American Government Chapters 1-5

What is the term for the increasing interdependence of citizens and nations across the world?

Globalization

Nations around the world have police and judicial systems that use firearms and imprisonment to help control erratic human behavior. What term is used to denote this legitimate use of force?

Government

What is national sovereignty?

A nation’s externally recognized right to exercise final authority over its affairs

Why are most citizens willing to surrender their freedom to the control of the government?

To obtain the benefits from the government

Which of the following choices does the rule of law accomplish?

Maintaining order

What is the basic purpose of government according to John Locke?

To protect life, liberty, and property

How did the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine impact domestic politics?

It increased gasoline prices in the United States

Which two models of democratic government can be used to evaluate the American governmental process?

Majoritarian and pluralist

How does the United Nations' International Maritime Organization's 2020 regulation on sulfur content in ship fuel demonstrate the impact of globalization on U.S. domestic policy?

It required U.S. ships to buy more expensive fuel and the government to monitor compliance.

What type of equality did President Lyndon B. Johnson aim to achieve through government policies that redistribute wealth and status?

Social equality

Which of the following examples reflects political equality?

Every citizen gets one and only one vote

What was the original purpose of government?

To protect life and property

Which of the following government actions represents the conflict between freedom and order?

Increased electronic surveillance of phone conversations after the 9/11 terrorist attacks

What concept is central to protests against unequal pay between male and female workers?

Equality

Which of the following policies exemplifies the modern dilemma of government, specifically the conflict between freedom and equality?

The Equal Pay Act, which requires employers to pay women and men the same rate for equal work.

In some countries, the government has unlimited power and controls all sectors of society, including every aspect of individual behavior. Which ideology does this represent?

Totalitarianism

Which of the following choices is something that a democratic socialist government might do for citizens?

Guarantee civil liberties and allow citizens to decide on the extent of government activity

Economist Milton Friedman believed that free enterprise is necessary for free politics. Which ideology does his view represent?

Capitalism

Which political ideology opposes government action except what is necessary to protect life and property?

Libertarianism

Consider that totalitarianism and anarchism are philosophies on opposite sides of the political continuum. Given the condition that totalitarianism is the belief that government should have unlimited power, which of the following options is a central concern of the philosophy of anarchism?

Freedom

Which political ideology is premised on the belief that government should allow people to pursue their preferred lifestyles?

Liberalism

Which of the following choices is a liberal more likely to support than a conservative?

Approving the use of power to promote equality

Which two political ideologies might agree that supporting uninhibited and fully funded police action are a part of maintaining social order?

Conservatives and communitarians

Which of the following best describes the idea of social order?

Established patterns of authority in society and traditional modes of behaviour

Which two ideologies oppose government activities such as affirmative action?

Libertarians and conservatives

Based on Greek political thought concerning democracies, what type of government exists when one individual has the power to make all the important political decisions?

Autocracy

Which of the following terms means that citizens in a country rule it?

Democracy

At one point in history, relatively few landowners had a stronger hold on governmental power compared to the larger population that did not own land. Which of the following terms describes this type of government?

Oligarchy

Which of the following questions is addressed by the procedural democratic theory?

Who should participate in decision making?

Which term describes the concept that the decision of a group must reflect the preference of more than half of those participating?

Majority rule

A political science student insists that the instructor consider changing a policy in the syllabus so long as more than half of the class agrees with the syllabus policy revision. Which principle is the student demonstrating?

Majority rule

In which system of government do citizens rule themselves rather than electing representatives to govern on their behalf?

Participatory democracy

Which of the following examples reflects participatory democracy at work?

A town meeting and neighborhood council

What version of democracy did the Framers institute as they shaped the American government system?

Representative democracy

According to most supporters of substantive democratic theory, which of the following choices should governments guarantee?

Civil liberties and civil rights

What is/are minority rights?

The idea that all citizens are entitled to certain things that cannot be denied by the majority.

A recently elected senator plans to adhere to the decision-making principles outlined by the procedural democratic theory. The senator intends to vote on policies according to the desires of the majority of the constituents. Which decision-making principle does this demonstrate?

Responsiveness

Which model of democracy is based on the idea of fairness and compels government officials to respond to public opinion?

Majoritarian

What is the substantive theory of democracy

The theory that democracy is embodied in the substance of government policies rather than in the policy-making procedure.

What is one benefit to being an organized and wealthier group compared to inadequately organized and poorer groups?

Less-organized and poorer groups are less likely to have their concerns addressed, whereas, wealthier and well-organized groups receive greater policy-maker attention.

According to the pluralist model of democracy, what is the phrase “government by the people” meant to include?

Competing interest groups

According to political scientist Robert Dahl, there are multiple centers of power, not a single center of sovereign power. Which form of government aligns with Dahl’s perspective?

Pluralist model of democracy

Which of the following concepts requires candidates that lose elections to accept election outcomes and allow their political opponents to govern?

Peaceful transition of power

According to elite theory, which government structure best characterises the United States?

Oligarchy

How would the distribution of political power differ between a society governed according to elite theory and one governed according to pluralist theory?

In an elite theory system, power would be concentrated among a stable, wealthy minority, while in a pluralist system, power would be more diffused among various competing interest groups.

What is the process of transition a country goes through to move from an authoritarian form of government to a democratic one?

Democratization

A country has recently overthrown its authoritarian government and is struggling in its attempt to transition to democracy. Which of the following factors is most likely to complicate the country’s process of democratization?

Ethnic and religious conflict

Which country represents the world's largest democracy, though it still has its problems?

India

Which political system does the United States appear to adhere to the most?

Pluralist

Which of the following statements best describes political parties in the United States in recent years?

Political parties are more sharply divided along conservative and liberal dimensions.

Why were the Sons of Liberty formed in the colonies?

The group was formed to protest and destroy items being taxed by the British.

The principles underlying the Declaration of Independence were rooted in the writings of which philosopher?

John Locke

The idea of consent on the part of those who are governed is derived from which concept?

Social contract theory

How does the U.S. Constitution's design primarily align with the pluralist model of democracy?

By creating a system of checks and balances

What compact among the thirteen original colonies established the first government of the United States?

Articles of Confederation

Which 1780s event demonstrated that the “league of friendship” under the Articles was incapable of suppressing insurrection and keeping order, creating a sense of urgency at the Philadelphia Convention to strengthen the national government?

Shay’s Rebellion

Which plan, offered during the Constitutional Convention, suggested three branches of government and two houses in the legislature?

Virginia Plan

Which of the following options was the idea in the Virginia Plan?

Division of the legislature into two houses

What were the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan both concerned with, but had different approaches to addressing?

Representation

When the Electoral College was created as the nation's official voting system, what fear related to the federal government was eliminated?

Fear of a popular vote controlled by the people

Which form of government is designed so that power resides in the people and is exercised by their elected representatives?

Republicanism

Why were the Framers skeptical that a republican government could be sustained?

A republic works best in small territories

What is the division of power between a central government and regional governments, one that essentially creates two bodies of law?

Federalism

Which term describes what Congress relies upon in order to take action and execute its enumerated powers?

Implied powers

What belief was commonly shared by the Federalists?

That power should be centralized in a strong national government

What did James Madison’s Federalist 10 argue that the new Constitution would do?

Madison argued that the Constitution would break and control factions.

What is the main reason why Antifederalist states agreed to ratify the Constitution?

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.

When thinking about the processes to amend the U.S. Constitution, which method has been used most often?

Proposing amendments by a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate

What was created with the decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803)?

Judicial review

What is the proportion of the vote in both the House and the Senate that must support a constitutional amendment in order for it to be considered?

Two-thirds

Which aspect of the U.S. Constitution most clearly demonstrates its divergence from the majoritarian model of democracy?

Its focus on preventing the concentration of power in the majority

Which model of democracy best reflects the system of governance established by the U.S. Constitution?

Pluralist

Which of the following was one of the main reasons the Articles of Confederation failed?

The articles could not be amended without the unanimous agreement of the Congress.

What did the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-Sixth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution do?

Expanded the right to vote

Which institution best captures the Framers’ desire to avoid a majoritarian model of democracy?

Electoral College

In a country where both national and state governments have the authority to regulate environmental standards, how would this arrangement be characterized in terms of governmental structure?

Federalism

In Federalist 10, James Madison wrote that the federal Constitution forms a happy combination of “great and aggregate” interests as well as “local and particular” interests. What did Madison’s words mean about how power is organized under the Constitution?

Power was meant to be exclusive or shared.

What is the elastic clause?

A constitutional clause that gives Congress implied powers.

A state government passes a law regulating air quality standards within its borders, asserting that environmental protection is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution as a federal power. The federal government does not intervene, respecting the state's decision. Which theory of federalism does this scenario most closely demonstrate?

Dual federalism

What does the layer cake metaphor, with its distinct layers, represent?

Dual federalism

Which Supreme Court case expanded the national government's role through its interpretation of the elastic clause when it ruled that the government could establish a national bank?

McCulloh v. Maryland (1819)

A state government wants to implement a new program to improve math education across all grade levels, allowing each school district to decide how best to use the funds based on their specific needs. Which type of federal grant would be most appropriate for this purpose?

Block grants

The superintendent of a disadvantaged school district is funded by a federal grant annually. The funds allocated to the school district are determined by a set of specific rules and calculations, such as the number of students in the district or the rate of poverty. Which type of federal grant does the superintendent need to apply for each year?

Formula

Which type of grant-in-aid is distributed according to specific rules that define eligibility and how much each eligible government will receive?

Formula grants

How are competitive grants distributed?

Potential recipients submit an application, and the grant is awarded to the winner.

Which of the following is one way that national-level politicians can help state and local favorites gain office?

Returning home to campaign for them

What level of government do liberals believe to be in the best position to provide support for healthcare, housing, and other essential needs?

Federal

What is it called when Congress enacts a law and in doing so assumes complete or partial responsibility for a state government function?

Preemption

If the federal government declares that no individual state is allowed to dump manufacturing waste into any open waterway, what type of intervention is in place?

Restraint

What prompts redistricting?

Changes in population

What does pre clearance process determine?

Redistricting does not negatively impact minority voters.

Which forms of government does the U.S. Constitution specifically recognize?

National and state governments

Which of the following choices falls under the purview of a municipal government?

City

What are government units created to perform a particular function, such as water purification and distribution?

Special districts

Which of the following statements best describes the concept of home rule?

It gives cities a measure of self-government and freedom of action.

Why did the U.S. federal government sue the state of Arizona over a law known as Senate Bill 1070 adopted in 2010?

Arizona was attempting to control and criminalize immigration behaviors.

How might the rise of coercive federalism impact the balance between pluralism and majoritarianism in the United States?

It may shift pluralistic struggles from state to national venues while promoting more uniform national standards.

By recognizing the legitimacy of the states as political divisions, the federal system also recognizes the importance of diversity. Which foundational principle of democracy does this recognition support?

Pluralism

Which theory of federalism aligns most closely with pluralism?

Dual federalism

By implementing mandates and restraints, what type of federalism has the national government created?

Coercive federalism