The Definition and Nature of Government
A government is best defined as;
A) Any organization powerful enough to influence people's behavior
B) A set of enduring institutions that claim legitimate authority to use force and make laws binding upon the people of a particular territory
C) The group of officials currently holding elected office
D) The military and police forces of a nation
B) A set of enduring institutions that claim legitimate authority to use force and make laws binding upon the people of a particular territory
Following Robert Dahl, political scientists define relational power as the ability of A to:
A) Physically force B to obey
B) Get B to do what B would not otherwise do
C) Make laws that bind B
D) Win an election against B
B) Get B to do what B would not otherwise do
A public good is best defined as a good that is:
A) Provided only by the government
B) Non-excludable — once provided, no one in the group can be excluded from enjoying it
C) Always more valuable than a private good
D) Free to produce
B) Non-excludable — once provided, no one in the group can be excluded from enjoying it
The word “democracy” derives from Greek roots meaning:
A) Rule by the few
B) Rule by the people
C) Rule by law
D) Rule by one
B) Rule by the people
When political scientists say a society is “polarized,” they mean it is:
A) Cooperative and unified
B) Deeply divided
C) Governed by a single party
D) Free of political conflict
B) Deeply divided
To say a government consists of “enduring institutions” means that:
A) Governments last forever and can never be overthrown
B) The institutions outlive the particular officials who serve in them
C) Only the oldest governments count as legitimate
D) Institutions never change over time
B) The institutions outlive the particular officials who serve in them
A government's use or threat of physical/violent force (imprisonment, seizing property) is called its:
A) Power of the purse
B) Power of the sword
C) Power over hearts and minds
D) Sovereignty
B) Power of the sword
A private good differs from a public good in that a private good is:
A) Non-excludable
B) Always provided by government
C) Excludable
D) Never sold for profit
C) Excludable
In a representative democracy, unlike ancient Athenian direct democracy:
A) All citizens directly make and enforce laws
B) Elected representatives make and enforce laws on behalf of citizens
C) There are no elections
D) The military governs
B) Elected representatives make and enforce laws on behalf of citizens
What distinguishes pernicious polarization from ordinary political division?
A) Citizens stop disagreeing about anything
B) Only elected officials are involved in the conflict
C) The opposing sides view each other with mutual distrust and as malevolent enemies who must be defeated
D) The parties cooperate easily to pass laws
C) The opposing sides view each other with mutual distrust and as malevolent enemies, i.e., opponents are seen as threats to the country rather than fellow citizens with good-faith disagreements.
The name of the legislature of the U.S. federal government is:
A) The General Assembly
B) The Supreme Court
C) Congress
D) The Cabinet
C) Congress
Georgia's Film Tax Incentive, which offers tax credits for desired behavior, is an example of:
A) A negative incentive (stick)
B) The power of the sword
C) A positive incentive (carrot)
D) Propaganda
C) A positive incentive (carrot)
Enjoying the benefits of a public good without helping to pay for it is called:
A) Free riding
B) Sovereignty
C) A negative incentive
D) Propaganda
A) Free riding
The terms “authoritarian,” “autocratic,” and “nondemocratic” mean:
A) Three different kinds of democracy
B) The same thing — governments not meaningfully controlled by their people
C) Governments with written constitutions
D) Governments with strong militaries
B) The same thing — governments not meaningfully controlled by their people
Dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches staffed by different officials is the principle of:
A) Federalism
B) Checks and balances
C) Separation of powers
D) Sovereignty
C) Separation of powers
When a government claims “legitimate authority,” it claims:
A) That it is the most powerful organization in society
B) A right to issue commands and to punish those who do not comply
C) That all of its laws are morally correct
D) The ability to print money
B) A right to issue commands and to punish those who do not comply
When government mandates cigarette warning labels or promotes the Pledge of Allegiance, it exercises power by:
A) Using the power of the sword
B) Affecting hearts and minds
C) Imposing negative incentives
D) Providing a public good
B) Affecting hearts and minds
When free riding threatens a group's ability to provide a public good, the group faces a:
A) Sham constitution
B) Collective action problem
C) Separation of powers
D) System of checks and balances
B) Collective action problem
Which of the following is one of the six ways Americans are empowered to control their government?
A) Mandatory military service
B) The right to freedom of expression
C) A single-party system
D) Government ownership of the press
B) The right to freedom of expression
How many separate branches does the American system divide the government into?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Five
C) Three — the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
A sovereign government's claim to sole authority over its own territory, free from outside interference, is called:
A) Sovereignty
B) Federalism
C) Legitimacy
D) Relational power
A) Sovereignty
A city government imposes fines for littering and adds a sales tax on cigarettes to discourage smoking. These are examples of the power of the purse used as:
A) A positive incentive (carrot)
B) The power of the sword
C) A negative incentive (stick)
D) Affecting hearts and minds
C) A negative incentive (stick)
A city wants to put on a Fourth of July fireworks show and asks residents to pay for it voluntarily. Most residents don't contribute because they know they'll be able to watch regardless. As a result, not enough money is raised and the show is canceled. This situation best illustrates:
A) A sham constitution
B) The power of the sword
C) A collective action problem caused by free riding
D) The separation of powers
C) A collective action problem caused by free riding
For an election to be considered fair, what should happen after the votes are counted?
A) The losing candidate accepts the result and recognizes the winner as the legitimate officeholder
B) The losing candidate takes control of the government anyway
C) The election is canceled and rerun
D) The military chooses the winner
A) The losing candidate accepts the result and recognizes the winner as the legitimate officeholder
Which document is considered the "supreme law of the land" in the United States?
A) The Declaration of Independence
B) The Constitution of the United States
C) The Freedom of Information Act
D) The Bill of Sale
B) The Constitution of the United States