BE SURE TO WRITE YOUR NAME ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET!!
IMPORTANT: MAKE ALL ERASURES COMPLETELY - IT IS YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY TO CLEARLY INDICATE YOUR CHOSEN
ANSWER. RESPONSES THAT ARE NOT COMPLETELY ERASED
WILL BE COUNTED AS INCORRECT. THIS EXAM IS WORTH 100
POINTS.
Temple College
Government 2301
Spring, 1999
Exam #1
MULTIPLE CHOICE. INSTRUCTIONS: Answer each of the following
multiple choice questions by marking the letter on your scan-tron form that
corresponds to the BEST response. 60 questions/1.67 points each/100 points
total.
1. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, Abraham
Lincoln’s view of American government assumed that
a. people know enough about the institutions of their government to want to
get involved in the political system.
b. Americans are not interested in the political system most of the time.
c. Government should be left to those who know the details of governing.
d. Government in the 19th century is too large for the common man to
comprehend.
2. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, one reason
that citizens obey laws is that government
a. has a monopoly on law-making.
b. only passes laws that are acceptable to the majority.
c. has legitimate authority to make the laws.
d. always protects the minority viewpoint.
3. To say that authority is legitimate is to
a. suggest an obligation to comply with decisions.
b. Imply that the ruler has not always been perceived as the legal power.
c. Suggest that decisions are of little practical value.
d. Imply that the person in power does not have the good of the public in
mind when making important decisions.
4. A(n) __________ government exists when citizens generally recognize the
decisions it makes and the policies it carries out; a(n) _______________
government exists when it coerces or forces citizens to comply with policy
mandates and/or does not take citizen preferences into account when making
policy decisions.
a. authoritarian; dictatorship
b. authoritative; authoritarian
c. authoritative; illegitimate
d. legitimate; illegitimate
5. The process that determines “who gets what, when, and how” is known as
a. decision-making. b. political science. c. politics. d. paternalism.
6. Harold Laswell’s definition in question #5 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.
7. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, decisions
which are AUTHORITATIVE are those
a. which can be backed up by legitimate power.
b. that are made with the approval of a majority of the public.
c. which can be repealed in a referendum.
d. that are made by a small percentage of society.
8. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, the
concept of COMPLIANCE means
a. accepting and carrying out authoritative decisions.
b. the ability to cause others to modify their behavior.
c. the ability to get others to disobey the dictates of the ruler.
d. both b and c.
9. 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.
10. The pluralist theory of democracy
1. is basically the same as traditional democratic theory in its assumptions
about the role of citizens in the political process.
2. sees democracy as operating through competition among groups.
3. suggests that there are several types of political resources which may be
effective in influencing public policy.
4. argues that the only meaningful political resource is money.
5. views public policy as a balance or equilibrium among competing group
interests.
a. 1 and 2 b. 2 and 5 c. 2, 3, and 5 d. 1 only
11. 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
12. With regard to policy change, elite theory holds that
a. changes in policy never occur.
b. changes in policy will occur only when the masses force the power elite to
alter the status quo.
c. changes in policy occur only as a result of the elite redefining their own
values and interests.
d. changes in policy narrow the gap between the elite and the masses.
13. Which of the following tends to emphasize policy outcomes?
a. traditional democratic theory b. pluralist theory
c. procedural democracy
d. elite theory
14. Which of the following tends to emphasize policy process?
a. substantive democracy b. pluralist theory c. majoritarian democracy
d. elite theory
15. Which of the following accurately describe American democracy?
1. procedural 2. representative 3. liberal 4. socialist 5. substantive
a. 1, 2, and 3 b. 1 and 2 c. 2, 3, 4, and 5 d. 3 only
16. The process by which citizens propose legislation is called
a. ratification. b. amendment. c. initiative. d. referendum.
17. 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.
18. The requirement that “citizens must participate in the political process” is
characteristic of which theory of democracy?
a. elite theory b. traditional democratic theory c. pluralist theory
d. none of these
19. Which of the following variations of democracy places an emphasis on the
existence of individual (and minority) rights even at the expense of majority
rule?
a. liberal democracy b. traditional democracy c. procedural democracy
d. egalitarian democracy
20. Which of the following systems of political thought offers the MOST
favorable assumptions about government for free enterprise?
a. communism
b. socialism
c. totalitarianism
d. classical liberalism
21. Promoting equality
a. has always been a central purpose of governments.
b. is no longer a vital concern of governments.
c. is the newest or modern purpose of government.
d. is viewed by all ideologies as being outside the reasonable realm of
government’s power.
TOTAL
GOVERNMENT
CONTROL
NO
GOVERNMENT
CONTROL
22. In the United States, public political debate generally falls where on the
above continuum of the scope of governmental power?
a. along the full continuum
b. mainly to the left of center
c. mainly to the right of center
d. in the shaded area between the lines
23. The dominant ideology in American political thought throughout much of
American history has been
a. democratic socialism
b. libertarianism
c. classical liberalism
d. classical conservatism
24. An underlying point of our class discussion of the original and modern
dilemmas of government (order vs freedom and equality vs freedom) is that
the perfect provision of order, equality, and freedom can never take place
because
a. no government structure is perfectly designed.
b. some political officials will always be corrupt or incompetent.
c. these three values encompass essentially the same meaning.
d. these three values are inherently in conflict and cannot be simultaneously
provided fully.
25. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, ANARCHY
as a concept means
a. a form of government that controls all aspects of the political and social
lives of a nation.
b. the condition of having no government and no laws.
c. a system of government in which all political authority is vested in the
people.
d. a limited republic where people elect officials to make decisions on their
behalf for a specified period of time.
26. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text,
TOTALITARIAN as a concept means
a. a form of government that controls all aspects of the political and social
lives of a nation.
b. the condition of having no government and no laws.
c. a system of government in which all political authority is vested in the
people.
d. a limited republic where people elect officials to make decisions on their
behalf for a specified period of time.
27. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, Athenian
democracy allowed the participation of
a. women.
b. Citizens.
c. Foreigners.
d. All of the above.
28. The Athenian direct democracy is considered an ideal form of democracy
because
a. all members of society could participate.
b. the decisions of the scholars of the Institute of Law were based on political
theory.
c. Only the rulers had the power to call for elections.
d. It demanded a high level of participation from every citizens.
29. The concept of INITIATIVE is
a. a way to remove a public official from office before the end of his or her
elected term.
b. A procedure used in Congress to prevent the passage of a bill by “talking
the bill to death.”
c. Provided by the Bill of Rights.
d. A procedure whereby voters can propose a law or constitutional
amendment within a state.
30. An act 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.
31. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, for many
centuries, any form of democracy was considered
a. dangerous and unstable.
b. The only legitimate form of government.
c. The major obstacle that prevented mass spread of communism.
d. The best form of government that man could devise.
32. The concept of DIRECT DEMOCRACY
a. is included in the Bill of Rights.
b. Is not provided for in the structures of the national government.
c. Was attempted for the first time in the colony of Maine.
d. Has been used at the national government level only once, when Andrew
Johnson was impeached.
33. A REPUBLIC is a form of government
a. without a king or queen, is based on consent of the governed, and holds
regular elections in which people elect representatives to make governing
decisions.
b. Is organized from the top down.
c. Is used less often than in a democracy.
d. Which is influenced by organized interest groups.
34. The U.S. political system is far less efficient at maintaining order than is the
People’s Republic of China because
a. order is not a political value in the United States.
b. the U.S. political system has a low level of legitimacy.
c. the liberal insistence placed on individual freedom in the U.S. limits the
government’s scope of authority to maintain order.
d. order cannot exist along with individuality.
35. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, the major
historical and political significance of the MAYFLOWER COMPACT was that it
a. served as a prototype for many similar compacts.
b. Was the start of the first European settlement in America.
c. Depended on the consent of the individuals involved.
d. Both a and c.
36. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, during the
colonial period
a. Americans had developed a concept of limited government.
b. Americans were totally dependent on England for all laws that affected
any activity in the colony.
c. Most Americans considered their colony totally independent of Great
Britain.
d. None of these.
37. Which of the following is a basic premise of social contract theory as
developed by the British philosopher John Locke and embraced by Thomas
Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence?
1. Those who are governed give up all power to those who govern.
2. Government exists for the purpose of forcefully imposing order on society.
3. Sovereign nations may enter into treaties with one another.
4. The people are best served by an authoritarian, paternalistic regime.
5. Republican government based on a written constitution is the only
legitimate form of government.
a. 1, 2, & 3 b. 1, 2, & 4 c. 5 only d. none of these
38. The central government under the Articles of Confederation included
a. a president, but no congress.
b. a congress and a president.
c. a unicameral congress, but no president and no courts.
d. a bicameral legislature.
39. Any amendment to the Articles of Confederation required
a. approval of a simple majority of states represented in Congress.
b. approval of two-thirds of the states represented in Congress.
c. unanimous consent of all 13 states represented in Congress.
d. approval of nine of the 13 of states represented in Congress.
40. The Virginia Plan
a. worked to the advantage of the more sparsely-populated states.
b. worked to the advantage of the more densely-populated states.
c. was a compromise to provide equal treatment of the more sparsely- and
densely-populated states.
d. was never seriously discussed at the Philadelphia convention.
41. As drafted by the Philadelphia convention in 1787, the Constitution divided
powers among three branches of government because
a. the founding fathers wanted to ensure plenty of important positions for
themselves.
b. separation of powers would serve to limit the power of the government and
therefore protect individual rights.
c. the founding fathers lacked the practical experience to recognize the
awkwardness of the system they had created.
d. this is the most efficient way to organize government.
42. Constitutionally dividing governmental powers between the states and the
national government is referred to as
a. dual legitimacy.
b. egalitarianism.
c. federalism.
d. separation of powers.
43. According to our in-class discussions, the United Nations is an example of a
a. communist system.
b. strong unitary system.
c. confederal system.
d. none of these.
44. Which of the following statements BEST characterizes the principle of
separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution?
a. Legislative, executive, and judicial powers are separated exercised by
three independent branches of government.
b. The three levels of government in the American system (national, state,
and local) all have separate and unrelated areas of autonomous power.
c. Democrats should either control the Congress or the presidency while the
Republicans control the other -- but neither should control both at the same
time.
d. Each state has sovereignty to control the activities within its own borders.
45. Separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and specific denials
of power to government such as those in the Bill of Rights may be viewed as
efforts to
a. vest government with sufficient authority to govern efficiently.
b. prevent the arbitrary exercise of governmental power - that is, to promote
limited government.
c. prevent the national government from taking over the power of the states.
d. to force George III to capitulate to the American colonists’ demands before
they declared their independence.
46. The guarantee of _________________________ in the Constitution requires
that a jailer must bring an arrested before a magistrate (judge) who then
decides whether there is sufficient cause to detain him or her.
a. bills of attainder b. ex post facto laws c. writ of habeas corpus
d. none of these
47. In the Federalist Papers, James Madison indicated pure 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. Both a and c.
48. Which of the following concepts describes the dominant theological
orientation of the Age of Enlightenment?
a. atomism b. individualism c. deism d. capitalism e. republicanism
49. Which of the following concepts challenged the idea that society is a living
organism?
a. atomism b. individualism c. deism d. capitalism e. republicanism
50. Enlightenment philosophers emphasized which of the following concepts as
the way to universal human progress?
a. atomism b. individualism c. deism d. capitalism e. republicanism
51. Enlightenment philosophers advocated which of the following as the
preferred form of government?
a. atomism b. individualism c. deism d. capitalism e. republicanism
52. Which of the following concepts describes an economic system of thought
based on Adam Smith’s challenges to mercantilism?
a. atomism b. individualism c. deism d. capitalism e. republicanism
53. A MAJORITY VOTE requires
a. that the winning candidate or alternative receive at least 2/3 of the vote
total.
b. That the winning candidate or alternative receive at least one more vote
than any other.
c. That the winning candidate or alternative receive at least 50% plus 1 of
the vote total.
d. None of these.
54. The concept of UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE means
a. the right of all people to vote for a representative in government.
b. The problems people face in all countries that do not have a democracy.
c. That political power should be used to eliminate the problems of food
shortages throughout the world.
d. That the whole world will suffer if certain political and economic ideas are
allowed to spread.
55. Which of the following logical fallacies do you commit when you state
reasons or premises that are irrelevant to your conclusion?
a. begging the question
b. slippery slope
c. non sequitur
d. ad hominem
56. Which of the following logical fallacies do you commit when you assume that
there is a cause and effect relationship between Event A and Event B simply
because Event A preceded Event B in the order of time?
a. traditional wisdom
b. slippery slope
c. straw man
d. post hoc fallacy
57. Which of the following logical fallacies do you commit when you attack an
opponent rather than his or her arguments?
a. non sequitur
b. false dilemma
c. post hoc fallacy
d. ad hominem
58. Which of the following logical fallacies do you commit when an equivocation
results from using a term or concept that has more than one meaning?
a. two wrongs make a right
b. ambiguity
c. straw man
d. false dilemma
59. Which of the following logical fallacies do you commit when you assert that, if
a first action is taken, a second, but undesirable action will result, which will
then lead to another even more undesirable result, and so on?
a. begging the question
b. straw man
c. post hoc fallacy
d. slippery slope
60. Which of the following logical fallacies do you commit when you erroneously
reduce the number of alternatives to (usually) just two?
a. begging the question
b. false dilemma
c. two wrongs make a right
d. post hoc fallacy