PSC 101 Final Exam | Questions and Answers (Complete Solutions)

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PSC 101 Final Exam | Questions and Answers (Complete Solutions) 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. Never has an American majority expressed a willingness to entrust health insurance fully to the government. D. America has a strong individualistic culture/ E. America's individualistic culture has not proven to be an absolute barrier to government assistance. The United States has certain rules in place to keep politics withing 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. In a constitutional system, A. there are no restrictions on the lawful uses of power, as long as this power is obtained by majority rule. B. there are lawful restrictions on a government's power. C. the economy is based on the free enterprise system. D. officials govern according to the traditions established by their predecessors. E. all citizens have absolute free speech rights. A government's authority A. is evidenced when a government officials use their right to exercise power. B. Is by definition not coercive. C. Does not include the power to arrest and imprison. D. ensures that lawlessness prevails most of the time. E. is based on pluralism. The process by which a society settles its conflicts and allocates the resulting benefits and cots is called. A. Politics. B. Government. C. Elitism. D. Socialism. E. Communism. __________ is the ability of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political developments. A. Apathy. B. Politics. C. Power. D. Liberty. E. Political culture. 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. 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." What is 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 sensationalist television or internet content. 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 A totalitarian government a. admits to no limits on its power. b. may control the media and direct the economy, but maintains public support by allowing such social rights as freedom of religion. c. controls through one-party rule, though it may allow some semblance of party opposition. d. controls through multi-party rule, in which it controls the electoral process to ensure its own party always achieves a majority. e. is often overthrown by opposition political parties or popular movements because it lacks legitimacy. 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. Pluralism contends that, on most issues, a. corporate elites have more control over economic policy than do "the politicians in the visible government." b. the will of the majority of the voting public determines government policy. c. it is the preference of the special interest that largely determines what government does. d. true authority lies with the elected politicians, and not with the public that put them in office. e. the diverse nature of the citizenry enhances the democratic process in policymaking. What new policy was established by the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Gideon v. Wainwright ruling? a. the right to trial by jury b. the need to charge an arrested suspect with a specific crime within 24 hours of arrest c. the requirement that police read a suspect his rights before or during arrest d. government provision of free legal counsel to the accused if they are too poor to hire a lawyer e. the practice of allowing a suspect out on bail until the time of the trial Roughly two-thirds of all lobbyists in the nation's capital represent a. activist organizations. b. labor unions. c. business firms. d. foreign-based political action groups. e. nonprofit organizations 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 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. Research suggests which of the following is primarily to blame for the increase in faulty perceptions of news items among the public? a. changes in the forms of communication b. a failure of government officials to communicate truthfully 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 As described in the text, "political thinking" a. is the reflection of an individual's ideological position when applied to political issues. b. results from an individual allowing personal bias to inform all thoughts about political issues, instead of doing objective learning or research to form an opinion. c. involves the careful gathering and sifting of information in the process of forming a knowledgeable view about a political issue. d. is the result of an individual's attempts to seek out news media that reinforce a pre-existing political bias. e. is a strategy taken by those seeking election to public office in which their publicly stated positions are designed to maximize their attractiveness to the widest voting bloc. 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. Which of the following is a difference between communism and socialism, as described by the text? a. Under socialism, the government owns some firms, but under communism, the government does not own any major assets. b. Under communism, the government assumes total management of the economy, whereas under socialism, the government does not try to manage the overall economy. c. Under socialism, the economy operates mainly through private transactions, but under communism, the government owns a number of major industries and tries to provide for people's basic economic needs. d. Under communism, the government manages the economy completely but does not attempt to provide for people's basic needs; under socialism, the government does not manage the economy completely, but does attempt to provide for people's basic needs. e. Under socialism, the government owns more industries than a communist government, but provides less direct benefit for individuals' welfare. The Bill of Rights added to the Constitution, among other things, a. a guarantee of freedom of speech. b. a division of governmental authority into three branches. c. checks and balances among the three branches of government. d. restrictions against the power of corporations to influence the election process. e. term limits for elected officials to reduce their power. The Bill of Rights a. reduced the restrictiveness of constitutionalism. b. enhanced the powers of the executive. c. further checked the power of the majority. d. enhanced the majoritarian nature of government. e. restricted the power of corporate influence in the government. In the first section of Federalist Papers, several dangers are outlined if the United States continued under the Articles of Confederation EXCEPT: a. state of disunion b. from the arms and arts of foreign nations c. enumeration of the dangers d. war between the states e. failing to establish a coat of arms Federalist No. 10 discusses the tendency to controlling faction and "Liberty is to faction what air is to fire." Madison gives two methods of removing the causes of faction: a. destroy liberty; give all citizens the same opinions, passions, interests b. create a democracy; elect a prime minister c. establish a public school system; establish a healthcare system d. create endorse faction; appoint a faction leader e. none of these The idea that government should be restricted in its lawful uses of power and hence in its ability to deprive people of their liberty is expressed by the term a. federalism. b. self-government. c. judicial review. d. limited government. e. natural rights. The European philosopher whose concept of natural rights had a great impact on American politics is a. Montesquieu. b. Locke. c. Hobbes. d. Aristotle. e. Burke. President John Adams publicly indicated that a. the federal government would not use force against common people that were simply seeking their inalienable rights. b. the Constitution was designed for a governing elite. c. dissent against the federal government would be welcomed as part of the birthing pangs of a republic. d. he disagreed with the concept of a republic and preferred more direct democratic rule. e. he felt he was the president of the "common folk." The words of the Declaration of Independence reflected a. Aristotle's conception of democracy. b. Montesquieu's view of constitutionalism. c. Hobbes's idea of the state of nature. d. Locke's philosophy of inalienable rights. e. Madison's view of factions. Early Americans' preference for limited government was strengthened by a. their exposure to life under the British Parliament and some of the "rights of Englishmen." b. Lockean philosophy. c. Britain's treatment of the colonies after the French and Indian War. d. taxation without representation. e. All these answers are correct. Through the grants of power in the Constitution, the framers sought to a. define the powers of state governments. b. create a government in which sovereignty was invested in the national government only. c. both empower government and limit it. d. enumerate the rights of individuals. e. abolish slavery. The Constitution prevents the government from suspending the writ of habeas corpus, meaning that the government cannot a. prosecute persons for acts that were legal at the time they were committed. b. establish a state religion based on Christian beliefs. c. enact laws that would legalize the practice of indentured servitude. d. jail a person without a court hearing to determine the legality of his or her imprisonment. e. silence freedom of the press. Which of the following chronologies is correct? a. Boston Tea Party (1773); First Continental Congress (1774); and beginning of the American Revolution (1775) b. Shays' Rebellion (1773); Annapolis Convention (1774); and Declaration of Independence (1776) c. Stamp Act (1775); Declaration of Independence (1776); and Philadelphia Convention (1788) d. Common Sense (1769); Declaration of Independence (1776); and The Federalist Papers (1783) e. Declaration of Independence (1776); Articles of Confederation (1787); Constitution (1791); and Federalist No. 10 (1795) The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that a. leaders are the trustees of the people. b. a weak government is always preferable to a strong government. c. all legislative and executive action should be controlled through judicial power. d. power must be used to offset power. e. legislators and executives cannot be trusted, but judges are trustworthy. The framers' most significant modification of the traditional doctrine of the separation of powers was to a. include federalism. b. include a two-chamber legislature. c. define legislative power precisely, while defining executive and judicial power only in general terms. d. ensure that the powers of the separate branches overlap, so that each could better act as a check on the others. e. grant the power of judicial review to the judiciary. In practice, the most significant restraint imposed by Congress on the president is its a. ability to override presidential vetoes. b. power of impeachment. c. power to make the laws and appropriate money, for these determine the programs the executive can implement. d. power to approve presidential appointees. e. power to investigate presidential activities. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution a. by the framers during the Philadelphia convention. b. in stages, from 1789 to 1798. c. in response to the freeing of the slaves during the Civil War. d. in response to the ideals of Jacksonian democracy. e. None of these answers is correct. The origin of the concept of separation of powers is most associated with a. Montesquieu. b. Aristotle. c. Hobbes. d. Locke. e. Jefferson. Marbury v. Madison is a landmark Supreme Court decision because it a. established national supremacy; turned a case that involved the issue of states' rights into one that asserted national power. b. set the precedent for judicial review; asserted the power of the judiciary without creating the possibility of its rejection by either the executive or the legislative branch. c. defined the scope of state powers under the Tenth Amendment. d. affirmed the necessary and proper clause. e. helped to end Thomas Jefferson's political career; gave more power to the presidency, at the expense of Congress. To the framers, the great danger of democratic government was the risk of a. tyranny of the majority. b. elite rule. c. special-interest politics. d. a weak presidency. e. judicial imperialism. The writers of the Constitution used the term ________ to describe a form of government that consists of carefully designed institutions that are responsive to the majority but not captive to it. a. democracy b. republic c. federalism d. majoritarianism e. separation of power The framers entrusted the selection of U.S. senators to a. specially chosen electors. b. state legislatures. c. direct vote of the people. d. state governors. e. federal magistrates. The writers of the Constitution devised the Electoral College as the method of choosing presidents because a. direct election was impractical due to the poor systems of communication and transportation that existed in the late 1700s. b. that method would shield executive power from direct linkage to popular majorities. c. that method guaranteed a majority winner. d. that method would give weight to the preferences of ordinary people. e. the framers had a great deal of faith in the wisdom of the masses. The term of office for a U.S. senator is ________ years, while that of a member of the U.S. House is ________ years. a. six; two b. four; two c. six; four d. four; four e. eight; four The writers of the Constitution justified different methods of selection and varying terms of office for the president, Senate, and House as a means of a. increasing popular influence. b. protection against rapid control by an impassioned majority. c. preventing elite control of government. d. maintaining experienced leadership. e. increasing voter turnout. In Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that a. government is most dangerous when a single group is powerful enough to gain full political control. b. monarchies are preferable to democracies. c. America was not diverse enough to prevent powerful interest groups from exercising too much political power. d. interest groups should be heavily regulated in America. e. interest groups are less troublesome than political parties. The first plan of government for the United States was a a. confederation. b. federalist system. c. unitary form of government. d. monarchy. e. theocracy. [Show More]

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