Chapter 1 Quiz Version 1

Name: __________________________ Date: _____________

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

1.The Framers' concerns about direct democracy are well illustrated by the fact that the Constitution
only uses the word "democracy" once, in the Preamble.
only uses the word "democracy" in reference to Congress.
does not feature the word "democracy" at all.
only uses the word "democratic."
frequently uses the word "democracy," but never in reference to the enumeration of a formal
power.
2.Elite theory is based upon all of the following premises except:
Majoritarian politics are not always controlling.
When majoritarian politics are not controlling, policy is likely to be shaped by those who go
through the trouble to be active participants in politics.
In general, the number of active participants in politics will be small (relative to the total
number of potential participants).
Despite their small numbers, those who are active participants in politics generally reflect the
types of people in the general population and the viewpoints of most citizens.
The actual distribution of power, even in a democracy, will depend importantly on the
composition of the political elites.

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

3.The term participatory democracy applies most accurately to which of the following societies?
Greece in the fourth century B.C.
Modern China
The United States since 1787
The Soviet Union between 1917 and 1990
The Southeastern United States before the Civil War

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

4.The pluralist view holds all of the following except

No single elite has a monopoly on political resources.
Policies are the result of a complex pattern of shifting alliances.
Political resources are not distributed equally.
Political elites are divided.
Political elites do not respond to the interests of their followers.

D)
E)

5.The fact that the rich are taxed more heavily than the poor and amendments which gave voting
rights to minorities were passed by large majorities suggests that:
few people pay close attention to political processes.
government does not always adopt policies that are to the narrow advantage of those who hold
political offices.
power is distributed in such a manner that very few people can exercise it in a meaningful
fashion.
Who governs? and To what ends? are really the same question.
Knowing who governs is usually a good predictor of what policies will be adopted.

A)
B)
C)

6.Formal authority refers to a right to exercise power that is derived from a(n)
official ceremony.
D) popular consensus.
majority vote.
E) governmental office.
consensus.

A)
B)
C)

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Chapter 1 Quiz Version 1

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

7.The relationship between the two central questions addressed by your text "Who governs?" and
"To what ends?" can best be described in what way?
They are two distinct questions, but each must be considered with the other in mind.
They are essentially two different versions of the same question.
Who governs? deals with the purpose of politics; To what ends? deals with who holds
political power.
They are two separate and distinct questions that should be addressed without reference to
each other.
They are questions which cannot be separated without considering the very nature of politics.

8.The text insists that, if we wish to understand power, we must also understand
A) powerlessness. B) preferences. C) economics. D) ambiguities. E) weakness.
9.The pluralist view of political reality emphasizes the ________ of political resources.
A) coordination B) duplication C) irrelevance D) decentralization E) reciprocity
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

10.Individuals have power when they are able to

get elected to office.
be present at behind-the-scenes political meetings.
serve their fellow human beings.
get others to do what they want them to do.
vote without being influenced by outside forces.

11.The text suggests politics exists in part because people differ about two things: Who governs? and
A)
Who pays?
D) For how long?
B)
To what ends?
E) To what extreme?
C)
With what means?

E)

12.Regarding the role of self-interest in the positions that people take on important issues, it is safest
to say that
the self-interest of individuals is usually a complete guide to their actions.
economic self-interest may be important but is usually not the only guide to people's actions.
organizational self-interest rather than economic self-interest is usually the best guide to
people's actions.
political preferences can be predicted invariably by knowing an individual's economic or
organizational position.
self-interest is rarely an important factor in understanding political attitudes and behavior.

A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

13.Under what circumstances would majoritarian politics normally not be effective?

When a political leader feels sharply constrained by what most people want
Wwhen an issue is sufficiently important to command the attention of most citizens
When an issue is too complicated or technical for most citizens to understand
When an issue is sufficiently feasible so that what citizens want done can in fact be done
All of the above.

A)
B)
C)
D)

14.In the 1920s, it was expected that the federal government would play a small role in our lives. The
fact that there was a dramatic change in expectations from the 1930s to the 1970s suggests
A)
the Marxist view of power is probably the most accurate.
B)
no simple theory of politics is likely to explain both sets of expectations.
C)
Weber's speculations concerning bureaucracy were largely correct.
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Chapter 1 Quiz Version 1

D)
E)
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

the assumptions of both Marx and C. Wright Mills concerning power were wildly incorrect.
elite theories do not adequately take into account the self-interested nature of politics.
15.Which of the following statements about political power "who governs" is most accurate?
The key to understanding power is understanding the monetary costs of different political
decisions.
Political power can usually be inferred by knowing what laws are on the books.
Political power can usually be inferred by knowing what administrative actions have been
taken.
Power cannot be realized without institutional arrangements.
Most power derives from psychological and social factors such as friendship, loyalty, and
prestige.

16.The text cites the AFL-CIO's civil rights position in the 1960s as an example of
an innocent bystander caught up in a battle between opposing forces.
an organization as a whole acting politically out of considerations broader than its members'
individual interests.
C)
the subtle ways in which obstructionism can be exercised in Washington.
D)
how economic interests lead directly to policy preferences.
E)
the manner in which interest groups can impose their viewpoints on large majorities.
A)
B)

17.Democracy was defined as the competitive struggle for people's votes by

A)
Joseph Stalin.
D) Karl Marx.
B)
Joseph Schumpeter.
E) Soren Kierkegaard.
C)
Max Weber.
18.C. Wright Mills, Karl Marx, and Max Weber are cited in the text as theorists who attempted to
explain the
A)
dynamics of Western history.
D) fate of political institutions.
B)
behavior of the U.S. electorate.
E) fall of Western European capitalists.
C)
behavior of political elites.
19.The primary source of legitimate political authority in the United States is the
A)
Bill of Rights.
D) concept of civil liberty.
B)
will of the people.
E) notion of civil rights.
C)
U.S. Constitution.
20.The Greek city-state, or polis extended the right to vote to everyone except
A) slaves. B) women. C) minors. D) those without property. E) All of the above.
A)
B)
C)

21.The text suggests that, in the 1950s, the federal government would have taken very little interest in
a factory closing its doors.
D) All of the above.
a profession not accrediting a member.
E) a and c.
a university refusing an applicant.

22.Representative democracy allows individuals to gain political power through

A)
media campaigns.
D) reciprocal elections.
B)
quadrennial elections.
E) competitive elections.
C)
nonpartisan elections.
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23.Which theorist suggested a coalition of three groups dominate politics and government?
A) Karl Marx B) C. Wright Mills C) Martin Lipset D) David Truman E) Max Weber
24.The text notes a tendency for issues that once were ________ to become ________.
A)
simple, complicated
D) private, public
B)
public, secret
E) economic, social
C)
social, political
A)
B)
C)

25.Marxists refer to those who own the means of production as

imperialists.
D) the collective.
bureaucrats.
E) the bourgeoisie.
the proletariat.

26.The author cites the early presidential administrations, the Civil War, and the New Deal as
examples of struggles over
A)
what constitutes legitimate authority.
D) when progress is possible.
B)
who shall govern.
E) how power is accumulated.
C)
who gets what, when, and how.
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

27.Which statement best summarizes the viewpoint of Max Weber?

Government bureaucrats come and go with transitions among elected officials.
Government bureaucrats merely implement policies that are made by others.
Government bureaucrats effectively make public policies.
Elected officials have discretion whereas bureaucrats must act according to the well defined
mandates of their superiors.
Few bureaucrats become elected officials.

28.According to Tocqueville, Americans are fond of explaining their actions in terms of

A)
self-interest.
D) disinterested and spontaneous impulses.
B)
moral precepts.
E) philosophical skepticism.
C)
religious commitments.
29.A city council representative faces an important vote on how much, if any, money to spend on a
new school. The representative relies on a poll of her constituents to make a decision. This is in
keeping with the form of politics known as
A)
participatory politics.
D) elitist politics.
B)
majoritarian politics.
E) reciprocal politics.
C)
pluralist politics.
30.The text suggests that, in the United States, no government at any level would be considered
legitimate if it were not in some sense
A) democratic. B) altruistic. C) humanitarian. D) elitist. E) aristocratic.

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