American Government & Politics FAssessment

Which of the following best characterizes Americans' knowledge of public affairs today?

• Millennials are better informed than older generations by a wide margin.

• Americans are consistently shown to be among the most well-informed when compared to people in other democracies.

• Most Americans today are far better informed than previous generations, though knowledge levels are still rather low.

• Misinformation is now at its highest level in the history of polling.

• Baby boomers have been shown to be the most well-informed generation, while younger generations know little about public affairs.

Critical thinking is best described as:

• the process of forming an opinion after weighing the relevant facts.

• discounting the news from ordinary media outlets.

• rejecting the accounts of bureaucrats and finding alternative versions online.

• assuming that all news presents lies until alternative truths present themselves.

• trusting your instincts on the way the world works.

Which of the following is NOT one of the core values of American political culture?

• Liberty

• Individualism

• Equality

• Cooperation

• Self-government

Which of the following statements about cultural or political beliefs in America is FALSE?

• America's origins as a wilderness society led to the belief that government is responsible for providing material assistance to its inhabitants.

• Americans believe that individuals should be free to act and think as they choose.

• Americans reject European notions of aristocratic privilege.

• America has a strongly individualistic culture.

• Americans generally believe that the people are the ultimate source of governing authority.

According to the Declaration of Independence, governments get their "just powers" from:

• "the benevolence of a just king."

• "the consent of the governed."

• "the teachings of Jesus Christ."

• "the might of the military."

• "the laws of nature."

The Greek words demos and kratis together mean:

• The people rule.

• Government by the few.

• Power to the wealthy.

• Divine right.

• Majority tyranny.

Democracy has come to mean in practice:

• rule by the people through elected representatives

• absolute monarchy

• rule by a single party

• military dictatorship

The idea that government should be restricted in its lawful uses of power and hence in its ability to deprive people of their liberty is expressed by the term:

• federalism.

• limited government.

• judicial review.

• socialism.

• natural law.

Early Americans' preference for limited government was strengthened by:

• their exposure to life under the British Parliament and some of the "rights of Englishmen."

• Britain's treatment of the colonies after the French and Indian War.

• taxation without representation.

• All these answers are correct.

• None of these answers are correct.

The words of the Declaration of Independence reflected:

• natural law.

• social contract.

• divine right of kings.

• utilitarianism.