Studied by 25 people
The responsible party government view
Which view about power is distributed in the United States attributes the majority of political power to elected politicians?
In the United States, many more offices are elective
What is one feature of democracy in the United States that distinguishes it from many European democracies?
Majoritarian politics
Which type of politics has distributed benefits and costs?
Elite theory
The idea that most important government decisions are made by an identifiable and stable minority that shares certain characteristics---especially wealth and business connections---is known as which of the following?
Economic self-interest may be important but is usually not the only guide to people's actions
What is the role of self-interest in the positions that people take on important issues?
Deciding wisely on issues is impractical and unlikely, but deciding on leaders is possible
Which of the following justifies the practice of representative democracy?
The bureaucratic view
When policies such as the Affordable Care Act delegate decisions such as whether birth control should be covered in all insurance plans to executive agencies like Health and Human Services, this would be an illustration of which theory of power?
The costs involved with a policy
Some estimates have found that Medicare-for-All would run about $32 trillion over a decade. This is an example of what?
Elite theory
If top political jobs for both political parties are filled only from an inner circle of top corporate leaders, this would be evidence for which of the following?
Conservative Southern Democrats
Prior to the 1960s, the plans of liberal presidents faced heavy resistance from whom in the Senate?
It is likely to lead to bad decisions
What did the Framers of the Constitution believe about democracy?
Entrepreneurial policy
An estate tax that imposes a tax on money in excess of $4.49 million passed down upon death is an example of what type of policy?
Business owners
Karl Marx believed that governments were dominated by whom or what?
Greece in the 4th century B.C.
The term participatory democracy applies most accurately to which of the following societies?
Representatives
To whom do most democracies give power to make laws?
Rule of the many
How did Aristotle define democracy?
Men
In the Greek city-state, or polis, which group had the right to vote?
Economic self-interest may be important but is usually not the only guide to people's actions
What is the role of self-interest in the positions that people take on important issues?
A republic
Which of the following best describes the government of the United States?
Males
Most people who hold national political office are in which of these groups?
Deciding wisely on issues is impractical and unlikely, but deciding on leaders is possible
Which of the following justifies the practice of representative democracy?
New England town meetings
Which of the following is an example of direct democracy?
New England town meeting
In the U.S. political system, which of these most closely approximates Aristotle's ideal of direct democracy?
The poor
According to the power elite view, which of these groups would not have control of politics?
As elitist
Those who disapprove of representative democracy might characterize it as which of the following?
Democratic
In the United States, no government at any level would be considered legitimate if it were not at least in some sense which of these?
Greece in the 4th century B.C.
The term participatory democracy applies most accurately to which of the following societies?
96 percent
In 1935, what percentage of American families paid no federal income tax?
Reserved
Under the constitution, what powers have been given exclusively to the states?
It would allow leaders to act promptly, decisively, and comprehensively
What is a major argument in favor of reducing the separation of powers called for in the U.S. Constitution?
Federalism
Dividing power between the states and the national government is referred to as what?
Freedom from taxation without representation
What was one of the basic liberties sought by the colonists through independence from Great Britain?
They opposed the new Constitution
Which of the following was true of the Antifederalists?
The three-fifths compromise
States were granted exxtra representation based on the number of slaves they held under which of the following?
Power to raise funds for the militia
A major weakness of the Articles of Confederation was a lack of which of the following?
Revise the Articles of Confederation
Originally, the Constitutional Convention's purpose was to do which of the following?
A detailed bill of rights
What was one primary feature of MOST early state constitutions?
Narrow
The scope and authority of power that Congress was granted under the Articles of Confederation can best be described as which of the following?
Population in the House and statehood equality in the Senate
The Great Compromise finally allocated representation on the basis of what?
Nine
How many special state conventions had to ratify the U.S. Constitution before it took effect?
The government over the rights and liberties of individuals
The Bill of Rights limits the power of which of the following?
The Electoral College
The president of the United States is selected by which of the following?
The inability of Congress to raise funds
The most basic weakness of the Articles of Confederation was which of the following?
Two or more government share power and authority over the same land and people
What is the basic premise of federalism?
Categorical grants
Which of the following are given to state or local governments for specific programs or projects?
California
In 1996, the voters of which state passed Proposition 215, a ballot measure permitting the "compassionate use" of marijuana or medicinal purposes?
The state and federal governments have separate functions
What is the doctrine of dual federalism?
They are different agents with different powers
Madison's description of federalism in Federalist No. 46 suggests that there should be little concern over conflicts between the federal and state governments. Why?
The Constitution's commerce clause gives the national government exclusive power to regulate interstate commerce
What did the Supreme Court find in Gibbons v. Ogden?
The states had all the power when the Constitution was written because of the Articles of Confederation
When examining the Constitution, why are reserved powers not clearly defined?
The states
In a confederation, from where does the national government derive its power?
Federalism
Which of the following systems of government has a written constitution and divided authority between the central government and states?
The claimed authority of the states to declare a federal law void for violating the U.S. Constitution
What does the doctrine of nullification refer to?
It is the authority to legislate for the protection of the health, welfare, safety, and morals of the people that is delegated to the states
Which of the following best describes police power?
They are requirements in federal legislation that force states to comply with federal rules
What are federal mandates?
Protect personal liberty
For the Founders, what was the purpose of federalism?
Devolution
What is the process of passing on many federal programs to the states called?
The elastic clause
The necessary and proper clause of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution is also known as which of the following?
Cooperative
Which of the following terms describes how state governments and the national government work together to solve the nation's problems?
The supremacy clause
What preemptive power is rooted in the Constitution that allows Congress to impose national priorities on states through national legislation?
The federal government steadily increased the number of strings attached to such grants
Why have block grants enjoyed only marginal success?
It is divided between the central government and regional or subdivisional governments
In a federal political system, how is authority distributed?
Liberals
Which of the following political ideologies favors the national governments over the state governments?
In the 20th century
When did the grants-in-aid system begin to grow rapidly?
The elastic or necessary and proper clause
What clause in the Constitution grants Congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its enumerated or expressed powers?
Layer cake
Which of the following metaphors best describes dual federalism?
Recall
What procedure, which is in effect in over 20 states, permits voters to remove an elected official from office?
It increased national power
Which of the following did the early Supreme Court generally do under Chief Justice John Marshall?
Marble cake
Which of the following metaphors best describes cooperative federalism?
It is exercising police powers
What does it mean when a state government passes a law that forbids texting while operating a vehicle?
They would depend on the federal government to be able to function
If states lacked the power to tax, then how would state government get their funding?
What federal officials perceived to be national needs
During the 1960s federal grants to states were increasingly based on what?
Conservatives
Which of the following political ideologies has traditionally favored state governments over the federal government?
Enumerated
Which of the following is the power to coin money, create naturalization laws, admit new states, and declare war?
Federalism
What is the system of government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between the national and state governments?
Children of well-off parents
Which are most likely to experience high levels of social capital?
Most Americans believe that everyone has the right to get ahead: "equality of opportunity"
Which of the following statements about economic equality applies most accurately to Americans?
Alan Abramowitz
Which political scientist holds that more Americans are choosing their party affiliations based on the party's positions on moral issues?
The military
Which has experienced an increase in public support over time?
The importance of religion is declining
From one generation to the next, how has the importance of religion in America changed?
A religious revivalist movement called the First Great Awakening
During the 1730s and 1740s, the political life of the American colonies was transformed by what?
Individualist
Which view of social policy is most popular in American political culture?
These organizations teach people how to cooperate, develop community service skills, and increase social capital
Why is civil society important in the United States?
There is a sustained and patterned way of thinking about political and economic life
A political culture occurs under what conditions?
Liberty
Which principle of American political culture holds that people should generally be able to do whatever they want as long as they don't hurt other people?
All political differences among nations are equally difficult to summarize
Which political difference among nations is the most difficult to summarize?
The availability of land
Why have some argues that democracy flourished early in America?
The Swedes are more deferential than participatory in their politics
In what way does the democratic political culture of Sweden differ from that of the United States?
Personal liberty with the need for social control
What did the U.S. constitution have to reconcile?
The low degree of class consciousness
What is one reason why economic inequality may be hard to address in policymaking?
Winning elections
What do most Americans believe primarily motivates public officials?
The more social capital a community has, the greater the level of trust among its members
What is the key argument of Robert Putnam?
Civic duty
What basic element of U.S. political culture holds that people ought to take community affairs seriously and help out when they can?
Progressive
Which type of individual would view personal freedom as more important than religion?
Protestant (work) ethic
The notion that individuals should work hard, save their money, and avoid dependence on the state is sometimes referred to as what?
Class consciousness
Americans have a comparatively low degree of what?
They were organized much like a political system
Why were churches in the United States important in the development of a sense of civic duty and civic competence?
Established religion
Religious diversity flourished in the United States due to the absence of what?
Its government was closely modeled after the Constitution
When the South seceded from the Union, what characterized its new government?
The individual
Who or what do most Americans generally believe determines success in life?
