Quiz #3

Question 1

The core principles of a liberal democracy

Answer 1

Centralized decision-making without public input, lack of consternation or accountability.

Question 2

A problem with direct democracy as practiced in citizen-led referendums

Answer 2

• Lack of deliberation
• Public ignorance
• Reduced accountability

Question 3

An argument of a defense of epistocracy

Answer 3

Voters are largely uninformed

Question 4

Drafting a random sample of the population to govern the state is called _____

Answer 4

Sortation

Question 5

The three key institutions of a liberal democracy

Answer 5

• Elected government
• Civil liberties
• Fair elections

Question 6

Why constitutions are not appropriate for assessing the quality of a country’s democratic system

Answer 6

They focus on rules and structures but do not reveal whether they are followed in practice

Question 7

According to the Freedom House, the U.S. aggregate freedom score has _____ since 2010

Answer 7

Declined

Question 8

According to the Freedom House, as of 2023, what percent of people in the world live in a “free country”

Answer 8

20%

Question 9

Which age group in the U.S. is the least likely to say that living in a democracy is “absolutely important”

Answer 9

Younger age groups

Question 10

The major predictors of democratic backsliding

Answer 10

• Weakening of judicial independence
• Erosion of freedom of expression & media
• Centralizing executive power
• Polarization

Question 11

Two major principles of non-democratic regimes

Answer 11

• No civil liberties (ex. free speech)
• A small group of insiders choose the leader

Question 12

Autocrats cater to a small group with _____ goods at the expense of _______ goods

Answer 12

Private, Public

Question 13

Non-democratic regimes often prioritize ______ over _______

Answer 13

Loyalty, Competence, and Efficiency

Question 14

A video of North Korea publicly grieving the death of Kim Jong-II in 2011, is an example of what characteristic of totalitarianism

Answer 14

Cult Personality - when the public sees the leader as a god-like figure, and they can do no wrong

Question 15

What is unique about totalitarian ideologies?

Answer 15

All-encompassing (utopia) “reshapes man” trained and taught to behave a certain way to follow this ideology

Question 16

One in 100 East Germans was an informer for the East German secret police in 1989. This is an example of what characteristic of totalitarianism?

Answer 16

Secret police and mass purges (Gulag and Chinese camps)

Question 17

Unlike totalitarian regimes, modern authoritarian regimes are mostly focused on maintaining _____ control, not economic or social control

Answer 17

Political

Question 18

The amendment in the U.S. constitution that contains the freedom of speech clause

Answer 18

The first amendment

Question 19

In the U.S. people have the right to express opinions, ideas, and beliefs without the fear of _______ censorship or punishment

Answer 19

Government

Question 20

Why can social media companies restrict speech on their platforms?

Answer 20

Since they are private companies

Question 21

What is the legal status of “hate speech” in the United States?

Answer 21

Has no legal status

Question 22

What is the phrase that is found in the text of the Scottish hate speech law?

Answer 22

Stirring up hatred

Question 23

What was the outcome of the Supreme Court case involving the Westboro Baptist Church?

Answer 23

The court ruled that their speech was protected under the First Amendment, even if it was offensive

Question 24

To date, the U.S., Russia, and China have _____ international treaties to stop the manufacturing and deployment of autonomous weapons

Answer 24

Opposed

Question 25

The nuclear arms race is driven by the logic of deterrence, which means ______________

Answer 25

Best defense is a good offense
Credibility = capability + will/intention

Question 26

The nuclear arms race is due to

Answer 26

multi-use capability and diffusion
- a versatile technology with applications across multiple sectors, including everyday life
- two levels of commercial and defense

Question 27

The AI arms race between China and the U.S. is occurring at a time in which the two economies are _______

Answer 27

Decoupling

Question 28

The Scientific Replication Crisis can best be described as ________

Answer 28

a widespread issue where many scientific studies cannot be reliably reproduced, casting doubt on the validity of their findings

Question 29

Prominent examples of a study that failed to replicate

Answer 29

• Marshmallow test
• Precognition
• Power pose

Question 30

Causes of the Replication Crisis

Answer 30

• Replication is wrong
• “False positive”
• Tiny sample sizes
• Selective reporting/statistical manipulation
• Publication bias
• Social scientists study things that aren’t always directly observable
• International Fraud

Question 31

Why might researchers be incentivized to engage in selective reporting or statistical manipulation?

Answer 31

• Publication press
• Career Advancement
• Competitive Environment

Question 32

Why might the replication crisis be considered a “blessing in disguise”

Answer 32

• Forces scientists to confront poor methods and bad incentives
• Makes consumers of science more skeptical and discerning