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1. The framework advanced by the authors of THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY to aid our understanding of
American politics suggests that every political actor, institution, and process can be located in one of
four categories. Which of the following is NOT one of those sectors?
a. government b. system c. political linkage d. structure
2. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, the term political linkage refers to
a. formal policy makers.
b. political actors, institutions and processes that transmit the wants and demands of the people and
groups to government officials.
c. environmental factors such as the U.S. economy.
d. the allocation of values among population subgroups.
3. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which level of the analytical framework largely
determines what issues reach the political agenda?
a. governmental b. political linkage c. structural d. demographic
4. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which of the four categories in the analytical framework
used in the text has the formal, legal responsibility for making policy?
a. government b. political c. structure d. all of the above
5. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which of the following was the most significant political
linkage influence affecting passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act?
a. President Johnson b. the Supreme Court c. the civil rights movement d. the U.S. Congress
6. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, political decisions and policies
a. are usually the result of either political linkage or government influences.
b. have multiple causes.
c. are usually the result of structure influences.
d. are usually the result of government influences.
7. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY (Chapter 4), cultural and economic beliefs/values are
examples of _______________ factors that shape American politics and what government does.
a. structure b. demographic c. political linkage d. government
8. According to PRACTICING TEXAS POLITICS, public policy
a. may only be formulated by governmental bodies.
b. rarely involves conflict.
c. is of no importance to most citizens.
d. often involves interaction between governmental and non-governmental groups.
9. The process that determines “who gets what, when, and how” is known as
a. decision-making. b. political science. c. politics. d. paternalism.
10. Harold Laswell’s definition in question #9 implies that
a. people are in conflict over valued things in society.
b. societies have a set of procedures to resolve the question of “who gets what, when, and how.”
c. individuals are anti-social.
d. both a and b.
11. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, laws that required separation and segregation of the
races are commonly known as
a. egalitarian laws. B. reapportionment laws. C. "Jim Crow" laws.
d. Martin Luther King laws.
12. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, democracy in the United States
a. is complete.
b. is being threatened by communist forces in Central America.
c. is impossible to achieve because of racial diversity.
d. is incomplete and not operating as it might.
13.Which systems model concept refers to any circumstance or condition that is external to the political
system being examined?
a. input b. input structures c. environment d. conversion structures
14. Which of the following systems model concepts describes authoritative decisions and actions (generally
thought of as benefits or deprivations)?
a. environments b. input structures c. outputs d. feedback
15. According to systems model terminology, which of the following would be an example of a conversion
structure?
a. the Republican Party b. the National Rifle Association c. the news media
d. the United States Congress
16. The stage of the policy-making process that involves “choosing an official course of action from among
alternative policy strategies” is
a. implementation. b. designation. c. formulation d. adoption.
17. The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down a law school’s affirmative action admissions program as
unconstitutional. This is an example of which stage of the policy-making process?
a. implementation. b. designation. c. agenda-setting. d. evaluation.
18. Inmates in the Texas Department of Corrections file a class action lawsuit in state district court in an
attempt to force the state to deal with the issue of prison over-crowding. This is an example of which
stage of the policy-making process?
a. agenda-setting b. implementation c. adoption d. formulation
19. Which stage of the policy-making process exclusively involves governmental actors?
a. agenda-setting
b. designation
c. adoption
d. formulation
20. The results of a vote by a city council require that benefits under the city’s health plan be extended to
the “live-in” (unmarried) partners of city employees, irrespective of sexual orientation. This is an
example of which stage of the policy-making process?
a. agenda-setting b. adoption c. implementation d. designation
21. A president gives a speech in which he claims that violent juvenile crime is out of control and the
government needs to respond with decisive action. This is an example of which stage of the policymaking process?
a. implementation. b. agenda-setting. c. adoption. d. evaluation.
22. James Madison indicated in the FEDERALIST PAPERS that pure (direct) democracy
a. could deteriorate into mob rule.
b. is a style of government for noble men and elites.
c. prevents the majority from depriving the rights of the minority.
d. none of these.
23. Which of the following variations of democracy places an emphasis on the existence of individual (and
minority) rights, frequently at the expense of majority rule?
a. liberal democracy b. traditional democracy c. procedural democracy
d. egalitarian democracy
24. The process of referring legislative or constitutional measures to the voters for their approval or
disapproval is called
a. an initiative election. b. a referendum election. c. a recall election. d. a plebiscite.
25. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which three principles or institutions are used to evaluate
democracies in Struggle for Democracy?
a. popular sovereignty, economic equality, and political liberty
b. elections, assemblies, and rights
c. basic rights, fair elections, and accountable leaders
d. popular sovereignty, political equality, and political liberty
26. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, most simply, democracy means
a. rule by the people.
b. rule by the few.
c. rule by one.
d. rule by those with wealth.
27. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, as well as in-class discussions, what is the major
difference between a direct democracy and a representative democracy?
a. In a direct democracy citizens themselves make decisions, whereas in a representative democracy
citizens have intermediaries who make decisions for them.
b. A direct democracy is possible only if citizens participate, whereas in a representative democracy,
citizen participation is unnecessary.
c. The only major difference between the two is that direct democracies have been around longer than
representative democracies.
d. There is no difference between the two types of democracy.
28. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, democracy is possible only when three things exist.
Which of the following is NOT one of the requirements for democracy?
a. popular sovereignty b. religion c. political equality d. political liberty
29. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, the term deliberative will refers to which of the
following?
a. the will of representatives of the people
b. the will of the people arrived at after a period of reflection and discussion with others
c. the will of those in government who carry out the law
d. the process used by U.S. Supreme Court justices in their decision making
30. In an election, the person who has the most money in the community gets to cast 100 votes. The person
considered the most religious in the city gets to cast 50 votes. The person who is considered the most
intelligent in the community gets to cast 10 votes. Everyone else in the city gets to cast one vote except
people who have blue eyes, who do not get to vote at all. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY,
this voting scenario violates the principle of
a. due process of law. b. affirmative action. c. cumulative voting. d. political equality.
31. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, political equality involves what is referred to in the
____________ to the Constitution as equal protection of the laws, meaning that everyone in a
democracy is treated the same by government.
a. 13th Amendment b. 14th Amendment c. 15th Amendment d. 19th Amendment
32. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, why were the Founders of the nation afraid of majority
tyranny?
a. They were afraid that the majority might try to undermine the freedoms of minorities and/or threaten
individual rights.
b. They mainly feared that their positions of power in society would be undermined.
c. The founders themselves were not that concerned over minority rights. They knew that minorities
would be voting in elections and wanted their votes.
d. As members and representatives of the majority in America, they knew that the majority would not
tyrannize and were relatively unconcerned with the dangers of majority rule.
33. Pluralist and elite theories agree on which of the following propositions?
a. The only real basis for political power is economic power.
b. All social groups in the United States have some impact on policy-making.
c. The traditional democratic ideal that all citizens are politically equal is NOT a very realistic reflection
of the American system.
d. Virtually anyone can step into politics and have at least some political influence.
34. Which of the following theories argues that political power is held by a relatively small group of people
whose main source of political power is economic power [wealth]?
a. elitism b. pluralism c. majoritarianism d. substantive democracy
35. Which of the following tends to emphasize policy outcomes?
a. traditional democratic theory b. pluralist theory
c. procedural democracy d. elite theory
36. A condition that exists when a private market fails to capture all of the social costs associated with the
production and consumption of a good or service is known as
a. a negative externality. b. a positive externality. c. adverse selection.
d. the free rider problem.
37. Which good or service is most likely to have associated with it the kind of condition described in #36?
a. higher education b. childhood immunizations c. automobiles
d. public libraries
38. A city council bans smoking in all public places in the city. Fines are levied against violators. Why has
the city council enacted this policy?
a. This is an example of adverse selection -- non-smokers are adversely affected by second-hand smoke.
b. This is an example of government providing a public good -- it is doing what is good for the public.
c. This is an example of a negative externality -- the market fails to capture all of the social costs
associated with the production and consumption of cigarettes.
d. none of the above.
39. In class, we noted that the United States, Japan, and most of the countries of western Europe have
economies that we call __________ while Russia and most of the countries of eastern Europe have
economies that we call __________.
a. market socialism; command socialism b. market capitalism; command capitalism
c. market capitalism; market socialism d. command capitalism; market socialism
40. Which of the following would serve as an example of a government economic function which attempts
to strengthen or facilitate the operation of the market system [push the economy towards the model of
pure capitalism]?
a. government providing a public good such as a highway
b. government regulating a polluting industry to correct a negative externality
c. government enforcing anti-trust legislation to prevent the formation of monopolies
d. none of these
41. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which of the following statements best describes the
distribution of income and wealth among Americans during the 1980s and 1990s?
a. The poor got richer. b. The rich got poorer. c. The rich got richer.
d. The poor left and went to Canada.
42. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, extensive material inequality may undermine the
possibility of
a. political equality. b. political elitism. c. economic inequality. d. both b and c
43. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, what two characteristics best define a capitalist
economy?
a. equality and opportunity
b. private ownership and the existence of markets
c. a safety net and private ownership
d. equal pay for equal work and freedom to work where one wants to work
44. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, Americans' belief that an individual's fate is (and ought
to be) tied to his or her own efforts, and that people are naturally competitive, always striving to better
themselves in relation to others is
a. socialism b. capitalism c. competitive individualism d. elite individualism
45. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, economic growth is defined as
a. two quarters of rising productivity.
b. a decline in the balance of trade.
c. six months of less than two percent inflation.
d. an annual increase in the gross domestic product.
46. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which of the following best describes the transformation
of the American economy in the 1970s and 1980s?
a. absolute decline b. relative decline c. decreasing inequality d. increasing nationalism
47. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, __________ play a substantial role in managing and
directing their economies.
a. Very few governments in foreign countries
b. Only socialist governments
c. Governments in all modern capitalist societies
d. Most governments in foreign countries, unlike that of the United States,
48. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which of the following best describes why governments
in all modern capitalist societies play a substantial role in the management and direction of their
economies?
a. The free market economy, left to itself, is subject to periodic collapse, bouts of inflation, and
unemployment.
b. Elites in control of the government create policies that benefit business.
c. The economy could not work without some type of governmental intervention.
d. Most of the constitutions in countries around the world require that the government make economic
policies.
49. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, Keynesian economic policy is consistent with a(n)
a. activist government role in the economy.
b. laissez-faire economic theory.
c. minimal role of government in the economy.
d. Keynesian economic policy is consistent with an activist government role in the economy, using
government spending and taxing policies to affect macroeconomic outcomes.
50. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, the objective of macroeconomic policy is to
a. achieve full employment, steady economic growth, and stable prices.
b. study the activities of a single sector of the economy.
c. integrate the functions of the executive and legislative branches of government in setting economic
policy.
d. analyze the relationship between the poverty rate and the decline of family values.
51. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which of the following economic alternatives is NOT
seriously considered by either major political party in the United States?
a. Keynesianism b. monetarism c. supply side economics d. state socialism
52. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, compared with most European countries, the United
States
a. has a lower GNP. b. has more income inequality. c. has less poverty.
d. spends more on social programs.
53. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, the contentious nature of trade issues was recently
highlighted
a. in the G12 meeting in Brussels.
b. with the fight over the North American Free Trade Agreement.
c. with SALT II negotiations.
d. All of the above.
54. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which of the following is a goal of government
economic policymaking?
a. economic growth
b. low employment c. minimizing diseconomies d. all of the above
55. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, when government leaders adjust fiscal and monetary
policies they are focusing on
a. microeconomic policy.
b. the national debt.
c. macroeconomic policy.
d. supply-side economics.
56. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, why are fiscal tools sometimes difficult to use in
regulating the economy?
a. Decisions about how much government should spend are made by a very small group of people.
b. Federal spending cannot be easily adjusted up or down as economic conditions change.
c. Decisions by Congress to lower the discount rate to federal banks are a cumbersome process.
d. Changes in spending and taxes can occur very quickly before many economists can agree on what the
problem is.
57. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, the Keynesian approach holds that when demand is too
high and triggers inflation (too many dollars chasing too few goods), government should do which of
the following?
a. increase spending b. lower the discount rate c. decrease taxes d. decrease spending
58. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, fiscal policy may lag behind the need to adjust to
changing economic conditions because
a. Congress must approve every change in interest rates.
b. changes in spending and taxing are often slow and cumbersome.
c. Congress has no control over how much the government spends.
d. foreign governments largely control American economic policy.
59. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which of the following is a result of the Federal Reserve
Board making money available at lower interest rates to member banks and savings and loans?
a. Individual spending is likely to decrease.
b. Individual spending is likely to stay the same.
c. Individual spending is likely to increase but only for lower-income groups.
d. Individual spending is likely to increase overall.
60. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, the Federal Reserve Board is
a. closely regulated by the president. b. closely regulated by Congress.
c. relatively independent.
d. both a and b.
61. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, actions by the Federal Reserve Board are intended to
affect the
a. number of military recruits available to the armed forces.
b. amount of oil in the strategic oil reserve.
c. level of business regulation of a given industry.
d. amount of money available to businesses and individuals.
62. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, one way that the Federal Reserve Board controls the
money supply is by
a. raising or lowering taxes. b. vetoing federal regulations. c. regulating the printing of money.
d. changing the discount rate.
63. Which of the following is an example of a progressive tax?
a. local property taxes. b. state and local sales taxes. c. the federal income tax.
d. none of these.
64. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, the national government’s primary source of revenue is
a. flat taxes. b. income and payroll taxes. c. consumption taxes. d. national sales taxes.
65. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, by the end of the 1970s, what was the mood of opinion
leaders both inside and outside the government in regard to federal government regulation?
a. Most blamed excessive regulation for forcing inefficient practices on American companies and
hastening the decline of the United States in the world economy.
b. Most favored increased regulation in order to make the American workplace safer and the
environment cleaner.
c. Most favored a continuation of the already lax federal regulation imposed on American corporations.
d. Most favored an increase in regulations so that American corporations could work in tandem, thus
making the American economy more competitive in the world market.
66. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, programs that distribute benefits on the basis of need to
those who can prove that their income is low enough to qualify are called:
a. IRA programs. b. mutual fund programs. c. means-tested programs.
d. social insurance programs.
67. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, how is the American welfare system different from
welfare systems in other countries?
a. The United States' welfare state developed sooner than others in the world.
b. The United States' welfare state is larger than most others in the world.
c. The elderly do considerably better than the young in the American welfare state.
d. The American welfare state is more re-distributive than other welfare states.
68. According to THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY, which of the following types of societies are
theoretically more willing to support welfare programs because recipients are considered neighbors and
not strangers?
a. pluralistic b. socially equal c. ethnically and racially homogeneous
d. ethnically and racially divided
69. According to PRACTICING TEXAS POLITICS, the state’s economic turnaround, which was evident by the
mid-1990s, is credited to
a. less reliance on oil and more reliance on agriculture.
b. more reliance on oil and less reliance on high-tech manufacturing.
c. more reliance on oil and less reliance on agriculture.
d. less reliance on oil and more reliance on high-tech manufacturing, exports, and service industries.
70. According to PRACTICING TEXAS POLITICS, in Texas, spending for public assistance
a. is the largest single element in the state’s budget.
b. accounted for 40% of state expenditures in the 2000-2001 biennium.
c. ranks Texas near the bottom of the 50 states in public assistance available to indigent persons.
d. is capped by the state’s constitution at $80 million annually.