Test Bank Chapter 16 Politics And The Economy

Experience Sociology, 4e (Croteau)

Chapter 16 Politics and the Economy

1) The struggle over power in a society is called

A) the law.

B) politics.

C) corporate governance.

D) a social system.

2) Which statement about politics is FALSE?

A) It is full of hypocrisy and deception.

B) It is ridden with conflict.

C) It is uniquely separate from and unrelated to social life.

D) It protects and serves people.

3) According to Max Weber, what type of power do governments represent?

A) legitimate power

B) traditional power

C) supreme power

D) democratic power

4) The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an example of a

A) charismatic autocracy.

B) constitutional autocracy.

C) constitutional monarchy.

D) traditional monarchy.

5) The United Kingdom is an example of a(n)

A) autocratic system.

B) constitutional monarchy.

C) formal autocracy.

D) absolute monarchy.

6) A government run by a central ruling party with a self-appointed leader is called a(n)

A) centralized government.

B) central government.

C) authoritarian government.

D) legal authority.

7) The Chinese government is run by a central ruling party that severely restricts the civil liberties of its citizens. Which type of government does China represent?

A) an absolute state

B) an absolute monarchy

C) an authoritarian government

D) a centralized government

8) A political system that relies on citizens' active political participation in decision making, such as in referendums, is called a(n)

A) direct democracy.

B) democratic engagement.

C) indirect democracy.

D) None of these answers is correct.

9) Literally translated, democracy means

A) a system dependent upon parties.

B) rule by the people.

C) rule based upon internal opposition.

D) All of these answers are correct.

10) In which type of political system do citizens elect delegates who carry out the policymaking processes of government?

A) direct democracy

B) proportional system

C) representative democracy

D) delegate system

11) In which type of democracy do voters elect the head of state?

A) proportional system

B) presidential system

C) parliamentary system

D) representative system

12) The prime minister is the head of state in which type of political system?

A) presidential system

B) parliamentary system

C) "European" system

D) representative system

13) In which type of voting system does the candidate with the most votes win the office?

A) rational system

B) direct system

C) proportional representation

D) plurality voting

14) A voting system that focuses on the percentage of votes won by parties instead of individual candidates is what type of system?

A) proportional representation

B) direct representation

C) party system

D) plurality voting

15) Which type of voting system is used to elect members to the U.S. House and Senate?

A) plurality voting

B) direct voting

C) proportional representation

D) two-party

16) The two-party domination of the American political system can be attributed to

A) proportional representation.

B) the plurality voting system.

C) direct democracy.

D) limited political socialization.

17) Which of the following describes voter turnout in the United States as compared to that in other countries?

A) It is among the lowest in the Western industrialized democracies.

B) It is on par with other Western industrialized democracies.

C) It is among the highest in the Western industrialized democracies.

D) None of these answers is correct.

18) Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) Citizens with minority opinions are more likely to find a "place" in a multiparty system than those in plurality voting systems.

B) Voter turnout is generally higher in multiparty systems than in plurality voting systems.

C) Fragmentation within government is less likely in multiparty systems than in plurality voting systems.

D) There is a higher probability that governments will be more unstable in multiparty systems than in plurality voting systems.

19) Which of the following is true regarding the American political process?

A) Students are taught basic lessons about civics.

B) For most of American history, the majority of citizens were denied the right to vote.

C) The news media have not served their functions of being a watchdog on the powerful and effectively informing citizens about politics.

D) All of these answers are correct.

20) What theory deals with how, in order to avoid social isolation, people do not voice their opinions on controversial topics when they perceive their perspective as marginal?

A) the spiral of silence

B) the conspiracy of silence

C) social silencing

D) silent dissent

21) The "spiral of silence" inflates our perception of political consensus by ________ alternative views.

A) publicly denouncing

B) explicitly discouraging

C) refuting

D) excluding

22) How do the media contribute to the spiral of silence?

A) by portraying minority views as negative

B) by ignoring minority views

C) by portraying minority views as flawed

D) by ridiculing and discrediting minority views

23) Which theory argues that political power is fragmented among different competing groups?

A) power fragmentation theory

B) power elite theory

C) pluralist theory

D) class domination theory

24) Politics consists of a constant negotiation among diverse interest groups competing over political influence to bring about policy change in their favor. This is consistent which theory of power?

A) interest group theory

B) power elite theory

C) power contest theory

D) pluralist theory

25) Which theory suggests that power is concentrated in the hands of a small dominant group?

A) power elite theory

B) pluralist theory

C) elitist theory

D) domination theory

26) Which sociological perspective has been important in advancing the notion that "the personal is political"?

A) conflict

B) feminist

C) symbolic interactionist

D) functionalist

27) Which of the following theories was adopted by some functionalist sociologists?

A) power elite theory

B) pluralist theory

C) elitist theory

D) domination theory

28) The "power elite theory" and "class domination theory" are a form of which of the following sociological perspectives?

A) conflict

B) feminist

C) symbolic interactionist

D) functionalist

29) Those who are in charge of major bureaucratic institutions, such as in business, government, or the military, wield disproportionate power in society. This is consistent with the definition of which theory of power?

A) elitist theory

B) institutional domination theory

C) bureaucratic domination theory

D) power elite theory

30) What theory of power suggests that political power is concentrated in the hands of the rich?

A) power elite theory

B) class domination theory

C) pluralist theory

D) elitist theory

31) Wealthy individuals and corporations have the power to influence government policy, as well as public opinion, through their influence over the media, which is why they enjoy disproportionate power in society. This is consistent with the definition of which theory of power?

A) pluralist theory

B) class domination theory

C) corporate dominance theory

D) economic domination theory

32) Which theory of power is most closely based on the work of Karl Marx, which views the economic system as the primary source of power?

A) class domination theory

B) class division theory

C) power elite theory

D) theory of exploitation

33) In the United States, working-class people are much less likely to vote and participate in political life than middle-class people. What is an important reason for this pattern of participation in the United States, as compared to all other Western democracies?

A) lack of financial resources

B) lack of education

C) absence of a labor or socialist party

D) class warfare

34) Which of the following best describes the two major American political parties and their class alignment?

A) Both parties are closely aligned with major corporate interests.

B) The Democratic Party is the party of the "working people" in America and looks out for the interests of people who identify themselves as such.

C) The Republican Party is the party of the wealthy and, unlike the Democrats, relies exclusively on corporate interests.

D) All of these answers are correct.

35) Which is the most influential lobbying sector?

A) the legal sector

B) labor unions

C) the corporate sector

D) the nongovernment sector

36) Which of the following has been a major issue pursued by corporate lobbyists?

A) deregulation

B) tax incentives for new businesses

C) labor unions

D) government spending

37) What group receives the greatest benefit from common tax breaks?

A) working-class families

B) small businesses

C) higher-income earners

D) large businesses

38) The reason behind the Theodore Roosevelt-era military buildup was

A) expansion of American influence abroad.

B) emerging external threats.

C) excess industrial capacity.

D) geopolitical change.

39) The United States government is dominated by powerful military, foreign policy, and intelligence agencies. The U.S. is therefore an example of a ________ state.

A) surveillance

B) militaristic

C) national security

D) defensive

40) According to C. Wright Mills, the greatest problem with the growing power and influence of the professional military is its leadership's ability to

A) potentially seize power.

B) influence foreign policy.

C) channel government funding.

D) promote a military definition of reality.

41) Military spending in the United States represents approximately what percentage of the world's military budget?

A) 12 percent

B) 19 percent

C) 25 percent

D) 36 percent

42) Which sector received the greatest amount from the U.S. government's discretionary spending budget?

A) energy and science

B) international affairs

C) the military

D) education

43) What proportion of the total U.S. government's discretionary spending goes to the military?

A) 6 percent

B) 33 percent

C) 40 percent

D) 53 percent

44) Efforts to promote security through military spending have ironically produced a deeply set sense of fear. In a world defined as dangerous, this "politics of fear"

A) silences the voice of dissent.

B) breeds animosity and hatred.

C) fragments communities.

D) increases incarceration rates.

45) In the United States, most citizens accept war and many support military action because ________ is pervasive in American culture.

A) the media

B) pressure to conform

C) war socialization

D) fear

46) In order to adopt the military culture, soldiers must undergo

A) physical training.

B) resocialization.

C) a change in attitude.

D) humiliation.

47) The American military has been able to overcome racist and sexist attitudes by

A) restructuring.

B) punishing discrimination.

C) enforcing new attitudes.

D) discouraging hostility.

48) In the all-volunteer military,

A) all classes are proportionately represented.

B) the working class and lower-middle class are overrepresented.

C) the middle and the working classes are most represented.

D) the middle class is overrepresented.

49) The term terrorism is generally used for political acts of violence

A) on the behalf of hostile individuals.

B) directed at a government or political system.

C) that intentionally targets noncombatants.

D) perpetrated by hostile states.

50) Scholars have found all of the following statements to be true EXCEPT for which?

A) Terrorism is socially constructed.

B) Terrorists are crazy.

C) There is no single face of terrorism.

D) Governments can engage in terrorism.

51) What did Max Weber mean by the term social economics?

A) the calculating nature of social interaction

B) the interconnection between economy and social life

C) economics as a social science

D) systems of exchange in small-scale societies

52) Economic life is social because a functioning economic system is predicated on the existence of ________ to support economic relationships.

A) social exchange

B) a market system

C) a cohesive and well-functioning society

D) a currency

53) Based on the insights of Emile Durkheim, economic arrangements depend on ________ that results from social relationships. When this disappears, economies collapse.

A) mutual obligation

B) trust

C) the law

D) rationality

54) Durkheim's argument that social cohesion is necessary for the maintenance of society is associated with which of the following sociological perspectives?

A) feminist

B) conflict

C) symbolic interactionist

D) functionalist

55) In most states, selling marijuana is illegal, even though an apparent demand exists, and the potential for revenue if sales were legalized is not insignificant. This is an example of the fact that economies

A) must be legal.

B) do not depend on demand.

C) are sometimes irrational.

D) reflect cultural values.

56) The contemporary economy depends on

A) government intervention.

B) independence from government.

C) a laissez-faire system.

D) deregulation.

57) Government assistance is ________ to the success of a business.

A) unnecessary

B) essential

C) a hindrance

D) encouragement

58) Free-market, or laissez-faire, capitalism promotes

A) government regulation.

B) an unregulated market.

C) consumer protection.

D) no-cost business environments.

59) Capitalism as an economic system has proven most successful in

A) creating a truly competitive market.

B) increasing living standards for everyone.

C) contributing to democracy.

D) increasing productivity and innovation.

60) A truly free-market form of capitalism produces

A) healthy competition and a reduction in consumer prices.

B) flourishing democracy and freedom.

C) an enormous concentration of wealth and power.

D) an equitable distribution of wealth.

61) The laissez-faire form of capitalism ________ democracy.

A) undermines

B) strengthens

C) contributes to freedom and

D) is opposed to the principles of

62) One of the outcomes of a truly free-market capitalist system is

A) a fully competitive market.

B) monopolization.

C) a regulated business environment.

D) reductions in inequality.

63) In which system does a small group of people possess the power to influence government decision making the most?

A) socialist system

B) free-market capitalist system

C) democratic socialist system

D) mixed economic system

64) A capitalist economic system ________ government intervention and involvement.

A) must be free from

B) works only with very limited

C) is unsustainable in the long run without

D) is in principle contradictory to

65) In the nineteenth-century United States, major government intervention and change was brought about by

A) the threat of a financial meltdown.

B) external forces.

C) social movements.

D) market mechanisms.

66) The 1929 stock market crash and the subsequent Great Depression of the 1930s was caused by a variety of factors, but these are perhaps best described as

A) excessive government involvement.

B) greed.

C) a herd mentality.

D) an inherent instability in the capitalist system.

67) The New Deal policies introduced in 1933 were an effort to

A) stabilize and revive the system of capitalism.

B) socialize major industries and banks.

C) realize a government takeover of the financial sector.

D) implement socialism.

68) As part of the New Deal, the government intervened to address extreme unemployment by implementing

A) legislation that outlawed labor strikes.

B) a welfare-to-work program.

C) a public works program.

D) All of these answers are correct.

69) The reforms of the New Deal dominated the economic system in the United States until

A) globalization began to change the economic structure.

B) the 1960s changed society.

C) the Carter administration's economic vision.

D) the deregulation of the 1990s.

70) By the 1980s, the global economy produced a new economic climate that encouraged policies to focus on

A) job creation.

B) regulation of business and finance.

C) deregulation.

D) increased taxation.

71) In the global economy,

A) corporations enjoy considerable leverage over governments.

B) governments enjoy considerable leverage over corporations.

C) governments enjoy considerable leverage over citizens' interests.

D) consumers enjoy considerable leverage over corporations.

72) ________ was an important factor in both the savings and loan crisis in the 1980s and the financial crisis of 2008.

A) Excessive governmental involvement

B) Excessive regulation

C) Deregulation

D) None of these answers is correct.

73) Which was NOT a factor that contributed to the financial crisis of 2008?

A) corporate fraud

B) deregulation

C) complicated financial instruments

D) greedy homebuyers

74) Countries with ________, such as Canada, were able to weather the financial storm of 2008 almost unaffected.

A) more capital reserves

B) more stable governments

C) strong banking regulation

D) marginal economic systems

75) Some countries have a combination of a democratic political system and a socialist economy, which has produced

A) poor economic outcomes.

B) limited civil liberties.

C) a very high standard of living.

D) slow growth and high unemployment.

76) Characteristics of democratic socialism include public ownership of some key industries and astute management of important natural resources. The revenue from this sector is typically used to

A) build up the military sector.

B) finance a wide range of social welfare programs.

C) fund surveillance programs.

D) maintain the power position of the leading party.

77) Which country currently practices authoritarian capitalism?

A) China

B) North Korea

C) Norway

D) All of these answers are correct.

78) An authoritarian capitalist system is characterized by restricted civil rights and freedoms in combination with

A) state-owned companies.

B) market-based economies.

C) centralized economies.

D) mixed economic systems.

79) Mixed economies are characteristic of a combination of free-market capitalism and

A) pro-business policies.

B) freedom-restricting policies.

C) socialist policies.

D) a focus on deregulation.

80) ________ typically results from an unregulated economic environment.

A) A reduction of social problems

B) A robust and stable economy

C) Crime and violence

D) Abuse of concentrated economic power

81) Which theory suggests that capitalist and socialist economies are becoming increasingly similar?

A) theory of socialization

B) convergence theory

C) mixed economy theory

D) combination theory

82) All of the following statements regarding populism are true EXCEPT for which?

A) Populists advocate throwing out the working class.

B) Populism thrives on finding solutions, rather than intensifying divisions.

C) Populism divides the world into "us" versus "them."

D) Populists oppose establishment forces in all aspects of life

83) Populists oppose which of the following establishments?

A) the media

B) education

C) the economy

D) All of these answers are correct.

84) Which of the following is an example of a claim that a populist would make?

A) The media serves as a watchdog.

B) The news media only reports on facts and verifiable information.

C) Voter fraud is rampant.

D) Protestors are all acting under their civil liberties.

85) Populism exacerbates the

A) loss of humanity.

B) loss of faith in democratic institutions.

C) loss of rational thinking.

D) loss of American freedom.

86) The majority of the world's people live in full democracies.

87) The United States has one of the lowest voter turnout rates of any Western industrialized democracy.

88) In democratic political systems, the legitimacy of governments is dependent on public support.

89) Personal or private issues are not part of politics and are therefore inappropriate for public discussion.

90) Political participation is stratified by class more in the United States than in many other democracies.

91) The middle class receives a more positive political socialization than the working class, making middle-class individuals more likely to participate in political life.

92) The presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were funded primarily by small donors pledging online contributions.

93) Government policies disproportionately favor the interests of the well-off.

94) The United States has always kept a large military force.

95) The United States represents more than two-thirds of the world's total military spending.

96) Gays and lesbians are now able to serve openly in the military.

97) The all-volunteer military has overcome the problem of class inequality previously associated with military service.

98) Durkheim's argument that social cohesion is necessary for a society to function is aligned with the symbolic interactionist perspective.

99) Populism movements always emerge from the political left.