We the People – GOVT 2305 – U.S. Government – Chapter 1 – Flashcards

A system of rule in which the government recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it is called a. oligarchic. b. totalitarian. c. autocratic. d. authoritarian.

Beginning in the seventeenth century, some Western governments underwent two broad forms of change that would lead toward democracy. One was allowing the vote; the other was a. developing strong systems of checks and balances. b. acknowledging formal limits on governmental power. c. reducing the size and control of military forces. d. developing formal institutions to break down class barriers.

How has the view of political efficacy changed in the United States in the last half-century? a. The belief by most citizens that government is run for the benefit of all people has increased substantially. b. The belief by ordinary citizens that they can affect what government does has increased slightly as a result of the Internet age. c. The belief by ordinary citizens that they can affect what government does has dropped dramatically. d. The belief in political efficacy, always very low in the United States, has remained relatively constant.

In a democracy, sovereignty is vested in a. the people. b. the federal government. c. Congress. d. the president.

Some states allow ballot referenda or popular initiatives, which are forms of a. direct democracy. b. monarchy. c. representative democracy. d. totalitarianism.

The American population has become increasingly urban. Roughly what percentage of the population now lives in urban areas? a. 50 percent b. 70 percent c. 80 percent d. 95 percent

The American system of government operates by majority rule. What essential principle was paired with this concept by the Founders in order for the system to work? a. minority rights b. equality of opportunity c. popular sovereignty d. judicial review

The Greek ideal of citizenship referred to a. anyone who votes. b. any free male who was at least 18 years old. c. participation in public affairs. d. anyone born of Greek parents.

The U.S. definition of liberty refers to a. political and religious freedom. b. economic liberty and equality of results. c. freedom from material want and equality of opportunity. d. freedom from government control and economic freedom.

The United States' core political values are a. liberty and responsibility. b. liberty, equality, and democracy. c. liberty, democracy, and capitalism. d. liberty, equality, and minority rights.

The bourgeoisie in Europe sought to a. restore the divine right of kings. b. turn government institutions into instruments of real political participation for the middle class. c. open up political participation to all social classes. d. reject the use of parliaments as tools of democracy because they were controlled by the aristocratic class.

The famous political scientist Harold Lasswell defined politics as the struggle over a. who protests. b. who gets elected. c. who gets what, when, and how. d. who gets to vote.

The formal institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled are called a. the economy. b. the government. c. the legislature. d. politics.

The principle of political equality can be best summed up as a. "equality of results." b. "equality of opportunity." c. "one person, one vote." d. "equality between the sexes."

Throughout U.S. history, Americans have a. been suspicious of strong government. b. supported strong government. c. moved from a belief in no government to a belief in strong government. d. moved from suspicion of government to enthusiastic support for government.

Under a system of laissez-faire capitalism, the role of government is to a. ensure access to free public education. b. choose the most successful industries. c. interfere with the market as little as possible. d. regulate the market in order to protect the public.

What demographic change has most caused the issue of the decline of manufacturing jobs to receive less attention in national politics? a. a shift in population toward the South and Southwest b. an overall aging of the population c. a decline in economic inequality d. a shift from rural to urban areas

Which of the following statements about the evolution of attitudes toward race and political participation in the United States is accurate? a. Exposure to international cultures and cooperation in World War I led the U.S. Congress to relax immigration restrictions. b. Congress's decision in 1965 to lift tight immigration restrictions caused a rapid transformation of the nation's racial and ethnic profile over the next forty years. c. The religious affiliations of German and Irish immigrant communities helped to bring them more rapid acceptance by the white majorities of the nineteenth century. d. For the first century after the founding, the United States government showed little interest in controlling the population through racial and ethnic criteria.

Which of the following statements about the slow acceptance of racial or ethnic minorities into the political community in the United States is accurate? a. Native Americans were not allowed to vote until 1924. b. In 1970, the foreign-born population of the United States reached a historic high. c. Nonwhites were not allowed to become naturalized citizens until 1820. d. Most people of African descent were not granted citizenship until 1900.

Which of the following statements accurately describes a change in America's population since its founding? a. The number of middle-aged Americans has grown, with children under 18 and the elderly making up a smaller percentage of the population. b. African Americans now make up a much larger percentage of the total population. c. The percentage of the American population that identifies as Protestants has been on the rise. d. The number of elderly Americans has grown, and the number of children age 18 and under has declined as a percentage of the population.

Who was included in the political community of the United States immediately after its founding? a. propertied white males and females b. white males of western European descent c. white males d. propertied white males