Test Bank Ch.4 American Polical Culture

CHAPTER 4

American Political Culture

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

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1. Which of the following statements about the U.S. democratic republic is correct?

a. It has never been tried elsewhere.b. It thrived in the United States despite the existence of a feudal

aristocracy.c. It thrived in the United States despite the large number of legal

restraints on it.d. It emphasizes social equality over personal liberty.e. It has been tried without great success by many other countries.

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2. The French aristocrat who in 1835 wrote Democracy in America, a profound analysis of U.S. political culture, was

a. the Marquis de Montespan.b. Guy LaFleur.c. Alexander Dumas.d. Alexis de Tocqueville.e. Voltaire.

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3. Alexis de Tocqueville published Democracy in America in

a. 1795.b. 1835.c. 1880.d. 1925.e. 1930.

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4. The fact that democracy flourished in the United States can best be explained by

a. the U.S. Constitution.b. the physical advantages of the country.c. opportunities to acquire land and make a living.d. All of these.e. None of these.

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99 Chapter 4: American Political Culture

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5. According to Alexis de Tocqueville, one of the reasons a democratic republic took root in the United States was because of the

a. minimal taxes imposed by the government.b. insistence on economic equality for all.c. presence of fertile lands and rich resources.d. absence of foreign intervention.e. high levels of religiosity.



a. opportunities for people to acquire land and make a living.b. insistence on economic equality for all.c. presence of fertile lands and rich resources.d. absence of foreign intervention.e. high levels of taxation.



a. high levels of taxation.b. insistence on economic equality for all.c. presence of fertile lands and rich resources.d. absence of foreign intervention.e. absence of a feudal aristocracy.

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8. According to Alexis de Tocqueville, a democratic republic took root in the United States for all of the following reasons except

a. the absence of a feudal aristocracy.b. opportunities for people to acquire land.c. the minimal taxes imposed by government.d. the absence of foreign intervention.e. opportunities to make a living.

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9. The text notes that if Alexis de Tocqueville had returned to the United States fifty years later, when the frontier was closed, he would have found that

a. government had grown enormously.b. democracy still flourished.c. class consciousness had deepened.d. people were still not crowding into cities.e. Americans were no longer deeply religious.


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10. A political ________ deals with what a government should do, while a political ________ deals with how government should operate.

a. constitution, administrationb. administration, constitutionc. culture, ideologyd. ideology, culturee. culture, administration

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11. The difference between a political ideology and a political culture is that

a. the former deals with means, the latter with goals.b. the former deals with economic issues, the latter with

sociological issues.c. the former deals with what government should do, the latter

with how government should operate.d. the former deals with theories, the latter with reality.e. the former deals with institutions, the latter with leadership.


12. Why is speaking of a single political culture within a nation dangerous?

a. because most nations do not have a homogeneous populationb. because political culture is not easily definedc. because most nations do not have consistent views about the

policies government ought to pursued. because people can share a common political culture but still

disagree on ideologye. because people can have a common ideology but no political

culture


13. Which of the following statements about political ideology is correct?

a. Political ideology is synonymous with political culture.b. Political ideology is a patterned set of ways of thinking about

how politics and government should be carried out.c. People can share a common political culture but disagree on

ideology.d. Political ideology has four important elements: liberty,

equality, democracy, and civic duty.e. Ideology is a prerequisite to the development of political

culture.


14. In our society, government officials should be accountable to the people. This principle is known as

a. liberty.b. equality.c. civic duty.d. democracy.e. capitalism.




15. Liberty and individualism are two key elements of

a. all Western democracies.b. all twentieth-century nations.c. most nations throughout history.d. U.S. political culture.e. European nations in the 1700’s.


16. All of the following are basic elements of the U.S. political culture except

a. liberty.b. democracy.c. individualism.d. civic duty.e. economic equality.


17. The text lists three critical questions to ask about political culture. One of these is,

a. To what extent are political culture and political ideology synonymous?

b. What is the self-interest of those who describe the alleged beliefs?

c. Why does political culture develop in some places and not in others?

d. Why do political cultures tend to override political issues?e. How do we know that people share the alleged beliefs?





c. Why has so much political conflict occurred throughout history?

d. Why do political issues tend to dominate political culture?e. Why does political culture develop in some places and not in

others?





c. How can we explain actions that are inconsistent with beliefs?d. Why do political issues tend to dominate political culture?e. Why does political culture develop in some places and not in

others?




20. Race relations were described as "an American dilemma" by

a. Paul Samuelson.b. Gunnar Myrdal.c. Milton Friedman.d. Alexis de Tocqueville.e. Dr. Christopher Tredway.


21. What was Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal referring to when he spoke of "America's dilemma"?

a. affluenceb. race relationsc. corporate dominanced. political ignorancee. economic disparities


22. Gunnar Myrdal described race relations in the United States as the result of a conflict between American behavior (denying full citizenship to blacks) and the American belief in

a. personal liberty.b. equality of opportunity.c. democracy.d. civic duty.e. a moderate socialism.


23. Political conflict can occur over specific policies even among those who share common beliefs. One reason for this is that

a. political culture typically takes precedence over political ideology.

b. a unitarian political system allows little room for compromise.c. our interpretations of these common beliefs are also alike.d. many political values are irrelevant to specific controversies.e. ideology is rarely a feature of political conflict.


24. Political conflict can occur over specific policies even among those who share common beliefs. One reason for this is that

a. while beliefs may be commonly held, interpretations of these beliefs may differ.

b. political culture typically takes precedence over political ideology in U.S. society.

c. a unitarian political system allows little room for compromise.d. political values are closely tied to specific controversies.e. ideology is rarely a feature of political conflict.




25. According to the text, the persistence in our political vocabulary of the term ________ is evidence of Americans' common hopes and values.

a. freedomb. Americanismc. moralityd. equalitye. righteousness


26. The text uses the phrase "equality of results" in its discussion of economic equality in the United States and Sweden. This phrase refers to equality in

a. political efficacy.b. people's opportunity to get ahead.c. access to government funds.d. political participation.e. what people are paid.


27. Which of the following statements about economic equality applies most accurately to Americans?

a. Most Americans believe that everyone should be paid on the basis of their economic needs—“equality of results.”

b. Most Americans believe that everyone has the right to get ahead—“equality of opportunity.”

c. Most Americans believe in the preferential treatment of women and minorities in hiring—“equality of access.”

d. Most Americans believe in the idea of having a top limit on what people can earn—“equality of wealth.”

e. Most Americans believe citizens who participate in politics should have guaranteed income—“equality of participants.”


28. Which one in each of the following pairs are Americans more likely to tolerate?

a. political versus economic inequalityb. ideologues versus activistsc. economic versus political inequalityd. activists versus ideologuese. political versus sociological inequality


29. Social policy in the United States is dominated by a common belief among Americans in the

a. ethic of self-reliance.b. value of group harmony.c. need to protect all citizens.d. value of preferential hiring.e. sense of community.



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30. In American political culture, the _________ view of social policy is by far the most popular.

a. individualistb. collectivistc. accountabilityd. conservativee. traditionalist

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31. According to polls, which of the groups below are Americans most willing to help?

a. people on welfareb. feminist groups seeking preferential hiring programsc. the elderlyd. recent immigrantse. civil rights groups seeking preferential hiring programs


32. Compared with U.S. political culture, Swedish political culture is more deferential than participatory. This means that Swedes are more likely than Americans to

a. challenge government decisions in court.b. favor equality of opportunity over equality of results.c. value equality over liberty.d. believe in government decisions based on what people want,

not on what is best.e. value accomplishment over labor.


33. Compared with U.S. political culture, Swedish political culture is more deferential than participatory. This means that Swedes are more likely than Americans to

a. observe their obligations to government and society.b. challenge government decisions in court.c. favor equality of opportunity over equality of results.d. believe in government decisions based on what people want,

not on what is best.e. see politics as a source of conflict.


34. The text argues that the democratic political culture of Sweden differs from that of the United States because the Swedes

a. integrate religion more successfully into their politics.b. insist on greater citizen participation in government.c. allow greater economic inequalities to exist.d. resist tendencies toward socialism.e. are more deferential than participatory in their politics.




35. Compared with Americans, Japanese are more likely to

a. stress social harmony and group cohesion in their social relations.

b. emphasize the virtues of individualism and competition in social relations.

c. emphasize the virtue of treating others fairly but impersonally with due regard for their rights.

d. rely on individual decision making rather than decisions made by groups.

e. believe in a divine being.


36. Compared with Japanese, Americans are more likely to

a. reach decisions through the application of rules rather than discussion.

b. emphasize the virtues of social harmony and respect for hierarchy.

c. stress the importance of being sensitive to the needs of others.d. rely on group rather than on individual decision making.e. trust strong leadership in small group settings.


37. Japanese and Americans diverge markedly in their attitudes toward

a. new ideas.b. consumerism.c. individualism.d. entrepreneurism.e. capitalism.


38. Concerning the values of individualism, competition, and equality, the sharpest contrast to U.S. political culture is found in

a. Sweden.b. Japan.c. France.d. Mexico.e. Great Britain.


39. Almond and Verba found that the citizens of which country are more likely to have the greatest confidence in their nation's major institutions?

a. Great Britainb. Italyc. Germanyd. the United Statese. Mexico




40. Almond and Verba found that the citizens of which country are most likely to be willing to go to war for their country?

a. Great Britainb. Italyc. Mexicod. the United Statese. Italy


41. In the Almond and Verba study, the belief that the legislature could be trusted was least prevalent among the citizens of

a. Great Britain.b. Italy.c. the United States.d. Germany.e. Mexico.


42. According to a 1960 study, in which of the following countries is one most likely to find the strongest sense of civic duty and civic competence?

a. Mexicob. Germanyc. Italyd. Great Britaine. the United States


43. Data in the text suggest that the average American is more likely than the average European to

a. believe in God.b. hold relative standards of right and wrong.c. have a high tolerance for atheism.d. exhibit a disinterest in daily prayer.e. see religious as an unnecessary hurdle to progress.


44. Putnam’s concerns about organizational memberships were highlighted by the fact that

a. more people seemed to be joining churches.b. fewer people were joining softball teams.c. fewer people were joining bowling leagues.d. more people were joining political parties.e. All of these.





a. not believe in God.b. acknowledge clear standards of right and wrong.c. have a high tolerance for atheism.d. exhibit a disinterest in daily prayer.e. see religion as an unnecessary hurdle to progress.



a. not believe in God.b. hold relative standards of right and wrong.c. have a high tolerance for atheism.d. pray daily.e. see religion as an unnecessary hurdle to progress.


47. Which religious group or leader advocated constitutional amendments that would require prayer in public schools and ban abortion?

a. Great Awakeningb. Moral Majorityc. Prohibitionistsd. Martin Luther King, Jr.e. Rev. Jesse Jackson


48. Which group attracted an enormous amount of media attention and became a prominent force in many national, state, and local elections during the 1990s?

a. Great Beginningsb. Prohibitionistsc. Spiritual Awakeningd. Hyper-Dispensationalistse. Christian Coalition


49. The text argues that the U.S. Constitution had to reconcile

a. the work ethic with the existence of a leisure class.b. a religious establishment with the quest for religious freedom.c. personal liberty with the need for social control.d. European traditions with westward expansion.e. the work ethic with the religious establishment.




50. The adversarial, contentious spirit of U.S. society is related most closely to Americans' belief in

a. individual rights.b. social equality.c. group harmony and cohesion.d. democracy.e. bicamerlism.


51. Political diversity and participation in the political process in the United States was encouraged most strongly by its

a. commitment to social equality.b. sense of national independence.c. relative prosperity.d. unitarian system.e. religious diversity.


52. Early competition between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans ended by establishing the principle that

a. freedom of speech did not include political slander.b. political participation was restricted to males.c. slavery was not an issue for national legislation.d. democracy could survive a change of ruling parties.e. the First Amendment applied to the states.


53. Opposition between (among) ________ established the principle that democratic politics could survive the transition of power from one party to another.

a. the Federalists and the Antifederalists in 1789b. the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans around 1800c. the Federalists, the Democrats, and the Jacksonians in 1824d. the Democrats and the Republicans after the Civil Ware. the Whigs and the Democratic-Republicans during the War of

1812


54. Which statement is incorrect?

a. The Federalists were led by Hamilton and Adams.b. The Democratic-Republicans were led by Jefferson and

Madison.c. The Federalists passed laws to suppress journalists favorable to

Jefferson.d. The Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans deeply

distrusted each other.e. None of these.




55. The text argues that long-standing religious values underlay the movement for

a. prohibition.b. abortion.c. protectionism.d. deregulation.e. imperialism.


56. The long-standing controversy concerning the sale of liquor in the United States arose ultimately out of competing

a. economic interests.b. political philosophies.c. religious doctrines.d. state regulations.e. societal perspectives.


57. The dominant religious tradition in the early United States was

a. Catholicism.b. Protestantism, especially Presbyterianism.c. Protestantism, especially Puritanism.d. Protestantism, especially Lutheranism.e. nonexistent: the United States had no dominant religious

tradition.


58. Religious diversity in the United States was largely the result of the absence of a(n)

a. established religion.b. bill of rights.c. strong central government.d. established aristocracy.e. powerful army.


59. The text argues that the absence of an established religion and the guarantees of the First Amendment made ________ inevitable.

a. secularismb. religious indifferencec. religious bigotryd. secular humanisme. religious diversity




60. One strong source of the sense of civic duty that grew up in the United States was its

a. commitment to social equality.b. sense of national independence.c. pride in political parties.d. unitary system.e. Protestant (work) ethic.


61. The notion that individuals should work hard, save their money, and avoid dependence on the state is sometimes referred to as the

a. Protestant (work) ethic.b. blue-collar ethic.c. doctrine of social Darwinism.d. evolutionary principle.e. labor theory of value.


62. The Protestant ethic is sometimes called the

a. work ethic.b. religious ethic.c. political imperative.d. American dilemma.e. labor-value ethic.


63. The notion of the Protestant (work) ethic was propounded by the sociologist

a. Horatio Alger.b. Sigmund Freud.c. C. Wright Mills.d. Max Weber.e. None of these.


64. Congregational churches provided many Americans with

a. a puritanical set of values.b. political training and experience.c. a justification for wealth amidst poverty.d. opposition to the political values of the majority.e. belief in a strong central government.


65. Churches organized along ________ lines provided training and experience in miniature political systems for many Americans.

a. hierarchicalb. communalc. congregationald. evangelicale. ecclesiastical




66. Why should churches in the United States have been so important in the development of a sense of civic duty and civic competence?

a. because churches indoctrinated citizens to favor the status quob. because churches were in a continuous struggle for survivalc. because churches provided the major opportunity for citizens

to express their political viewsd. because churches were independent of most political pressurese. because churches were organized much like a political system


67. Tales of youngsters who started out poor but became rich by dint of determination and hard work are associated with the writings of

a. Kurt Vonnegut.b. F. Scott Fitzgerald.c. Horatio Alger.d. Ernest Hemingway.e. Mark Twain.


68. The books of Horatio Alger attributed success to

a. patriotism and good luck.b. personal effort and proper living.c. superior athletic ability.d. family influence and tradition.e. a stoic outlook and wealthy relatives.


69. Americans have a comparatively low degree of

a. material acquisitiveness.b. social conformity.c. class consciousness.d. geographic mobility.e. capitalist instinct.


70. Remarkable among U.S. citizens is their low degree of

a. class consciousness.b. acquisitiveness.c. competitiveness.d. nationalism.e. capitalist instinct.


71. The absence of a high degree of class consciousness in the United States is due to many factors, including

a. religious and ethnic diversity.b. centralized political authority.c. inequality within families.d. a nationalistic philosophy.e. the symbolic role of the president.





a. equality within families.b. centralized political authority.c. professional sports.d. a nationalistic philosophy.e. the symbolic role of the president.



a. an individualistic philosophy.b. centralized political authority.c. inequality within families.d. a nationalistic philosophy.e. the symbolic role of the president.


74. The most important source of political values in the United States is probably

a. the mass media.b. the family.c. religion.d. the public school.e. local newspapers.


75. One aspect of the American family that contributes to the way Americans regard their political system is the

a. emphasis in the American family on group harmony.b. relatively small degree of freedom found in American families.c. emphasis in the American family on respect for authority.d. tendency of families to disagree about matters which are most

personal.e. large measure of equality among American family members.


76. All of the following are distinguishing characteristics of American families noted by Eric Erikson except

a. the freedom enjoyed by children.b. the measure of equality among family members.c. the belief that various interests are legitimate.d. the mistrust of political leaders.e. the belief that every person has rights deserving protection.




77. Which of the following groups of issues does the text refer to as areas of conflict in the culture war?

a. abortion, school prayer, foreign policyb. gay rights, taxes, business regulationc. school prayer, foreign policy, pornographyd. drug use, school prayer, abortione. business regulation, foreign policy, space policy


78. The culture war is about

a. which ethnic group governs.b. what kind of country we ought to live in.c. how much money should be spent on social programs.d. the ethics of foreign policy.e. which groups deserve to influence policy.


79. Which of the following most accurately describes the orthodox view in the culture war?

a. Morality is more important than self-expression and is based on unchanging rules from God.

b. Personal freedom is more important than tradition, and the rules for morality vary with circumstances.

c. Morality is more important than self-expression, and the rules vary with circumstances.

d. Personal freedom is more important than tradition, and morality is based on unchanging rules from God.

e. Morality is irrelevant to personal freedom, even when there are objective standards by which to judge.


80. Which of the following most accurately describes the progressive view in the culture war?

a. Morality is more important than self-expression and is based on unchanging rules from God.

b. Personal freedom is more important than tradition, and the rules for morality vary with circumstances.

c. Morality is more important than self-expression, and the rules vary with circumstances.

d. Personal freedom is more important than tradition, and morality is based on unchanging rules from God.

e. Morality is irrelevant to personal freedom, even when there are objective standards by which to judge.




81. One of the ways in which the culture war differs from other political disputes is that

a. money is not at stake.b. compromise is easily achieved.c. the conflict is basically a simple one.d. it is exclusively about what kinds of policies the government

ought to adopt.e. it has no distinct winners or losers.



a. money is a critical issue.b. compromise is almost impossible.c. it is exclusively about what kinds of policies the government

ought to adopt.d. the issues are basically simple ones.e. it has no distinct winners or losers.



a. money is a critical issue.b. compromise is easily achieved.c. it is exclusively about what kinds of policies the government

ought to adopt.d. the conflict is more profound.e. it has no distinct winners or losers.


84. The text defines the two primary opposing camps in the American "culture war" as

a. Democrats and Republicans.b. the orthodox and the progressive.c. conservatives and liberals.d. women and men.e. religionists and secular humanists.


85. Jimmy Carter is noted in the text's discussion of Mistrust of Government for his speech on

a. the need for greater pride in their work among Americans.b. an end to the assassination powers of the Central Intelligence

Agency (CIA).c. the American spirit of optimism.d. Americans' malaise about their public institutions.e. the necessity of American leadership in the international

community.




86. The level of public trust in government during the 1970s and 1980s compared to the 1950s appears

a. higher than the long-term historical norm.b. higher, but closer to the historical norm.c. lower, but closer to the historical norm.d. lower than the historical norm.e. about the same.


87. Which of the following statements about the level of mistrust of government felt by many Americans throughout the late 1960s and 1970s is probably accurate?

a. It was little or no higher than in the 1930s.b. It was little or no higher than in the 1950s.c. It was directed at the political system itself.d. It coincided with a time of unusual social calm.e. None of these.

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88. Which of the following statements about the level of confidence that Americans had in their social institutions throughout the late 1960s and 1970s is correct?

a. Confidence in government declined, as did confidence in other social institutions such as religion.

b. Confidence in government declined, while confidence in other social institutions remained steady.

c. Confidence in government grew, as did confidence in other social institutions such as religion.

d. Confidence in government grew, while confidence in other social institutions declined.

e. None of these.


89. In recent decades, what has been the relationship between public confidence in political institutions and that in other institutions?

a. They have both gone down.b. The former has gone down while the latter has remained

unchanged or declined.c. The former has remained steady while the latter has gone

down.d. The former has gone up while the latter has gone down.e. Both have remained quite steady.


90. If people have a sense of political efficacy, then they believe they

a. trust the government to do what is right.b. would rather live here than elsewhere.c. are capable of joining interest groups.d. feel alienated from public policy.e. have a say in what government does.




91. The sense that one has a say in what government does and that politics is understandable is referred to as

a. political efficacy.b. political clout.c. political legitimacy.d. political participation.e. political reciprocity.


92. One's own confidence in one's ability to understand and take part in politics is referred to as

a. external efficacy.b. internal efficacy.c. political ideology.d. political culture.e. political reciprocity.


93. Internal efficacy refers to

a. one's feelings about domestic politics.b. one’s ability to make a difference in the political world.c. the government's ability to implement the will of the people.d. the responsiveness of government to public needs.e. one's ability to understand and take part in politics.


94. One's own belief about the responsiveness of the government is referred to as

a. external efficacy.b. internal efficacy.c. political ideology.d. political culture.e. political reciprocity.


95. External efficacy refers to

a. one's feelings about international politics.b. one's belief in the government's responsiveness.c. the government's attempts to build coalitions.d. the efficiency of higher-level government agencies.e. one’s level of political understanding.




96. Many Americans feel helpless in the face of high inflation. They do not understand why it is happening, and they do not think the system is responsive to their needs anyway. In other words, they lack a sense of

a. political efficacy.b. internal incentive.c. external incentive.d. political representation.e. political reciprocity.


97. Parties are only interested in people's votes, not their opinions. This statement reflects a lack of

a. internal political efficacy.b. internal political efficacy primarily.c. external political efficacy primarily.d. both internal and external political efficacy.e. neither internal nor external political efficacy.


98. In the past generation, Americans' sense of political efficacy has

a. remained unchanged overall.b. declined for external efficacy, remained unchanged for internal

efficacy.c. declined for internal efficacy, remained unchanged for external

efficacy.d. increased substantially overall.e. None of these.


99. Americans' sense of political efficacy compared to that of most Europeans seems to be

a. about the same.b. significantly higher.c. slightly lower.d. significantly lower.e. slightly higher.


100. Compared with Europeans, Americans are more likely to

a. sign a petition.b. vote.c. feel alienated from the political process.d. defer to experts to make decisions.e. be registered voters.




101. Some observers say that Americans are more alienated from politics today than they were formerly. The text suggests that

a. this understates the depth of the current crisis.b. no reliable evidence of such a change exists.c. Americans today are actually more optimistic than before.d. they are more involved in matters unrelated to politics.e. describing them as more realistic would be better.


102. According to the text, a degree of tolerance toward political discussion without too much oppression is

a. what the U.S. Constitution called for.b. what the Bill of Rights mandated.c. rare in a unitary system.d. what characterizes all free nations.e. the minimum requirement of a democracy.


103. The text argues that the necessary degree of political tolerance includes

a. guarantees of substantive and procedural rights for unpopular groups.

b. guarantees of only substantive rights for unpopular groups.c. guarantees of only procedural rights for unpopular groups.d. a reasonable tolerance that allows discussion without too much

oppression.e. oppression where the expressed interests of the majority are

clearly contradicted.


104. Studies show that Americans support constitutional freedoms under what conditions?

a. only for people who agree with themb. during times of peace, but not necessarily during warc. in the abstract, but not always in the concreted. for all groups at all timese. in the aftermath of war


105. The level of political tolerance among officeholders and activists compared to the general public is

a. somewhat less.b. about the same.c. somewhat greater.d. much greater.e. much less.




106. According to a 1978-1979 poll, which of the following groups would run into the strongest opposition to meeting in a civic auditorium?

a. feminists organizing a march for equal rightsb. a right-to-life group opposing abortionc. atheists preaching against Godd. people protesting a nuclear power plante. gays organizing for homosexual rights


107. According to the 1978-1979 McClosky-Brill study, which of the following groups enjoys the least amount of public support?

a. atheistsb. religious extremistsc. colleges who permit nonviolent demonstrationsd. reporters who keep their sources of information confidentiale. gays organizing for homosexual rights


108. The text argues that a lack of consensus regarding which groups ought to be repressed has led to

a. a breakdown of consensual social values.b. the survival of unpopular political causes.c. a large increase in the number of free-speech court cases.d. an erosion of First Amendment freedoms.e. reinterpretation of the Protestant work ethic.


109. All of the following are reasons certain groups survive in the face of political intolerance except

a. most of us do not act on our beliefs.b. people usually cannot agree on which group to suppress.c. Americans have become more tolerant.d. such groups receive protection from the courts.e. such groups are able to go underground.

TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS

Ans: TruePage: 77

110. Differences in political cultures have caused other nations' politics to differ from ours, even when they have explicitly copied the U.S. Constitution.

Ans: FalsePage: 77

111. Many foreign nations have successfully copied the U.S. model of government.

Ans: TruePage: 78

112. Liberty is an important element in the U.S. view of the political system.



Ans: FalsePage: 79

113. Equality of results is an important element in the U.S. view of the political system.

Ans: FalsePage: 79

114. Beliefs about economic life are NOT part of political culture.

Ans: TruePage: 79

115. Civic duty is an important element in the U.S. view of the political system.

Ans: TruePage: 78

116. A political culture is a patterned set of beliefs about how politics and governing ought to be carried out.

Ans: FalsePage: 78

117. A political culture is a patterned set of beliefs about what policies a government should follow.

Ans: TruePage: 79

118. In some cases, people can disagree on ideology, but still share a common political culture.

Ans: FalsePage: 79

119. Political culture and political ideology mean approximately the same thing.

Ans: TruePage: 79

120. Political culture refers to a less obvious phenomenon than political ideology.

Ans: TruePage: 79

121. Most Americans believe that people should be allowed to vote even if they cannot read or write or vote intelligently.

Ans: FalsePage: 79

122. Most Americans believe that people should not be allowed to vote if they cannot read or write or vote intelligently.

Ans: TruePage: 79

123. Gunnar Myrdal called race relations "an American dilemma."

Ans: FalsePage: 79

124. People's behaviors and their actions are necessarily congruent.



Ans: FalsePage: 79

125. Political conflict occurs only when personal beliefs are also in conflict.

Ans: FalsePage: 79

126. Political conflict can occur even when personal beliefs are shared.

Ans: TruePage: 80

127. The phrase "American way of life" is a good indication of Americans' belief in common values and hopes.

Ans: FalsePage: 80

128. Compared with other Western nations, the United States is a relatively nonnationalistic country.

Ans: FalsePage: 81

129. Americans place no limits on the freedoms they think people should enjoy in the marketplace.

Ans: TruePage: 81

130. Americans favor welfare payments to the poor, but only if they are truly in need and are not able-bodied.

Ans: FalsePage: 81

131. Americans are more likely to believe in equality of results than in equality of opportunity.

Ans: TruePage: 81

132. Americans are generally opposed to practices such as hiring quotas for minorities.

Ans: TruePage: 81

133. Americans are more willing to tolerate economic inequality than political inequality.

Ans: FalsePage: 82

134. A study in Muncie, Indiana, found that young people today are less likely than earlier generations to blame failure on the individual.

Ans: TruePage: 82

135. Swedes are less likely than Americans to challenge governmental decisions.

Ans: FalsePage: 82

136. Swedes are less likely than Americans to value equality over liberty.



Ans: TruePage: 82

137. Japanese are more likely than Americans to value good relations with colleagues.

Ans: FalsePage: 82

138. Japanese are more likely than Americans to emphasize individualism and competition in their political system.

Ans: TruePage: 83

139. In a comparative study, Almond and Verba found that Americans had a stronger sense of civic duty than the citizens of the other countries surveyed.

Ans: FalsePage: 83

140. Almond and Verba found that citizens of Great Britain demonstrated the strongest attachment to the attitudes that are essential to a democratic government.

Ans: TruePage: 83

141. Research by Almond and Verba showed that Americans have more confidence in their institutions than do people in the other countries studied.

Ans: FalsePage: 82

142. People in Sweden generally are highly participatory and assertive in defending their right to be heard.

Ans: TruePage: 82

143. Swedes would probably be more tolerant than Americans of a governmental attempt to place a top limit on salaries.

Ans: TruePage: 84

144. Religious beliefs have always played a significant role in U.S. politics.

Ans: TruePage: 86

145. Religious leaders were central to the struggle over slavery in the nineteenth century.

Ans: TruePage: 86

146. Both liberals and conservatives have used the pulpit to promote political change.

Ans: FalsePage: 86

147. Only conservatives have used the pulpit to promote political change.

Ans: TruePage: 86

148. The legal, economic, and physical characteristics of a country are a less than complete guide to its political culture.

Ans: FalsePage: 85

149. From 1987 to 1997, there was a sharp decrease in the percentage of Americans who agree with the notion that “God really exists.”

Ans: True 150. It is clear that America remains a highly religious nation, especially



Page: 85 in comparison to European countries.

Ans: FalsePage: 86

151. Putnam suggests Americans are increasingly joining organizations to promote civic trust and cooperation.

Ans: FalsePage: 86

152. In the 2000 presidential election, George Bush was the only candidate who extolled the virtues of religion and advocated the right of religious organizations that deliver social services to receive government funding.

Ans: FalsePage: 87

153. Most Americans oppose government funding for religious based institutions that provide social services.

Ans: TruePage: 86

154. More Americans are “bowling alone” and joining softball teams.

Ans: FalsePage: 88

155. The Federalists believed Thomas Jefferson intended to sell the nation out to Spain.

Ans: FalsePage: 88

156. The operation of a nation's political system can be understood almost entirely by looking at its laws, economy, and physical characteristics.

Ans: FalsePage: 88

157. Catholic thought contributed the work ethic to our political culture, encouraging people to civic and communal action.

Ans: TruePage: 88

158. The work ethic in the United States is sometimes referred to as the Protestant ethic.

Ans: TruePage: 88

159. Protestantism helped give this country a particularly participatory political culture.

Ans: FalsePage: 88

160. The influx of Catholics, Jews, and people of Oriental religions gave the U.S. political culture its participatory flavor.

Ans: FalsePage: 89

161. The congregational organization of most Protestant churches discouraged the development of a participatory political culture in the early United States.

Ans: TruePage: 89

162. How we think about the world, including how we think about politics, is largely acquired within the family.

Ans: FalsePage: 89

163. Child-rearing practices seem to have little political significance, however important they may be otherwise.



Ans: TruePage: 89

164. The way that parents raise their children can have a significant influence on the society's political culture.

Ans: FalsePage: 89

165. The mass media today play the largest single role in shaping how we think about politics.

Ans: TruePage: 89

166. Americans generally exhibit less class-consciousness than do citizens of other nations.

Ans: FalsePage: 89

167. In the United States, class-consciousness plays a particularly important part in the political culture.

Ans: FalsePage: 89

168. The culture war is occurring only between and not within different religious denominations.

Ans: TruePage: 89

169. The United States is the only large industrial democracy without a significant socialist party.

Ans: FalsePage: 90

170. Today, fewer people consider themselves progressive than in the past.

Ans: FalsePage: 90

171. The rise of technologies makes it difficult to wage culture war.

Ans: TruePage: 93

172. Americans' sense of external political efficacy has apparently declined over the past generation.

Ans: FalsePage: 93

173. Americans' sense of external political efficacy has increased during the past twenty years.

Ans: FalsePage: 93

174. Americans' sense of internal political efficacy declined steadily from the mid-1960s to 1980.

Ans: TruePage: 93

175. The change in the sense of political efficacy appears to have been independent of the events of Watergate.

Ans: TruePage: 94

176. Changes in feelings of political efficacy, unlike those of trust in government, have been difficult to correlate with any specific event.



Ans: FalsePage: 94

177. Europeans generally report higher feelings of political efficacy than do Americans.

Ans: TruePage: 94

178. Americans retain a greater sense of political efficacy than do Europeans.

Ans: TruePage: 94

179. According to the text, Americans are more realistic about politics today than in earlier generations.

Ans: TruePage: 94

180. Community leaders tend to be more tolerant of dissent than the average American.

Ans: FalsePage: 94

181. A majority of Americans would deny political rights across the board to all minor political groups.

Ans: TruePage: 94

182. Most Americans support freedom of speech as an abstract principle.

Ans: FalsePage: 94

183. Most Americans support freedom of speech for all political groups.

Ans: TruePage: 94

184. Most citizens worry that the nation is becoming too tolerant of behaviors that harm society.

Ans: FalsePage: 95

185. Elected officials have played a larger role than the courts in protecting the rights of political minorities.

Ans: TruePage: 95

186. Americans have become more tolerant over the last few decades.

Ans: TruePage: 95

187. Insulation of the courts from public opinion contributes to the protection of unpopular groups' constitutional rights.

Ans: FalsePage: 98

188. Like the Swedes and the Japanese, the United States generally reaches political decisions by consensus.



SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS189. Explain the term political culture. Why is it important to examine political culture as well as political

institutions and laws to understand a political system?

Answer

a. Political culture: distinctive and patterned way of thinking about how life ought to be carried out

b. Important because it determines whether and how certain political institutions and policies actually operate

Page: 80-81

190. List the various sources of U.S. political culture discussed in the text, and comment on the relative importance of each.

Answer

a. Political history: revolution, U.S. Constitution, evolution of parties; established liberty as the foremost political value, the legitimate competition of governing and opposition parties, and widespread but not universal electoral participation

b. Absence of established religion, but dominance of Protestant ethic: obligation to work hard, save money, obey law, do good; development of participatory habits in congregational churches

c. Family: primary transmitter of political values, especially egalitarianism

d. Class consciousness: relatively weak and unformed, especially among masses

Page: 88-90

191. Explain the difference between orthodox and progressive viewpoints in the culture war.

Answer

a. Orthodox: believe morality is more important than self-expression; moral rules are from God

b. Progressive: personal freedom is more important than tradition; rules change over time

Page: 91

192. Discuss some of the significant changes in Americans' trust in government during the past generation. Comment on the future direction this evolution will probably take.

Answer

a. Mistrust of government grew from the mid-1960s to 1980s, may have leveled off since then

b. Part of general decline in trust in nearly all institutions

c. Decline in confidence of leaders and policies, not in system or values

Page: 93-96

ESSAY QUESTIONS193. The U.S. political culture centers on the values of liberty and equality, yet these values have different

meanings in the political and economic systems. Explain how liberty and equality are defined both politically and economically.

Answer

a. Political liberty: people should be free to do what they please as long as others are not hurt.

b. Economic liberty: Free enterprise is supported but the government should regulate business to correct abuses.

c. Political equality: Everyone should have an equal vote and an equal chance.



d. Economic equality: Everyone should have an equal opportunity, but salaries should be based on ability rather than on needs.

Page: 92-93

194. The U.S. political culture emphasizes the importance of civic duty. This belief has no validity unless political efficacy exists in reality. Discuss the degree to which the American public possesses a sense of political efficacy. Is the cultural value of civic duty legitimately realized in the opinion of the public?

Answer

a. Two types of political efficacy: internal and external.

b. Internal efficacy is confidence in one's own ability to influence the political system.

c. Levels of internal efficacy have remained largely the same over the past few decades.

d. External efficacy is confidence that the political system will respond to what citizens do.

e. A sharp drop has occurred in the sense of external efficacy due to a feeling that the government is too big to be responsive.

f. Civic duty is legitimate to the extent that citizens believe they can personally influence policy.

Page: 93-94


Test Bank Ch.4 American Polical Culture

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