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: 5
TOP: politics MSC: factual
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: 5
TOP: politics MSC: factual
,3. A codified constraint on behavior is a/an:
a. norm
b. culture
c. institution
d. folkway
e. more
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: 5
TOP: institutions MSC: factual
4. Which is NOT an example of a political decision?
a. a declaration of war made by Congress
b. a sorority raising its members’ dues for next semester
c. a standing ovation at a concert
d. a school board setting local property tax rates
e. a religious congregation choosing to hire a new clergyman
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: difficult REF: 5
TOP: politics MSC: conceptual
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: 7
TOP: institutions MSC: factual
6. 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: 10
TOP: collective dilemmas MSC: factual
7. 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: 11
TOP: collective dilemmas MSC: applied
8. An object, service, or benefit that is available to all members of the group, whether or not they
contribute to providing it, and that can be used by any member of the group without preventing
others from using it is a/an:
a. private good
, b. public good
c. public policy
d. policy item
e. externality
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: 13
TOP: public goods MSC: factual
9. An object, service, or benefit that is only available to an individual who pays the cost of
providing it and can only be used by one individual at a time is a/an:
a. private good
b. public good
c. public policy
d. policy item
e. externality
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: 13
TOP: private goods MSC: factual
10. Suppose a town charges individuals $5 to enter a park to watch its annual New Year’s Eve
fireworks display. The collected fees pay the cost of the fireworks. Joe parks his car across the
street and watches the fireworks display without paying the fee. Joe is:
a. coasting
b. coordinating
c. protesting
d. free riding
e. voting
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: 5
TOP: politics MSC: factual
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: 5
TOP: politics MSC: factual
,3. A codified constraint on behavior is a/an:
a. norm
b. culture
c. institution
d. folkway
e. more
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: 5
TOP: institutions MSC: factual
4. Which is NOT an example of a political decision?
a. a declaration of war made by Congress
b. a sorority raising its members’ dues for next semester
c. a standing ovation at a concert
d. a school board setting local property tax rates
e. a religious congregation choosing to hire a new clergyman
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: difficult REF: 5
TOP: politics MSC: conceptual
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: 7
TOP: institutions MSC: factual
6. 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: 10
TOP: collective dilemmas MSC: factual
7. 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: 11
TOP: collective dilemmas MSC: applied
8. An object, service, or benefit that is available to all members of the group, whether or not they
contribute to providing it, and that can be used by any member of the group without preventing
others from using it is a/an:
a. private good
, b. public good
c. public policy
d. policy item
e. externality
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: 13
TOP: public goods MSC: factual
9. An object, service, or benefit that is only available to an individual who pays the cost of
providing it and can only be used by one individual at a time is a/an:
a. private good
b. public good
c. public policy
d. policy item
e. externality
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: easy REF: 13
TOP: private goods MSC: factual
10. Suppose a town charges individuals $5 to enter a park to watch its annual New Year’s Eve
fireworks display. The collected fees pay the cost of the fireworks. Joe parks his car across the
street and watches the fireworks display without paying the fee. Joe is:
a. coasting
b. coordinating
c. protesting
d. free riding
e. voting
