American Politics

Question 1

Civic Engagement

Answer 1

through voting, demonstrating, or speaking out on important issues- is vital to a thriving and effective republic

Question 2

define government

Answer 2

the system by which a society organizes itself and allocates authority in order to accomplish collective goals and provide benefits to that society

Question 3

define politics

Answer 3

refers to the process of gaining or exercising control within a government by an association of persons with shared goals or objective for society

Question 4

Democracy

Answer 4

government by citizens, often associated with capitalism, an economic system in which the means of production are controlled by individuals who invest in business and industry

Question 5

socialism

Answer 5

advocates public of government control, whether directly or through regulation, over the means of production

Question 6

Oligarchy

Answer 6

form of government in which a small class of political and economic elites control the government

Question 7

Capitalist economic system (In the U.S)

Answer 7

our representative democracy generally adheres to

Question 8

in a capitalist system:

Answer 8

private businesses produce and sell most consumer goods and services, earning a profit on these private goods

Question 9

public goods

Answer 9

some goods or services, such as
-public safety and education
cannot be produced in sufficient quantities or for a profit

Question 10

common goods

Answer 10

(governments protects these) such as
-water and other natural resources
that are used by individuals must be protected and for the benefit of all

Question 11

define democracy

Answer 11

form of government in which political power-influence over institutions, leaders, and policies
(controlled by the people)

Question 12

representative democracy

Answer 12

such as the United States, citizens do not govern directly, and government institutions and policies are determined by elected representatives

Question 13

representative democracies also check

Answer 13

check on the power of citizens in order to protect the rights of minorities

Question 14

direct democracy

Answer 14

people participate directly in government decisions, instead of relying on elected representatives

Question 15

who holds power in an absolute monarchy?

Answer 15

a single, usually hereditary, ruler holds political power

Question 16

many monarchies limit

Answer 16

the monarch’s power with some form of representative government, such as a parliament

Question 17

under totalitarian governments, the state is controlled by

Answer 17

a single leader or small group of elites, controls virtually every aspect of citizens lives

Question 18

within a representative democracy, the elite theory of government holds what?

Answer 18

that a small group of elites controls power while other citizens have little or no influence

Question 19

pluralist theory of government holds that

Answer 19

competing interest groups influence the government and hold political power

Question 20

citizens may influence the government by becoming involved with

Answer 20

groups that share similar interests and engage with their representatives at a local, state, or national level

Question 21

tradeoffs perspective acknowledges

Answer 21

competing interests, whether elitist or pluralist, vie for government influence

-these competing interest produce government actions and public policies that are influenced by a series of tradeoffs or compromises

Question 22

how do citizens engage in democracy through membership?

Answer 22

through small groups such as churches, local labor unions, and other groups

Question 23

today, changes in society and technology leave citizens

Answer 23

with less time to be active members of a civic organization; instead citizens join larger national organizations in which each individual typically plays a small role

Question 24

define social capital

Answer 24

the collective value of all social networks and the willingness of networks to work together toward a common goal

Question 25

civic engagement increases

Answer 25

the power of an individual to influence government policies and actions

Question 26

a representative democracy requires

Answer 26

an informed citizenry to vote for candidates and advocate for desired policies, along with other forms of civic engagement

Question 27

forms of INDIVIDUAL civic engagement

Answer 27

staying informed about current events, voting, giving to a political campaign, and contacting elected representatives about issues

Question 28

forms of civil engagement through GROUPS

Answer 28

discussing issues, working for a political campaign, volunteering, or fundraising for an organization that shares one’s goals, registering people to vote, joining protests or marches, boycotting businesses that do not support one’s views, ect

Question 29

approximately how many Americans engaged in some form of political action in 2008 (presidential election year)

Answer 29

TWO-THIRDS

Question 30

what activities were Americans engaged in during the 2008 presidential election year?

Answer 30

forms of impersonal action, such as signing petitions or contributing to a political campaign

Question 31

Americans under the age of 30 are

Answer 31

less likely to engage in partisan politics

Question 32

in a 2015 survey by the Harvard University Institute of Politics, more young Americans claimed affiliation with

Answer 32

independents (40%) than Democrats (36%) or Republicans (21%)

Question 33

Americans under 30 are less likely to participate in political action, but many engage in

Answer 33

civil activities, such as volunteering to provide community services

Question 34

when was the U.S constitution created

Answer 34

September 1787, making it the oldest written constitution remaining

Question 35

Who drafted the U.S Constitution document during a period of ineffective national government under the Articles of confed

Answer 35

Framers of the Constitution

Question 36

the Constitution was created through a series of significant comprimises such as

Answer 36

factions that favored a strong federal government over strong state governments, states that had different and competing economic interests, and those concerned that federal power would reside in more populous states at the expense of smaller states

Question 37

Locke asserted people possess

Answer 37

natural rights granted by God including the right to life, liberty, and property
which lead people to join together through a social contract to form a government to protect their common interests

Question 37

John Locke

Answer 37

a 17th-century English political philosopher greatly influenced political thought in the American colonies

Question 38

what can Lockes ideas about life liberty and property be traced back to

Answer 38

Magna Carts of 1215, in which the English monarch recognized certain individual rights of “freemen”

Question 39

after King James II was deposed, the English Parliament passed the

Answer 39

English Bill of Rights of 1689, which further enshrined the liberties and protections afforded to citizens