Democracy and Citizenship Practice Questions
Course Introduction
This course explores the evolution, theory, and practices of democracy and citizenship in various socio-political contexts. Through critical examination of democratic principles, institutions, and processes, students analyze the roles and responsibilities of citizens within democratic societies. The curriculum includes case studies of different countries, discussions on political participation, civil rights and liberties, and the influence of social movements. Emphasis is placed on contemporary challenges to democracy, such as populism, digital media, and globalization, fostering a nuanced understanding of what it means to be an engaged and responsible citizen in the modern world.
Recommended Textbook
Struggle for Democracy 2012 Election Edition 11th Edition by Edward S. Greenberg
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18 Chapters
1872 Verified Questions
1872 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Democracy and American Politics
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47 Verified Questions
47 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In what type of situation would you recommend direct democracy over representative democracy? Why? Give an example.
Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Note that direct democracy requires that people are able to meet regularly to discuss issues.
2. Discuss how direct democracy may be more appropriate in small communities, areas such as New England towns where participation is encouraged, and schools and local communities. It is more likely that these citizens can meet regularly, and also be reasonably informed on issues.
Q2) Why is direct democracy untenable in the United States?
A) It exudes socialism.
B) It yields inferior policy results.
C) The U.S. population is too heavily concentrated on the East Coast.
D) The U.S. population is too homogeneous.
E) The U.S. population is too large.
Answer: E
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the principle that each branch of the federal government has the means to thwart or influence actions by other branches of government?
A) balances and powers
B) checks and balances
C) checks and freedoms
D) freedom and power
E) weights and measures
Answer: B
Q2) __________ broke new ground in expanding executive power, issuing 1,200 signing statements, thereby contravening official acts of Congress.
A) President Barack Obama
B) President Bill Clinton
C) President George H. W. Bush
D) President George Washington
E) President George W. Bush
Answer: E
Q3) Congress passed the __________ in 1777.
Answer: Articles of Confederation
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Chapter 3: Federalism: States and Nation
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107 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following best exemplifies the intentions of devolution in the 1990s?
A) New Deal legislation
B) No Child Left Behind Act
C) welfare
D) Troubled Asset Recovery Program
E) Violence Against Women Act
Answer: C
Q2) What was the dominant form of federalism in the 1960s?
A) dual
B) combined
C) competitive
D) cooperative
E) progressive
Answer: D
Q3) McCulloch v. Maryland provided crucial legal justification for the expansion of federal power.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 5
Chapter 4: The Structural Foundations of American
Government and Politics
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106 Verified Questions
106 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What were the political effects of the shift of the American population from rural areas to cities and from cities to suburbs?
Q2) Which of the following best describes the Tea Party movement?
A) collectivist
B) populist
C) racist
D) socialist
E) trustful of government
Q3) The American economic system is best characterized as __________.
A) capitalist
B) collectivist
C) isolationist
D) mercantilist
E) socialist
Q4) The fact that you can buy a Starbucks coffee at a shopping mall in Saudi Arabia is a sign of the new world economic order, also known as __________.
Q5) What are Americans' concerns about outsourcing? Are they justified?
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Q6) Can the United States still be considered the only superpower? Why or why not?
Q7) What kinds of challenges does globalization pose for labor unions?
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Chapter 5: Public Opinion
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109 Verified Questions
109 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) You are a public policy researcher who favors legislation that requires voters to present photo identification before being allowed to cast votes. Design a "forced choice" question that will likely yield greater support for your position than might otherwise exist. Explain why you worded your question the way that you did.
Q2) A majority of adult Americans identify with the political party of their parents. A)True
B)False
Q3) If you agree that public opinion plays a crucial role in democratic government, what also must you believe for your views to be considered consistent?
A) that public opinion is a threat to the needs of the majority
B) that public opinion is a threat to core political beliefs
C) that public ignorance is a threat core political beliefs
D) that the public must have its voice heard by those in government
E) that politicians must have their voices heard by the public
Q4) How is public opinion in the South different from public opinion in the rest of the country?
Q5) Perhaps surprisingly, there is no __________ gap on the issue of abortion.
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Page 7
Chapter 6: The News Media
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108 Verified Questions
108 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the June of 1995, U.S. pilot Scott O'Grady was shot down over Bosnia. This event received more coverage than France's resumption of nuclear testing in French Polynesia. and reflects a __________ to news coverage.
A) negative perspective
B) nationalistic perspective
C) biased perspective
D) focused perspective
E) limited perspective
Q2) A substantial fraction of younger news consumers report that they rely on _________ for their news.
Q3) When the media decide to highlight a human rights tragedy in real time, such as ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, public officials often feel compelled to act. This effect is sometimes called the CNN effect.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Framing provides a context for ___________ stories.
Q5) One problem with the corporate nature of the news media is the potential for a media monopoly to __________ the news.
Q6) Most large media outlets are owned by __________.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Business Organizations
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Sample Questions
Q1) Research has shown that business/economic interest groups outnumber all other types of organizations in terms of their lobbying presence in Washington, D.C. Why do some scholars view this as problematic for the functioning of our political system? Could it be argued that this is not a problem at all?
Q2) One function of __________ is to provide legislators with information about an interest group's position on a specific bill or issue.
Q3) An interest group filing an amicus curiae brief is an example of __________.
A) grassroots or outside lobbying
B) how interest groups influence elections
C) lobbying an executive branch agency
D) how groups influence the president
E) lobbying the judicial branch
Q4) Which of the following is an example of a public interest group?
A) an advocacy group
B) a professional association
C) a labor union
D) a group representing a state government
E) a political action committee
Q5) Why is the outside strategy of "organizing the district" particularly effective?
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Chapter 8: Social Movements
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104 Verified Questions
104 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) At what level of the hierarchical framework (according to the "Using the Framework" box) did Barack Obama specifically state his intent to repeal DADT?
A) government action
B) government
C) political linkage
D) structure
E) societal action
Q2) The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 requires which of the following?
A) all states to seize and return slaves as property
B) northern states to seize and return slaves as property
C) southern states to seize and return slaves as property
D) southern states to recognize escaped slaves as free citizens
E) all states to recognize escaped slaves as free citizens
Q3) Describe the Occupy Wall Street movement and the tactic it uses to demonstrate its beliefs.
Q4) Women and African Americans were able to __________, which ultimately led to women gaining the right to vote and African Americans securing the full rights of citizenship.
Q5) Define political efficacy and explain why it is important to social movements.
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Chapter 9: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following best describes why the Federal Emergency Management Agency failed during Hurricane Katrina?
A) The agency was headed by a political contributor of George Bush, not an emergency relief specialist, so the leader was unprepared.
B) The agency had been merged into the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, so it was unclear who was in charge.
C) The agency surprised everyone by its poor response, since it had successfully handled previous disasters in California and Florida.
D) The head of the agency had been appointed by Bill Clinton because he was one of Clinton's supporters, and he had no experience with disaster relief.
E) The agency had been merged into the Commerce Department, and its funds had been depleted by that department, leaving it without resources.
Q2) One definitive period of __________, where power is transferred from one party to another, started with the rise of the New Deal coalition.
Q3) Franklin D. Roosevelt's __________ ushered in a forty-year period of Democratic Party dominance.
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Chapter 10: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
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108 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) A gathering of delegates who nominate a party's presidential candidate is called a
A) party convention
B) electoral convention
C) caucus convention
D) caucus election
E) party election
Q2) To win a "first-past-the-post" election, a candidates needs __________.
A) to win a two-thirds majority of votes
B) to win more votes than anyone else
C) more than half of the votes
D) to win with enough votes to ensure victory in the subsequent run-off election
E) a majority of votes from those citizens who are registered with the candidate's party
Q3) The votes of minorities and the poor are three times more likely to __________.
A) be for a Republican candidate
B) be for a young person
C) not be counted
D) be for a wealthy candidate
E) be for a Green candidate
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Congress
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108 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) __________ is the counterpart to the majority leader in the House opposition party.
Q2) Political parties have a significant impact on the functioning of Congress. How does being in the majority benefit a party? How has party voting changed over the last several decades? Is this change a good thing? Why or why not?
Q3) Outline the main steps a bill takes to become a law, noting the differences between the House and Senate. Why it is so much easier for a bill to be killed than passed?
Q4) Contrast the trustee model versus the delegate model of representation, and explain the factors that affect which of the models a representative chooses to follow.
Q5) __________ committees are usually temporary committees are created by congressional leaders to conduct special studies or investigations. A) Conference
B) Joint C) Select
D) Standing
E) Temporal
Q6) Cloture is the only way to end a(n) __________.
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Page 13
Chapter 12: The Presidency
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Sample Questions
Q1) Throughout most of its history, which was considered an insignificant office?
A) attorney general
B) chief of staff
C) secretary of state
D) Speaker of the House
E) vice president
Q2) What is the purpose of the Council of Economic Advisers?
A) to advise the president on economic policy
B) to assess legislative proposals for budgetary issues
C) to lobby Congress in defense of the president's budget
D) to prepare the president's budget
E) to review and recommend agency spending
Q3) What did the Framers envision as the role of the president? How has the role changed since the Constitution was written? How have these change affected the president's relationship with the American people? Have they made the president more effective?
Q4) Compare the White House staff and the Cabinet.
Q5) What factors contribute to president's public approval? Historically, what is the trend? What can impact approval ratings?
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Q6) What is the role of executive agreements in foreign policy? When are they used?
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Chapter 13: The Executive Branch
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Sample Questions
Q1) The most recently-created Cabinet department is the __________.
Q2) When would Congress be most likely to allow a federal agency significant discretion in rule-making?
A) following a congressional election
B) following a presidential election
C) following the passage of a law dealing with specialist issues
D) following the passage of a law supported by both political parties
E) following the passage of a law supported by the president
Q3) Bureaucrats often have considerable discretion in the implementation of federal laws.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The Department of Homeland Security was created in response to which of the following?
A) increased violence in the southeastern United States
B) heightened tensions with European nations
C) the terrorist attacks on 9/11
D) a movement by the Tea Party
E) a legislative mandate issued in 1995
Q5) How does the president exercise control over the federal bureaucracy?
Page 15
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Chapter 14: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the difference between original and appellate jurisdiction.
Q2) A grand __________ brings indictments in federal trial courts.
A) trial
B) punishment
C) judiciary
D) plea
E) jury
Q3) Which of the following nominates U.S. federal judges?
A) president
B) vice president
C) chief justice
D) Senate
E) Supreme Court
Q4) Litigants have an automatic right of appeal to the Supreme Court.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Explain the significance of Marbury v. Madison.
Q6) Of all the federal courts, only the __________ is established by the Constitution.
Q7) If North Dakota sues South Dakota, the case will be heard by the __________.
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Civil Liberties: the Struggle for Freedom
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108 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the Supreme Court, citizens do not have a "reasonable expectation of privacy" that would protect against an unwarranted police search of their
A) hotel room
B) personal residence
C) garbage can on the edge of private property
D) car parked in their driveway
E) laptop computer
Q2) What level of scrutiny is applied to official actions that are presumed to be constitutional?
A) procedural
B) intermediate
C) ordinary
D) strict
E) prospective
Q3) The USA Patriot Act provides the government with methods for circumventing restrictions on __________.
Q4) __________ rights include the right to remain silent.
Q5) One prong of the Lemon test is that the law has a __________ secular purpose.
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Q6) __________ include profanity, obscenity, and threats.
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Chapter 16: Civil Rights: the Struggle for Political Equality
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Sample Questions
Q1) What did the Supreme Court determine was unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education?
A) integrated schools
B) poll taxes
C) segregation of schools
D) unequal school funding
E) school busing
Q2) The Fifteenth Amendment guarantees citizens the right to vote regardless of __________.
A) race
B) gender
C) age
D) property ownership
E) involvement in insurrection
Q3) What are the two main reasons why public schools have partially resegregated in recent years? Do you find this trend troubling? Why or why not?
Q4) In order to make it hard for poor blacks to vote without falling afoul of the Fifteenth Amendment, many southern states required citizens to pay __________, which disproportionately disenfranchised African Americans.
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Chapter 17: Domestic Policies
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Sample Questions
Q1) Keynesians in Congress would support increasing ___________ as a means to address high levels of unemployment.
Q2) What are the proposed benefits of deregulation, and who in general supports this position?
Q3) Social Security is a/an __________ program because it provides benefits to all qualifying individuals.
Q4) Congress has the primary responsibility for setting interest rates in the United States.
A)True
B)False
Q5) A government active in regulating the economy would most likely be favored by which group?
A) white men
B) Southerners
C) Republicans
D) Libertarians
E) Democrats
Q6) Senior citizens are likely to be concerned about potential cuts to the medical program known as ___________.
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Chapter 18: Foreign Policy and National Defense
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Sample Questions
Q1) Under the George W. Bush administration, Congress reorganized the intelligence community and created a new position known as the director of National Intelligence. Why did Congress do this?
A) The director of the Central Intelligence Agency needed additional authority to combat the growing threat posed by weapons of mass destruction.
B) The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks revealed flaws in the way the U.S. intelligence community operated.
C) There was a need for the decentralization of authority within the intelligence community to prevent competition between agencies.
D) The previous organizational structure of the intelligence community encouraged the various agencies to do too much of their work collaboratively.
E) Congress wanted the Bush administration to have greater influence over the intelligence community.
Q2) What has the United States gained from the rise of China that makes China and the United States partners and allies? In what ways is the growth of China a challenge, or even a threat, to the United States?
Q3) How is terrorism fundamentally different from traditional military action?
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