CHAPTER 1: American Political Culture
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,
President George W. Bush oversaw the creation of the Department of
A. Veterans Affairs.
B. Homeland Security.
C. Education.
D. Health and Human Services.
E. Treasury.
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: p. 3 TOP: public goods
MSC: Factual
2. Today, the federal government is
A. nonexistent in the lives of most Americans.
B. a small institution that enacts a small number of programs touching on very few aspects of
American life.
C. an enormous institution that enacts a large number of programs touching on nearly every
aspect of American life.
D. an enormous institution that enacts a small number of programs touching on very few
aspects of American life.
E. an enormous institution that is legally banned from regulating economic activities.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: p. 3 TOP: public goods
MSC: Conceptual
,3. In general, Americans’ trust in their government has ______ since the 1960s.
A. remained stable
B. risen slightly
C. risen sharply
D. fallen slightly
E. fallen sharply
ANS: E DIF: Easy REF: p. 5 TOP: trust in government
MSC: Factual
4. The belief that you can influence how your government acts is called
A. political efficacy.
B. saliency.
C. popular sovereignty.
D. autocracy.
E. oligarchy.
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: pp. 5–6 TOP: political efficacy
MSC: Factual—Definition
5. Which of the following is not an accurate statement about the consequences of declining trust in
government?
A. Distrust threatens the government’s ability to attract good workers to the public sector.
B. Distrust makes people less willing to pay the taxes necessary for public activities.
C. Distrust motivates people to participate in politics through voting, volunteering for
political campaigns, and running for office.
D. Distrust weakens the government’s ability to help people in times of crisis.
E. Distrust weakens the government’s ability to defend our national interest in the world
economy.
, ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: p. 8 TOP: trust in government
MSC: Conceptual
6. Which of the following is not a reason for the declining levels of trust in the United States in
recent years?
A. revelations about the faulty information that led up to the war in Iraq
B. the government’s inability to get the economy moving following the recession of 2008
C. an increase in the knowledge of how government operates
D. the bitter congressional battle over raising the national debt limit in 2011
E. ongoing concern about the war in Iraq during the Bush administration
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: p. 8 TOP: political efficacy
MSC: Conceptual
7. The first prerequisite to increasing political efficacy is
A. increasing political knowledge.
B. decreasing political knowledge.
C. reducing political participation.
D. reducing trust in government.
E. reducing popular sovereignty.
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: p. 8 TOP: political efficacy
MSC: Applied
8. How is a decline in political efficacy likely to matter for the health of American democracy?
A. It is likely to lead to an increase in political participation and a renewed interest in political
life.
B. It is likely to lead to a decline in political participation and a withdrawal from political life.
, C. It is likely to lead to less dishonesty by elected representatives.
D. It is likely to lead to more initiatives and ballot referenda.
E. It is likely to lead to a stronger belief in the values of liberty and equality.
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: p. 9 TOP: political efficacy
MSC: Conceptual
9. Political apathy among Americans hurts which core political value the most?
A. democracy
B. freedom of religion
C. economic liberty
D. equality of opportunity
E. equality of outcome
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: p. 9 TOP: political efficacy
MSC: Applied
10. Survey data shows that the level of Americans’ political knowledge is
A. uniformly high.
B. low and spotty.
C. high regarding local political figures but low regarding governmental processes.
D. high concerning current events but low concerning history.
E. high regarding governmental processes but low concerning national political figures.
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: p. 10 TOP: political knowledge
MSC: Factual
11. To the Ancient Greeks, citizenship meant
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,
President George W. Bush oversaw the creation of the Department of
A. Veterans Affairs.
B. Homeland Security.
C. Education.
D. Health and Human Services.
E. Treasury.
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: p. 3 TOP: public goods
MSC: Factual
2. Today, the federal government is
A. nonexistent in the lives of most Americans.
B. a small institution that enacts a small number of programs touching on very few aspects of
American life.
C. an enormous institution that enacts a large number of programs touching on nearly every
aspect of American life.
D. an enormous institution that enacts a small number of programs touching on very few
aspects of American life.
E. an enormous institution that is legally banned from regulating economic activities.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: p. 3 TOP: public goods
MSC: Conceptual
,3. In general, Americans’ trust in their government has ______ since the 1960s.
A. remained stable
B. risen slightly
C. risen sharply
D. fallen slightly
E. fallen sharply
ANS: E DIF: Easy REF: p. 5 TOP: trust in government
MSC: Factual
4. The belief that you can influence how your government acts is called
A. political efficacy.
B. saliency.
C. popular sovereignty.
D. autocracy.
E. oligarchy.
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: pp. 5–6 TOP: political efficacy
MSC: Factual—Definition
5. Which of the following is not an accurate statement about the consequences of declining trust in
government?
A. Distrust threatens the government’s ability to attract good workers to the public sector.
B. Distrust makes people less willing to pay the taxes necessary for public activities.
C. Distrust motivates people to participate in politics through voting, volunteering for
political campaigns, and running for office.
D. Distrust weakens the government’s ability to help people in times of crisis.
E. Distrust weakens the government’s ability to defend our national interest in the world
economy.
, ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: p. 8 TOP: trust in government
MSC: Conceptual
6. Which of the following is not a reason for the declining levels of trust in the United States in
recent years?
A. revelations about the faulty information that led up to the war in Iraq
B. the government’s inability to get the economy moving following the recession of 2008
C. an increase in the knowledge of how government operates
D. the bitter congressional battle over raising the national debt limit in 2011
E. ongoing concern about the war in Iraq during the Bush administration
ANS: C DIF: Difficult REF: p. 8 TOP: political efficacy
MSC: Conceptual
7. The first prerequisite to increasing political efficacy is
A. increasing political knowledge.
B. decreasing political knowledge.
C. reducing political participation.
D. reducing trust in government.
E. reducing popular sovereignty.
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: p. 8 TOP: political efficacy
MSC: Applied
8. How is a decline in political efficacy likely to matter for the health of American democracy?
A. It is likely to lead to an increase in political participation and a renewed interest in political
life.
B. It is likely to lead to a decline in political participation and a withdrawal from political life.
, C. It is likely to lead to less dishonesty by elected representatives.
D. It is likely to lead to more initiatives and ballot referenda.
E. It is likely to lead to a stronger belief in the values of liberty and equality.
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: p. 9 TOP: political efficacy
MSC: Conceptual
9. Political apathy among Americans hurts which core political value the most?
A. democracy
B. freedom of religion
C. economic liberty
D. equality of opportunity
E. equality of outcome
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: p. 9 TOP: political efficacy
MSC: Applied
10. Survey data shows that the level of Americans’ political knowledge is
A. uniformly high.
B. low and spotty.
C. high regarding local political figures but low regarding governmental processes.
D. high concerning current events but low concerning history.
E. high regarding governmental processes but low concerning national political figures.
ANS: B DIF: Moderate REF: p. 10 TOP: political knowledge
MSC: Factual
11. To the Ancient Greeks, citizenship meant
