Ch01
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. Americans' national identity rests largely upon
A. ethnic kinship.
B. common language.
C. shared political ideals.
D. religion.
E. federal law.
2. The American ideal of equality
A. promotes the idea that all citizens should be equal in their standard of living.
B. is fully consistent with individualism.
C. does not include the idea that everyone is entitled to fair treatment under the law.
D. has helped minority groups to achieve their goals.
E. has always been fully implemented in U.S. history.
3. The American political culture includes all of the following ideals except
A. liberty.
B. equality.
C. self-government.
D. individualism.
E. economic equality.
4. Inalienable rights
A. belong to the government only.
B. belong to individuals but can be denied by government.
C. belong to individuals and cannot be denied by government.
D. do not exist in the United States.
E. are not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.
5. Citizens of ________ are most likely to believe that personal effort is the key to success.
A. Germany
B. Italy
C. France
D. the United States
E. Great Britain
6. Cultural beliefs are said to be mythic ideas, which means that they are
A. almost completely unreal.
B. perfect representations of reality.
C. symbolic postures that reflect partly what is ideal and partly what is real.
D. perverted images of reality, as in the case of totalitarianism.
E. specifically listed in the U.S. Constitution.
1
,7. Conflict in the practice of America's ideals occurs because these ideals
A. are general principles, not precise rules.
B. conflict somewhat with one another.
C. are only one of the many sources of political action.
D. are enduring and powerful.
E. All of the answers are correct.
8. Which one of the following is not widely regarded as a political ideal in America?
A. liberty
B. equality
C. self-government
D. freedom
E. collectivism
9. Until 1965, immigration laws were biased in favor of immigrants from
A. Asia.
B. the Middle East.
C. Europe.
D. Africa.
E. Latin America
10. The principle of self-government emphasizes majority rule whereas the principle of liberty emphasizes
individual rights. These principles
A. are universal and the foundation of all legitimate governments.
B. have no real meaning in practice.
C. have the same meaning for all Americans.
D. are not fully consistent with each other.
E. are not expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
11. Political conflict is rooted in which two general conditions of society?
A. authority and scarcity of resources
B. differing values and scarcity of resources
C. differing values and competition
D. authority and competition
E. authority and differing values
12. Overt discrimination against Hispanics was eliminated from U.S. immigration laws
A. after the Spanish-American War at the turn of the twentieth century.
B. during World War I.
C. during the 1960s at the time of the civil rights movement.
D. in the early 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union.
E. after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
13. The play of politics takes place according to rules that the participants agree to accept. In the American
case, the rules of the game include all of the following, except
A. autocracy.
B. democracy.
C. constitutionalism.
D. capitalism.
E. None of the answers are correct.
2
,14. In a constitutional system,
A. there are no restrictions on the lawful uses of power, as long as this power is obtained by majority
rule.
B. citizens have basic rights which government cannot take away.
C. the economy is based on the free enterprise system.
D. officials govern according to the traditions established by their predecessors.
E. the judiciary is more powerful in all respects than the legislature or executive.
15. America's founding principles have roots in
A. beliefs about the proper use of war.
B. commercial practices.
C. systems of absolute rule.
D. the law of the seas.
E. religious beliefs.
16. Which of the following is characteristic of a capitalist economic system?
A. free enterprise
B. self-reliance
C. private property
D. individualism
E. All of the answers are correct.
17. The statement, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal," can be found in
A. the Declaration of Independence.
B. the U.S. Constitution.
C. the Federalist Papers.
D. the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
E. the Emancipation Proclamation.
18. According to the historian Louis Hartz, the United States was "born ___."
A. twice
B. free
C. united
D. in peace
E. once
19. A government's authority
A. is evidenced when government officials exercise political power.
B. is by definition not coercive.
C. does not include the power to arrest and imprison.
D. ensures that lawlessness prevails most of the time.
E. is based on pluralism.
20. ________ is the process that determines how a society will be governed.
A. Politics
B. Pluralism
C. Elitism
D. Socialism
E. Authoritarianism
3
, 21. Who observed that Americans are a special case in terms of their national identity?
A. James Bryce
B. King George III
C. James Madison
D. William James
E. Calvin Coolidge
22. Americans' emphasis on self-sufficiency and material accumulation reflects their belief in
A. liberty.
B. self-government.
C. individualism.
D. diversity.
E. collectivism.
23. Among the following nations, the percentage of people who say that immigrants' influence has been very
good or somewhat good is highest in
A. France.
B. Germany.
C. the United States.
D. Italy.
E. Great Britain.
24. Since the 1960s the largest number of immigrants have come from
A. Europe.
B. Africa.
C. Asia.
D. Latin America.
E. Canada.
25. In the Second Treatise on Civil Government, ________ argued that all individuals have certain natural
rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
A. Thomas Hobbes
B. John Locke
C. Thomas Jefferson
D. Jean Jacques Rousseau
E. James Madison
26. Thomas Jefferson wrote:
A. Common Sense.
B. the Declaration of Independence.
C. the Constitution.
D. the Emancipation Proclamation.
E. the Four Freedoms doctrine.
27. In Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes argued that life in the state of nature is
A. heavenly.
B. worth protecting so that future generations can enjoy nature's beauty.
C. peaceful but boring.
D. truly equal for all.
E. dangerous and warlike.
4
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________
1. Americans' national identity rests largely upon
A. ethnic kinship.
B. common language.
C. shared political ideals.
D. religion.
E. federal law.
2. The American ideal of equality
A. promotes the idea that all citizens should be equal in their standard of living.
B. is fully consistent with individualism.
C. does not include the idea that everyone is entitled to fair treatment under the law.
D. has helped minority groups to achieve their goals.
E. has always been fully implemented in U.S. history.
3. The American political culture includes all of the following ideals except
A. liberty.
B. equality.
C. self-government.
D. individualism.
E. economic equality.
4. Inalienable rights
A. belong to the government only.
B. belong to individuals but can be denied by government.
C. belong to individuals and cannot be denied by government.
D. do not exist in the United States.
E. are not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.
5. Citizens of ________ are most likely to believe that personal effort is the key to success.
A. Germany
B. Italy
C. France
D. the United States
E. Great Britain
6. Cultural beliefs are said to be mythic ideas, which means that they are
A. almost completely unreal.
B. perfect representations of reality.
C. symbolic postures that reflect partly what is ideal and partly what is real.
D. perverted images of reality, as in the case of totalitarianism.
E. specifically listed in the U.S. Constitution.
1
,7. Conflict in the practice of America's ideals occurs because these ideals
A. are general principles, not precise rules.
B. conflict somewhat with one another.
C. are only one of the many sources of political action.
D. are enduring and powerful.
E. All of the answers are correct.
8. Which one of the following is not widely regarded as a political ideal in America?
A. liberty
B. equality
C. self-government
D. freedom
E. collectivism
9. Until 1965, immigration laws were biased in favor of immigrants from
A. Asia.
B. the Middle East.
C. Europe.
D. Africa.
E. Latin America
10. The principle of self-government emphasizes majority rule whereas the principle of liberty emphasizes
individual rights. These principles
A. are universal and the foundation of all legitimate governments.
B. have no real meaning in practice.
C. have the same meaning for all Americans.
D. are not fully consistent with each other.
E. are not expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
11. Political conflict is rooted in which two general conditions of society?
A. authority and scarcity of resources
B. differing values and scarcity of resources
C. differing values and competition
D. authority and competition
E. authority and differing values
12. Overt discrimination against Hispanics was eliminated from U.S. immigration laws
A. after the Spanish-American War at the turn of the twentieth century.
B. during World War I.
C. during the 1960s at the time of the civil rights movement.
D. in the early 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union.
E. after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
13. The play of politics takes place according to rules that the participants agree to accept. In the American
case, the rules of the game include all of the following, except
A. autocracy.
B. democracy.
C. constitutionalism.
D. capitalism.
E. None of the answers are correct.
2
,14. In a constitutional system,
A. there are no restrictions on the lawful uses of power, as long as this power is obtained by majority
rule.
B. citizens have basic rights which government cannot take away.
C. the economy is based on the free enterprise system.
D. officials govern according to the traditions established by their predecessors.
E. the judiciary is more powerful in all respects than the legislature or executive.
15. America's founding principles have roots in
A. beliefs about the proper use of war.
B. commercial practices.
C. systems of absolute rule.
D. the law of the seas.
E. religious beliefs.
16. Which of the following is characteristic of a capitalist economic system?
A. free enterprise
B. self-reliance
C. private property
D. individualism
E. All of the answers are correct.
17. The statement, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal," can be found in
A. the Declaration of Independence.
B. the U.S. Constitution.
C. the Federalist Papers.
D. the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
E. the Emancipation Proclamation.
18. According to the historian Louis Hartz, the United States was "born ___."
A. twice
B. free
C. united
D. in peace
E. once
19. A government's authority
A. is evidenced when government officials exercise political power.
B. is by definition not coercive.
C. does not include the power to arrest and imprison.
D. ensures that lawlessness prevails most of the time.
E. is based on pluralism.
20. ________ is the process that determines how a society will be governed.
A. Politics
B. Pluralism
C. Elitism
D. Socialism
E. Authoritarianism
3
, 21. Who observed that Americans are a special case in terms of their national identity?
A. James Bryce
B. King George III
C. James Madison
D. William James
E. Calvin Coolidge
22. Americans' emphasis on self-sufficiency and material accumulation reflects their belief in
A. liberty.
B. self-government.
C. individualism.
D. diversity.
E. collectivism.
23. Among the following nations, the percentage of people who say that immigrants' influence has been very
good or somewhat good is highest in
A. France.
B. Germany.
C. the United States.
D. Italy.
E. Great Britain.
24. Since the 1960s the largest number of immigrants have come from
A. Europe.
B. Africa.
C. Asia.
D. Latin America.
E. Canada.
25. In the Second Treatise on Civil Government, ________ argued that all individuals have certain natural
rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
A. Thomas Hobbes
B. John Locke
C. Thomas Jefferson
D. Jean Jacques Rousseau
E. James Madison
26. Thomas Jefferson wrote:
A. Common Sense.
B. the Declaration of Independence.
C. the Constitution.
D. the Emancipation Proclamation.
E. the Four Freedoms doctrine.
27. In Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes argued that life in the state of nature is
A. heavenly.
B. worth protecting so that future generations can enjoy nature's beauty.
C. peaceful but boring.
D. truly equal for all.
E. dangerous and warlike.
4
