POLITICAL SCIENCE

Practice Test 1
DIRECTION: Choose the letter that represents the best answer
1.
Politics is defined as
A. The ability to get others to do what you want.
B.
who gets what, when, and how.
C. The process by which societies resolve, reduce, or eliminate conflict.
D. A system or organization for exercising authority over a body of people.
A.
B.
C.
D.

2. ________ refers to a particular view of how we ought to organize and live our collective lives.
Authority
Politics
The rules
Social order
3.

Power is defined in your text as

A.
B.
C.
D.

A type of totalitarianism.
The ability to get other people to do what you want.
The use of force to obtain desired goals.
The essential quality of leadership.

A.
B.
C.
D.

4. ________ can be described as a system or an organization for exercising authority over a body of people.
Federalism
Political partisanship
Force
Government

A.
B.
C.
D.

5. When those in government exercise power recognized by citizens as right and proper, they are exercising
Authority
Leadership.
Justice.
Force.
6.

A.
B.
C.
D.

How do rules fit into the concept of "who gets what, and how?"
Rules are not relevant.
Rules define the "getting."
Rules can be thought of as the what.
Rules can be thought of as the how.

A.
B.
C.
D.

7. What are the organizations where government power is exercised and where political struggle takes place?
Socialist countries
Capitalist economies
Monarchies
Institutions

A.
B.
C.
D.

8. The market controls economic decisions in a __________ economy.

Socialist
Totalitarian
Authoritarian
Capitalist

9. Government assurances that the rules will work smoothly and treat everyone fairly, with no promises of particular
outcomes, are
A.
Regulations.
B.
Promises.
C.
Procedural guarantees.

D.

Political pledges.
10.

A.
B.
C.
D.
11.
A.
B.
C.
D.
A.
B.
C.

A.
B.
C.
D.

In socialist economies, control over economic decisions is exercised by

society by its purchasing power.
The market.
The government.
Supply and demand forces.
Government assurances of particular outcomes or results are
Social democracy.
Substantive guarantees.
Procedural guarantees.
Democracy.

12. A __________ government combines an authoritarian government with a socialist economy.

totalitarian
Monarchical
Democratic
13. A society in which government allows people economic freedom but maintains stringent social regulations to
limit noneconomic behavior is
Authoritarian socialism.
Totalitarianism.
Authoritarian capitalism
Communist democracy.
communist democracy.

A.
B.
C.
D.

14. A political system in which the state holds all power over the social order is
An Athenian-like democracy.
A republic.
Authoritarian government.
A social monarchy.

A.
B.
C.

15.
Anarchists
Value liberty over order and security.
Value order over liberty.
Value equality over liberty.

16. The major difference between the three major theories of democracy is related to
A.
The importance of the economy.
B. He importance of security as a goal of government.
C.
The role of the people.
D. The importance of economic redistribution as a goal of government.
17.
A.
B.
C.
D.
A.
B.
C.
D.

The absence of government and laws is a characteristic of

Totalitarianism.
Anarchy.
Authoritarianism.
Theocracy.

18. A theory of democracy that holds that citizens should actively and directly control all aspects of their lives is
Elite democracy.
Pluralist democracy.
Anarchy.
Participatory democracy.

19. All of the following statements concerning popular sovereignty are true EXCEPT
A. It is the principle that there is no authority higher than the people.
B. The central idea is that government is legitimate only if the people consent to it.
C. It is based on the belief that people are not truly free unless they govern themselves.

D.
A.
B.
C.
D.

It is the basis for anarchy as a form of government.

20. The role of citizens is limited to choosing among competing leaders in the __________ theory of democracy.
Pluralist
Elite
Participatory
Hierarchical
21.

A.
B.
C.
D.
A.
B.

The key concept of the pluralist theory of democracy is

Citizen participation.
Elections.
Groups.
The economy.

22. Individuals who are obliged to submit to a government authority against which they have no rights are
Democrats.
Subjects.

23.
A.
B.
C.
D. Fra

The first Western democracy was in

Athens.
Rome.
England.
nce

24. All of the following statements are true concerning the Enlightenment EXCEPT
A.
It emphasized human reason.
B. It emphasized the role of God in the world.
C.
It emphasized scientific examination.
D. None of the following

A.
B.
C.
D.

25. The break with the Roman Catholic Church in the 1500s that helped pave the way for new ideas about the world
was
The Enlightenment.
Social contract theory.
Atheism.
The Protestant Reformation.