CHAPTER 1: America in the Twenty-First Century
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The value of all federal, state, and local government spending now exceeds ____ of the
nation’s total income.
a. 4 percent
b. 20 percent
c. 32 percent
d. 40 percent
e. 56 percent
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 2
2. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and national defense together make up well over ____of
all federal spending.
a. 15 percent
b. one-fourth
c. one-third
d. one-half
e. 70 percent
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 2
3. James Madison once said, “If men were angels, no ____ would be necessary.”
a. government
b. democracy
c. social contract
d. dictatorship
e. war
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 3
4. Resolving conflicts over what society’s priorities should be is the essence of
a. power.
b. authority.
c. politics.
d. capitalism.
e. liberalism.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 3-4
5. Political scientist Harold Lasswell defined ____as the process of determining “who gets what,
when, and how” in a society.”
a. plutocracy
b. authority
c. representative democracy
d. political culture
e. politics
ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 4
6. Political scientist Harold Lasswell defined politics as the process of determining
a. “who should rule, and with what purpose.”
b. “how to win friends and influence people.”
c. “how to wield influence and exercise power” in a society.
d. “who gets what, when, and how” in a society.
, e. “who gets to do what to whom” in a society.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 4
7. Authority refers to
a. the ability to influence the behavior of others.
b. the ability to resolve social conflict by force.
c. power that stems from coercion.
d. the exercise of power in an illegitimate way.
e. the ability to use power that is collectively recognized by society as legally and morally
correct.
ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 4
8. Which of the following is not considered a public service?
a. Building and maintaining roads
b. Preserving national parks
c. Establishing welfare programs
d. Building houses
e. Operating public schools
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 4-5
9. In a(n) ____, the power and authority of the government are in the hands of a single person.
a. constitutional monarchy
b. direct democracy
c. plutocracy
d. autocracy
e. republic
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 7
10. The divine right theory
a. held that God gave those of royal birth the unlimited right to govern other men and
women.
b. held that even God could be judged by those of royal birth.
c. was used to justify the American presidency.
d. required monarchs to obey the wishes of the people.
e. held that the decisions of governmental rulers were divinely inspired.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 7-8
11. Most modern monarchies are constitutional monarchies in which the monarch shares
governmental power with
a. the church.
b. elected lawmakers.
c. the people.
d. representatives of large corporations.
e. a dictator.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 8
12. Most constitutional monarchs today serve
a. merely as ceremonial leaders of their nations.
b. four-year terms.
c. by divine right.
d. unchecked by any other government leaders or a bill of rights.
e. after being elected by parliament.
, ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 8
13. ____has a constitutional monarch.
a. Germany
b. The United States
c. Canada
d. Cuba
e. The United Kingdom (Britain)
ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 8
14. Undemocratic systems that are not supported by tradition are called
a. plutocracies.
b. dictatorships.
c. theocracies.
d. republics.
e. aristocracies.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 8
15. A dictatorship can be ____, which means that a leader or group of leaders seeks to control
almost all aspects of social and economic life.
a. libertarian
b. totalitarian
c. republican
d. liberal
e. conservative
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 8
16. Fidel Castro in Cuba and Kim Jong Il in North Korea are contemporary examples of
a. progressives.
b. libertarians.
c. totalitarian dictators.
d. social conservatives.
e. absolute monarchs.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 8
17. The word democracy comes from the Greek demos, meaning ____, and kratia, meaning ____.
a. “demonstrate”; “power”
b. “mob”; “rights”
c. “the people”; “rule”
d. “representative”; “Congress”
e. “direct”; “elections”
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 8
18. The founders of the United States believed that direct democracy
a. would require too many elections.
b. might lead to voter apathy.
c. would deteriorate into mob rule.
d. might cost too much to operate.
e. would too often promote the rights and opinions of people in the minority over those in the
majority.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 9
19. In a representative democracy,
, a. the people participate directly in government decision making.
b. rulers acquire power through inheritance.
c. Republicans have more power than Democrats.
d. the will of the majority is expressed through smaller groups of individuals elected by the
people to act on their behalf.
e. the wealthy exercise ruling power.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 9
20. In a(n) ____, the will of the majority is expressed through groups of individuals elected by the
people to act as their representatives.
a. aristocracy
b. theocracy
c. monarchy
d. autocracy
e. representative democracy
ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 9
21. The system of government in the United States is best described as a(n)
a. parliamentary democracy.
b. direct democracy.
c. autocracy.
d. presidential democracy.
e. aristocracy.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 9
22. A republic is essentially a(n)
a. autocracy.
b. aristocracy.
c. theocracy.
d. representative democracy.
e. monarchy.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 9
23. In a presidential democracy, the lawmaking and law-enforcing branches of government
a. are separate but equal.
b. overlap.
c. are both located in parliament.
d. are both located in Congress
e. are both located in the executive branch.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 9
24. Today, Britain is a(n)
a. absolute monarchy.
b. direct democracy.
c. republic.
d. plutocracy.
e. parliamentary democracy.
ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 9
25. The term ____ describes a government run by members of old, noble families.
a. plutocracy
b. representative democracy
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The value of all federal, state, and local government spending now exceeds ____ of the
nation’s total income.
a. 4 percent
b. 20 percent
c. 32 percent
d. 40 percent
e. 56 percent
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 2
2. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and national defense together make up well over ____of
all federal spending.
a. 15 percent
b. one-fourth
c. one-third
d. one-half
e. 70 percent
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 2
3. James Madison once said, “If men were angels, no ____ would be necessary.”
a. government
b. democracy
c. social contract
d. dictatorship
e. war
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 3
4. Resolving conflicts over what society’s priorities should be is the essence of
a. power.
b. authority.
c. politics.
d. capitalism.
e. liberalism.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 3-4
5. Political scientist Harold Lasswell defined ____as the process of determining “who gets what,
when, and how” in a society.”
a. plutocracy
b. authority
c. representative democracy
d. political culture
e. politics
ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 4
6. Political scientist Harold Lasswell defined politics as the process of determining
a. “who should rule, and with what purpose.”
b. “how to win friends and influence people.”
c. “how to wield influence and exercise power” in a society.
d. “who gets what, when, and how” in a society.
, e. “who gets to do what to whom” in a society.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 4
7. Authority refers to
a. the ability to influence the behavior of others.
b. the ability to resolve social conflict by force.
c. power that stems from coercion.
d. the exercise of power in an illegitimate way.
e. the ability to use power that is collectively recognized by society as legally and morally
correct.
ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 4
8. Which of the following is not considered a public service?
a. Building and maintaining roads
b. Preserving national parks
c. Establishing welfare programs
d. Building houses
e. Operating public schools
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 4-5
9. In a(n) ____, the power and authority of the government are in the hands of a single person.
a. constitutional monarchy
b. direct democracy
c. plutocracy
d. autocracy
e. republic
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 7
10. The divine right theory
a. held that God gave those of royal birth the unlimited right to govern other men and
women.
b. held that even God could be judged by those of royal birth.
c. was used to justify the American presidency.
d. required monarchs to obey the wishes of the people.
e. held that the decisions of governmental rulers were divinely inspired.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 7-8
11. Most modern monarchies are constitutional monarchies in which the monarch shares
governmental power with
a. the church.
b. elected lawmakers.
c. the people.
d. representatives of large corporations.
e. a dictator.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 8
12. Most constitutional monarchs today serve
a. merely as ceremonial leaders of their nations.
b. four-year terms.
c. by divine right.
d. unchecked by any other government leaders or a bill of rights.
e. after being elected by parliament.
, ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 8
13. ____has a constitutional monarch.
a. Germany
b. The United States
c. Canada
d. Cuba
e. The United Kingdom (Britain)
ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 8
14. Undemocratic systems that are not supported by tradition are called
a. plutocracies.
b. dictatorships.
c. theocracies.
d. republics.
e. aristocracies.
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 8
15. A dictatorship can be ____, which means that a leader or group of leaders seeks to control
almost all aspects of social and economic life.
a. libertarian
b. totalitarian
c. republican
d. liberal
e. conservative
ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: 8
16. Fidel Castro in Cuba and Kim Jong Il in North Korea are contemporary examples of
a. progressives.
b. libertarians.
c. totalitarian dictators.
d. social conservatives.
e. absolute monarchs.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 8
17. The word democracy comes from the Greek demos, meaning ____, and kratia, meaning ____.
a. “demonstrate”; “power”
b. “mob”; “rights”
c. “the people”; “rule”
d. “representative”; “Congress”
e. “direct”; “elections”
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 8
18. The founders of the United States believed that direct democracy
a. would require too many elections.
b. might lead to voter apathy.
c. would deteriorate into mob rule.
d. might cost too much to operate.
e. would too often promote the rights and opinions of people in the minority over those in the
majority.
ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: 9
19. In a representative democracy,
, a. the people participate directly in government decision making.
b. rulers acquire power through inheritance.
c. Republicans have more power than Democrats.
d. the will of the majority is expressed through smaller groups of individuals elected by the
people to act on their behalf.
e. the wealthy exercise ruling power.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 9
20. In a(n) ____, the will of the majority is expressed through groups of individuals elected by the
people to act as their representatives.
a. aristocracy
b. theocracy
c. monarchy
d. autocracy
e. representative democracy
ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 9
21. The system of government in the United States is best described as a(n)
a. parliamentary democracy.
b. direct democracy.
c. autocracy.
d. presidential democracy.
e. aristocracy.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 9
22. A republic is essentially a(n)
a. autocracy.
b. aristocracy.
c. theocracy.
d. representative democracy.
e. monarchy.
ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: 9
23. In a presidential democracy, the lawmaking and law-enforcing branches of government
a. are separate but equal.
b. overlap.
c. are both located in parliament.
d. are both located in Congress
e. are both located in the executive branch.
ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: 9
24. Today, Britain is a(n)
a. absolute monarchy.
b. direct democracy.
c. republic.
d. plutocracy.
e. parliamentary democracy.
ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: 9
25. The term ____ describes a government run by members of old, noble families.
a. plutocracy
b. representative democracy
