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Q:
The separation of government powers into three branches (executive, legislative, and judicial) is sometimes called the
a. Compromise model.
b. American model.
c. Washingtonian model.
d. Madisonian model.
e. Jeffersonian model.
Q:
The concept of separation of powers was included in the Constitution to prevent
a. disputes between the federal and state governments.
b. the imposition of export taxes.
c. a major dispute over power between the House and the Senate.
d. disputes over power between Congress and the president.
e. the imposition of tyrannyeither by the majority or by a minority.
Q:
The United States is among the few countries that does not tax their exports becausea. it does not need the money.b. exportation is a natural right.c. the South obtained a promise that export taxes would not be imposed.d. the World Trade Organization prohibits it from doing so.e. the president of the United States of America vetoed the bill.
Q:
Which of the following was NOT a compromise made in the Constitution?
a. There was no ban on the importation of slaves before 1808.
b. Only a Supreme Court was mandated, and the establishment of lower courts was left up to Congress.
c. Slavery was outlawed.
d. Representation in the House of Representatives was based on a state's population.
e. States were equally represented in the Senate.
Q:
The three-fifths compromise illustrates the power of ______ at the Constitutional Convention.
a. the southern states
b. the northern states
c. the small states
d. the large states
e. women
Q:
The plan known as the Great Compromisea. was advanced by the delegates from Georgia.b. proposed a bicameral legislature.c. was presented too late to be considered.d. was proposed by Texas.e. proposed a unicameral legislature in which each state would have one vote.
Q:
The supremacy doctrine asserts the priority of
a. large states over small states.
b. non-slave states over slave states.
c. national law over state laws.
d. natural law over man-made laws.
e. the legislative body over the chief executive.
Q:
Basically, the New Jersey Plan was
a. the result of the Great Compromise.
b. a way for large states to grab power.
c. simply an amendment of the Articles of Confederation.
d. simply an amendment of the Mayflower Compact.
e. the Constitution.
Q:
The Virginia Plana. called for a bicameral legislature.b. worked to the advantage of small states.c. provided for the direct election of a president by the people.d. settled all controversy at the Constitutional Convention.e. lacked the creation of a national judiciary.
Q:
A majority of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention were
a. unaware that there were problems with the Articles of Confederation.
b. against a strong central government.
c. nationalists in favor of instituting a monarchy.
d. moderates in favor of keeping the Articles of Confederation with very few changes.
e. nationalists in favor of a stronger central government.
Q:
Which state refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention?
a. Delaware
b. South Carolina
c. Rhode Island
d. Maryland
e. Virginia
Q:
Probably the most fundamental weakness of the Articles of Confederation, and the most basic cause of their eventual replacement by the Constitution, was thea. absence of an executive committee.b. lack of provision for a president of the United States.c. one-vote-per-state system.d. lack of ability to conduct foreign policy.e. lack of power to raise funds for the militia.
Q:
Which of the following was NOT true under the Articles of Confederation?
a. Congress was a unicameral assembly.
b. Congress lacked an independent source of revenue.
c. Congress could regulate foreign affairs.
d. The president of the United States was chosen by Congress.
e. Each state possessed a single vote in Congress.
Q:
The term confederation refers to
a. a system in which most power is with the central government.
b. a voluntary association of independent states.
c. a system in which state and local governments have equal power with the central government.
d. a national legislature.
e. the southern states where slavery was legal.
Q:
In almost all states, the ________ branch was predominant.a. militaryb. bureaucraticc. judicald. executivee. legislative
Q:
The American Revolution ended when Britain recognized American independence in the
a. Treaty of Paris.
b. Treaty of Bretton Woods.
c. Treaty of Geneva.
d. Treaty of Stockholm.
e. Declaration of Independence.
Q:
After American independence was recognized by Great Britain, General George Washington
a. declared himself king.
b. failed to mollify the grumblings of his officers.
c. disbanded the Continental Army.
d. spent seven more years ejecting the British from the Old Northwest by force.
e. retired completely from public life, never to return.
Q:
Rights held to be inherent in natural law, not dependent on governments, are calleda. constitutional rights.b. social benefits.c. implied rights.d. natural rights.e. enumerated rights.
Q:
The unalienable rights stipulated in the Declaration of Independence included the right
a. of free speech and a free press.
b. to freely associate and assemble.
c. to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
d. to life, liberty, and property.
e. to freedom of religion.
Q:
A _________ is a voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.a. confederationb. social contractc. unitary govenrmentd. constitutione. carte
Q:
Which of the following documents contained the phrase: "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed..."?a. Constitution of the United States of Americab. Declaration of Independencec. Magna Cartad. United Nations Chartere. Bill of Rights
Q:
Who wrote drafts of the Declaration of Independence before the American Revolution formally started?
a. John Locke
b. John Adams
c. Thomas Jefferson
d. George Washington
e. Benjamin Franklin
Q:
In Thomas Paine's Common Sense, he argued that
a. human affairs are naturally stable and self-correcting.
b. immigration to the colonies should be outlawed.
c. it is unwise and unsafe to rebel against the king.
d. an independent colonial government of their own is a natural right.
e. taxation is both important and necessary.
Q:
The Second Continental Congressa. established an army.b. signed a treaty with Great Britain that avoided armed conflict.c. signed a treaty with France to declare war with the colonies on Great Britain.d. created a unitary government in the United States.e. brought the remaining seven colonies into its organization.
Q:
All of the following about the First Continental Congress is true EXCEPT
a. it was comprised of delegates from twelve colonies.
b. the delegates spoke very little about declaring independence.
c. the delegates declared independence from Great Britain.
d. it resolved to petition King George III.
e. it was condemned by the British government as rebellious.
Q:
The colonists' fury over taxation reached its peak over
a. the French and Indian War.
b. the repeal of the Stamp Act.
c. the passage of the Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges.
d. the Boston Tea Party.
e. the Mayflower Compact.
Q:
Which of the following taxes did the British NOT impose on the colonists?
a. The Sugar Act
b. The Stamp Act, which taxed, among other things, legal documents and newspapers
c. Duties on glass, lead, and paint
d. A tax on tea
e. An income tax
Q:
Which of the following factors BEST influenced the taxation of the British colonies after 1763?
a. The coronation of King George III
b. The establishment of more colonies
c. The costs of defending the colonists during the French and Indian War
d. The purchase of Canada (Quebec) from the French
e. The Revolutionary War
Q:
All of the following developments took place in the colonial period EXCEPT
a. the colonists developed a concept of limited government.
b. the colonists exercised a large measure of self-government.
c. the colonists passed the Pennsylvania Frame of Government, which foreshadowed our modern Constitution.
d. Louisiana was established as the last of the thirteen colonies.
e. the colonists acquired crucial political experience.
Q:
One element of the Mayflower Compact's historical and political significance was that it
a. served as a prototype for many similar compacts.
b. shunned all previous forms of government.
c. did not depend on the consent of the affected individuals.
d. established the colony of Massachusetts.
e. was a constitution.
Q:
According to the Separatists, the Mayflower Compact was necessary because it
a. limited the power of women in the colonies.
b. imposed some form of public authority on the colonists.
c. protected the colonists from England.
d. protected the colonists from other foreign governments.
e. imposed religious order on the colonies.
Q:
The first permanent English colony in the Americas was a settlement at
a. Massachusetts Bay.
b. Roanoke.
c. Jamestown.
d. Charles Town.
e. Philadelphia.
Q:
Using the important American values of liberty, security, equality, and property, discuss the ways in which these values can be in conflict with each other. What role should government play in providing these things for all Americans?
Q:
THINK: Choose an important issue such as child care, health care, abortion, immigration, or welfare, and discuss a government policy a liberal and a conservative might design to help solve this issue.
Q:
Compare and contrast direct democracy to representative democracy. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? In what situations might a direct democracy work? When is a representative democracy more feasible?
Q:
What are the issues liberals and conservatives tend to support and oppose?
Q:
Why do you think that socialism has made little headway in the United States, despite its popularity in other parts of the world?
Q:
How have labels such as "liberal" changed over time? How do American values affect the use of different ideological labels?
Q:
Why does the mandate of equal treatment for all groups of Americans sometimes come into conflict with the concept of liberty?
Q:
Do you believe that pluralism theory or elite theory is the more accurate description of American politics? Why?
Q:
How can the continued existence of a representative democracy be guaranteed?
Q:
In what ways is the government involved in one's daily life?
Q:
The following statement was probably made by a ______: "The government should have no role in providing health care for the country. It would be best to provide a tax rate cut to stimulate businesses to provide more people with health care insurance."
a. liberal
b. conservative
c. communist
d. socialist
e. populist
Q:
All of the following are true of libertarians EXCEPT
a. libertarians oppose government attempts to promote moral values.
b. libertarians advocate redistribution of income.
c. libertarians support laissez-faire capitalism.
d. libertarians oppose most government activities.
e. libertarians support property rights.
Q:
Unlike liberals or conservatives, socialists advocatea. civil liberties.b. economic liberty.c. capitalism.d. property rights.e. ownership of businesses by the government or by cooperatives.
Q:
Liberals typically endorse all of the following EXCEPT
a. civil rights.
b. improving the welfare of individuals.
c. a limited role for the government in helping individuals.
d. government regulation of the economy.
e. greater tolerance for social change.
Q:
Conservatives generally place a high value on the principle of
a. poverty reduction.
b. government intervention.
c. social innovation.
d. order.
e. equality.
Q:
A closely linked set of beliefs about politics is calleda. a political culture.b. a dogma.c. a political ideology.d. the political spectrum.e. political science.
Q:
Americans are most likely to call for the benefits of big government when they are
a. uneducated.
b. experiencing low levels of unemployment.
c. concerned about their perception abroad.
d. experiencing an economic upturn.
e. reacting to a crisis.
Q:
Capitalism is
a. a political theory developed by Karl Marx.
b. an economic system marked by the private ownership of wealth-creating assets, free markets, and freedom of contract.
c. incompatible with property rights, including personal possessions and wealth-creating assets.
d. named for the centralization of economic power in the capitol.
e. unpopular in the United States.
Q:
The right to property is all of the following EXCEPTa. widespread in the United States.b. likely to provide power and liberty to those who own it.c. compatible with reducing economic inequality.d. fundamental to the capitalist system.e. a source of inequality in society.
Q:
The assumption the government couldn"t (or shouldn"t) do anything about the division of society between rich and poor began to lose its force in the
a. 1500s.
b. 1600s
c. 1700s
d. 1800s
e. 1900s
Q:
The concept that all people are of equal worth is called
a. popular sovereignty.
b. equality.
c. fraternity.
d. liberty.
e. liberalism.
Q:
The right to privacy isa. an unimportant liberty.b. an agreed-upon part of American political culture.c. a particularly controversial liberty.d. explicitly stated in the Bill of Rights.e. a central concept of democracy.
Q:
Many basic guarantees of liberty are found in
a. the protection of personal property rights.
b. the broadly defined rights of criminals, including protection from self-incrimination.
c. the Bill of Rights.
d. the rights of minorities.
e. national security.
Q:
Those personal freedoms, including freedom of religion and of speech, that are protected for all individuals in a society are called
a. civil liberties.
b. human rights.
c. God-given rights.
d. American ideals.
e. libertarian principles.
Q:
The dominant culture in the United States has its roots ina. American Indian civilization.b. Babylonian civilization.c. Norse civilization.d. Eastern European civilization.e. Western European civilization.
Q:
The concept of political socialization refers to
a. the process by which political beliefs and values are transmitted to individuals.
b. direct payments to individuals from the government through Social Security.
c. individuals who are opposed to the development of a socialistic government.
d. the gradual development of social programs within our national government.
e. the government taking over the economic sector of the country.
Q:
The two most important sources of political socialization are
a. the American Socialist Party and the Democratic Party.
b. the rapid growth of the federal deficit and uncontrolled immigration.
c. the family and the educational system.
d. direct payments to individuals from Social Security and 401Ks.
e. the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
Q:
A political culture is aa. written set of codes that dictate political action.b. club that attempts to influence governmental decisions.c. major problem for rulers of stable forms of government.d. patterned set of ideas, values, and ways of thinking about government and politics.e. manifestation of pluralism.
Q:
In the pluralist view, politics is
a. only useful for the wealthy in society.
b. the struggle among groups to gain benefits for their members.
c. insignificant at the lower levels of government.
d. marked by the division of society into two great classes.
e. the major problem in modern society.
Q:
Elite theory suggests that
a. elites rely on the input from interest groups within society.
b. governments can control economic policy, but not social institutions.
c. a single ruler from the elite class controls all aspects of the government.
d. people who are not part of the elite class can never enter it.
e. society is ruled by a small number of people who exercise power to further their self-interest.
Q:
The heart of ________ theory is the proposition that in a democracy, the government ought to do what the majority of the people want.a. eliteb. majoritarianc. pluralismd. aristocracye. game
Q:
A limited government is one in which
a. political participation is limited only to individuals who are educated.
b. government powers are limited, either through a written document or through widely shared beliefs.
c. many seats in the legislature are vacant.
d. government has the power only to make decisions regarding international and defense policy.
e. there is no higher authority than the local level of government.
Q:
All of the following are principles of democratic governments EXCEPT
a. universal suffrage.
b. majority rule and protection of minority rights.
c. free, competitive elections.
d. limited government.
e. limited right to vote.
Q:
To ensure that majority rule does not become oppressive, modern democraciesa. limit political participation to individuals who are properly educated.b. provide guarantees of minority rights.c. make voting mandatory.d. apply term limits to elected officials.e. require two-thirds support of the legislature before a law can be enacted.
Q:
In the United States, universal suffrage for all citizens has
a. always been part of our election process.
b. never been that important.
c. come under fire recently.
d. developed over time.
e. been available since the 1920s.
Q:
The concept of universal suffrage refers to
a. the right of all adults to vote for their representatives in government.
b. the problems people face in countries that do not have democracy.
c. the idea that political power should be used to eliminate food shortages throughout the world.
d. the belief that the whole world will suffer if certain political and economic ideas are allowed to spread.
e. a state of nature before governments existed.
Q:
Unlike in a democratic republic, in a representative democracya. there is no founding document.b. there is universal suffrage.c. all national policy decisions are made by the Senate.d. the monarchy may be retained in a largely ceremonial role.e. the people do not hold ultimate power over government.
Q:
Popular sovereignty means
a. that the sovereign is popular.
b. that the sovereign is supported by the people.
c. that ultimate political authority is based on the will of the people.
d. only one sovereign can serve at a time.
e. the sovereign can serve only two terms.
Q:
The type of government the United States has is
a. a direct democracy.
b. a representative democracy.
c. a confederation.
d. a constitutional monarchy.
e. an anarchy.
Q:
A republic isa. a conservative form of government.b. a direct democracy.c. a government in which sovereign power rests with the people, not a monarch.d. a totalitarian state.e. a government in which the people directly elect the president.
Q:
Regarding direct democracy, James Madison and other politicians of his time
a. believed it would lead to a more educated population.
b. believed it was the safest and most stable system of government.
c. feared it would lead to a tyranny of the minority.
d. championed it as the only acceptable form of government.
e. feared it would deteriorate into mob rule.
Q:
A procedure allowing the people to vote to dismiss an elected official from office before his or her term has expired is called
a. a referendum.
b. direct democracy.
c. a recall.
d. an initiative.
e. popular sovereignty.
Q:
The initiative and the referendum are botha. ways to remove a public official from office before to the end of his or her elected term.b. procedures used in Congress to prevent the passage of a bill by talking it to death.c. provided for in the Bill of Rights.d. constitutional mechanisms that are unique to California.e. modern adaptations of direct democracy.
Q:
The most important feature of Athenian democracy was that
a. everyone could vote.
b. elected delegates made the important decisions.
c. it was an aristocracy.
d. the legislature was composed of all the citizens.
e. women were included in the legislature.
Q:
The literal meaning of theocracy is
a. rule by society's elders.
b. rule by the most educated.
c. rule by God (or the gods).
d. rule by the eldest son of the previous ruler.
e. rule by priests.
Q:
Aristocracy means rule bya. the majority.b. the "best."c. the "few."d. those who can read and write.e. religious leaders.
Q:
Authoritarianism differs from totalitarianism in that
a. freedom of speech is allowed.
b. the leaders may be voted out of office.
c. it is considered a legitimate form of government.
d. only the government itself is fully controlled by the ruler.
e. all aspects of political, social, and economic life are controlled by the ruler.
Q:
Totalitarianism as a concept means
a. that every aspect of political, social, and economic life is controlled by the government.
b. the condition of having no government and no laws.
c. that ultimate political authority is vested in the people.
d. a limited republic where people elect officials to make decisions for them for a specific period of time.
e. a unified government.