Chapter 2: The Ideas That Shape America

Test Bank

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 1

1) Before fighting in the Iraq War, Lieutenant Russell Burgos was a(n)

Feedback: factual

a. college student.

b. attorney.

c. political science professor.

d. construction worker.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 2

2) What did Burgos think explained why the United States launched the war in Iraq?

Feedback: factual

a. Ideas

b. Religion

c. Politics

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 3

3) When did the colonies break away from England?

Feedback: factual

a. August 21, 1824

b. January 4, 1706

c. July 4, 1776

d. July 4, 1781

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 4

4) American leaders issued a Declaration of Independence explaining their revolutionary actions. Which of the following encapsulates their ideas?

Feedback: conceptual

a. “That all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

b. “That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their God with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

c. “That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 5

5) The Declaration of Independence explained the role of government—securing each individual’s three rights. Which of the following is one of those rights?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Life

b. Freedom

c. Success

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 6

6) The Declaration of Independence explained the role of government—securing each individual’s three rights. Which of the following is one of those rights?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Wealth

b. Land

c. Liberty

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 7

7) The Declaration of Independence explained the role of government—securing each individual’s three rights. Which of the following is one of those rights?

Feedback: Conceptual

a. Freedom of religion

b. Pursuit of happiness

c. Property

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 8

8) Which of the following is not one of the eight big ideas espoused in the Declaration of Independence?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Liberty

b. Individualism

c. Freedom of religion

d. Equality

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 9

9) Which of the following is not one of the eight big ideas espoused in the Declaration of Independence?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Land ownership

b. Self-rule (which is often called democracy)

c. Limited government

d. The American dream

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 10

10) Which of the following is one of the eight big ideas espoused in the Declaration of Independence?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The American dream

b. Equality

c. Faith in God

d. All of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 11

11) The Declaration of Independence states that people form governments for what purpose?

Feedback: factual

a. Voting

b. To secure rights

c. To colonize other lands

d. To provide citizenship

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 12

12) What percentage of Americans belong to a church or religious organization?

Feedback: factual

a. 95%

b. 40%

c. 51%

d. 13%

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 13

13) Why did eighty thousand slaves join the British during the Revolutionary War?

Feedback: factual

a. The royal governor of Virginia promised them freedom.

b. The royal governor of Virginia paid them.

c. They did so out of loyalty.

d. They were forced to by King George III.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 14

14) What was the motto for the slaves who fought in the Revolutionary War?

Feedback: factual

a. “Freedom for the slaves”

b. “Freedom for all”

c. “Liberty for the slaves”

d. “Liberty and justice for slaves”

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 15

15) What is the definition of freedom?

Feedback: factual

a. The government will protect your life, liberty, and property from the coercion of others (excluding government) in order to permit you to pursue the goals you define for yourself.

b. The government will protect your life, liberty, and property from the coercion of others (including public officials) in order to permit you to pursue the goals you define for yourself.

c. The government will protect your life, liberty, and happiness from the coercion of others (including government) in order to permit you to pursue the goals you define for yourself.

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 16

16) What is the definition of negative liberty?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Freedom is the limitation of constraints.

b. Freedom is the absence of constraints.

c. Freedom is the inclusion of constraints.

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 17

17) What is the definition of positive liberty?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Freedom to pursue one’s goals with certain government restrictions

b. Freedom from government control in pursuing one’s goals

c. Freedom to pursue one’s goals

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 18

18) President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as the nation prepared for World War II, proclaimed that the nation was fighting for four freedoms. Which of the following is not one of them?

Feedback: factual

a. Freedom of speech

b. Freedom of worship

c. Freedom of oppression

d. Freedom from want

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 19

19) What does “freedom from want” call for?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Helping people to obtain a home

b. Helping needy people who have fallen on hard times

c. Helping people to achieve the American dream

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 20

20) Strong proponents of negative liberty known as _______ oppose most forms of government action.

Feedback: factual

a. Libertarians

b. Greens

c. Conservatives

d. Democrats

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 21

21) President Roosevelt adhered to which viewpoint?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Negative liberty

b. Positive liberty

c. Both negative and positive liberty

d. Social democracy

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 22

22) The American promise, as written by _______, is the “promise of disharmony” as a steady parade of groups—African Americans, women, immigrants, and many others—successfully challenge the nation to live up to its ideals.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Benjamin Franklin

b. Andrew Jackson

c. Samuel Huntington

d. John Adams

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 23

23) Some political thinkers, such as _______, warn against expecting to see a steady rise in freedom. The outcome in the fight is never inevitable.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Rogers Smith

b. Samuel Adams

c. John Adams

d. Benjamin Franklin

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 24

24) In _______, citizens participate directly in making government decisions.

Feedback: conceptual

a. a Republic

b. a Democracy

c. an autocratic state

d. a libertarian state

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 25

25) What is a referendum?

Feedback: conceptual

a. A bill

b. A recall

c. A direct vote by the people on an issue

d. A measure to kill a bill

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 26

26) How many states allow referendums?

Feedback: factual

a. Seventeen

b. Ten and the District of Columbia

c. Twenty-seven and the District of Columbia

d. Thirty

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 27

27) _______ permit the public to circulate a petition that proposes a new law or amendment.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Initiatives

b. Referendums

c. Ballot initiatives

d. All of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 28

28) What is a sunshine law?

Feedback: conceptual

a. A law stipulating that government meetings must be open to the public

b. A law that allows marijuana use for those eighteen and over

c. A law that is valid only in certain states

d. A law that requires elected officials to file tax returns

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 29

29) When did Dr. Martin Luther King give his famous “I Have a Dream” speech?

Feedback: factual

a. 1962

b. 1955

c. 1963

d. 1969

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 30

30) Which of the Founding Fathers was strongly in favor of maximizing democracy?

Feedback: factual

a. Thomas Jefferson

b. George Washington

c. James Madison

d. Benjamin Franklin

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 31

31) How many times does the word right appear in the original Constitution?

Feedback: factual

a. Six

b. Zero

c. Three

d. Eight

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 32

32) What percentage of Americans believe that direct democracy is a good way to govern?

Feedback: factual

a. 67%

b. 86%

c. 17%

d. 40%

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 33

33) The foundation of American politics is

Feedback: applied

a. democracy.

b. checks and balances.

c. eight big ideas.

d. republicanism.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 34

34) An irony of the Declaration of Independence is that many of the signers

Feedback: applied

a. owned slaves.

b. were born in England.

c. refused military service.

d. did not own land.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 35

35) The idea that comes up in American history most often is

Feedback: conceptual

a. democracy.

b. voting.

c. independence.

d. liberty.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 36

36) The Family and Medical Leave Act (1993) requires employers with more than fifty workers to allow up to _______ of unpaid leave for pregnancy, adoption, illness, or military service.

Feedback: factual

a. one week

b. five weeks

c. twelve weeks

d. fifteen weeks

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 37

37) What is the basis of individualism?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The idea that individuals, with some assistance from the government, are responsible for their own well-being

b. The idea that individuals, with some assistance from society, are responsible for their own well-being

c. The idea that individuals, not the society or the community or the government, are responsible for their own well-being

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 38

38) What do social democrats believe?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Members of a society are responsible for one another but should also receive some assistance from the government.

b. Members of a society are responsible for one another and should also support people in developing countries.

c. Members of a society are responsible for one another.

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 39

39) Social democracies are based on _______, the idea that people have a tight bond and are responsible for one another.

Feedback: conceptual

a. solidarity

b. social cohesiveness

c. interdependence

d. social collaboration

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 40

40) Countries that emphasize community are known as

Feedback: factual

a. social democracies.

b. republics.

c. welfare nations.

d. communitarian societies.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 41

41) Which economist famously wrote, “The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests”?

Feedback: factual

a. Susan Richards

b. Michael Samuels

c. Milton Friedman

d. Roger Hernandez

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 42

42) Individualism points toward limited government, faith in economic markets, and a strong emphasis on

Feedback: conceptual

a. negative liberty.

b. positive liberty.

c. a mixture of positive and negative liberty.

d. neither positive nor negative liberty.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 43

43) Believing that people should work hard for what they have is characteristic of

Feedback: applied

a. individualism.

b. democracy.

c. social democracy.

d. the European model.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 44

44) By 1860, how many black slaves were in America?

Feedback: factual

a. Two million

b. Four million

c. Three million

d. One million

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 45

45) Benjamin Franklin perfected a classic American literary form—tips for getting rich. Which of the following was a slogan of Franklin?

Feedback: conceptual

a. “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

b. “No gains without pains.”

c. “God helps those who help themselves.”

d. All of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 46

46) “If you are talented and work hard, you can achieve personal (and especially financial) success” summarizes the

Feedback: factual

a. slogan of many unions.

b. Preamble to the Constitution.

c. American dream.

d. Declaration of Independence.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 47

47) The American dream, according to James Truslow Adams, is

Feedback: factual

a. “anyone can be president.”

b. “free land for all.”

c. “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”

d. “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone thanks to government assistance.”

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 48

48) Today, which of the following statements is a correct assessment of America’s economic milieu?

Feedback: factual

a. The top .01 percent of Americans own more than the bottom 90 percent.

b. Inequality continues to rise.

c. Sixty million Americans own almost nothing—.01 percent of the national wealth.

d. All of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 49

49) Studies suggest that someone in the bottom fifth of the income distribution in which country is twice as likely as someone in the United States to move up at least one category (or quintile)?

Feedback: applied

a. Canada

b. Denmark

c. France

d. All of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 50

50) President Franklin Roosevelt said, “These dark days [of the Depression] will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true _______ is… to minister to ourselves and to our _______.”

Feedback: factual

a. quest, neighbors

b. destiny, fellow man

c. fate, brethren

d. duty, fellow man

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 51

51) The civil rights movement began in

Feedback: factual

a. homes.

b. businesses.

c. churches.

d. town halls.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 52

52) What percentage of children live below the poverty line?

Feedback: factual

a. 15%

b. 18%

c. 21%

d. 23%

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 53

53) In comparison with other wealthy nations, our taxes are relatively _______, we regulate business less, we take _______ vacations, and we place more emphasis on getting ahead.

Feedback: applied

a. high, fewer

b. high, more

c. low, fewer

d. low, more

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 54

54) According to a study, how do 18- to 29-year-olds feel about the American dream?

Feedback: applied

a. They believe it is very achievable.

b. They think it needs to be rewritten.

c. They do not believe it applies to their generation.

d. They think it provides motivation to work hard.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 55

55) _______ is a belief that anyone who works hard can get ahead and grow wealthy.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Social democracy

b. American democracy

c. The American dream

d. Individualism

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 56

56) How does your text define equality?

Feedback: factual

a. Every resident enjoys the same privileges, status, and rights before the laws.

b. Every citizen enjoys the same privileges, status, and rights before the laws.

c. Every male citizen enjoys the same privileges, status, and rights before the laws.

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 57

57) _______ means that all individuals enjoy the same status in society.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Social equality

b. Democratic equality

c. Socialism

d. Equal opportunity

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 58

58) _______ means that every citizen has the same political rights and opportunities.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Political equality

b. Social equality

c. Democratic equality

d. Political participation

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 59

59) How many fixed social classes were there in the United States immediately following the Civil War?

Feedback: applied

a. Four

b. Zero

c. Two

d. Twelve

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 60

60) _______ focuses on differences in wealth.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Social equality

b. Political equality

c. Economic equality

d. None of the answer choices

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 61

61) The _______ is one measure of economic inequality.

Feedback: applied

a. economic coefficient

b. Gini coefficient

c. social coefficient

d. Reagan coefficient

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 62

62) Today, people in American society are far less equal than people in which of the following countries?

Feedback: applied

a. Japan

b. Sweden

c. Germany

d. All of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 63

63) Inequality levels in the United States are now _______ the inequality levels of the most unequal country in the world than the most equal.

Feedback: applied

a. closer to

b. the same as

c. farther from

d. not comparable with

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 64

64) _______ is the idea that citizens should have roughly equal economic circumstances.

Feedback: conceptual

a. The American dream

b. Democracy

c. Equal opportunity

d. Equal outcome

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 65

65) _______ is the idea that a society should guarantee not just opportunity but also results. Some nations, for example, reserve a minimum number of seats in the national legislature for women or members of specific ethnic groups.

Feedback: conceptual

a. Equal outcome

b. Equal opportunity

c. Social democracy

d. American liberty

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 66

66) Inequality has spiked over the past _______ years.

Feedback: factual

a. Twenty-five

b. Thirty-five

c. Forty

d. Twenty

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 67

67) Today, American politics emphasizes which of the following over equality?

Feedback: factual

a. Negative liberty

b. Positive liberty

c. The American dream

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 68

68) In the 1630s, a large contingent of _______ sailed to New England with an ambitious aim: to establish a biblical commonwealth that would serve as a Christian model for the rest of the world.

Feedback: factual

a. Catholics

b. Christians

c. Puritans

d. Quakers

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 69

69) Governor John Winthrop referred to the New England settlement that he helped to found as “a city upon a hill.” Why did he use this phrase?

Feedback: conceptual

a. The church was built on a hill.

b. The entire settlement was built on a hill.

c. The commonwealth would serve as a Christian model.

d. The commonwealth would rise above all other colonies.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 70

70) As most nations grow wealthier, their religious fervor wanes. People in which of the following countries tell pollsters that God is not very important in their lives?

Feedback: applied

a. Britain

b. France

c. Japan

d. All of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 71

71) Americans maintain high (and, by some measures, rising) levels of religiosity. Some _______ percent of Americans say they believe in God, almost _______ percent belong to a church, and nearly _______ percent attend church regularly.

Feedback: factual

a. 87, 51, 45

b. 50, 45, 30

c. 75, 30, 15

d. 10, 45, 50

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 72

72) Americans have many religions to choose from. One recent survey found _______ different Christian denominations with more than a million members each.

Feedback: factual

a. Fifty

b. Twenty-five

c. Sixteen

d. Thirty

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 73

73) In America, Jews number some _______ million.

Feedback: factual

a. 5

b. 7

c. 3

d. 9

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 74

74) In the United States, there are nearly _______ Muslims.

Feedback: factual

a. 4 million

b. 1 million

c. 5 million

d. 2 million

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 75

75) In addition to Jews and Muslims, there are _______ other non-Christian groups with over 100,000 adherents each in the United States.

Feedback: factual

a. five

b. three

c. seven

d. ten

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 76

76) Levels of religious observance are not the same throughout the United States. For example, Texas and Georgia have _______ religiosity.

Feedback: factual

Page number: 53

a. high

b. medium-level

c. low

d. no

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 77

77) Levels of religious observance are not the same throughout the United States. For example, Florida and Missouri have _______ religiosity.

Feedback: factual

a. high

b. medium-level

c. ow

d. no

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 78

78) Levels of religious observance are not the same throughout the United States. Which of the following states is not especially religious?

Feedback: factual

a. Utah

b. Alabama

c. Wisconsin

d. Maryland

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 79

79) The _______ declares, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Feedback: factual

a. Third Amendment

b. First Amendment

c. Fourth Amendment

d. Second Amendment

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 80

80) Which of the Founding Fathers described “a wall of separation between church and state”?

Feedback: factual

a. Benjamin Franklin

b. Thomas Jefferson

c. John Adams

d. George Washington

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 81

81) Which president thought that the practice of presidents holding national days of prayer violated the First Amendment?

Feedback: factual

a. George Washington

b. John Adams

c. Thomas Jefferson

d. All of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 82

82) When did Congress add “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance?

Feedback: factual

a. 1954

b. 1832

c. 1790

d. 1976

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 83

83) When did Congress add “In God We Trust” to paper money?

Feedback: factual

a. 1877

b. 1794

c. 1955

d. 1991

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 84

84) President George W. Bush explained America’s mission in Iraq as

Feedback: factual

a. sharing “God’s gift of freedom.”

b. “championing the city on the hill.”

c. “spreading the gifts of God.”

d. “sharing prosperity with the world.”

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 85

85) Which of the following ideas is integral in the American political culture?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Liberty

b. Individualism

c. The American dream

d. All of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 86

86) Why did the framers add a Bill of Rights to the Constitution?

Feedback: factual

a. Their belief in a social democracy

b. Their commitment to liberty

c. Their abiding faith in individualism

d. All of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 87

87) Why are there so many checks and balances in our national government?

Feedback: applied

a. Because of the traditional American fear of too much government

b. Because of Congress's fear of power being usurped

c. Because of the conventions of democracy

d. None of the above

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 88

88) Why does the United States regulate and tax less than other nations?

Feedback: applied

a. Because Americans are so individualistic

b. Because elected officials are afraid of voters

c. Because of the American dream’s gospel of success

d. Because of the American dream’s belief in independence

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 89

89) American national culture is a

Feedback: factual

a. finished process.

b. Constitutional process.

c. process carried out by previous generations.

d. perpetual work in progress.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 90

90) Which is the key determinant of political action?

Feedback: conceptual

a. Political organizations

b. Political institutions

c. Political culture

d. Political dichotomy

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 91

91) Barriers to new programs emerge from

Feedback: conceptual

a. voters.

b. dislike of government.

c. the way government is organized.

d. the Constitution.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 92

92) Why is the U.S. government slow to act, according to the institutional perspective?

Feedback: factual

a. Voters may fail to vote.

b. Congress is often out of session.

c. The party system slows down action.

d. The system is designed to be slow because of checks and balances.

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 93

93) Cultural perspective suggests that the United States has never had national health insurance because

Feedback: conceptual

a. Americans do not trust government.

b. Americans trust government too much.

c. national health insurance is seen as too European.

d. many Americans do not want health insurance.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 94

94) Explain the theory of American exceptionalism.

Feedback:

 America marked by distinct ideas.

 America unique among the nations of the world.

 America should share its values with the world.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 95

95) What eight ideas provide the foundation of U.S. national government and lie at the core of what makes America unique?

Feedback:

 List eight values (liberty, self-rule, limited government, individualism, American dream, equality, faith in God, and diversity).

 Discuss importance of each.

 Give examples of how one or more of the ideas influences politics.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 96

96) The Declaration of Independence declares that all men are created equal, but many of the men who signed it owned slaves. Explain how these men reconciled this contradiction.

Feedback:

 Quote Declaration of Independence.

 Mention that the author was Thomas Jefferson, slaveholder.

 Discuss the continuing debate about slavery through the American Revolution and afterward.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 97

97) What happened at the end of the Revolutionary War to the slaves who fought with the British army?

Feedback:

 Mention British government’s offer to free slaves.

 Discuss how the British offered freedom from the colonists who fought for liberty.

 Discuss the outcome of this offer for the slaves.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 98

98) Briefly define negative liberty.

Feedback:

 Cite the definition.

 Mention how this contrasts with the idea of positive liberty.

 Provide an example.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 99

99) Briefly define positive liberty.

Feedback:

 Cite the definition.

 Mention how this contrasts with the idea of negative liberty.

 Provide an example.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 100

100) To which view of liberty did President Franklin Roosevelt adhere?

Feedback:

 Cite President Roosevelt’s pre-WWII “four freedoms” speech.

 List the four freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear.

 Explain how these ideas affected the New Deal.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 101

101) Explain the principle of self-rule.

Feedback:

 Discuss the definition.

 Provide examples.

 Explain how this principle influences American government.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 102

102) What is a sunshine law?

Feedback:

 Discuss the definition.

 Provide examples.

 Explain how these laws affect American government.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 103

103) Explain the meaning of referendum.

Feedback:

 Discuss the definition.

 Provide examples.

 Explains how referendums influence American government.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 104

104) Why are initiatives important?

Feedback:

 Define initiatives.

 Discuss citizens proposing laws and/or amendments.

 Discuss public participation in lawmaking.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 105

105) Compare negative liberty and positive liberty.

Feedback:

 Constraints

 Interference

 Goals

 Basic necessities

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 106

106) Do you believe that America as a society adheres too much to the idea of individualism? Elaborate on your opinion. Explain why this idea is good or not good for our society.

Feedback:

 Discuss tenets of individualism.

 Compare individualism with solidarity.

 Clearly state opinion on whether individualism is good or bad for society.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 107

107) Discuss solidarity and social democracy. How is solidarity changing?

Feedback:

 Discuss tenets of solidarity.

 Explain when solidarity is strongest.

 Discuss changes to solidarity as a result of immigration.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 108

108) Give an example in which solidarity, as opposed to individualism, was key in your community.

Feedback:

 Discuss tenets of individualism.

 Compare individualism to solidarity.

 Give a good example of solidarity.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 109

109) What was Benjamin Franklin’s central message for someone who wants to achieve the American dream?

Feedback:

 Cite the ideas of Benjamin Franklin on how to achieve success.

 Discuss the importance of these ideas to American culture.

 Explain how the American dream affects American politics.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 110

110) Has the pursuit of wealth become an undesirable value or one that crowds out other important values?

Feedback:

 Discuss the tenets of the American dream.

 Compare the values of the American dream with other values, such as environmentalism or social justice.

 Give a good example of values in conflict.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 111

111) Some critics question whether the American dream is still open to everyone or whether it has grown biased toward the rich and powerful. What is your opinion?

Feedback:

 Discuss the tenets of the American dream.

 Discuss how helping people get wealthy can help those already wealthy the most.

 Give a good example of a situation in which this has occurred.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 112

112) Do you believe that everyone in America has an equal opportunity to pursue the American dream?

Feedback:

 Discuss the tenets of the American dream.

 Discuss how equal opportunity exists or does not exist.

 Give a good example supporting the existence or nonexistence of equal opportunity.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 113

113) Discuss the distinction between equal opportunity and equal outcome.

Feedback:

 Discuss the tenets of the American dream.

 Give a good example of the government’s promoting equal opportunity.

 Give a good example of the government’s promoting equal outcome.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 114

114) As most nations grow wealthier, their religious adherence wanes. Citizens in developed countries, from Britain and France to Japan and South Korea, tell pollsters that God is not very important in their lives. Yet, in contrast, Americans maintain high levels of religious conviction. What is your theory as to why this is the case in the United States?

Feedback:

 Discuss early America, where many of the colonies began as religious communities.

 Discuss religious diversity.

 Present an opinion of why Americans remain more religious than people in other countries.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 115

115) When Americans criticize their policymakers for inaction, they fail to remember that gridlock is a consequence of the frustrating institutions we have inherited. Elaborate on the institutions the framers designed.

Feedback:

 Describe the American value of limited government.

 Cite an example from the Constitution or current political practice on how institutional gridlock can occur.

 State an opinion on whether this situation is good or bad for America.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 116

116) Do you believe that we as Americans truly have freedom?

Feedback:

 Discuss positive freedom and negative freedom.

 Provide examples of each.

 Clearly state an opinion on whether Americans have freedom.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 117

117) Has the United States been successful in the Declaration of Independence’s goal “to secure those rights”? Did success differ at different points in history?

Feedback:

 State opinion.

 Give a historical example.

 Give a modern example.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 118

118) Discuss the ideas of various scholars on freedom and liberty. What is your own idea? Why?

Feedback:

 American history’s steady march toward greater liberty.

 America’s history of oppression but, at the same time, of situations in which faith in freedom leads oppressed groups to fight.

 Groups challenge the nation to live up to ideals.

 Freedom is won and lost and then won and lost again.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 119

119) What are some ways the public can actively participate in self-rule?

Feedback:

 Town hall meetings

 Referendums

 Initiatives

 Sunshine laws

 Demonstrations

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 120

120) Why did Americans develop a distrust of central government?

Feedback:

 History of the need to secure rights.

 Americans enjoyed political rights before they had a central government.

 King too far away to meddle in colonial affairs.

 Central government seen as threat to life, liberty, and happiness.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 121

121) Discuss the beliefs of social democrats. Does this system appear to be a good one to you? Would it work well in the United States, or is it already working?

Feedback:

 Members of a society are responsible for one another.

 Government is a source of mutual assistance.

 Government provides citizens with the basics.

 System is based on solidarity.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 122

122) What two explanations help explain why Americans lean toward individualism?

Feedback:

 Golden opportunity

 Social conflict

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 123

123) Is there conflict within the American dream? If so, what is it? What two questions are usually asked to explain any conflict? Do you agree there is conflict, or is the American dream still open to everyone? Can any conflict be removed, opening the American dream to all?

Feedback:

 Is the system tilted toward the wealthy?

 Does the American dream promote the wrong values?

 State and support an opinion on the issue.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 124

124) The United States is a nation built on ideas. Think about other important ideas that should be added to the eight we discuss in this chapter.

Feedback:

 List the eight values behind American political culture (liberty, self-rule, limited government, individualism, American dream, equality, belief in God, diversity).

 Suggest additional ideas that influence American political culture.

 Analyze the American political culture to explain which organizations or individuals may reflect these additional ideas.

 Discuss the likely success of organizations and individuals to implement programs based on these additional ideas.

 Discuss the likelihood that American political culture will adopt new values over time as the demographics of America change.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 125

125) The Founding Fathers’ goal in the Declaration of Independence was to secure each individual’s rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Were they successful? Explain why or why not.

Feedback:

 Discuss the development of the Declaration of Independence in American history.

 Analyze the rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

 Highlight current government policies that reinforce these rights.

 Analyze whether government policies are successful in improving people’s lives.

 Suggest possible government policy changes to better implement these rights.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 126

126) As the United States prepared for World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed that the nation was fighting for four freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The first two—freedom of speech and religion—were traditional, negative liberties: no one could infringe on these individual rights. Elaborate on the latter two.

Feedback:

 Discuss the four freedoms, explaining what they mean.

 Analyze what freedom from want and freedom from fear mean as elements of “positive liberty.”

 Highlight elements of the New Deal that reflect the values of freedom from want and freedom from fear.

 Explain how the four freedoms helped the United States prepare to fight World War II.

 Suggest post–New Deal U.S. policies that reflect continuing adherence to the ideas of freedom from want and freedom from fear.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 127

127) Do you believe more strongly in positive liberty or negative liberty? State your reasoning.

Feedback:

 Discuss the definitions of positive liberty and negative liberty.

 Provide examples of government policies that support positive liberty or negative liberty.

 Give an opinion of which definition of liberty is better, and offer reasons in support of this opinion.

 Suggest alternative or additional policies that would enhance the selected definition of liberty.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 128

128) What did Thomas Jefferson mean when he said, “The will of the majority is a sacred principle”?

Feedback:

 Explain Thomas Jefferson’s quote.

 Discuss what democracy means for government operation.

 Analyze opposing points of view (James Madison) to majority rule.

 Provide examples in which majority rule is positive and successful.

 Provide examples in which majority rule is negative and destructive.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 129

129) Do you agree with Thomas Jefferson that it is best for a thriving and successful nation to maximize democracy?

Feedback:

 Explain Thomas Jefferson’s point of view.

 Discuss what democracy means for government operation.

 Analyze opposing points of view (James Madison) to majority rule.

 Provide examples in which majority rule is positive and successful.

 Provides examples in which majority rule is negative and destructive.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 130

130) Elaborate on the principles of a republic.

Feedback:

 Explain the ideas of a republic.

 Discuss what a republic means for government operation.

 Analyze alternatives to a republic.

 Provide examples in which having a republic is positive and successful.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 131

131) One of the most important questions for political scientists is how to balance self-rule with limits on government. Do you believe that self-rule should be the norm in government? Or do you believe that the barriers to government action should be high?

Feedback:

 Discuss what self-rule and government limitations mean.

 Provide an opinion on whether self-rule or limited government should be the norm.

 Suggest examples of government policies that support self-rule.

 Suggest examples of government policies that support limited government.

 Suggest alternative policies.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 132

132) Most western European nations are social democracies. Why has the arrival of Muslim immigrants caused these nations’ sense of solidarity to falter?

Feedback:

 Define solidarity.

 Discuss reasons for less solidarity and more individualism in America.

 Compare the United States to Europe.

 Cite government policies that reflect a value of solidarity.

 Cite government policies that reflect a value of individualism.

 Suggest policy changes in Europe due to the arrival of Muslim immigrants.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 133

133) Which groups in the United States share a strong sense of solidarity?

Feedback:

 Identify groups in the United States that share a strong sense of solidarity.

 Analyze reasons why these groups believe in solidarity.

 Suggest ways in which this sense of solidarity affects American politics.

 Analyze the impact of changing demographics on American political culture.

 State policies that exist due to a sense of solidarity.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 134

134) Explain why western European nations prefer community-oriented social democracies by roughly two to one in comparison to the United States.

Feedback:

 Explain why western European nations prefer social democracies.

 Explain why the United States has preferences different from those of western Europe.

 Suggest policies that western Europeans have that the United States does not have due to their support for social democracy.

 Analyze the trade-offs western Europeans experience due to higher taxes to support social democratic programs.

 Analyze the trade-offs Americans experience due to lower socioeconomic security with a weaker safety net.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 135

135) Explain the factors many social scientists cite in arguing that the chance of moving up from poverty to wealth is fading in the United States.

Feedback:

 Discuss elements of the American dream.

 List factors that prevent people from moving from poverty to wealth in America.

 Analyze the validity of the arguments that people cannot move up from poverty to wealth.

 Provide examples to support the analysis.

 Suggests changes in government policies that might facilitate economic and social mobility.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 136

136) Although America adheres more to individualism, recent examples show that the country sometimes comes together.

Feedback:

 Name one or more examples of when the country came together over an event.

 Analyze individualism versus solidarity.

 Analyze how the event promoting solidarity occurred.

 Suggest ways Americans may be becoming more or less individualistic.

 Discuss whether American individualism is positive.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 137

137) Discuss how often the word rights appears in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the amendments to the Constitution.

Feedback:

 Ten times in Declaration of Independence.

 Zero times in the Constitution.

 Fifteen times in amendments.

 Explain opinion on differences.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 138

138) Today, American society has become far less equal and is now closer to the inequality levels of less-developed nations than to those of the wealthier but more egalitarian nations of the world. Should we adopt public policies to limit inequality?

Feedback:

 Discuss the importance of the American dream to Americans.

 Discuss issues of individualism versus solidarity.

 Discuss the potential causes of greater income inequality in America.

 Analyze whether greater income inequality is an issue government should address.

 Suggest potential public policies that may be adopted to limit inequality.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 139

139) Should we adopt public policies to limit inequality?

Feedback:

 Discuss the importance of the American dream to Americans.

 Discuss issues of individualism versus solidarity.

 Discuss potential causes of greater income inequality in America.

 Analyze whether greater income inequality is an issue government should address.

 Suggest potential public policies that could be adopted to limit inequality.

Type: essay/short answer question

Title: Chapter 02 Question 140

140) Discuss differences between conservatives and liberals.

Feedback:

 Conservatives: reduced government spending, personal responsibility, traditional moral values, strong national defense.

 Liberals: cultural diversity, government programs for the needy, public intervention in the economy, individuals’ right to a lifestyle based on their own social and moral positions.