ch 1 Understanding American Politics textbook q's

The significant expansion of the federal government during the twentieth century can primarily be attributed to the efforts of the government to achieve which of the goals stated by the authors of the Preamble to the Constitution?

"promote the general Welfare"

There are many challenging problems that Americans face that benefit from government intervention—taking care of vulnerable populations, dealing with climate change, organizing the response to pandemics, and safeguarding against terrorist threats.

The beliefs about human nature Madison and the framers developed from the work of Hobbes guided them in developing mechanisms in the American structure of government that accomplished which function?

Balancing interests against one another

Hobbes claimed that a life without government would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

People who disengage from the political process because they believe it is too full of conflict misunderstand what concept about the American political process?

Living in a free society means that conflict in deciding public policy is inevitable.

Conflict can be helpful for group decision making: if nobody challenges a widely shared but flawed view, people may convince themselves that the obvious flaws are not a problem.

The defeat of President Trump in 2020, along with other one-term U.S. presidents who sought reelection, illustrates which valuable concept about the American political process?

Americans who are unhappy with policy makers and policy decisions can effect changes in policy by engaging in the political system.

By casting a vote, citizens are able to influence who gets elected, and therefore what policies get enacted.

Suppose a likely voter responds to a public opinion poll by saying her vote in the upcoming election centers on the issues of raising taxes on the "super-rich" and raising the minimum wage to a "living wage." Based on this, the respondent is most likely to identify with which political ideology?

Liberal

Liberals generally support social tolerance, stronger government programs, and more market regulation.

Election maps often used by media and political parties that show solid-colored red and blue states reflect which problem in the political process in the United States?

Characterizations of solidly "red" and "blue" states creates a misleading perception about the realities of the people who vote in the United States.

A more accurate representation would show voter preference on the city or county level. However, because of the way the Electoral College functions, most people care about the state's affiliation as a whole, rather than specific geographic breakdowns.

In a plural society like the United States, where there are many different cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, and other demographic groups, the ideas of liberty, equality, and democracy serve what function?

Broadly shared areas of general agreement that allow for common understandings and foundations for political compromise

Americans' ideas about liberty, equality, and democracy are norms—unwritten rules and informal agreements among citizens and elected officials about how government and society should operate.

The fact that the United States has a much larger wealth disparity and distinctly separate economic interests than when the framers wrote the Constitution is likely to contribute to which of the following scenarios in American politics?

Growing distrust of the government and political leaders to act in the best interest of Americans

Democratic politicians and activists tend to favor more redistributive tax policies, whereas Republicans are more supportive of the free market.

Suppose the New York Times newspaper revealed evidence that a popular political candidate was trading favors for campaign donations. When confronted with such stories, which of these is the primary question students of political science should ask when considering whether they should believe the claim?

"What is the reputation of the person or organization providing the information?"

Students should consider if the paper has a track record of producing reliable reporting. Furthermore, they should consider the background of the author—are they new to the business, or have they been reporting for years?

Which of the following items is most likely to be a story that the public can trust to be accurate?

A segment on National Public Radio’s (NPR) Marketplace reporting the most recent employment figures that features commentary from the White House chief economic adviser

NPR has a reputation for producing reliable reporting. This news story also relies on hard numbers and the commentary of an expert in the field.