Ch. 7 - Power and Politics Flashcards
the ability to decide which of the many possible topics for discussion, debate, and possible action that exist in the world will actually be considered
agenda setting
a distinct social category that is set off from others and has associated with it a set of expected behaviors and roles for individuals to assume
status
According to the one-dimensional view of power, _________.
a single person or group will always prevail in any power struggle
The CEO of a large corporation is going to a meeting. As he decides what they will discuss, he will probably leave out issues he wants to avoid. what type of power is this?
agenda setting
The mayor of a local government does not want to deal with cleaning up a local wast dump, so he constantly puts off dealing with the protesters who live near the dump. This is an example of _________.
the two-dimensional view of power
Which of the following is an example of the most extreme form of maintaining power by misleading?
spreading propaganda
“What is good for General Motors is good for America.” what does this imply?
All Americans benefit from policies that make GM more profitable
a type of organization that has rules and responsibilities for each position (or job) spelled out
bureaucracy
all of the agencies and offices of governing institutions, including government bureaucracies, law, and the legal system, and the military
state
The ________ consists of all government officials, bureaucracies, and institutions.
state
_________ is a term used o refer to a set of social policies that provide people with support or assistance.
welfare state
When states employ policy, they _________.
empower groups besides the “ruling class”
The ________ theory holds that it is in the best interests of government to support businesses that create jobs and produce economic growth.
business confidence
What influential imagery did Adam Smith describe in his famous work, the wealth of nations?
in “invisible hand” of the free market, controlling all business
a concept with multiple meanings, all of which concern the ability of ordinary people to exert direct control over their leaders.
democracy
a tax system in which tax rates are higher on richer people than poorer people. with the idea being that it is fair to ask those who can afford to pay more to do so
progressive tax system
all of the policies adopted or implemented by the government
public policy
captures a wide range of individual, group, or societal behaviors or societal issues that are thought to have harmful consequences.
social problem
a system of elections in which seats in a legislature are divided up based on the percentage of the vote received
proportional representation (PR)
organization set up to collect political donations from individuals, corporations, or unions to influence political and electoral outcomes
political action committee (PAC)
the views of citizens in the aggregate on social and political topics.
public opinion
Why have the rich in Canada become so much richer in the past 30 years?
Changes in the tax code benefit the rich
Which of the following illustrates the dichotomy between what Americans want and what they are willing to pay for?
the repeal of the estate tax
Comparing the U.S. political system with those of other western countries indicates that ________ would lead to a wider distribution of power in the government.
more political parties
The United States may never solve its welfare problems, as Americans are still ________.
opposed to big government
Most Americans believe that the government should help the poor. Why has so little help come about?
they believe in it, but they do not vote for it
Congress is drafting a bill that will reduce the president’s power. The president threatens to veto it, and Congress withdraws the bill. The president has demonstrated power, not by the exercise of power, but by the _________ of power.
anticipation
Given the types and distribution of power discussed, it makes sense that the media seldom report stories on the plight of the poor and disadvantages because _________.
such stories do not appeal to advertisers
If a big company uses its power to put its competitors out of business, it would be considered _________.
a violation of regulations
A government must divide its resources, which means that it must establish _________.
who gets what
The many successes of the civil rights movement in the 1960s illustrate that _________.
the powerful do not always win.
The United States lags behind other western countries in reducing poverty. How can it apply the methods of other states to close this gap?
by raising taxes
In appraising the issue of campaign contributions, we find that even those candidates with the best reputations accept large amounts of money from wealthy groups with specific political interests. Why is this so?
a successful campaign is very costly.
Americans support better welfare programs, but they do not support _________.
income equality for the poor
The United States is the only rich country in the world with no inheritance tax. Voters eliminated it, even though it affected only the rich. What is a possible reason for this?
wishful thinking by the middle class that they may someday become rich
Which of the following is a term coined by two political scientists regarding the nature of Americans’ contradictory views on public policy?
conservative egalitarians
In Europe, power is distributed among several political parties through _________.
proportional representation
Which of these regulations specifically targets the illegitimate use of power?
rules against insider trading
Which of the following best describes the means by which the less powerful gain access to policy formation?
developing efficient social movements
An effective way power can be used to avoid conflict is to __________.
persuade people that there is no conflict
Which of the following is an example of one-dimensional power?
an opponent blackmails a candidate into dropping out of the race
