Civic Engagement and American Democracy
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Course Introduction
This course explores the foundations, challenges, and evolving practices of civic engagement within the context of American democracy. Students will investigate the historical development of democratic norms and institutions in the United States, examine the ways in which individuals and groups participate in civic life, and analyze contemporary issues related to political participation, public policy, and social movements. Emphasis is placed on understanding the roles of citizenship, community service, political activism, and the impact of new media on democratic processes. Through readings, discussions, and experiential projects, students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become informed and effective participants in American democracy.
Recommended Textbook
American Government Institutions and Policies 16th Edition by James Q. Wilson
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Chapter 1: The Study of American Government the Study of
American Government
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Q1) Samuel P.Huntington argued that morally impassioned elites made most important changes EXCEPT
A) during periods of great social change.
B) for decisions made by political parties.
C) during normal, "business as usual" periods.
D) for decisions by religious leaders.
E) during wars.
Answer: C
Q2) Which of the following affects the political agenda?
A) Shared political values
B) The weight of custom and tradition
C) The impact of events
D) The way political elites discuss issues
E) All of these are correct.
Answer: E
Q3) Identify the requirements for representative democracy to work.
Answer: There must be an opportunity for genuine competition of leadership.
Individuals and parties must be free to run for office. There needs to be freedom of speech and press.
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Voters must perceive that a meaningful choice exists.
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Chapter 2: The Constitution the Constitution
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Q1) The declaration of independence listed complaints about social and economic abuses on the colonies.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Describe some of the principles that caused the colonists to fight the Revolutionary War.
Answer: Legitimate government required the consent of the governed. Power should be granted in a written constitution.
The government should respect human liberty. The legislative branch should be superior to the executive branch.
Q3) Under the Articles of Confederation,amendments had to
A) be written in secret.
B) be submitted to the national judiciary for approval.
C) have the approval of half of the state governors.
D) be supported by all thirteen states.
E) All of these are correct.
Answer: D
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Chapter 3: Federalism Federalism
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Q1) The first form of grant-in-aid from the national government to the states was
A) cash grants-in-aid.
B) block grants.
C) revenue sharing.
D) categorical grants.
E) land grants.
Answer: E
Q2) Discuss the benefits and costs of devolution using the examples in the textbook Answer:
.<b>Welfare case</b>: devolution in 1996 resulted in fewer welfare cases,more employment,lowered costs to the federal government,and increased state responsibility,but the lower costs were transitory,and ultimately created more rules than previously.
.<b>Marijuana case</b>: despite state governments passing ballot initiatives,the federal government is reluctant to give up control as there are few politicians interested in the cause at the national level.Federal power over commerce and banking give the federal government de facto control,even though public health and morals is traditionally a state area.
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Chapter 4: American Political Culture American Political Culture
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Q1) Americans generally believe that
A) the government runs inefficiently because public officials are overly concerned with what regular people think.
B) public officials are incompetent and corrupt, and reform is impossible because the American system of government is fundamentally flawed.
C) the American system of government is good, as are the people in power.
D) public officials are honest and competent, but the flawed American system of government prevents them from doing good.
E) the American system of government is good, but the people running it are inept.
Q2) A political culture exists where
A) there is a sustained and patterned way of thinking about political and economic life.
B) the demographics of a nation suggest the presence of a fairly homogeneous group.
C) a constitution creates an orderly society.
D) there is a large amount of agreement among the public.
E) there is elite guidance in matters related to politics.
Q3) Discuss the four sources of American political culture mentioned in the text.
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Chapter 5: Civil Liberties Civil Liberties
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Q1) The USA Patriot Act modifies the law for grand jury hearings by
A) allowing investigators to exchange information obtained in such proceedings.
B) requiring oaths of allegiance by grand jury members.
C) limiting the number of such proceedings in a given year.
D) allowing hearsay in such proceedings.
E) None of these are correct.
Q2) The Supreme Court denied the Hazelwood High School student newspaper the right to print certain stories,using the argument that
A) young people do not have First Amendment protection against libel.
B) the exercise of free expression by students is in violation of state educational codes.
C) schools that allow free expression by students can legally be denied federal funding.
D) incitement is never protected speech, even if it originates in a school newspaper.
E) the exercise of free expression by students cannot impede the educational mission of the school.
Q3) Summarize the facts of the case and the Supreme Court's ruling in Miranda v.Arizona.
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Chapter 6: Civil Rights Civil Rights
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Q1) The concept of "strict liability" implies that
A) an employer who was aware of a subordinate's wrongdoing cannot be found at fault.
B) an employer who was aware of a subordinate's wrongdoing must be found at fault unless the wrongdoing was minor.
C) an employer who was aware of a subordinate's wrongdoing may still be found blameless.
D) an employer who was unaware of a subordinate's wrongdoing cannot be found at fault.
E) an employer who was unaware of a subordinate's wrongdoing can still be found at fault.
Q2) Proponents of affirmative action would be most likely to argue that
A) governments and institutions should be color-blind.
B) giving everyone the same rights is sufficient to achieve equality.
C) everyone who isn't a minority leads a privileged life.
D) not everyone in life begins at the same starting line.
E) All of these are correct.
Q3) The decision of the Supreme Court in Brown was unanimous.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 7: Public Opinion Public Opinion
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Q1) Numbering more than 50 million,__________ are today the nation's largest minority group.
A) African Americans
B) Latinos
C) Asian Americans
D) Native Americans
E) Arab Americans
Q2) Today,adults under 30 are markedly similar to senior citizens (persons age 65 and older)in their opinions on
A) social security.
B) single-parenting.
C) immigration.
D) size of government.
E) None of these are correct.
Q3) Studies suggest that steadfast conservatives lean toward the Republican Party.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Younger people are uniformly more liberal than their elders.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: Political Participation Political Participation
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Q1) The VAP is problematic as a baseline measure because some people in that figure are not actually eligible to vote.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Until 1920,women were generally kept from voting by
A) intimidation.
B) social custom.
C) their own choice.
D) tradition.
E) law.
Q3) In recent years,the gap between the VAP and VEP has A) increased.
B) remained about the same.
C) decreased somewhat.
D) decreased considerably.
E) varied in no consistent way.
Q4) "Floaters" were good for political parties and democracy.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Identify and describe the six different classifications of U.S.voters.
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Chapter 9: Political Parties Political Parties
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Q1) After the 2012 presidential election,the Democrats controlled both the presidency and both houses of Congress.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Of the following,which is NOT a political party?
A) Democratic
B) Republican
C) Whig
D) Teamster
E) Libertarian
Q3) The plurality electoral system in the United States means that
A) the party system will be competitive.
B) every party must be a broad-based coalition.
C) politics will be more ideological than it would otherwise be.
D) the risk of electoral corruption is less than in Europe.
E) smaller parties have a greater chance of winning at least some seats.
Q4) Jefferson viewed his party as a temporary arrangement for the purpose of defeating John Adams.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: Elections and Campaigns Elections and Campaigns
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Q1) Presidential candidates were first nominated by national conventions.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Since 1964,African Americans have voted Democratic by at least
A) 50%.
B) 60%.
C) 70%.
D) 80%.
E) 90%.
Q3) A comprehensive study on political advertisements found that the plurality emphasized
A) stirring positive emotions.
B) voters' fears.
C) civic duty.
D) nonpartisan cooperation.
E) candidates' personal qualities.
Q4) In the 1800s,most people voted straight party ticket.
A)True
B)False
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Q5) Why is retrospective voting more common than prospective voting?
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Chapter 11: Interest Groups Interest Groups
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Q1) The number of interest groups has grown rapidly since the 1960s.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The dominant players in the lobbying market are
A) universities.
B) social justice organizations.
C) business organizations.
D) environmental organizations.
E) Think Tanks.
Q3) Solidary incentives are the sense of pleasure,status,or companionship that arises out of meeting together in small groups.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Civil rights is an issue on which the labor movement followed the attitudes of the rank and file in its lobbying activities.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What information must all registered lobbyists report twice a year?
Q6) Compare interest group membership in America to that of other democracies.
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Chapter 12: The Media the Media
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Q1) According to the text,reporters rely on scorekeeping and horse-race coverage because
A) it is easy.
B) the people like it.
C) it allows reporters to act independently of the party elite.
D) people find substantive reporting dull.
E) All of these are correct.
Q2) The Nation,the Atlantic Monthly,and Harper's were
A) mass-circulation magazines founded during the early 1900s.
B) magazines specializing in yellow journalism during the mid-1800s.
C) newspapers sponsored by the political parties of the early 1800s.
D) the first magazines to present public policy issues during the mid-1800s.
E) newspapers specializing in party news and election reports founded during the early 1900s.
Q3) What broke the partisan,and partly government supported,press in the United States?
Q4) Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post played a key role in the downfall of the administration of Richard Nixon.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: Congress Congress
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Q1) Which is NOT one of the six phases of the U.S.House of Representatives discussed in the text?
A) The Powerful House
B) The Divided House
C) The Speaker Rules
D) The House of Newt
E) The House Revolts
Q2) Article I,Section 8 of the U.S.Constitution confers on Congress all of the following powers EXCEPT
A) the power to veto bills.
B) the power to collect taxes.
C) the power to declare war.
D) the power to establish courts.
E) the power to regulate commerce.
Q3) Today,sixty senators must agree to invoke cloture to close off debate in the Senate.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Discuss the public's opinion of Congress compared to the public's view of the Supreme Court and the presidency.
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Chapter 14: The Presidency the Presidency
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Q1) The position of "acting president" was created by
A) an act of Congress.
B) executive reorganization.
C) the Twenty-fifth Amendment.
D) the original U.S. Constitution.
E) an executive order.
Q2) The cabinet officers are the heads of
A) the major executive departments.
B) the major governmental commissions.
C) the major governmental agencies.
D) independent agencies and commissions.
E) the minor governmental agencies.
Q3) Customarily,the members of the president's cabinet are
A) close friends.
B) campaign aides.
C) representatives of important constituencies.
D) experts on various policy issues.
E) All of these are correct.
Q4) Discuss the opinions of James Wilson,Roger Sherman,and Alexander Hamilton about how the president should be selected.
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Chapter 15: The Bureaucracy the Bureaucracy
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Q1) A laissez-faire economy
A) is restrictive but fair.
B) is supported by the general public.
C) is freely competitive.
D) is based on rapid industrialization.
E) mixes industry and agriculture.
Q2) This federal agency employees more than 500,000 career employees,making it the second largest employer in the United States (behind Walmart).
A) United States Postal Service (USPS)
B) Department of Defense (DOD)
C) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
D) Department of State (DOS)
E) United States National Park Service
Q3) Define the five bureaucratic pathologies described in the text.
Q4) Define bureaucracy and give examples of types of bureaucracies.
Q5) Agencies tend to be dominated by bureaucrats who have an "agency point of view."
A)True
B)False
Q6) Explain why federal agencies originally emphasized a service role.
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Chapter 16: The Judiciary the Judiciary
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Q1) On the issue of state sovereignty,the text states that since around 1992,the Supreme Court has
A) restricted the ability of states to govern independently of the federal government.
B) not overturned any laws based by Congress that contain instructions for state governments.
C) not overturned any laws passed by Congress that contain instructions for state governments.
D) allowed states to resist almost all federal action.
E) empowered the national government more than when Earl Warren was Chief Justice.
Q2) Sonia Sotomayor,Ruth Bader Ginsburg,and Sandra Day O'Connor are the only current female Supreme Court justices.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A remedy is a judicial order enforcing a right or redressing a wrong.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Explain how Alexander Hamilton described the Supreme Court in Federalist No.78.
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Chapter 17: Domestic Policy Domestic Policy
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Q1) Compared to the United States,European environmental policy tends to be
A) more flexible.
B) more uniform.
C) less comprehensive.
D) less client centered.
E) enforced mostly by lawsuits.
Q2) America has been slower than other nations to embrace the welfare state.
A)True
B)False
Q3) In this decision,the Supreme Court ruled that EPA rules must be observed without regard to their cost or technological feasibility.
A) Union Electric Co. v. Environmental Protection Agency
B) Chevron v. National Resources Defense Council
C) Whitman v. American Truck Association
D) Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency
E) Gibbons v. Ogden
Q4) What are four important factors to consider when thinking about the social welfare policy in the United States?
Q5) Explain why agricultural pesticides are considered client politics.
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Chapter 18: Economic Policy Economic Policy
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Q1) Tax loopholes are a quintessential example of __________ politics.
A) client
B) entrepreneurial
C) interest-group
D) majoritarian
E) sociotropic
Q2) The fiscal year goes from
A) June 3 to June 2 (of the next year).
B) March 16 to March 15 (of the next year).
C) October 1 to September 30.
D) January 1 to December 31.
E) January 15 to January 14 (of the next year).
Q3) The economic approach known as planning has never been popular in America.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Voters frequently endorse three inconsistent policies¾lower taxes,less debt,and new programs.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss the difference between deficit and debt.
Page 20
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Chapter 19:
Foreign and Military Policy Foreign and Military Policy
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Q1) Identify and discuss the four worldviews discussed in thisChapter.
Q2) Presidents have generally viewed the War Powers Act as
A) unconstitutional.
B) a constitutional but misguided use of congressional power.
C) a boost to America's image abroad.
D) strengthening their power in foreign affairs.
E) None of these are correct.
Q3) In the early years of the republic,foreign policy was often made and almost always carried out by
A) the president.
B) Congress.
C) the secretary of state.
D) the U.S. Senate.
E) the Speaker of the House.
Q4) Mass opinion on world affairs tends to be both more liberal and more internationalist than elite opinion.
A)True
B)False
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Q5) Describe the constitutional powers held by the president and Congress in the area of foreign policy.
Chapter 20: American Democracy, Then and Now
American Democracy, Then and Now
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Q1) The transition from the Old System to the New System occurred between
A) 1920 and 1950.
B) 1930 and 1970.
C) 1940 and 1960
D) 1950 and 1980
E) 1960 and 1990
Q2) Under the Old System,a dominant theme in the debates concerning the legitimacy of the scope of the federal government's power was the
A) difficulty of quantifying efficiency.
B) importance of checks and balances.
C) need for congressional dominance.
D) limits of federalism.
E) importance of states' rights.
Q3) The text argues that opinion surveys since the 1960s reflect the public's
A) loss of faith in the design of our government's institutions
B) loss of faith in our form of government
C) disappointment with our government's performance
D) increasing political apathy
E) All of these are correct.
Q4) Compare the presidency in the New System with that of the Old System.
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