Ch. 7 - Power and Politics

Question 1

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

Answer 1

agenda setting

Question 2

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

Answer 2

status

Question 3

According to the one-dimensional view of power, _________.

Answer 3

a single person or group will always prevail in any power struggle

Question 4

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?

Answer 4

agenda setting

Question 5

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 _________.

Answer 5

the two-dimensional view of power

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of the most extreme form of maintaining power by misleading?

Answer 6

spreading propaganda

Question 7

“What is good for General Motors is good for America.” what does this imply?

Answer 7

All Americans benefit from policies that make GM more profitable

Question 8

a type of organization that has rules and responsibilities for each position (or job) spelled out

Answer 8

bureaucracy

Question 9

all of the agencies and offices of governing institutions, including government bureaucracies, law, and the legal system, and the military

Answer 9

state

Question 10

The ________ consists of all government officials, bureaucracies, and institutions.

Answer 10

state

Question 11

_________ is a term used o refer to a set of social policies that provide people with support or assistance.

Answer 11

welfare state

Question 12

When states employ policy, they _________.

Answer 12

empower groups besides the “ruling class”

Question 13

The ________ theory holds that it is in the best interests of government to support businesses that create jobs and produce economic growth.

Answer 13

business confidence

Question 14

What influential imagery did Adam Smith describe in his famous work, the wealth of nations?

Answer 14

in “invisible hand” of the free market, controlling all business

Question 15

a concept with multiple meanings, all of which concern the ability of ordinary people to exert direct control over their leaders.

Answer 15

democracy

Question 16

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

Answer 16

progressive tax system

Question 17

all of the policies adopted or implemented by the government

Answer 17

public policy

Question 18

captures a wide range of individual, group, or societal behaviors or societal issues that are thought to have harmful consequences.

Answer 18

social problem

Question 19

a system of elections in which seats in a legislature are divided up based on the percentage of the vote received

Answer 19

proportional representation (PR)

Question 20

organization set up to collect political donations from individuals, corporations, or unions to influence political and electoral outcomes

Answer 20

political action committee (PAC)

Question 21

the views of citizens in the aggregate on social and political topics.

Answer 21

public opinion

Question 22

Why have the rich in Canada become so much richer in the past 30 years?

Answer 22

Changes in the tax code benefit the rich

Question 23

Which of the following illustrates the dichotomy between what Americans want and what they are willing to pay for?

Answer 23

the repeal of the estate tax

Question 24

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.

Answer 24

more political parties

Question 25

The United States may never solve its welfare problems, as Americans are still ________.

Answer 25

opposed to big government

Question 26

Most Americans believe that the government should help the poor. Why has so little help come about?

Answer 26

they believe in it, but they do not vote for it

Question 27

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.

Answer 27

anticipation

Question 28

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 _________.

Answer 28

such stories do not appeal to advertisers

Question 29

If a big company uses its power to put its competitors out of business, it would be considered _________.

Answer 29

a violation of regulations

Question 30

A government must divide its resources, which means that it must establish _________.

Answer 30

who gets what

Question 31

The many successes of the civil rights movement in the 1960s illustrate that _________.

Answer 31

the powerful do not always win.

Question 32

The United States lags behind other western countries in reducing poverty. How can it apply the methods of other states to close this gap?

Answer 32

by raising taxes

Question 33

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?

Answer 33

a successful campaign is very costly.

Question 34

Americans support better welfare programs, but they do not support _________.

Answer 34

income equality for the poor

Question 35

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?

Answer 35

wishful thinking by the middle class that they may someday become rich

Question 36

Which of the following is a term coined by two political scientists regarding the nature of Americans’ contradictory views on public policy?

Answer 36

conservative egalitarians

Question 37

In Europe, power is distributed among several political parties through _________.

Answer 37

proportional representation

Question 38

Which of these regulations specifically targets the illegitimate use of power?

Answer 38

rules against insider trading

Question 39

Which of the following best describes the means by which the less powerful gain access to policy formation?

Answer 39

developing efficient social movements

Question 40

An effective way power can be used to avoid conflict is to __________.

Answer 40

persuade people that there is no conflict

Question 41

Which of the following is an example of one-dimensional power?

Answer 41

an opponent blackmails a candidate into dropping out of the race