Contemporary American Democracy Test Bank
Course Introduction
This course explores the foundations, evolution, and current state of democracy in the United States. Students examine the structure and function of American political institutions, key democratic principles, and ongoing debates about representation, civil liberties, and political participation. The course also addresses contemporary challenges facing American democracy, such as polarization, the influence of media, election integrity, and the role of interest groups. Through analysis of recent events, policy discussions, and case studies, students gain an informed perspective on the health and future prospects of democracy in the United States.
Recommended Textbook
The Challenge of Democracy American Government in Global Politics 13th Edition by Kenneth Janda
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18 Chapters
1303 Verified Questions
1303 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Freedom, Order, or Equality
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which political philosopher inspired the phrase "life,liberty,and the pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration of Independence?
A)Thomas Jefferson
B)Adam Smith
C)Karl Marx
D)Boris Yeltsin
E)John Locke
Answer: E
Q2) If universities increase funding for women's sports so that they receive comparable funding to men's,that is an example of
A)equality of outcome.
B)equality of opportunity.
C)equal protection under the law.
D)social equality.
E)economic fairness.
Answer: A
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Chapter 2: Majoritarian or Pluralist Democracy
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Greek word demos,which is the root of the term democracy,means
A)common people.
B)power.
C)participation.
D)foundation or base.
E)order.
Answer: A
Q2) The principle of responsiveness requires that legislators
A)follow the general contours of public opinion.
B)cast their ballots on the basis of what the people think back home.
C)pay especial attention to groups that are highly organized.
D)support public opinion in all matters related to electoral politics.
E)consider the views of their fellow legislators more than the views of constituents. Answer: A
Q3) Discuss why democratization can be difficult to achieve in different parts of the world,and why there is a strong relationship between economic prosperity and democracy.
Answer: Answers will vary.
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4
Chapter 3: The Constitution
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80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A confederation can best be described as
A)a loose association of independent states.
B)a government without a monarch.
C)a government ruled by a dictator.
D)a form of socialism.
E)smaller units of government controlled by a larger government unit.
Answer: A
Q2) Which of the following is not one of the political principles relied on by the founders?
A)Federalism
B)Checks and balances
C)One person, one vote
D)Republicanism
E)Separation of powers
Answer: C
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Federalism
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72 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The lines that define congressional districts are usually drawn by
A)state legislatures.
B)state governors.
C)U.S. Senators.
D)a state's congressional delegation.
E)the House Judiciary Committee.
Q2) Development of the Common Core education standards was led by the
A)Executive Office of the President.
B)National Governors' Association.
C)U.S. Department of Education.
D)United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
E)American Association of Educators.
Q3) In 2012,the Supreme Court cited ____________ in upholding the "individual mandate" provision of the Affordable Care Act.
A)the commerce clause
B)dual federalism
C)the Congress's taxing power
D)cooperative federalism
E)the McCulloch v. Maryland decision
Q4) Explain the concept of dual federalism and its essential premises.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Public Opinion and Political Socialization
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71 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements concerning ideological "moderates" is correct?
A)Fewer Americans identify as "moderate" than as liberal or conservative.
B)Moderates tend to have higher than average incomes and education.
C)Moderates are as likely as liberals and conservatives to correctly identify ideologies.
D)Many people identify as "moderate" because they do not understand the alternatives.
E)Fewer Americans identify as "moderate" than as liberal or conservative, and moderates tend to have higher than average incomes and education.
Q2) In the current American context,a communitarian would tend to promote
A)both order and equality over freedom.
B)order over freedom and freedom over equality.
C)freedom over both order and equality.
D)equality over freedom and freedom over order.
E)liberty and equality over fairness.
Q3) Discuss issue framing and how it can be used by politicians and others.
Q4) Explain what skewed,bimodal,and normal distributions are.
Q5) Based on the ideological typology described in the text,explain how liberals and conservatives differ in America.
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Page 7
Chapter 6: The Media
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73 Verified Questions
73 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Newspapers did not move toward independent ownership and large circulation until A)the 1780s.
B)the 1830s.
C)the 1870s.
D)about 1900.
E)the 1930s
Q2) Describe the government's history of regulation of media content,including rules historically used to regulate content and how different media outlets are treated.
Q3) The now-abolished __________ obligated broadcasters to discuss public issues and to provide equal coverage of all opinions on those issues.
A)fairness doctrine
B)reasonable access rule
C)equal opportunities rule
D)free exercise rule
E)equal time rule
Q4) Explain what is meant by the media playing the role of gatekeeper.
Q5) What does research show with respect to the political leanings of major news media reporters?
Q6) Describe the history and current influence of radio on American politics.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Participation and Voting
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Sample
Questions
Q1) The effect of the Twenty-sixth Amendment,which enfranchised eighteen-to-twenty-year-olds,was to
A)boost voter turnout in the United States above that of most other democratic nations.
B)reduce the national voter turnout rate.
C)increase the national voter turnout rate.
D)decrease the percentage of the population that distrusts the American political system.
E)counter the increasing social mobility of this group.
Q2) The amendment granting women's suffrage is the
A)Eighteenth Amendment.
B)Nineteenth Amendment.
C)Twentieth Amendment.
D)Twenty-first Amendment.
E)Twenty-eighth Amendment.
Q3) In addition to their being vehicles that implement democracy,describe the other important purposes of elections.
Q4) What do we know about trends in voter turnout and other forms of political participation from 1952 to 2012?
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9
Chapter 8: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) The short-lived __________ Party nominated Robert La Follette of Wisconsin for the presidency in 1924,but carried only La Follette's home state and ceased to nominate candidates in 1925.
A)Populist
B)Reform
C)Progressive
D)Democratic Farmer-Labor (DFL)
E)American Independence
Q2) In 2009,how many of the House Democrats voted against reforming health care,President Obama's most important policy initiative?
A)0
B)39
C)83
D)258
E)7
Q3) Identify and describe the four different eras of political party dominance since the Civil War.
Q4) Discuss the functions served by political parties in today's political system.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Nominations, Elections, and Campaigns
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Sample Questions
Q1) American political parties operate more in keeping with the ____________ model of democracy.
A)majoritarian
B)party-centered
C)ideological
D)pluralist
E)idealistic
Q2) What fraction of the voting-age population will vote in a primary election?
A)One-tenth
B)One-quarter
C)One-half
D)Two-thirds
E)Three-fourths
Q3) Of 2,175 congressional elections in the 2000s,about _________ were decided by 2 percentage points or fewer.
A)2 percent
B)10 percent
C)25 percent
D)48 percent
E)71 percent
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Chapter 10: Interest Groups
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71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A strategy that relies on a group representative's personal contact with policymakers is
A)grassroots lobbying.
B)coalition building.
C)information campaigns.
D)direct lobbying.
E)insider lobbying.
Q2) To accomplish the successful organization of the United Farm Workers,Cesar Chavez copied the tactics of __________.
A)patriots during the American Revolution
B)anti-slavery abolitionists
C)the civil rights movement
D)Franklin Roosevelt's attempt to create his "New Deal" program
E)anti-globalization activists
Q3) Which of the following is not a role of interest groups?
A)Representation
B)Program monitoring
C)Agenda building
D)Electing their members to public office
E)All of these choices are roles of interest groups.
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Chapter 11: Congress
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71 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain how racial gerrymandering is designed to achieve greater descriptive representation in Congress.
Q2) Describe three differences that the Constitution specifies between the U.S.House of Representatives and the U.S.Senate.
Q3) The redistribution of seats among the states every ten years after a census is known as
A)redistricting.
B)reapportionment.
C)reallocation.
D)gerrymandering.
E)impeachment.
Q4) A president can be impeached by the _________ and tried and removed from office by the __________.
A)House and Senate; Supreme Court
B)House; House
C)Senate; House
D)House; Senate
E)Senate; Senate
Q5) Discuss the president's veto power over legislation passed by Congress.
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Chapter 12: The Presidency
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Sample Questions
Q1) Perhaps the most difficult obstacle presidents face when attempting to influence public opinion
A)is the unwillingness of the media to cover the president's statements.
B)is the high level of partisanship in the electorate.
C)is the complexity of modern domestic policymaking.
D)is the lack of serious attention by the public.
E)is the cultural tendency of Americans to resist centralized authority.
Q2) Ronald Reagan's declaration that "Government __________." foreshadowed his administration's policies in the area of social service programs such as the Job Corps.
A)is the answer
B)has failed needy Americans
C)should be the leader
D)is the problem
E)has a moral duty to provide for everyone
Q3) Describe the Cuban missile crisis of 1962,and why this is a good example of a president exercising sound judgment and remaining cool when faced with difficult choices.
Q4) How do political polarization in Congress and divided government affect the success with which the president pursues his agenda?
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Chapter 13: The Bureaucracy
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) If Google actually produces a driverless car,the text anticipates that government will be quick to regulate it because
A)they don't want Google's profits to be excessive.
B)it's important for the government to ensure that all businesses are treated fairly in the marketplace.
C)safety this new technology would have to be monitored.
D)foreign companies might complain that Google had inequitable advantages from the American market.
E)Google would be in competition with government-produced technology.
Q2) Which of the following is not accurate with respect to the ideal,rational decision-making process described by Charles Lindblom?
A)It does not reflect how decisions are made in the real world.
B)It calls for careful analysis of all possible solutions.
C)Administrators are expected to rank values and objectives.
D)It represents the typical behavior of government decision-makers.
E)Administrators are empowered to choose the alternative that appears to be the most effective means of achieving the desired goal.
Q3) Describe what the Pendleton Act (1883)was,and how it helped reduce patronage.
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Page 15
Chapter 14: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) One exception to the general rule,which the Supreme Court does not rule out of line with popular opinion,concerns the Court's decisions on A)gay marriage.
B)federalism.
C)capital punishment.
D)gun control.
E)prayer in public schools.
Q2) Summarize the Supreme Court's ruling in the case Marbury v.Madison.
Q3) In a case between a large grocery vendor and the Federal Trade Commission,entities sympathetic to the vendor who are not official parties to the suit file supporting briefs for the vendor's position.This is known as A)stare decisis.
B)a writ of mandamus.
C)certiorari.
D)amicus curiae.
E)infringement.
Q4) Discuss what factors tend to make an oral argument before the Supreme Court more successful.
Q5) What is the principle of stare decisis?
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Chapter 15: Order and Civil Liberties
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Sample Questions
Q1) In Palko v.Connecticut,the Supreme Court ruled that Frank Palko's Fifth Amendment protection against double jeopardy was not a(n)_________ right the state of Connecticut had to follow.
A)fundamental
B)privacy
C)concurrent
D)dual
E)explicit
Q2) The most important obstacle to the adoption of the Constitution by the states was
A)it did not contain a bill of rights.
B)it did not include voting rights for blacks.
C)it did not include voting rights for women.
D)it did not separate powers among branches of government.
E)it included too much delegation of power to the states.
Q3) Discuss the dispute and outcome of two Supreme Court decisions governing constitutional guarantees for criminal defendants.
Q4) Explain how the Supreme Court interpreted the Ninth Amendment to decide the Griswold v.Connecticut case.
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Chapter 16: Equality and Civil Rights
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Sample Questions
Q1) What legislation did President Obama sign after becoming president that undid the 2007 Supreme Court decision making it more difficult for plaintiffs to bring lawsuits over pay discrimination?
A)The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
B)The Equal Pay Act
C)The EEOC Pay Reform Act
D)The Ruth Bader Ginsburg Act
E)None of the above is true.
Q2) In the years after the Civil War,the Supreme Court ruled that government could prohibit
A)all forms of racial discrimination.
B)private acts of racial discrimination.
C)acts of omission by a state.
D)only governmental acts that discriminated on the basis of race.
E)private acts of racial discrimination and acts of omission by a state.
Q3) Identify the original impetus for the disabled rights movement and discuss the legislative response,including both achievements and remaining challenges.
Q4) What were the major provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
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Chapter 17: Economic Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 placed the responsibility for preparing the federal budget in the hands of
A)Congress.
B)the Federal Reserve Board.
C)the Treasury Department.
D)the Council of Economic Advisers.
E)the president.
Q2) International affairs,including "foreign aid" and the budget of the State Department and embassies and consulates in other countries,consume _________ percent of the FY 2015 budget.
A)under 1.5
B)about 4
C)just under 10
D)about 15
E)just over 20
Q3) Compare and contrast the flat tax and the progressive tax,and describe which tax was more closely related to President Reagan's policies.
Q4) Explain the difference between fiscal policy and monetary policy,and provide some examples of each.
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Chapter 18: Policymaking and Domestic Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) President __________ proposed that individual workers be allowed to invest their own Social Security payroll taxes in the stock market.
A)Franklin D. Roosevelt
B)Lyndon B. Johnson
C)Ronald Reagan
D)Bill Clinton
E)George W. Bush
Q2) The New Deal occurred under President
A)Theodore Roosevelt.
B)Woodrow Wilson.
C)Herbert Hoover.
D)Franklin D. Roosevelt.
E)Lyndon B. Johnson.
Q3) Which of the following represents the largest percentage of those benefitting from Medicaid?
A)Those over sixty-five years of age
B)Those who are blind and disabled
C)Adults
D)Children under the age of twenty-one
E)Government employees
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