American Government 310l Test 1

75 Questions | By Cenalle | Updated: Mar 21, 2022 | Attempts: 281

Questions

Settings

Create your own Quiz

Questions and Answers

1.
1. According to Thomas Hobbes, life without government:
- A.
  
  Would be nasty, brutish, and short.
- B.
  
  Would be free of unnecessary intrusion.
- C.
  
  Is unnecessary, given man’s inherent qualities.
- D.
  
  Is a utopian ideal.
2.
1. The preamble of the U.S. Constitution:
- A.
  
  Protects basic rights of Americans.
- B.
  
  Defines the two central duties of national government.
- C.
  
  Establishes the limits of government power.
- D.
  
  Acknowledges life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as fundamental human rights.
3.
1. Checks and balances limits government power by ________________; separation of powers limits government power by _____________.
- A.
  
  Dividing power across state and national government; giving distinct duties to each branch of government
- B.
  
  dividing power between state and national government; giving each branch some power over the others
- C.
  
  Dividing the government into three branches; giving each branch some power over the others
- D.
  
  Giving each branch some power over the others; dividing the government into three branches
4.

The president’s power to veto congressional legislation is an example of:
- A.
  
  Separation of powers.
- B.
  
  Checks and balances.
- C.
  
  Federalism.
- D.
  
  Factionalism
5.

According to Madison, factions arise out of
- A.
  
  People’s self-interest.
- B.
  
  People’s opposition to powerful government.
- C.
  
  A desire to improve the public good.
- D.
  
  People’s altruistic tendencies.
6.

The Founders incorporated separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism into the structure of American government in order to:
- A.
  
  Mimic the structure of English government.
- B.
  
  Promote altruism.
- C.
  
  Counter the effects of powerful factions.
- D.
  
  Prevent class-based politics.
7.
1. Tyranny within American government is most effectively prevented by:
- A.
  
  Competing political ideologies.
- B.
  
  Citizens’ strong commitment to the free market and economic individualism.
- C.
  
  A system of checks and balances.
- D.
  
  The collective action problem.
8.
1. It is often necessary for government to provide public goods because:
- A.
  
  Citizens are incapable of organizing efficient methods of distribution.
- B.
  
  Public goods are often underproduced in a free market.
- C.
  
  Only the government has the power to limit negative externalities.
- D.
  
  According to several states’ laws, public goods must be funded by tax dollars.
9.
1. Collective action problems arise because each individual is ____________ off when _________ to cooperate and benefit from those who do work.
- A.
  
  Better; refusing
- B.
  
  Worse; refusing
- C.
  
  Better; agreeing
- D.
  
  Worse; agreeing
10.
1. The size of the federal government is evidence that:
- A.
  
  Politics is everywhere.
- B.
  
  Politics is conflictual.
- C.
  
  The political process matters.
- D.
  
  The government is corrupt
11.

Which of the following substantiates the fact that political process matters?
- A.
  
  Government influences most aspects of daily life.
- B.
  
  The political party in power has extensive control over the policies enacted.
- C.
  
  People generally dislike political conflict.
- D.
  
  Over 11 million people receive a paycheck from the federal government.
12.

Which of the following best characterizes the relationship between conflict and politics?
- A.
  
  Conflict could be avoided without political parties.
- B.
  
  Government would be better off without conflict.
- C.
  
  Conflict in politics is a good thing.
- D.
  
  Conflict in politics is inevitable.
13.

Americans have _________ interest in politics, most of us _____________ it every day.
- A.
  
  Little; encounter
- B.
  
  Significant; avoid
- C.
  
  Little; avoid
- D.
  
  Significant; encounter
14.
1. The reason conflict is nearly always a part of politics is because
- A.
  
  The media tries to create an artificially conflictual environment.
- B.
  
  The easy issues get resolved and go away, the hard ones stay.
- C.
  
  Members of Congress genuinely dislike each other.
- D.
  
  The political parties disagree on everything.
15.
1. An important implication of conflicts in politics is that
- A.
  
  Compromise means abandoning principles.
- B.
  
  Agreements never exist in the midst of controversies.
- C.
  
  Congress never gets anything done.
- D.
  
  Compromise and bargaining are essential to getting things done.
16.
1. Despite the importance of economic equality in defining our nation’s early history, socioeconomic classes have formed as a result of:
- A.
  
  Americans’ rejection of government intervention in the economy.
- B.
  
  The Founders’ inability to predict how the American economy would develop.
- C.
  
  Slavery and its aftermath.
- D.
  
  The difficulty in revising laws established by the Constitution.
17.
1. American economic interests tend to center on _________ and __________________.
- A.
  
  Government regulation; economic individualism
- B.
  
  The free market; economic individualism
- C.
  
  The free market; economic mutualism
- D.
  
  Government regulation; economic mutualism
18.
1. In the context of American politics, the term culture wars refers to:
- A.
  
  Any conflict that occurs on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or political ideology.
- B.
  
  The conflicts that exist as a result of the inherent differences among people living in the North and the South.
- C.
  
  The conflict among factions that form during each presidential election.
- D.
  
  The conflict between religious and secular Americans.
19.
1. Democrats tend to favor _______________ tax policies and __________ restrictions on individual behavior.
- A.
  
  Redistributive; few
- B.
  
  Redistributive; more
- C.
  
  Regressive; few
- D.
  
  Regressive; more
20.

Which of the following policies would a Democrat most likely support?
- A.
  
  An increase in benefits for welfare recipients
- B.
  
  Making abortion illegal
- C.
  
  Reducing business regulation
- D.
  
  Cutting the marginal tax rate
21.

Americans tend to have ________ views on most issues.
- A.
  
  Conservative
- B.
  
  Moderate
- C.
  
  Liberal
- D.
  
  Apathetic
22.
1. Which of the following was a provision of the Articles of Confederation?
- A.
  
  It established a national supreme court.
- B.
  
  Each a state had a single vote in Congress.
- C.
  
  All thirteen states had to agree to pass legislation.
- D.
  
  States shared authority to coin money with Congress.
23.
1. How did the Articles of Confederation specify that the executive be selected?
- A.
  
  National popular election
- B.
  
  Appointment by the Congress
- C.
  
  Appointment by the judiciary
- D.
  
  No executive leader was specified in the Articles of Confederation.
24.
1. Which of the following is one of the reasons that American political leaders rejected the Articles of Confederation?
- A.
  
  The states were unable to raise taxes.
- B.
  
  New York state troops threatened to occupy Massachusetts territory.
- C.
  
  Trade between the states was inefficient.
- D.
  
  South Carolina threatened to form an alliance with Spain.
25.

Which of the following did Thomas Paine’s Common Sense advocate?
- A.
  
  Republicanism
- B.
  
  Democracy
- C.
  
  State confederation
- D.
  
  Oligarchy