Chapter 11: Economies, Politics & Government

Question 1

What are the two key observations about social institutions in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Answer 1

1. Each social institution encapsulates a particular need in society.
2. Each social institution affects and is impacted by other social institutions.

Question 2

What are social institutions?

Answer 2

Organized patterns of behavior by which society meets its basic needs, ranging from informal to systematic methods depending on the society’s complexity.

Question 3

What distinguishes social institutions from groups and societies?

Answer 3

Social institutions are smaller than societies but larger than groups, and they have defined statuses and roles with tasks and rules.

Question 4

What are the five key social institutions and their basic needs?

Answer 4

Economy - Produces and distributes goods/services
Education - Transfers academic knowledge
Family - Bears, raises, and socializes children
Politics - Allocates power and maintains order
Religion - Meets spiritual needs and provides comfort

Question 5

What is the primary role of the economy as a social institution?

Answer 5

To produce and distribute goods and services.

Question 6

What is the primary role of education as a social institution?

Answer 6

To transfer basic academic knowledge.

Question 7

What is the role of the family as a social institution?

Answer 7

To bear, raise, and socialize children.

Question 8

What is the role of politics as a social institution?

Answer 8

To allocate power and maintain social order.

Question 9

What is the role of religion as a social institution?

Answer 9

To meet spiritual needs and provide comfort.

Question 10

What are the three economic sectors?

Answer 10

Primary Sector - Raw materials from the natural environment (e.g., agriculture, fishing, mining).
Secondary Sector - Manufacturing of finished goods.
Tertiary Sector - Services (e.g., healthcare, teaching, clerical work).

Question 11

What economic sector dominates in pre-industrial societies?

Answer 11

The primary sector.

Question 12

What is the economic sector that dominates in industrial societies?

Answer 12

The secondary sector.

Question 13

What economic sector dominates in post-industrial societies?

Answer 13

The tertiary (service) sector.

Question 14

What was a major consequence of industrialization?

Answer 14

The division of labor, where workers became separated from the fruits of their labor and often experienced alienation.

Question 15

What characterizes post-industrial societies?

Answer 15

Predominantly service sector work, increased reliance on knowledge and skills, and a rise in globalization.

Question 16

What is globalization?

Answer 16

The process of integrating governments, cultures, and financial markets through international trade into a single world market.

Question 17

What are the two major economic systems?

Answer 17

Capitalism and socialism.

Question 18

What are the key features of capitalism?

Answer 18

Private ownership of production, pursuit of profit, competition, and lack of government intervention.

Question 19

What are the key features of socialism?

Answer 19

Public ownership of production, government-controlled pricing, and a focus on collective good and equality.

Question 20

What is the difference between socialism and communism?

Answer 20

Socialism is an economic system, while communism refers to a system of governance based on socialist principles.

Question 21

What is a major advantage of capitalism?

Answer 21

It produces more economic growth and innovation due to profit incentives.

Question 22

What is a major disadvantage of capitalism?

Answer 22

It can lead to monopolies, environmental harm, and selfish, greedy behavior.

Question 23

What is a major advantage of socialism?

Answer 23

It emphasizes equality and collective good, reducing poverty and inequality.

Question 24

What is a major disadvantage of socialism?

Answer 24

It is often inefficient, with centralized planning that can result in waste or underproduction.

Question 25

What are social democracies?

Answer 25

Economies that combine elements of both capitalism and socialism, with government ownership of some industries and extensive social welfare programs.

Question 26

What are some examples of social democracies?

Answer 26

Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

Question 27

What is the labor movement?

Answer 27

A movement that began in the late 1800s advocating for workers’ rights, including unionization, fair wages, and regulation of labor conditions.

Question 28

What is Occupy Wall Street?

Answer 28

A social movement that began in 2011 to protest economic inequality, corporate influence, and government bailouts of large corporations.

Question 29

What are the key features of capitalism today?

Answer 29

Private ownership, competition, pursuit of profit, and a decrease in government intervention, despite examples of government involvement like antitrust laws and bailouts.

Question 30

What is a major concern with corporations in capitalism today?

Answer 30

The growth of monopolies and multinational corporations, which reduce competition and can lead to exploitation of workers and resources.

Question 31

What is politics?

Answer 31

Politics refers to the distribution and exercise of power within a society, and the political institutions through which power is distributed, such as school boards, city governments, and state governments.

Question 32

What is power?

Answer 32

Power is the ability to have one’s will carried out despite the resistance of others.

Question 33

What are the two types of power?

Answer 33

Coercion: Power exercised over an individual, but not considered legitimate (e.g., bullying).
Authority: Power that is considered legitimate, such as that held by police officers.

Question 34

What are the three types of authority?

Answer 34

Traditional authority: Based on long-standing societal customs (e.g., monarchies).
Rational-legal authority: Based on laws and rules (e.g., presidents in democracies).
Charismatic authority: Based on personal qualities and the leader’s influence over followers (e.g., Gandhi, Hitler).

Question 35

What is traditional authority?

Answer 35

Traditional authority is power rooted in long-standing societal beliefs and customs, common in pre-industrial societies (e.g., monarchies, patriarchy).

Question 36

What is rational-legal authority?

Answer 36

Rational-legal authority is power derived from law and based on belief in the legitimacy of societal rules, often seen in modern democracies.

Question 37

What is charismatic authority?

Answer 37

Charismatic authority stems from an individual’s extraordinary personal qualities and the influence they have over followers.

Question 38

What happens to charismatic authority after a leader’s death?

Answer 38

Charismatic authority is less stable than traditional or rational-legal authority because it dies with the leader unless it evolves into traditional or rational-legal authority.

Question 39

What is a state?

Answer 39

A state is a political unit where power and authority reside, which can be a nation or a subdivision within a nation.

Question 40

What are the three broad types of political systems?

Answer 40

Democracies: Systems ruled by the people.
Oligarchies: Systems ruled by a few.
Autocracies: Systems where power is held by one individual with no oversight.

Question 41

What is a monarchy?

Answer 41

A political system where power resides in a single family that rules from one generation to the next, often based on traditional authority.

Question 42

What is the difference between absolute and constitutional monarchies?

Answer 42

Absolute monarchies: Royal family has significant power, often claiming divine right to rule.
Constitutional monarchies: Royal family serves a symbolic role, with real power held by elected officials like prime ministers.

Question 43

What is a direct democracy?

Answer 43

A system where people make their own decisions on policies and resource distribution, like in small foraging societies or town meetings.

Question 44

What is a representative democracy?

Answer 44

A system in which people elect officials to represent them in decision-making processes, though the process may be slow or inefficient and subject to inequalities.

Question 45

What is the difference between authoritarianism and totalitarianism?

Answer 45

Authoritarianism: A system where power is concentrated in one or a few individuals who limit popular participation and repress dissent.
Totalitarianism: A more repressive form of authoritarianism where the government seeks to control all aspects of citizens’ lives.

Question 46

What is the pluralist theory of power?

Answer 46

The pluralist theory suggests that political power is dispersed among multiple “veto groups” that compete for influence, with the government acting as a neutral referee.

Question 47

What is the elite theory of power?

Answer 47

Elite theories argue that power is concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy individuals and organizations who shape government decisions to benefit their own interests.

Question 48

What are the two types of political ideologies in the U.S.?

Answer 48

Liberal: Supports social progress, government intervention in the economy.
Conservative: Emphasizes personal responsibility, limited government, and free-market capitalism.

Question 49

What is political participation?

Answer 49

Political participation includes voting, campaigning, making monetary donations, lobbying, and other forms of involvement in the political process.

Question 50

What factors influence voter turnout?

Answer 50

Voter turnout is influenced by factors like age, education, income, and race, as well as psychological engagement, resources, and social networks.

Question 51

What is the main goal of terrorism?

Answer 51

Terrorism aims to use violence to intimidate or coerce people in pursuit of political, social, or cultural change.

Question 52

What are the types of terrorism?

Answer 52

Vigilante terrorism: Perpetrated by private citizens against other citizens (e.g., KKK).
Insurgent terrorism: Committed by citizens against their own government (e.g., Oklahoma City bombing).
Transnational terrorism: Carried out by individuals from one nation against targets in another (e.g., 9/11).
State terrorism: Violence by governments to suppress dissent (e.g., genocide).

Question 53

What is the difference between war and terrorism?

Answer 53

War is large-scale conflict between nations or factions, while terrorism involves smaller-scale, often asymmetric violence aimed at creating fear and achieving political change.

Question 54

Why do people wage war?

Answer 54

War may be driven by evolutionary biology, cultural factors, or political and military decisions, including antagonism, cultural mindsets, and provocative actions.

Question 55

What is the cost of war?

Answer 55

War has significant human and financial costs, such as the $8 trillion the U.S. spent on military efforts post-9/11, which diverted resources from other societal needs.