American Government
Midterm Exam
Course Introduction
American Government explores the foundational structures, principles, and operations of the United States government. This course examines the Constitution, federalism, civil liberties, and civil rights, along with the roles played by the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Students will analyze political parties, elections, public opinion, and the policy-making process, gaining a deeper understanding of how American democracy functions and how citizens can engage effectively in civic life. The course encourages critical thinking about contemporary political issues and the impact of government decisions on society.
Recommended Textbook
Understanding Politics Ideas Institutions and Issues 11th Edition by Thomas M. Magstadt
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18 Chapters
738 Verified Questions
738 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1728
Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Study of Politics
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Political power is a measure of military strength.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) What theory holds that individuals and states alike act according to the iron logic of self-interest?
A)Normative theory
B)Behavioral theory
C)Rational choice theory
D)Political realism theory
E)Political culture
Answer: D
Q3) The principle reason to study politics is
A)national interest.
B)self-interest.
C)public interest.
D)both A and B.
E)both B and C.
Answer: E
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Idea of the Public Good: Ideologies and Isms
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The idea of the commercial republic was popularized by Adam Smith.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Who developed the idea of laissez-faire capitalism?
A)John Locke
B)Adam Smith
C)Baron de Montesquieu
D)Friedrich Engels
E)François Noël Babeuf
Answer: B
Q3) Which theorist argued that the main purpose of government was to protect private property?
A)John Locke
B)Adam Smith
C)Milton Friedman
D)Baron de Montesquieu
E)None of the above
Answer: A
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Utopias: Model States
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the purpose of The Republic's "Noble Lie?"
A)Undermine the institution of the family
B)Reinforce social equality
C)Ensure popular acceptance of the class system
D)Convince lower classes of the existence of social mobility
E)Pressure the Guardian class to be more moderate
Answer: C
Q2) A visionary system embodying perfect political and social order is called a dystopia.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) What is the major flaw of Frazier's utopia?
A)Elitism
B)No check on power
C)Anemic institutions
D)Undue reliance on imagination
E)Freedom from economic security
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Constitutional Democracy: Models of Representation
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Constitutional democracies stress order and a political economy above all else.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In order to be considered a democracy, a government must function openly and according to a clear set of rules.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which tool enables branches of government to resist any illegitimate expansion of power by other branches?
A)Dual federalism
B)Checks and balances
C)Supremacy Clause
D)Bicameralism
E)Brokered democracy
Q4) The Thirteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection for all.
A)True
B)False
Q5) A crosscutting cleavage leaves one entity cut off from all others.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: The Authoritarian Model: Myth and Reality
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Who praised the economic progress and effectiveness of the classical Chinese government?
A)Adam Smith
B)Karl Marx
C)The Dalai Lama
D)Both A and B
E)None of the above
Q2) Authoritarian states are sometimes quite popular. Are there circumstances under which you as an individual would prefer authoritarian to democratic government?
Q3) Though they sometimes interfere with the power or policy goals of the state, authoritarian rulers generally respect individual rights.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Due to China being America's second largest creditor, we are now economic codependents.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: The Totalitarian Model: A False Utopia
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A key reason why pre-twentieth century rebellions did not produce total revolutions was that they lacked cohesive structure.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What is the basis for moral judgment in a totalitarian system? How are political actions determined to be good or bad? Contrast the totalitarian moral framework with that of an authoritarian or democratic regime.
Q3) Totalitarianism is the product of just one form of ideology.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The fall of the Soviet Union is generally attributed to a protracted conflict with which state?
A)Cambodia
B)Ethiopia
C)Afghanistan
D)North Korea
E)None of the above
Q5) Why does the text refer to totalitarian regimes as false utopias?
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Chapter 7: Parliamentary Democracy
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In which of the following positions can the incumbent NOT be removed by a vote of no confidence in the lower house of the legislature?
A)The British Prime Minister
B)The French Premier
C)The German Chancellor
D)All of the above
E)None of the above
Q2) With 70 percent of its 1.1 billion population still living in small villages, which of the following is the best description of India today?
A)Urban society in a rural pattern
B)Rural society in a postindustrial world
C)Rural society in an urban world
D)Country mentality in an industrial world
E)Urban world occupying a rural society
Q3) How does the history of parliamentary democracy in Europe, and its prevalence among European nations, help these governments when compared to parliamentary systems more recently put in place in Israel and India?
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Chapter 8: States and Economies in Transition: Between
Democracy and Yesterday
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Satisfaction or discontent among a state's population are usually connected with the performance of the economy, yet the prosperous Chile faces a great deal of turmoil. What other factors besides the economy are important to people in a state? Which do you think is the most important? Why?
Q2) How do international organizations like NAFTA, the EU, and the UN affect the transitions that states go through? Do they always have a positive influence? Which transitional state has been the most affected by an international organization?
Q3) Cuba is the last unreconstructed Stalinist state.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The election of Vicente Fox was a major victory for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
A)True B)False
Q5) The Pan-Blue Coalition favors an official declaration of Taiwanese independence. A)True
B)False
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Chapter 9: Development: Myths and Realities
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is NOT a typical characteristic of traditional societies trying to overcome problems of distribution?
A)High infant mortality rates
B)Low life expectancy
C)Lack of access to basic medical services
D)High levels of poverty and illiteracy
E)All of the above
Q2) Explain the paradox of Nigeria's failure and India's success.
Q3) Which of the following is NOT a political correlate of democracy?
A)A differentiated civil society
B)A competitive party system
C)Independent courts
D)Freedom of communication
E)Military control by civilian leadership
Q4) The greater the distribution of wealth and education in a given society, the more likely that the seeds of democracy will grow.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: Political Socialization: The Making of a Citizen
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements regarding political socialization is true?
A)The family is the primary influence in the formation of individual values.
B)Lower-class children tend to be inadequately informed about politics.
C)Middle- and upper-class children are more likely to become politically involved than children from lower-class families.
D)Some people may never be completely or successfully socialized.
E)All of the above are correct.
Q2) What government agency promotes and preserves media competition in the United States?
A)Federal Communication Commission
B)Department of Commerce
C)Federal Bureau of Inventions
D)Federal Television Commission
E)None of the above
Q3) How is it possible for a country, such as the United States, to build a shared political culture on the basis of immigration from all around the world?
Q4) In totalitarian societies, good citizenship is characterized by loyalty.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 11: Political Participation: The Limits of Democracy
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Polls not only measure public opinion; they also
A)allow public opinion to change.
B)influence public opinion.
C)make public opinion less arbitrary.
D)create legal precedents.
E)educate the respondents.
Q2) How many times have British voters had a national referendum?
A)Two
B)Four
C)Seven
D)Nine
E)None of the above
Q3) According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, what "fuels" the current campaign system?
A)Patriotism
B)Ego
C)Political Parties
D)Money
E)None of the above
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Chapter 12: Political Leadership: The Many Faces of Power
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Lincoln was motivated by moral precepts against slavery and profound, practical judgment.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What is the term for an individual who is prepared to sacrifice previously held principles or shelve unpopular policies to get reelected?
A)Demagogue
B)Statesman
C)Citizen-Leader
D)Politician
E)None of the above
Q3) According to the delegate theory of representation, representatives should only trust public opinion if it accords with their own judgment.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Luck and circumstances have no bearing on the careers of great leaders.
A)True
B)False
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Issues in Public Policy: Politics, Principles, Priorities,
and Practicies
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The various provisions of the U.S. Patriot Act apply only to people suspected of engaging in terrorism.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Compared to all European nations, the income tax of Americans is much higher.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Should health care in the United States be seen as a public right as in other industrial democracies? Explain.
Q4) Which justification for punishment claims that its purpose is to discourage others from committing a similar crime?
A)Incarceration
B)Deterrence
C)Retribution
D)Rehabilitation
E)None of the above
Q5) How have the United States' previous issues with equality affected the situation in employment and social class? Are these issues still worth considering and taking action to correct today? Explain?
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Chapter 14: Revolution: In the Name of Justice
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41 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Tocqueville argued that economic improvement led to revolution because once people saw that some improvement was possible, they inevitably yearned for more.
A)True
B)False
Q2) According to Jefferson, what is the philosophical basis of good government?
A)Social deconstruction
B)Liberty
C)Human rights
D)Revolution
E)The Socratic method
Q3) Which government document made human rights the philosophical basis of good government departing significantly from past precedent and contemporary practice?
A)The Federalist Papers
B)The Declaration of the Rights of Man
C)The Declaration of Independence
D)The Second Treatise of Government
Q4) Explain different theories on the causes of revolution as explained by Burke, Paine, and Locke. Which do you find most convincing?
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Page 16
Chapter 15: War: Politics by Other Means
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Can we sustain a war against an idea, concept, or condition? Explain.
Q2) Which term best describes a war that generates violence and destruction well beyond a nation's intention?
A)Proxy war
B)Catalytic war
C)Total war
D)Accidental war
E)None of the above
Q3) Which is NOT a typical characteristic of a country likely to launch an aggressive war?
A)A rapidly expanding population
B)Has a risk-oriented leader
C)Suffering from extreme poverty
D)Is a powerful country
E)Shares many borders with neighboring states
Q4) George W. Bush was the first American President to wage war on a concept.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Differentiate among the theories of war by Hobbes, Rousseau, Kant, Locke, and Lenin.
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Chapter 16: Terrorism: Weapon of the Weak
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In 1986, the European Community issued sanctions on which state-sponsor of terrorism?
A)Somalia
B)Venezuela
C)Libya
D)Iran
E)Burma
Q2) Which of the following is NOT a part of the common logic of terrorism?
A)Terrorism is aimed at promoting chaos and change.
B)Terrorism is hoped to lead to a harsh government crack down.
C)Terrorism is aimed at satisfying a love of violence-a blood lust.
D)Terrorism is aimed at undermining confidence in the government.
E)Terrorism is aimed at promoting an "overvalued idea."
Q3) Which of the following is considered to be a state sponsor of terrorism according to the U.S. government?
A)Algeria
B)Somalia
C)Indonesia
D)Syria
E)Venezuela
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Chapter 17: World Politics: The Struggle for Power
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41 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Recent developments indicate that the processes of globalization and disintegration are occurring simultaneously. What is the evidence of each of these trends? Do you think that the information revolution will more strongly encourage globalization or disintegration? Why?
Q2) Which is the newest country to have nuclear weapons, having tested them as recently as 2008 and 2009?
A)Japan
B)North Korea
C)Iran
D)India.
E)Pakistan.
Q3) Discuss how IT advancements are making changes in governments and diplomacy throughout the world.
Q4) To qualify as a superpower, a state has to have a full range of power capabilities, including not only military muscle but also economic, political, diplomatic, and even moral clout.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 18: International Organizations: Globalization and the Quest for Order
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41 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is NATO's role in the new world order of the twenty-first century?
A)Commerce and security
B)Security and the environment
C)Security and economics
D)Economics and the environment
E)Questionable
Q2) What is the first principle of international political life?
A)Self-preservation
B)National identity
C)Military might
D)Diplomacy
E)Legitimacy
Q3) During the 1990s the United Nations has conducted peacekeeping efforts in Cambodia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, East Timor, the Congo, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Discuss the various treaties and methods used to limit the spread of nuclear weapons and arsenals. Have they been successful, or failures?
Page 20
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