Political Science Quiz

The idea that a group of wealthy, educated individuals wields most of the political power is called which of the following?

• Pluralist Theory

• Elite Theory

• Rational Choice Theory

• Democratic Theory

Which of the following statements is the best indication of pluralism in American politics?

• A. The American Association of Retired Persons has the largest membership of any interest groups

• Third parties often endorse candidates for office, but rarely win elections

• Citizens are able to vote in local, state and national elections

• Numerous interest groups lobby congress each year

According to traditional democratic theory all of the following are characteristics of an ideal democracy except

• Freedom of Speech

• Bill of Rights

• Equality of voting

• Consent of the Governed

Which of the following concepts is fundamental to democracies?

• Economic equality

• Tyranny of the majority

• Majority rule with minority rights

• Seniority

According to the pluralists, a wealthy interest group would do which of the following?

• Have more access to policymakers

• Compete with other interest groups for an equal share

• Manipulate public opinion to support legislation

• Have no influence on policy agenda

Political culture refers to which of the following?

• The ideological breakdown of a population on the political spectrum

• Commonly shared attitudes, beliefs, and core values about how government should operate

• The set of assumptions about how the world works and the individual’s underlying human nature

• The set of policies that an individual supports that are rooted in the person’s underlying belief about human nature and how the world works

Proponents of the pluralist theory argue that power is nearly evenly distributed among interest groups because

• The public participates equally in different types of interest groups

• All interest groups receive the same amount of federal funds

• Competition prevents any one group from becoming more influential

• Interest groups get the same attention from politicians

Which political theory believes that all of the power is held by a small group of wealthy individuals?

• The Elite Theory

• The Pluralist Theory

• The Bureaucratic Theory

• The Hyper-pluralist Theory

A condition that occurs when interests conflict and no coalition is strong enough to form a majority and establish policy is condition is known as which of the following?

• Policy Diversity

• Policy Gridlock

• Policy Shaping

• Policy Setting

Politics can be best described as

• The most important characteristics of a democratic form of government

• The commonly shared set of beliefs and values about how government should operate

• A theory that society should be governed by certain ethical principles that are apart of nature

• The process by which we select our government leaders and what policies they pursue