,CHAPTER 1
The Study of American
Government
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The financial position of the state and national governments under the Articles of Confederation
could be best described as
a. sound, strong, and based on a large surplus of revenue.
b. sound, strong, but uncertain around the edges.
c. uniformly stable at the state level, but the national government struggled with debt.
d. stable at the national level with little cause for concern in any of the states.
e. growing debt at the national level and several states with financial crises.
ANS: E REF: 3 NOT: C OBJ: LO1
2. Which of the following expressed sincere concern that ratification of the Constitution would result in
“an immense increase in taxes”?
a. James Madison
b. Alexander Hamilton
c. George Washington
d. Patrick Henry
e. John Jay
ANS: D REF: 3 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
3. The federal budget initially opposed for 2014 called for almost __________ trillion dollars
in spending.
a. 1
b. 2
c. 4
d. 5
e. 7
ANS: C REF: 3 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
4. The textbook refers to the activity by which an issue is agitated or settled as _________.
a. government
b. policy
c. politics
d. participation
e. None of the above is true.
ANS: C REF: 4 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license
distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for
classroom use.
,2 Chapter 1: The Study of American Government
5. Individuals have power when they are able to
a. get elected to office.
b. be present at behind-the-scenes political meetings.
c. serve their fellow human beings.
d. get others to do what they want them to do.
e. vote without being influenced by outside forces.
ANS: D REF: 4 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
6. The text notes a tendency for issues that once were _________ to become __________.
a. simple; complicated
b. public; secret
c. social; political
d. private; public
e. economic; social
ANS: D REF: 4 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
7. By authority, the authors mean
a. the right to use power.
b. the manner in which power is spread.
c. the use of power for good causes.
d. the desire to have power.
e. the desire to give power to others.
ANS: A REF: 4 NOT: C OBJ: LO1
8. Formal authority refers to a right to exercise power that is derived from a(n)
a. official ceremony.
b. majority vote.
c. consensus.
d. popular consensus.
e. governmental office.
ANS: E REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
9. Today, a primary source of legitimate political authority in the United States is the
a. Bill of Rights.
b. will of the people.
c. U.S. Constitution.
d. concept of civil liberty.
e. notion of civil rights.
ANS: C REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
10. In the United States, a person is said to have __________ if he or she act in a certain way that is
conferred by a law or by a state or national constitution.
a. political authority
b. political control
c. political power
d. political influence
e. political clout
ANS: A REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
11. 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
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license
distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for
classroom use.
, Chapter 1: The Study of American Government 3
b. altruistic
c. humanitarian
d. elitist
e. aristocratic
ANS: A REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO2
12. At the time of the Constitutional Convention, the view that a democratic government was
desirable was
a. already waning.
b. close to unanimous.
c. beyond debate.
d. held by the elite only.
e. far from unanimous.
ANS: E REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO2
13. This large federal program is projected to be more than $1 trillion by 2022.
a. Medicare
b. Medicaid
c. Social Security
d. Defense
e. Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI)
ANS: A REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO3
14. In 1787, as the Constitution was being debated, __________ worried that the new government he
helped create might be too democratic, while __________ who refused to sign the Constitution,
worried that it was not democratic enough.
a. John Adams; James Madison
b. George Washington; George Mason
c. Alexander Hamilton; George Mason
d. Thomas Jefferson; Alexander Hamilton
e. Patrick Henry; Samuel Adams
ANS: C REF: 5, 6 NOT: F OBJ: LO2
15. For representative democracy to work
a. there must be an opportunity for genuine competition of leadership.
b. individuals and parties must be free to run for office.
c. there needs to be freedom of speech and press.
d. voters must perceive that a meaningful choice exists.
e. All of the above are true.
ANS: E REF: 5–7 NOT: C OBJ: LO2
16. How did Aristotle define democracy?
a. Rule of the few
b. Rule of the one
c. Rule of the powerful
d. Rule of the many
e. Rule of the intelligent
ANS: D REF: 6 NOT: F OBJ: LO2
17. The term participatory democracy applies most accurately to which of the following societies?
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license
distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for
classroom use.
The Study of American
Government
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The financial position of the state and national governments under the Articles of Confederation
could be best described as
a. sound, strong, and based on a large surplus of revenue.
b. sound, strong, but uncertain around the edges.
c. uniformly stable at the state level, but the national government struggled with debt.
d. stable at the national level with little cause for concern in any of the states.
e. growing debt at the national level and several states with financial crises.
ANS: E REF: 3 NOT: C OBJ: LO1
2. Which of the following expressed sincere concern that ratification of the Constitution would result in
“an immense increase in taxes”?
a. James Madison
b. Alexander Hamilton
c. George Washington
d. Patrick Henry
e. John Jay
ANS: D REF: 3 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
3. The federal budget initially opposed for 2014 called for almost __________ trillion dollars
in spending.
a. 1
b. 2
c. 4
d. 5
e. 7
ANS: C REF: 3 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
4. The textbook refers to the activity by which an issue is agitated or settled as _________.
a. government
b. policy
c. politics
d. participation
e. None of the above is true.
ANS: C REF: 4 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license
distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for
classroom use.
,2 Chapter 1: The Study of American Government
5. Individuals have power when they are able to
a. get elected to office.
b. be present at behind-the-scenes political meetings.
c. serve their fellow human beings.
d. get others to do what they want them to do.
e. vote without being influenced by outside forces.
ANS: D REF: 4 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
6. The text notes a tendency for issues that once were _________ to become __________.
a. simple; complicated
b. public; secret
c. social; political
d. private; public
e. economic; social
ANS: D REF: 4 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
7. By authority, the authors mean
a. the right to use power.
b. the manner in which power is spread.
c. the use of power for good causes.
d. the desire to have power.
e. the desire to give power to others.
ANS: A REF: 4 NOT: C OBJ: LO1
8. Formal authority refers to a right to exercise power that is derived from a(n)
a. official ceremony.
b. majority vote.
c. consensus.
d. popular consensus.
e. governmental office.
ANS: E REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
9. Today, a primary source of legitimate political authority in the United States is the
a. Bill of Rights.
b. will of the people.
c. U.S. Constitution.
d. concept of civil liberty.
e. notion of civil rights.
ANS: C REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
10. In the United States, a person is said to have __________ if he or she act in a certain way that is
conferred by a law or by a state or national constitution.
a. political authority
b. political control
c. political power
d. political influence
e. political clout
ANS: A REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO1
11. 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
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license
distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for
classroom use.
, Chapter 1: The Study of American Government 3
b. altruistic
c. humanitarian
d. elitist
e. aristocratic
ANS: A REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO2
12. At the time of the Constitutional Convention, the view that a democratic government was
desirable was
a. already waning.
b. close to unanimous.
c. beyond debate.
d. held by the elite only.
e. far from unanimous.
ANS: E REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO2
13. This large federal program is projected to be more than $1 trillion by 2022.
a. Medicare
b. Medicaid
c. Social Security
d. Defense
e. Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI)
ANS: A REF: 5 NOT: F OBJ: LO3
14. In 1787, as the Constitution was being debated, __________ worried that the new government he
helped create might be too democratic, while __________ who refused to sign the Constitution,
worried that it was not democratic enough.
a. John Adams; James Madison
b. George Washington; George Mason
c. Alexander Hamilton; George Mason
d. Thomas Jefferson; Alexander Hamilton
e. Patrick Henry; Samuel Adams
ANS: C REF: 5, 6 NOT: F OBJ: LO2
15. For representative democracy to work
a. there must be an opportunity for genuine competition of leadership.
b. individuals and parties must be free to run for office.
c. there needs to be freedom of speech and press.
d. voters must perceive that a meaningful choice exists.
e. All of the above are true.
ANS: E REF: 5–7 NOT: C OBJ: LO2
16. How did Aristotle define democracy?
a. Rule of the few
b. Rule of the one
c. Rule of the powerful
d. Rule of the many
e. Rule of the intelligent
ANS: D REF: 6 NOT: F OBJ: LO2
17. The term participatory democracy applies most accurately to which of the following societies?
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license
distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning management system for
classroom use.
