1.1

Question 1

What is the difference between an empirical question and a normative question?

Answer 1

An empirical question is about observing facts and patterns about politics, while a normative question is about how the political world should be.

Question 2

The following question is an example of a(n) __________ question in political science: “Which political party do a majority of Latinos support in presidential elections?”

Answer 2

empirical

Question 3

The following question is an example of a(n) __________ question in political science: “Are African American legislators more likely to support African American interests than other legislators with similar districts?”

Answer 3

empirical

Question 4

he following question is an example of a(n) __________ question in political science: “Should a majority of Latinos support the Democratic Party in presidential elections?”

Answer 4

normative

Question 5

What is the general term used to describe the formal political arrangement by which a land and its people are ruled?

Answer 5

government

Question 6

States and tribal councils are examples of which institutions and procedures through which a land and its people are ruled?

Answer 6

governments

Question 7

A form of government in which a single individual—king, queen, or dictator—rules is known as …

Answer 7

an autocracy

Question 8

When France was ruled by King Louis XVI, Napoleon Bonaparte, and then Louis XVIII, it exemplified the governmental system known as …

Answer 8

an autocracy

Question 9

Autocracy can best be defined as rule by …

Answer 9

one

Question 10

If the populace has some direct role in political decision-making, the government is most likely …

Answer 10

democratic

Question 11

When a small group of landowners, military officers, or wealthy merchants controls most of the governing decisions, the government is said to be a(n) ..

Answer 11

oligarchy

Question 12

On the small island nation of Tamazia, the small but elite group of purple-spotted Tamazians, who own most of the land on the more fruitful north side, have invaded the less productive southern sections of the island. Now they have taken control of all political institutions. Consequently, the pink-spotted and green-spotted Tamazians who make up the majority of the island inhabitants have to submit to the will of the purple-spotted Tamazians. This new government on the island nation of Tamazia would most correctly be classified as …

Answer 12

oligarchic

Question 13

A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the selection of key public officials, is called …

Answer 13

democratic

Question 14

Which term describes a system of rule in which formal and effective limits are placed on the powers of government?

Answer 14

constitutional government

Question 15

In early thirteenth-century England, King John had few formal limits on his power yet needed the permission of the Catholic pope to marry many of his potential spouses and needed the cooperation of English nobles to wage war. A general term for a political system with informal limits on power is …

Answer 15

authoritarian government

Question 16

A government with specific limits on what governments control and how political power is exercised is called a …

Answer 16

constitutional government

Question 17

To win elections, presidential candidates typically focus their campaign visits and spending on “swing states” that could vote for either major candidate. This strategic allocation exemplifies which of the five principles of politics?

Answer 17

rationality principle

Question 18

he Soviet Union during the rule of Joseph Stalin was a classic example of a(n) __________ society.

Answer 18

totalitarian

Question 19

The kind of rule in which the power of government has only minimal legal limits but is effectively restrained by other social, religious, or economic institutions is called …

Answer 19

authoritarian

Question 20

In many nations in Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa, the law imposes few real limits, but the government is nevertheless kept in check by other political and social institutions that it does not control. Examples of these outside actors include autonomous territories, an organized church, organized business groups, or organized labor unions. Such governments are generally called …

Answer 20

authoritarian

Question 21

In the years leading up to World War II, the National Socialist (Nazi) Party rose to power in Germany and consolidated its hold on political institutions by effectively striking down any significant opposition through violence and intimidation. Nazi Germany achieved almost absolute control over every facet of its citizens’ lives. In terms of limits on governmental power, the political system of Nazi Germany would most accurately be categorized as …

Answer 21

totalitarian

Question 22

Political scientists would most accurately classify a governing system that recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to absorb or eliminate other social institutions that might challenge it as …

Answer 22

totalitarian

Question 23

The conflicts and struggles over the leadership, structure, and policies of government are called …

Answer 23

politics

Question 24

According to Harold Lasswell, the struggle over “who gets what, when, how” is known as …

Answer 24

politics

Question 25

Efforts to gain power, influence those in power, bring new people to power, or throw current leaders out are forms of …

Answer 25

politics

Question 26

According to the text, the five principles that help explain why government does what it does are (1) all political behavior has a purpose; (2) institutions structure politics; (3) all politics is collective action; (4) political outcomes are the products of individual preferences and institutional procedures; and (5) …

Answer 26

how we got here matters

Question 27

A state legislature is considering raising taxes to pay for road improvements. Each legislator must decide whether he or she is going to support this bill, which has polarized public opinion in the state. The legislator from the Seventh District is particularly concerned about the consequences of her vote because her constituents are about equally divided for and against the bill. If the legislator votes for the bill, she will gain future electoral support from supporters of the bill but will likely also face a tough reelection campaign as bill opponents may mobilize to try and defeat her. If she votes against the bill, she still faces the same situation because bill supporters will mobilize against her in the next election. In either case, the legislator will benefit from her decision but also face some uncertain costs. This description of the legislator’s decision-making is an example of which principle of politics?

Answer 27

the rationality principle

Question 28

A citizen attending a city council meeting to complain about the lack of city parks exemplifies the principle that …

Answer 28

all political behavior has a purpose.

Question 29

The saying “All political behavior has a purpose” is an expression of the …

Answer 29

rationality principle

Question 30

Politicians plan their activities and attempt to behave in a manner that recognizes a full calculation of political risk because their actions are not random but rather are …

Answer 30

instrumental