CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which term refers to the process of making collective decisions, usually by governments, to
allocate public resources and to create and enforce rules for the operation of society?
a. federalism
b. constitutionalism
c. institutionalism
d. politics
e. coordination
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: easy
REF: Understanding American Politics MSC: remembering
2. The term political system refers to ____________________.
a. the way a society organizes and manages its politics across various levels of public
authority
b. the set of cultural, social, and religious norms and values shared by a group of people
c. a coordinated set of choices or decisions made by individuals in a single community
d. the information and beliefs held by ordinary citizens that structure their orientations
toward government
e. a network of activists and organizations that works to produce changes in public policy
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: easy
REF: Understanding American Politics MSC: remembering
3. How can political preferences be best described and accounted for?
a. minimizing benefits
, b. maximizing costs
c. lowering barriers
d. minimizing benefits and maximizing costs
e. maximizing benefits and minimizing costs
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: easy
REF: Understanding American Politics MSC: applying
4. What is the role of a political institution?
a. provide a physical location for decisions to be made
b. provide justice for wrongdoing
c. provide rules to determine collective decisions
d. provide opportunities for individuals to advance
e. provide institutionalized punishments for crimes
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: Institutions
MSC: understanding
5. Which term best describes the United States’ political system, which is composed of multiple
levels of government with independent yet overlapping authority over many areas of public life?
a. authoritarian
b. dictatorial
c. unitary
d. federal
e. confederal
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: Institutions
MSC: remembering
,6. Which is the best example of how an institution shapes outcomes?
a. The end of a concert brings calls for an encore.
b. The thrust of an engine moves a car forward.
c. The force of gravity forces a ball to fall.
d. The rules of legislatures cause a bill to fail.
e. The explosion of dynamite levels a hill.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: moderate REF: Institutions
MSC: understanding
7. A collective dilemma represents conflict between ____________________.
a. two or more groups attempting to achieve different political goals
b. two or more individuals with different preferences about what course a group should
pursue
c. individual self-interest and group goals
d. individual economic interests and individual moral values
e. information or arguments that suggest different optimal choices for a group
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: moderate
REF: Collective Dilemmas – The Need for Government MSC: understanding
8. Government ____________________.
a. always chooses the best public policy option
b. effectively eliminates many social problems like violence and drug use
c. contributes to public welfare by helping resolve some collective dilemmas
d. is unnecessary because individual citizens can easily provide public goods
e. has little influence over public welfare
, ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: easy
REF: Collective Dilemmas – The Need for Government MSC: understanding
9. Why is government necessary for groups of individuals?
a. Individuals need leaders to generate any ideas.
b. No law can be passed without Congress’s approval anywhere.
c. Groups of individuals have a hard time overcoming collective dilemmas.
d. Monarchy will inevitably develop without government.
e. Government solves no problems.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: moderate
REF: Collective Dilemmas – The Need for Government MSC: applying
10. Which of the following is an example of a public good?
a. streets
b. cell phones
c. washing machines
d. food
e. automobiles
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: Collective-Action
Problems
MSC: remembering
11. Which of the following is an example of a private good?
a. clean air
b. water
c. police departments
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which term refers to the process of making collective decisions, usually by governments, to
allocate public resources and to create and enforce rules for the operation of society?
a. federalism
b. constitutionalism
c. institutionalism
d. politics
e. coordination
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: easy
REF: Understanding American Politics MSC: remembering
2. The term political system refers to ____________________.
a. the way a society organizes and manages its politics across various levels of public
authority
b. the set of cultural, social, and religious norms and values shared by a group of people
c. a coordinated set of choices or decisions made by individuals in a single community
d. the information and beliefs held by ordinary citizens that structure their orientations
toward government
e. a network of activists and organizations that works to produce changes in public policy
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: easy
REF: Understanding American Politics MSC: remembering
3. How can political preferences be best described and accounted for?
a. minimizing benefits
, b. maximizing costs
c. lowering barriers
d. minimizing benefits and maximizing costs
e. maximizing benefits and minimizing costs
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: easy
REF: Understanding American Politics MSC: applying
4. What is the role of a political institution?
a. provide a physical location for decisions to be made
b. provide justice for wrongdoing
c. provide rules to determine collective decisions
d. provide opportunities for individuals to advance
e. provide institutionalized punishments for crimes
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: Institutions
MSC: understanding
5. Which term best describes the United States’ political system, which is composed of multiple
levels of government with independent yet overlapping authority over many areas of public life?
a. authoritarian
b. dictatorial
c. unitary
d. federal
e. confederal
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: Institutions
MSC: remembering
,6. Which is the best example of how an institution shapes outcomes?
a. The end of a concert brings calls for an encore.
b. The thrust of an engine moves a car forward.
c. The force of gravity forces a ball to fall.
d. The rules of legislatures cause a bill to fail.
e. The explosion of dynamite levels a hill.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: moderate REF: Institutions
MSC: understanding
7. A collective dilemma represents conflict between ____________________.
a. two or more groups attempting to achieve different political goals
b. two or more individuals with different preferences about what course a group should
pursue
c. individual self-interest and group goals
d. individual economic interests and individual moral values
e. information or arguments that suggest different optimal choices for a group
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: moderate
REF: Collective Dilemmas – The Need for Government MSC: understanding
8. Government ____________________.
a. always chooses the best public policy option
b. effectively eliminates many social problems like violence and drug use
c. contributes to public welfare by helping resolve some collective dilemmas
d. is unnecessary because individual citizens can easily provide public goods
e. has little influence over public welfare
, ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: easy
REF: Collective Dilemmas – The Need for Government MSC: understanding
9. Why is government necessary for groups of individuals?
a. Individuals need leaders to generate any ideas.
b. No law can be passed without Congress’s approval anywhere.
c. Groups of individuals have a hard time overcoming collective dilemmas.
d. Monarchy will inevitably develop without government.
e. Government solves no problems.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: moderate
REF: Collective Dilemmas – The Need for Government MSC: applying
10. Which of the following is an example of a public good?
a. streets
b. cell phones
c. washing machines
d. food
e. automobiles
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: Collective-Action
Problems
MSC: remembering
11. Which of the following is an example of a private good?
a. clean air
b. water
c. police departments
