Online Quiz #5

Question 1

Which of the following statements regarding the Brazilian military is accurate?

• Da Silva’s Truth Commission resulted in the first imprisonment of Brazil’s military leaders since the end of their formal rule.
• The military’s national security doctrine continues to focus too heavily on domestic stability and domestic threats.
• The military successfully engineered a full amnesty for itself concerning human rights abuses during military rule.

Answer 1

The military successfully engineered a full amnesty for itself concerning human rights abuses during military rule.

Question 2

Brazil’s Second Republic was:

• polarized between supporters and opponents of Vargas.
• buoyed by a very strong economy.
• a successful laboratory for consolidating democratic elements.

Answer 2

polarized between supporters and opponents of Vargas.

Question 3

Brazil’s electoral system uses:

Answer 3

open-list proportional representation.

Question 4

Brazil’s military regime after 1964 was:

Answer 4

a bureaucratic authoritarian regime.

Question 5

Latin American populists like Getúlio Vargas:

Answer 5

Mobilized urban workers

Question 6

Brazil’s independence:

Answer 6

was achieved without bloodshed.

Question 7

Brazil’s political party system:

Answer 7

is badly fragmented, with numerous undisciplined parties.

Question 8

How did the two Cardoso administrations seek to assert state control over the military?

Answer 8

creating a single civilian Ministry of Defense

Question 9

The rapid settlement and development of Brazil’s interior in the eighteenth century occurred due to:

Answer 9

the discovery of gold and diamonds.

Question 10

The first working-class president of Brazil was:

Answer 10

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Question 11

In which of the following ways does the Brazilian Federal Senate’s power differ from that of the Chamber of Deputies?

• The Senate can override presidential vetoes with a majority vote.
• The Senate has the power to approve top presidential appointments.
• The Senate plays a key role in executive policymaking.

Answer 11

The Senate has the power to approve top presidential appointments.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about the da Silva administration’s foreign policy is accurate?

• International pressure forced it to institute radical protections for the Brazilian rain forest.
• It successfully prosecuted a case against the United States in the World Trade Organization.
• It supported the U.S.-backed plan for a Free Trade Area of the Americas.

Answer 12

It successfully prosecuted a case against the United States in the World Trade Organization.

Question 13

Compared with Spanish America, Brazil’s relatively peaceful history can be attributed to:

Answer 13

a reasonably progressive monarchy.

Question 14

What has been the relationship between the Bolsa Familia and the governmental politics of Brazil?

Answer 14

Current president Rousseff has benefitted from major support from the poor in Brazil’s north, which likely would not have happened without the Bolsa Familia.

Question 15

Which of the following is true of Brazil’s participation in the regional trade agreement MERCOSUR?

• The formation of MERCOSUR required member countries to raise tariffs on imports from other members.
• Disputes over currency valuation between Brazil and Argentina have been the chief dispute within MERCOSUR.
• Brazil withdrew from MERCOSUR after allegations of currency fixing were leveled at the da Silva administration.

Answer 15

Disputes over currency valuation between Brazil and Argentina have been the chief dispute within MERCOSUR.

Question 16

Slavery ended in Brazil:

Answer 16

peacefully, by royal decree.

Question 17

Which of the following accurately describes Brazilian political culture?

• Just barely over half of Brazilians express satisfaction with democracy in their country.
• Brazilians have very low levels of confidence in political parties but are not ideologically polarized.
• Most Brazilians view democracy as preferable to any other system of government.

Answer 17

Brazilians have very low levels of confidence in political parties but are not ideologically polarized.

Question 18

What has been the most controversial aspect of affirmative action in Brazil?

Answer 18

racial quotas at public universities

Question 19

Democratization in Brazil during the 1980s resulted from:

Answer 19

a gradual, controlled process.

Question 20

Brazil’s monarchy ended:

Answer 20

When a referendum voted against the monarchy

Question 21

How do both the Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (PMDB) and the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) differ from the Democrats (DEM)?

Answer 21

Both lack a strong ideological orientation.

Question 22

What has been a major problem for the Federal Supreme Court since the return of democracy?

Answer 22

A crushing caseload

Question 23

Which of the following has been a result of the persistent lack of legislative majorities in Brazil?

• fewer uses of line-item vetoes
• reduced use of congressional hearings
• presidential legislating by emergency decree

Answer 23

presidential legislating by emergency decree

Question 24

The Estado Nôvo was:

Answer 24

a dictatorial regime led by Vargas.

Question 25

Which of the following statements about government corruption in Brazil is accurate?

• The electoral system forces high accountability for individual legislators, which pushes corruption into the executive.
• President Rousseff’s hard stance against corruption has been undermined by numerous corruption allegations against members of her cabinet.
• President Fernando Collor de Mello was ultimately impeached due to corruption charges.

Answer 25

President Rousseff’s hard stance against corruption has been undermined by numerous corruption allegations against members of her cabinet.