Deck 1: The Basics of Democracy

Question 1

Misinformation in politics can be attributed to

A) "Alternative facts"
B) A sense of "truthiness"
C) Fake news
D) All of the above

Answer 1

All of the above

Question 2

Public goods are

A) Available to everyone
B) Do not get used up
C) Exemplified by national defense
D) All of the above

Answer 2

All of the above

Question 3

Politics can be defined as

A) Who gets what, when, and how
B) The authoritative allocation of values
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Answer 3

Both a and b

Question 4

Government can be defined as

A) The institution with the authority to make binding decisions for all of a society
B) One of the institutions authorized to make decisions for all of society
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Question 5

The legitimate authority in government to wield coercive power to authoritatively allocate values is

A) Representation
B) Sovereignty
C) Majority rule
D) Equality

Question 6

Conflict and debate over policy ideas and philosophies

A) Contribute to an intractable and hostile environment in which government officials cannot make decisions
B) Must be avoided at all cost in order to prevent outbursts of violence from ordinary citizens
C) Are common, and even desirable, in a functioning pluralist democracy
D) Is infrequent, and does not hinder government officials from making decisions

Question 7

According to the text, each of the following are among the "core principles" of American democracy, EXCEPT

A) Unitary government
B) Majority rule
C) Political freedom
D) Political equality

Question 8

The framers of the Constitution believed that minority rights must be respected in order to achieve all the following goals EXCEPT

A) Contribute to a political culture where the minority will respect majority decisions
B) To prove that slavery was unjust
C) Instill a sense that decisions have been arrived at fairly
D) Promote government legitimacy and stability

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of direct democracy?

A) A ballot initiative
B) Congress
C) An opinion poll
D) The presidential election

Question 10

The term "pluralism" describes a governmental philosophy in which

A) Power is divided between a single national government and several national subunits
B) A handful of elites control the actions of government
C) Groups of competing interests vie for the attention of government
D) Power is divided between several branches of government

Question 11

In Polisciland blue-eyed people are not allowed to vote, a policy approved by the majority brown-eyed people. What core democratic values are in conflict here?

A) Majority rule against political equality
B) Political equality against minority rights
C) Majority rule against popular sovereignty
D) Direct democracy versus representative democracy

Question 12

State voters are asked to approve a ballot initiative legalizing beer sales in Flagship University Stadium. What is this an example of?

A) Representative democracy
B) Direct democracy
C) Oligarchy
D) Purposive benefits

Question 13

What are the core principles of democracy?

A) Majority rule, political equality, and popular sovereignty
B) Popular sovereignty, elections, and political equality
C) Majority rule, political equality, and political freedom
D) Political equality and majority rule

Question 14

Partisanship is

A) Best exemplified in party structure
B) The formal membership in political party
C) Caused by rational deliberation and debate on many issues
D) A psychological attachment to political party

Question 15

A form of government in which the power to make decisions and allocate resources is given to a small number of persons is called

A) Autocracy
B) Oligarchy
C) Direct democracy
D) Representative democracy

Question 16

Pluralists argue that in American government, power should be

A) Fragmented among different branches
B) Given to the majority because democracy requires majority rule
C) Given to the most educated because they will make the right decisions
D) Given to the richest because they have earned it

Question 17

The pluralist model of democracy has been criticized for

A) Its slowness and conservative bias
B) Its over emphasis on restraining majorities
C) Its failure to protect the rights of unpopular and unorganized minorities
D) All of the above

Question 18

Which of the following would pluralists probably agree with?

A) Tyranny of the majority is to be feared more than tyranny of the minority
B) Elections provide an adequate check on government
C) Power should be concentrated in the hands of the majority
D) All of these

Question 19

Which of the following characteristics differentiates government from other organizations that resolve conflict?

A) Using the power of admonitions
B) Teaching certain beliefs
C) Legitimate use of coercion
D) Resolving conflicts over values

Question 20

In which type of election do voters have an opportunity to make specific policy decisions?

A) Recall elections
B) Initiative and referendum
C) Issue election
D) Amending election

Question 21

As a core democratic principle, majority rule is more important than

A) Political freedom
B) Political equality
C) Both of the above
D) None of the above

Question 22

Political scientists who adopt science as the best means to gain useful knowledge about politics and government are most interested in

A) Identifying which form of government is best
B) Constructing empirical theories and testing explanation of why politics works the way it does
C) Normative theory
D) Using the scientific method to indoctrinate students

Question 23

The idea that people believe their views are "normal" and "common sense" and therefore shared by most people is known as

A) Null hypothesis
B) False consensus
C) Truth
D) Normative

Question 24

The idea that people should be free from discrimination and class or social barriers is called

A) Social equality
B) Democracy
C) Political freedom
D) Popular sovereignty

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT considered a basic form of government?

A) Oligarchy
B) Constitutional monarchy
C) Democracy
D) Autocracy

Question 26

A form of government in which the power to make decisions and allocate resources is vested in one person is called

A) Oligarchy
B) Autocracy
C) Democracy
D) None of these

Question 27

In which form of government do all the citizens have the opportunity to participate in the process of making authoritative decisions and allocating resources?

A) Oligarchy
B) Direct democracy
C) Representative democracy
D) Autocracy

Question 28

The largest percentage of a vote, when no one has a majority is known as
50% plus 1 of all members or all eligible voters is known as

A) Absolute majority
B) Plurality
C) Simple majority
D) minority

Question 29

In a direct democracy, who is responsible for political decision making?

A) Citizens
B) Educated elites
C) Economic elites
D) Representatives

Question 30

________ means each individual should receive the same amount of material goods regardless of their contribution to society.

A) Equality of opportunity
B) Equality under the law
C) Social equality
D) Economic equality

Question 31

Questions that can be answered by careful observation and measurement can be described as

A) Empirical
B) Normative
C) Impossible
D) Rare

Question 32

All of the following are basic goals of science EXCEPT:

A) Description
B) Explanation
C) Prescription
D) Prediction

Question 33

The idea that every individual has the right to develop to the fullest extent of his or her abilities is called

A) Economic equality
B) Social equality
C) Equality under the law
D) Equality of opportunity

Question 34

The idea that the law is supposed to be applied impartially, without regard for the identity or status of the individual involved is called

A) Equality before the law
B) Economic equality
C) Social equality
D) Equality of opportunity

Question 35

The institution that has the authority to make decisions that are binding on everyone is generally referred to as

A) Religion
B) Society
C) Government
D) Sovereignty

Question 36

A consistent set of values, attitudes, and beliefs about the appropriate role of government in society can describe one's

A) Party affiliation
B) Ideology
C) Partisanship
D) Initiative

Question 37

An election in which ordinary citizens circulate a petition to put a proposed law on the ballot for the voters to approve is known as

A) Referendum
B) Initiative
C) Proposal
D) All of these

Question 38

Which of the following does NOT describe a representative democracy?

A) Ordinary citizens make all government decisions
B) Citizens choose their representatives
C) Elected representatives make decisions for the citizens
D) The form of democracy practiced in the United States

Question 39

The principal under which government follows the course of action preferred by most people is known as

A) Majority rule
B) Minority rule
C) Minority rights
D) None of these

Question 40

______ analysis seeks to prescribe how things should be valued, what should be, and what is good or just, better or worse.

A) Normative
B) Empirical
C) Null hypothesis
D) False consensus

Question 41

The idea that individual preferences should be given equal weight describes ________.

A) Political equality
B) Economic equality
C) Social equality
D) Popular sovereignty

Question 42

An election in which a state legislature refers a proposed law to the voters for their approval is defined as

A) Initiative
B) Referendum
C) Proposal
D) None of these

Question 43

According to rational choice models of behavior, the principal motivation for individual choices is:

A) Self-interest
B) Cultural norms
C) The public good
D) Identification with social groups

Question 44

Behavioral models of politics emphasize the role of ________________________ in shaping political attitudes and behavior.

A) Biological factors
B) Utility maximization
C) Socialization and learning
D) Identification with social groups

Question 45

Research suggesting that Republicans and Democrats perceive the world very differently represents which of the following "models" of political behavior?

A) Rational choice
B) Evolutionary and biological
C) Behavioral
D) Sociological

Question 46

One problem with rational choice theory is that externalities resulting from individual choices may generate less than optimal outcomes for the greater group.

Question 47

Although the heart of democracy is about process, substance counts too.

Question 48

Democracies do not necessarily produce the best policy outcomes.

Question 49

Americans like the idea of democracy, but don't necessarily like the process of democratic politics.

Question 50

Government is among many institutions that can legitimately use coercion on all individuals and organizations in deciding who gets what.

Question 51

Democracy always produces the best possible outcomes.

Question 52

Democracy can be direct or representative, and the U.S. has both, although it is a primarily representative democratic system.

Question 53

Any system of government in which people are allowed to cast votes is a democracy

Question 54

Political science can never be "scientific" because human behavior is too erratic to be explained by scientific theories.

Question 55

A "theory" is most accurately defined as a "hunch" or "guess" about something.

Question 56

When researchers find clear empirical evidence to support their theories, we say that the theory has been "proven."