Test Bank For The Basics of American Politics 17e By Gary Wasserman, Elliott Fullmer Chapter 1-9 CHAPTER 1: What Is Politics? MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 1.
Power is __________. a. based upon class structure b. the ability to influence another‘s behavior either by coercion , persuasion or rewards c. determined by a person‘s employment or profession d. determined by how much money a person makes Answer: B
2.
Harold Lasswell defines politics as __________. a. relationships among people involving power and authority b. a process of who gets what, when, and how c. the distribution of a society‘s wealth d. determining why elite groups have access to more benefits Answer: B
3.
Power uses the tools of coercion, persuasion and rewards __________. a. to influence another person‘s behavior b. to create military weapons and advanced technology c. to achieve economic superiority over others by use of political bribery d. is the ability of a person or nation to adapt to social change Answer: A
4.
One of the roles of a democratic government is to __________. a. b. c. d.
directly control the economy make rules determining who will get what share of society‘s valuables monopolize the use of legitimate force dictate the ideas that its people may entertain
Answer: B 5.
Which of the following best represents the essence of power? a. Power involves solely persuasion. b. Power is limited to politics. c. Power involves solely coercion. d. Power entails the ability to change another‘s actions.
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Answer: D 6.
The more power one has over another, the __________. a. lesser is the ability to influence the other‘s behavior b. greater is the force required to influence the other c. easier a change is to accomplish d. lesser the ability of that person to achieve goals Answer: C
7.
The United States is the most powerful country in the world, possessing a strong military, a large economy, and an educated population. These resources __________. a. constitute coercive power b. provide only a capacity for power c. ensure that the United States is a world leader d. guarantee that the United States attains its goals Answer: B
8.
The elites in a society __________. a. are those with the least power b. have the least influence on the government and the society to which they belong c. are the people who get a disproportionately large part of the society‘s resources d. comprise the majority of the population Answer: C
9.
Authority is __________. a. not related to power and politics b. legitimate power c. an inefficient form of power d. the illegal use of power Answer: B
10.
Elites often reinforce their position by __________. a. gaining authority b. usurping power c. using coercion d. promoting democratic values Answer: A
11.
Authority is useful for getting others to do something they would otherwise not want to do because __________. a. authority must be obeyed b. authority is highly coercive c. when one has authority, there is usually no need to use force or persuasion
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d.
authority is based on strength
Answer: C
12.
What does the author mean when he writes that authority is ―an efficient form of power‖? a. Authority is distributed equally among political elites. b. The cost of influence is high if people respect the authority‘s legitimacy. c. Authority reduces inefficiencies in government spending. d. Authority, if accepted, does not require force to influence change. Answer: D
13.
Which of the following is an example of authority? a. being forced to join the military b. refusing to pay taxes c. feeling that one should listen to one‘s parents d. compromising with a coworker Answer: C
14.
―Vice presidents should follow the wishes of presidents.‖ This statement affirms presidents‘ __________. a. authority and legitimacy b. constitutional prerogatives c. responsibilities d. checks and balances Answer: A
15.
Inequality is a growing problem in the United States. Currently, the top 1 percent of households hold nearly __________ percent of the nation‘s wealth. a. 9 b. 19 c. 40 d. 59 Answer: C
16.
According to a 2020 report, the United States ranks __________ out of 38 developed countries when it comes to wealth inequality. a. 1 b. 6 c. 23 d. 32 Answer: D
17.
Anarchy is best defined as __________.
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a. b. c. d.
unlimited democracy the most universal form of ruling a state a society without government a constant war between the governments of two states
Answer: C 18.
Political conflict avoids becoming armed conflict when __________. a. there is some form of government b. the military steps in and crushes the opposition c. competing factions purchase equal amounts of weapons d. a government collapses and tribal leaders emerge Answer: A
19.
The tolerance of different opinions and interests is __________. a. a threat to democratic rule b. the central principle of communism c. observed by all political systems d. an essential part of democracy Answer: D
20.
Government is __________. a. uncommon in most parts of the world b. a relatively recent institution, historically speaking c. not found in societies with political conflict d. one of humanity‘s oldest and most universal institutions Answer: D
21.
Because it is __________ for people to participate directly in government, most democracies today are __________. a. impractical; representative democracies b. illegal; liberal democracies c. easy; representative democracies d. costly; illiberal democracies Answer: A
22.
Which of the following statements regarding democracies is true? a. Democracies do not tolerate different opinions and interests. b. Democracy is a favored ―label‖ for many governments. c. Citizen participation in voting must exceed 80 percent of eligible voters in order for a government to be considered democratic. d. Elites hold no power in a democracy. Answer: B
23.
In The Federalist Papers No. 51, James Madison __________.
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a. b. c. d.
defends checks and balances within the new government structure maintains that if people are given total freedom, life can be safe and prosperous argues for increased individual state powers to protect civil liberties criticizes the nature of checks and balances
Answer: A 24.
When James Madison wrote that ―if men were angels, no government would be necessary,‖ he was __________. a. arguing that checks and balances are necessary b. claiming that people are inherently evil c. arguing that civil liberties need to be protected at all costs d. making a case against the ratification of the Constitution Answer: A
25.
Robert D. Kaplan described the founders of the United States as ―constructive pessimists.‖ It can be argued that this pessimism led the founding fathers to __________. a. reject democracy b. embrace checks and balances and the divisions of power c. set democratic standards d. make rules about who gets what and how Answer: B
26.
Voter suppression efforts took place in a number of states during the 2022 midterm elections. Therefore, it can be argued that the __________. a. United States is an illiberal democracy b. United States is an autocracy c. founders were right about the necessity of having a system of checks and balances d. founders were right about the need to regulate elections Answer: C
27.
Government is a political institution that __________ and __________. a. makes rules pertaining to the distribution of society‘s values; regulates the legitimate use of force b. regulates the use of force; can use violence indiscriminately c. sets up welfare programs; funds affirmative action programs d. runs the economy; regulates the stock market Answer: A
28.
A primary characteristic of government is that it __________. a. is incapable of regulating the use of legitimate force in a society b. is always democratic c. is rarely coercive
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