We The People An Introduction to American Government 12th Edition by Thomas Patterson Test Bank

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We The People An Introduction to American Government 12th Edition by Thomas Patterson Test Bank

Chapter 01 Political Thinking and Political Culture: Becoming a Responsible Citizen

 Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following characterizes journalist Walter Lippmann’s views on democracy?
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.

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

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3. Based on his conception of responsible citizenship, John Stuart Mill felt that the best form of government was
A. authoritarianism.
B. anarchism.
C. communism.
D. democracy.
E. socialism.

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4. What type of government suppresses individuality, forcing people to think and act in prescribed ways or risk punishment?
A. communistic
B. socialistic
C. authoritarian
D. egalitarian
E. republican

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5. In a democratic society, who or what is responsible for personal development?
A. the education system
B. political parties
C. the progressive being
D. the individual
E. parents, ministers, and political leaders

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6. What is the major barrier to political thinking?
A. unwillingness of citizens to make the effort
B. lack of access to governmental institutions
C. elite control of political power resources
D. failure of politicians and government institutions to communicate policy details to the public
E. lack of access to news media sources outside of sensationalist television or Internet content

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

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8. Research suggests which of the following is primarily to blame for misinformation spreading easily?
A. lack of exposure to other sources of information
B. a failure of by the news to cover both sides of a story equally
C. a growing disinterest in seeking out news items
D. the growing public gap in access to more advanced forms of media transmission, such as the Internet
E. the increasing political polarization of elected politicians

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9. (p. 5) In a survey of college students, the Intercollegiate Studies Association found that the best predictor of a student’s later participation in the nation’s civic and political life is
A. a college degree.
B. a solid understanding of public affairs.
C. participation in student government.
D. participation in Greek life.
E. attending a school with a residential campus versus a “commuter” campus.

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10. This person was the chief architect of the United States Constitution and also one of America’s top political scientists
A. James Madison.
B. Andrew Jackson.
C. Woodrow Wilson.
D. Benjamin Franklin.
E. John Adams.

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11. Which important aspect of European thought had a big impact on the formation of the political culture of America?
A. Romanticism
B. Reformation
C. Renaissance
D. Rationalism
E. Enlightenment

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12. Which of the following is NOT one of the core values of American political culture?
A. individualism
B. equality
C. cooperation
D. liberty
E. self-government

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

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14. According to political scientist Louis Hartz, the United States
A. constitutes a “corporate dictatorship.”
B. was “born free.”
C. formed a perfect union.
D. is basically a monarchical state.
E. “perfected” socialist democracy.

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15. Individualism is a perspective that
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.

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16. To what aspect of America were William Watts and Lloyd Free referring when they labeled it “the country of individualism par excellence”?
A. the majoritarian nature of the voting and election system
B. the ability of any individual to aspire to high political office
C. the judicial nature of American politics, in which any individual can challenge powerful interests
D. the emphasis that Americans place on economic self-reliance and free markets
E. the ability of the individual to join in labor unions and interest groups to pursue his or her political and financial self-interests

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17. Europeans have a greater acceptance than Americans of
A. tax and social policies that redistribute wealth.
B. the strength of the executive branch of government.
C. the majoritarian system of government.
D. the influence of corporate special interests in the legislative process.
E. the influence of corporate money in the election process.

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18. One example of an authoritarian regime is
A. Great Britain.
B. France.
C. the United States.
D. China.
E. Canada.

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19. According to the Declaration of Independence, governments get their “just powers” from
A. “God Almighty.”
B. “the consent of the governed.”
C. “the various factions.”
D. “the teachings of Jesus Christ.”
E. “the benevolence of a just king.”

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

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

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22. The process by which a society settles its conflicts and allocates the resulting benefits and costs is called
A. politics.
B. government.
C. elitism.
D. socialism.
E. communism.

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23. ________ is the ability of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political developments.
A. Apathy
B. Politics
C. Power
D. Liberty
E. Political culture

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24. French philosopher Michel Foucault referred to politics as “________.”
A. like making sausage
B. the burden of citizens
C. a means to an end
D. war by other means
E. a necessary evil

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25. The Greek words demos and kratis together mean
A. majority rule is sacred.
B. the people rule.
C. government is good.
D. politics is immoral.
E. the king is good.

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26. In an oligarchy,
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.

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27. Which of the following has democracy come to mean in practice?
A. pluralistic government through the combination of popularly elected representatives and the influence of interest groups
B. oligarchic government through a legislature chosen through popular election
C. elitist control through interest group politics
D. pluralism through the election of representatives and the influence of corporate interests
E. majority rule through the free and open election of representatives

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28. The United States has certain rules in place to keep politics within peaceful bounds. These rules include all of the following EXCEPT
A. autocracy.
B. democracy.
C. constitutionalism.
D. free markets.
E. None of these answers is correct.

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

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30. The fact that farmers have more influence over agricultural price-supports than do other groups is an example of
A. majoritarianism.
B. pluralism.
C. elitism.
D. constitutionalism.
E. corporate power.

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