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: 2 NOT: C
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: 2 NOT: F
3. The federal budget initially opposed for 2012 called for almost ____ trillion dollars in
spending.
a. 1
b. 2
c. 4
d. 5
e. 7
ANS: C REF: 2 NOT: F
4. Debates over government finances have often, at bottom, been debates about
a. the size of government.
b. the competency of government.
c. the legitimacy of the federal government.
d. how to divide responsibility between state and federal governments.
e. All of the above.
ANS: E REF: 4 NOT: F
5. Today, the U.S. federal income tax takes an average of what percent of taxpayers’ income?
a. 10
b. 15
c. 21
d. 43
e. 45
ANS: C REF: 5 NOT: F
6. Most people holding national political office are
a. middle class.
b. middle age.
c. males.
d. Protestant.
, e. All of the above.
ANS: E REF: 5 NOT: F
7. The fact that the rich are taxed more heavily than the poor and that amendments that gave
voting rights to minorities were passed by large majorities suggests that
a. few people pay close attention to political processes.
b. government does not always adopt policies that are to the narrow advantage of those who
hold political offices.
c. power is distributed in such a manner that very few people can exercise it in a meaningful
fashion.
d. “Who governs?” and “To what ends?” are really the same question.
e. Knowing who governs is usually a good predictor of what policies will be adopted.
ANS: B REF: 5 NOT: C
8. The text argues that political power is inextricably bound with
a. mass media power.
b. economic theories.
c. an elitist attitude.
d. religious and moral values.
e. political purposes.
ANS: E REF: 5 NOT: F
9. 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: 5 NOT: F
10. 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: 5 NOT: F
11. Compared with the 1950s, government’s involvement in the everyday lives of Americans in
the 1990s is
a. about the same.
b. slightly less.
c. considerably less.
d. slightly greater.
e. considerably greater.
ANS: E REF: 5 NOT: C
12. The text suggests that, during the 1950s, the federal government would have taken very
little interest in
a. a factory closing its doors.
b. a profession not accrediting a member.
c. a university refusing an applicant.
, d. A, B, and C.
e. Both A and C.
ANS: D REF: 5 NOT: F
13. 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: 5 NOT: C
14. 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: 5-6 NOT: F
15. 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: 6 NOT: F
16. The author cites the early presidential administrations, the Civil War, and the New Deal as
examples of struggles over
a. what constitutes legitimate authority.
b. who shall govern.
c. who gets what, when, and how.
d. when progress is possible.
e. how power is accumulated.
ANS: A REF: 6 NOT: F
17. 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.
b. altruistic.
c. humanitarian.
d. elitist.
e. aristocratic.
ANS: A REF: 6 NOT: F
18. 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: 6 NOT: F
19. Which delegate to the Constitutional Convention was worried that the new government that
he helped to create might be too democratic?
a. John Adams
b. George Mason
c. Alexander Hamilton
d. Thomas Jefferson
e. Patrick Henry
ANS: C REF: 6 NOT: F
20. The term participatory democracy applies most accurately to which of the following societies?
a. Greece in the fourth century B.C.
b. Modern China
c. The United States since 1787
d. The Soviet Union between 1917 and 1990
e. The southeastern United States before the Civil War
ANS: A REF: 7 NOT: F
21. The Greek city-state, or polis, extended the right to vote to everyone except
a. slaves.
b. women.
c. minors.
d. those without property.
e. All of the above.
ANS: E REF: 7 NOT: F
22. In recent times, Aristotle’s ideal of democracy has been most closely approximated by
a. the AFL-CIO.
b. the U.S. House of Representatives.
c. the New England town meeting.
d. the Constitutional Convention.
e. the southeastern United States before the Civil War.
ANS: C REF: 7 NOT: F
23. Democracy was defined as the competitive struggle for people’s votes by
a. Joseph Stalin.
b. Joseph Schumpeter.
c. Max Weber.
d. Karl Marx.
e. Søren Kierkegaard.
ANS: B REF: 7 NOT: F
24. Representative democracy allows individuals to gain political power through
a. media campaigns.
b. quadrennial elections.
c. nonpartisan elections.
d. reciprocal elections.
e. competitive elections.
ANS: E REF: 7 NOT: C
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: 2 NOT: C
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: 2 NOT: F
3. The federal budget initially opposed for 2012 called for almost ____ trillion dollars in
spending.
a. 1
b. 2
c. 4
d. 5
e. 7
ANS: C REF: 2 NOT: F
4. Debates over government finances have often, at bottom, been debates about
a. the size of government.
b. the competency of government.
c. the legitimacy of the federal government.
d. how to divide responsibility between state and federal governments.
e. All of the above.
ANS: E REF: 4 NOT: F
5. Today, the U.S. federal income tax takes an average of what percent of taxpayers’ income?
a. 10
b. 15
c. 21
d. 43
e. 45
ANS: C REF: 5 NOT: F
6. Most people holding national political office are
a. middle class.
b. middle age.
c. males.
d. Protestant.
, e. All of the above.
ANS: E REF: 5 NOT: F
7. The fact that the rich are taxed more heavily than the poor and that amendments that gave
voting rights to minorities were passed by large majorities suggests that
a. few people pay close attention to political processes.
b. government does not always adopt policies that are to the narrow advantage of those who
hold political offices.
c. power is distributed in such a manner that very few people can exercise it in a meaningful
fashion.
d. “Who governs?” and “To what ends?” are really the same question.
e. Knowing who governs is usually a good predictor of what policies will be adopted.
ANS: B REF: 5 NOT: C
8. The text argues that political power is inextricably bound with
a. mass media power.
b. economic theories.
c. an elitist attitude.
d. religious and moral values.
e. political purposes.
ANS: E REF: 5 NOT: F
9. 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: 5 NOT: F
10. 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: 5 NOT: F
11. Compared with the 1950s, government’s involvement in the everyday lives of Americans in
the 1990s is
a. about the same.
b. slightly less.
c. considerably less.
d. slightly greater.
e. considerably greater.
ANS: E REF: 5 NOT: C
12. The text suggests that, during the 1950s, the federal government would have taken very
little interest in
a. a factory closing its doors.
b. a profession not accrediting a member.
c. a university refusing an applicant.
, d. A, B, and C.
e. Both A and C.
ANS: D REF: 5 NOT: F
13. 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: 5 NOT: C
14. 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: 5-6 NOT: F
15. 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: 6 NOT: F
16. The author cites the early presidential administrations, the Civil War, and the New Deal as
examples of struggles over
a. what constitutes legitimate authority.
b. who shall govern.
c. who gets what, when, and how.
d. when progress is possible.
e. how power is accumulated.
ANS: A REF: 6 NOT: F
17. 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.
b. altruistic.
c. humanitarian.
d. elitist.
e. aristocratic.
ANS: A REF: 6 NOT: F
18. 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: 6 NOT: F
19. Which delegate to the Constitutional Convention was worried that the new government that
he helped to create might be too democratic?
a. John Adams
b. George Mason
c. Alexander Hamilton
d. Thomas Jefferson
e. Patrick Henry
ANS: C REF: 6 NOT: F
20. The term participatory democracy applies most accurately to which of the following societies?
a. Greece in the fourth century B.C.
b. Modern China
c. The United States since 1787
d. The Soviet Union between 1917 and 1990
e. The southeastern United States before the Civil War
ANS: A REF: 7 NOT: F
21. The Greek city-state, or polis, extended the right to vote to everyone except
a. slaves.
b. women.
c. minors.
d. those without property.
e. All of the above.
ANS: E REF: 7 NOT: F
22. In recent times, Aristotle’s ideal of democracy has been most closely approximated by
a. the AFL-CIO.
b. the U.S. House of Representatives.
c. the New England town meeting.
d. the Constitutional Convention.
e. the southeastern United States before the Civil War.
ANS: C REF: 7 NOT: F
23. Democracy was defined as the competitive struggle for people’s votes by
a. Joseph Stalin.
b. Joseph Schumpeter.
c. Max Weber.
d. Karl Marx.
e. Søren Kierkegaard.
ANS: B REF: 7 NOT: F
24. Representative democracy allows individuals to gain political power through
a. media campaigns.
b. quadrennial elections.
c. nonpartisan elections.
d. reciprocal elections.
e. competitive elections.
ANS: E REF: 7 NOT: C
