating incentives
b. They reflect the values of society in general
c. They filter laws to make them easier for citizens to obey
d. They align material consequences with moral requirements
Q. 4Which of the following is an example of political description?
a. The U.S. political system is destructively dysfunctional.
b. The United States has the best system of representative democracy in the world.
c. The United States has the oldest functioning representative democracy in the world.
d. The U.S. political system advances the public more than any other system.
Q. 5Which of the following is an example of a normative claim?
a. Marxism is not a popular ideology in the United States today.
b. Modern conservatives and modern liberals share the same historical roots.
c. Citizens of every country should be able to vote in free and fair elections.
d. Somalia is a failed state because its government does not provide even basic services.
Q. 6Which of the following is an analytic argument for raising the minimum wage?
a. Corporations should not be allowed to pay their workers so little that they qualify for food stamps.
b. The minimum wage should be tied to the cost of living so that everyone working full time earns a living wage.
c. Increasing the minimum wage would be a small step toward lowering income inequality, which should be a major priority of the federal government.
d. Minimum wage earners typically spend most of their incomes on necessities such as rent and food, limiting their ability to contribute to economic growth.
Q. 7A political philosopher would most likely do which of the following?
a. Describe the platforms of various parties in any given country.
b. Examine the behavior of party leaders in various countries.
c. Compare and contrast foreign policies of two or more countries.
d. Compare and evaluate ideologies competing for adherence in a given country.