American Government 100Part 1
Patterson, pgs. 1-23, A:AG1-11
Woll, pgs. 3-9
Political Thinking:
Becoming A responsible Citizen
True or False Questions
1. Because of the sophisticated and knowledgeable nature of the American electorate, the Bush administration was unable to manipulate them into believing that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11. True or False
2. According to research, young people between the ages of 18 years and 29 years are less informed than older Americans. True or False
3. Democracy allows people to people the freedom to act as they please, as long as their actions are not harmful to others. True or False
4. Democracy gives citizens the opportunity to personally develop but it has a double-edged sword. There is nothing to stop citizens from believing the world is flat rather than round. True
5. Because of the increase in modern communication, Americans today trust the news more so than ever before. True or False
6. According to Cass Sunstein, “when people find themselves in groups of like-minded people, they are especially likely to move to extremes.” True or False
7. The United States remains the only fully industrialized Western democracy that does not provide health insurance for all its citizens. True or False
8. The United States spends much more per capita on social welfare programs than do European democracies. True or False
9. In both relative and absolute terms, the United States has the largest number of hungry, sick, homeless, and poor people when compared with our West European counterparts. True or False
10. As the legislative battle over Obama’s health care proposal unfolded, opinion polls showed a steady decline in its public support. True or False
11. Americans place a greater emphasis than Europeans on personal advancement through education, argues Patterson. True or False
12. West Virginia—the American state with the lowest proportion of college graduates—has a higher percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree than does the typical European country. True or False
13. According to Robert Dahl, most democracies operate as majoritarian systems as opposed to pluralistic systems. True or False
14. When President Obama decided in 2009 to increase troop levels in Afghanistan, polls showed that the majority of the American people supported him. True or False
15. Compared with European constitutions, the U.S. Constitution places a greater number of restraints on majority power. True or False
16. Under socialism, like communism, the government owns most if not all major industries. True or False
17. A free market system operates mainly on private transactions. Firms are largely free to make their own production, distribution, and pricing decisions. True or False
18. In a free market system, individuals depend largely on government regulation and support to assure economic security for its people. True or False
19. The U.S. minimum wage is higher compared to France or Great Britain’s. True or False
20. For most of the first 2 centuries of the American nation, women and minorities were nearly excluded from the exercise of power. True or False
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is true about Iraq and the September 11th attack? a) Iraq had nothing to do with the attack, b) The Iraqi government provided only logistical support for the attack, c) Iraq secretly provided funds for the attack, d) The Iraqi government and the Afghan Taliban were loyal allies.
2. What stalled the health care bill of 2009 in Congress? a) The Obama administration opposed it, preventing its passage, b) Some senators successfully filibustered it, c) The United States has the best health care system in the world, allowing access to almost everyone, d) Most Americans believe that the government has no business providing them with health care and want to kill Medicare.
3. According to Thomas Patterson, when Americans were asked in a survey how many votes are necessary to end a filibuster in the Senate, whether it was 51, 60, 67, or 75, how many knew the correct answer? a) 26%, b) 31%, c) 43%, d) 55%
4. He said that “democracy is the best form of government: a) Karl Marx, b) Benito Mussolini, c) John Stuart Mill, d) Thomas Aquinas.
5. About what per cent of Americans get most of their news from cable television, talk shows, or Internet blogs? a) 23%, b) 50%, c) 51%, d) 85%
6. During the buildup to the Iraq invasion, individuals who got their news from cable television shows were: a) the best informed about the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda, b) the most misinformed about the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda, c) no better or less informed about the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda than those who did not watch cable news, d) to confused to know what Iraq and al Qaeda were all about.
7. Why do Americans favor less social welfare assistance than their West European counterparts, according to Patterson? a) Americans are selfish, uncaring people, b) The U.S. economy is much poorer than Western Europe’s economies, c) Because in the U.S., the private sector, including churches and other religious groups and organizations assume the social welfare role, d) Because Americans believe that such assistance erodes a person’s self-reliance and inevitably, independence and self-esteem.
8. In a 2009 Pew Research Center survey, what per cent of Americans expressed complete agreement when asked whether government has the responsibility to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves? a) 24%, b) 32%, c) 43%, d) 57%
9. About how many of America’s adults have a college degree, which is the world’s highest rate? a) 13%, b) 20%, c) 25%, d) 36%
10. Those who prevail in political conflicts are said to have: a) collateral, b) assets, c) power, d) capital.
11. The French philosopher Michel Foucault called politics: a) a means to an end, b) war by other means, c) absolute power corrupts absolutely, d) that government is best that governs least.
12. The most extreme political system: a) totalitarianism, b) authoritarianism, c) oligarchy, d) dictatorship.
13. A system of government where control rest with only a few people or small group: a) autocracy, b) theocracy, c) dictatorship, d) oligarchy.
14. A system of government where control rests with a single individual, such as a king or dictator: a) autocracy, b) federalism, c) implied power, d) constitutionalism
15. With the near collapse of the financial sector in 2009, sending the economy into a downward spiral, Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which amounted to how much money? a) $245 billion, b) $527 billion, c) $787 billion, d) $1.2 trillion.
16. The following holds that on most issues the preference of the special interest largely determines what government does: a) pluralism, b) confederation, c) unitary, d) majoritarianism.
17. The recognized right of officials to exercise power: a) appointed, b) elected, c) selected, d) authority.
18. How does the Constitution limit the power of oppressive majorities? a) majority rule, b) separation of powers, c) the filibuster, d) the bill of rights.
19. The following holds that there are lawful restrictions on government’s power; that there are basic rights that government cannot deny or abridge. a) constitutionalism, b) socialism, c) utopianism, d) realism.
20. The landmark Supreme Court decision that resulted in requiring a defendant an attorney and if he/she could not afford one, the government would a lawyer: a) Conrad v. Smith, b) Gideon v. Wainwright, c) Brown v. Florida, d) Miranda v. Arizona.
21. Why is the U.S. tax rate lower in the United States than in European countries, according to Patterson? a) Americans traditionally despise government regulation and the poor, b) The U.S. makes less of an effort to redistribute income from the rich to the poor, c) The U.S. government is far too weak to compel people and institutions to pay their fair share of taxes, d) U.S. tax rates are actually higher than they are in Western Europe.
22. What percent of all lobbyists in the nation’s capital represent business firms? A) 19%, b) 33%, c) 66%, d) 73%
23. The average European nation spends less than 3 percent of GDP on military spending. How much of the United States GDP is spent on military? a) 4%, b) 6%, c) 8%, d) 9%
Fill-in Questions
1. Political thinking enables citizens to:
a) act______,
b) whether in casting a _____,
c) forming an ______about a public policy,
d) or contributing to a political ______.
2. Historically, in Europe one’s place in life was determined by the following:
a) whether one was born into the tiny ______,
b) the small ______class,
c) or the huge ______mass.
3. Politics is the means by which:
a) society settles its ______and
b) allocates the resulting ______and ______.
4. Under communism, the government:
a) owns most or all major ______and
b) also takes responsibility for overall ______of the ______, including
c) production ______, supply points, and ______.
2nd Treatise of Civil Government, John Locke
Woll, pgs. 3-9
1. According to Locke, in the state of Nature men have absolute freedom, equality, and liberty? True or False
2. Locke argues that human beings have the right to commit suicide. True or False
3. When does someone have the right to take the life of another in the state of Nature? a) when he feels like it, b) when his own life is being threatened, c) to achieve an ideal government, d) to destroy his enemy.
4. Locke believes that in the state of Nature, each individual has the right to not only punish the criminal, but to also determine the level of punishment to be inflicted. True or False
5. Why would anyone in the state of Nature give up any part of his freedom and power over his dominion? a) Because he wants to be friends with his neighbors, b) Because he wants to expand his power, c) Because his life is uncertain and he is constantly exposed to danger, d) Because he fears no one and feels confident that he can assert his will over others.
6. According to Locke, what is the great or chief end of uniting into a commonwealth and forming a government? a) preservation of law, b) preservation of property, c) securing the country, d) punishing the transgressors.
7. In the state of Nature, argues Locke, men being passionate and vengeful may not be impartial when deciding the punishment of a criminal. True or False
8. When someone commits a crime in the state of Nature, there is always the means (power) available to punish the transgressor. True or False
9. In forming a government, individuals give up their right to determine the punishment of a criminal. True or False
10. In the system formulated by Locke, which branch of government is supreme in a commonwealth? a) executive, b) legislature, c) judiciary, d) military
11. For Locke, the legislature is to govern according to the following principle: a) it maintains its lawmaking authority to itself, b) it should create separate laws for the rich and the poor, c) it should serve only the interests of the powerful, d) it should tax without the consent of the people.
12. According to Locke, people must obey even those laws passed by someone who has usurped (seized by force) governmental power. True or False
13. Locke believes that once an individual gives up his freedom to establish a society, such authority can never revert back to the individual again. True or False
Answers
Patterson, pgs. 1-23
True or False
1. False
3. True
5. False
7. True
9. True
11. True
13. False
15. True
17. True
19. False
Multiple Choice Questions
1. a
3. a
5. b
7. d
9. c
11. b
13. d
15. c
17. d
19. a
21. b
23. b
Fill-In Questions
1. a) responsibly, b) vote, c) opinion, d) cause
3. a) conflicts, b) benefits, costs
Woll, pgs. 3-9
1. False 7. True
3. b 9. True
5. c11. A
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