Political Science 1 - Government of the United States and California » Spring 2020 » Chapter 1 Exam

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Question #1
What are the institutions that make public policy decisions for a society collectively known as?
A.   political culture
B.   government
C.   Congress
D.   the courts
Question #2
How does government usually protect its national sovereignty?
A.   by collecting taxes
B.   by maintaining schools, libraries, hospitals, and highways
C.   by politically socializing the young
D.   by maintaining armed forces
Question #3
What determines whom we select as our governmental leaders and what policies these leaders pursue?
A.   public policy
B.   the media
C.   politics
D.   public opinion
Question #4
The ways in which people get involved in politics make up their political __________.
A.   opinions
B.   ideology
C.   party
D.   participation
Question #5
How does our government respond to the priorities of its people?
A.   through political science
B.   through political tolerance
C.   through a policymaking system
D.   through linkage institutions
Question #6
What makes up the government's policy agenda?
A.   the issues that concern single-issue interest groups
B.   all of the issues that candidates talk about on the campaign trail
C.   the issues that are asked about on public opinion polls
D.   the issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other political actors
Question #7
What is democracy?
A.   a system that grants a status of privilege to the most active and informed voters
B.   a system that perpetuates the status quo and upholds the values of the party in power
C.   a system that ensures freedom, justice, and peace to all citizens
D.   a system that selects policymakers and organizes government so that policy represents and responds to the public's preferences
Question #8
What most closely exemplifies equality in voting?
A.   universal citizenship
B.   one person, one vote
C.   inclusion
D.   freedom of speech and of the press
Question #9
The __________ principle is that, in a democracy, policies should reflect the will of more than half of the voters.
A.   pluralism
B.   enlightened rule
C.   representation
D.   majority rule
Question #10
What is the theory that argues that group competition results in a rough approximation of the public interest in public policy?
A.   balance-of-power theory
B.   pluralism
C.   elitism
D.   elite-and-class theory
Question #11
Which theory contends that American society is divided along class lines?
A.   policy gridlock
B.   elitism
C.   balance of power
D.   pluralism
Question #12
Which theory argues that special interest groups have essentially become sovereign, and the government is merely their servant?
A.   federalism
B.   majority rule
C.   pluralism
D.   hyperpluralism
Question #13
A set of values widely shared within a society is referred to as which of the following?
A.   public policy
B.   politics
C.   political culture
D.   government
Question #14
The U.S. preference for __________ economic policies helps to explain why we have a smaller and more limited government than do most other advanced industrialized countries.
A.   laissez-faire
B.   populist
C.   egalitarian
D.   pluralist
Question #15
A law passed by Congress and the adoption of a regulation by an agency are examples of which of the following?
A.   government rule
B.   collective action
C.   red tape
D.   public policies
Question #16
What is an example of a collective good?
A.   food stamps
B.   a college education
C.   medical care
D.   clean air
Question #17
What kind of public policy involves the legislative enactment of taxes and expenditures?
A.   congressional statute
B.   budgetary choice
C.   regulation
D.   court decision
Question #18
What is public policy?
A.   the public's political issues
B.   the root causes of political culture
C.   only legislation enacted by Congress
D.   all government decisions
Question #19
Free speech and a free press are essential to which principle of traditional democratic theory?
A.   enlightened understanding
B.   equality in voting
C.   inclusion
D.   effective participation
Question #20
In the United States, pluralism suggests which of the following?
A.   Too many influential groups cripple government's ability to govern.
B.   Congress is stronger and more influential than the presidency.
C.   Many groups vie for power with no one group dominating politics.
D.   Because most citizens fail to pay attention to serious issues, government has become an elite institution.

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