096190AP U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS MULTIPLE-CHOICE
QUESTIONS
2020-2021
Unit #1 – Foundations of American Government
1. Which of the following
... [Show More] concepts is fundamental to democracies?
a. Economic equality
b. Tyranny of the majority
c. Majority rule with minority rights
d. Bicameralism
e. Seniority
2. Individuals have power when they are able to
a. get elected to office.
b. be present at behind-the-scenes political meetings.
c. serve their fellow human beings.
d. get others to do what they want them to do.
e. vote without being influenced by outside forces.
3. Formal authority refers to a right to exercise power that is derived from a(n)
a. official ceremony.
b. majority vote.
c. consensus.
d. popular consensus
e. governmental office.
4. Linkage institutions are mechanisms through which citizens can influence the policy agenda. All of the
following are linkage institutions EXCEPT
a. the Constitution
b. political parties
c. interest groups
d. the media
e. elections
5. The primary source of legitimate political authority in the United States is the
a. Bill of Rights.
b. will of the people.
c. U.S. Constitution.
d. concept of civil liberty.
e. notion of civil rights.
6. Representative democracy allows individuals to gain political power through
a. media campaigns.
b. quadrennial elections.
c. nonpartisan elections.
d. reciprocal elections.
e. competitive elections.
7. A city council representative faces an important vote on how much, if any, money to spend on a new school.
The representative relies on a poll of her constituents to make a decision. This is in keeping with the form of
politics known as
a. participatory politics.
b. majoritarian politics.
c. pluralist politics.
d. elitist politics.
e. reciprocal politics.
8. Those who possess a disproportionate share of political power are defined as
a. capitalists.
b. majoritarians.
c. a political elite.
d. officeholders.
e. centralists
9. The pluralist view holds all of the following EXCEPT
a. No single elite has a monopoly on political resources.
b. Policies are the result of a complex pattern of shifting alliances.
c. Political resources are not distributed equally.
d. Political elites are divided.
e. Political elites do not respond to the interests of their followers.
10. According to Tocqueville, egalitarianism in the United States involves
a. self-interest.
b. moral precepts.
c. religious commitment
d. economic equality for all classes
e. equality of opportunity in the absence of a monarchy
11. Which of the following accurately characterizes the main difference between elite theories and pluralist
theories of politics in the United States?
a. Elite theories concentrate on the role of interest groups; pluralist theories emphasize the role of
individuals.
b. Elite theories argue that a single minority dominates politics in all policy areas; pluralist
theories argue that many minorities compete for power in dif erent policy areas
c. Elite theories argue that social status is the major source of political power; pluralist theories
argue that wealth is the major source.
d. Elite theories emphasize the multiple access points that interest groups have to public officials;
pluralist theories stress the limits in the number and effectiveness of such access points.
e. Elite theories view government as efficient; pluralist theories view it as slow and wasteful.
12. 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.
13. 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 1700s.
14. Hyperpluralists differ from pluralist in their belief that
a. the representation of too many interests is detrimental to policymaking
b. only the wealthiest lobbyists are heard in Congress
c. power should be centralized in one branch of government
d. competition among groups leads to compromise and, hence, stronger policy
e. political groups get their funds exclusively from big business
15. All of the following are basic elements of the U.S. political culture EXCEPT
a. liberty.
b. populism
c. individualism.
d. laissez-faire
e. economic equality. [Show Less]