POS 2041 EXAM 1 (CHAPTER 1,2,3,5) ROBBINS UF EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Government is a system for making decisions about politics and public policy and it's necessary to -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅provide order and promote the general welfare
What are 3 key ideas for understanding politics - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-Conflictual
-Process Matters
-It's everywhere
Politics is conflictual - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅conflict and compromise are natural parts of politics, deals
with allocation of finite resources
Political process matters - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅how political conflicts are resolved is important
(institutions)
Politics is everywhere - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅what happens in government affects our lives in
countless ways
What is ideology - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅a cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize
ppl/understand the world
Why have government? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅It's a system for making decisions about public policy,
public goods are not fairly allocated by the market
What is the collective action problem - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅free rider theory, individuals don't
benefit from contributing to a large problem because they'll benefit anyway
What is there tension between - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅liberty and equality
Conservative ideology - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅less govt., more market,
,Liberal ideology - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅more govt., market regulations
Libertarian ideology - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅govt. stays out of social/econ.
Populist ideology - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅regulate social/economic
Benchmarks for representative democracy - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅equality, liberty, popular
sovereignty
What does equality refer to in rep. democracy - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅of opportunity, in politics,
before the law
What does liberty refer to in rep. democracy - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅freedoms are protected
What does popular sovereignty refer to in rep. democracy - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅people get to choose
who governs
What are some lessons from 50 years ago? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-Even when deep divisions in
politics, can still accomplish something big and awesome
-Gov. comes with conflict
-Governing is hard because of complex relationships and psychology
We rely on public goods - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅more than ever before
What is at the heart of US politics? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅conflict
Who are some conflicts between - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Factions, culture wars, identities
, What is the challenge of American politics - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-designing institutions and
respecting norms aimed at resolving conflict
-understand compromise is not capitulation (surrendering)
The founders of the Constitution needed - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-leadership, but not arbitrary rule (like
monarchy)
-a document to stand the test of time, structure to grow and prosper
-a social contract based on natural law
The Founders started out as - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅loyalists
What did Founders first start seeking - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅liberty, then sovereignty/equality
Why did the founders want to be free - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-the geography/far distance
-already had home rule (basic legislation and ran own affairs)
-taxation without representation
-inspiration from democratic ideals from Enlightenment
What were some democratic ideals from Enlightenment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅limited government,
consent of the governed, equality (but limited)
What helped try and solve the collective action problem and galvanize the common people? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Boston massacre propaganda (British killing innocent civilians), orators like Thomas Paine
The articles of confederation created a - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅decentralized govt. that focused on
states' rights (& a collective action problem)
Why was there a collective action problem for the Articles of Confederation? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅the economics of it, had to pay for the revolution, couldn't coin money, no treaties,
couldn't raise taxes/enforce states
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Government is a system for making decisions about politics and public policy and it's necessary to -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅provide order and promote the general welfare
What are 3 key ideas for understanding politics - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-Conflictual
-Process Matters
-It's everywhere
Politics is conflictual - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅conflict and compromise are natural parts of politics, deals
with allocation of finite resources
Political process matters - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅how political conflicts are resolved is important
(institutions)
Politics is everywhere - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅what happens in government affects our lives in
countless ways
What is ideology - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅a cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used to organize
ppl/understand the world
Why have government? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅It's a system for making decisions about public policy,
public goods are not fairly allocated by the market
What is the collective action problem - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅free rider theory, individuals don't
benefit from contributing to a large problem because they'll benefit anyway
What is there tension between - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅liberty and equality
Conservative ideology - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅less govt., more market,
,Liberal ideology - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅more govt., market regulations
Libertarian ideology - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅govt. stays out of social/econ.
Populist ideology - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅regulate social/economic
Benchmarks for representative democracy - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅equality, liberty, popular
sovereignty
What does equality refer to in rep. democracy - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅of opportunity, in politics,
before the law
What does liberty refer to in rep. democracy - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅freedoms are protected
What does popular sovereignty refer to in rep. democracy - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅people get to choose
who governs
What are some lessons from 50 years ago? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-Even when deep divisions in
politics, can still accomplish something big and awesome
-Gov. comes with conflict
-Governing is hard because of complex relationships and psychology
We rely on public goods - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅more than ever before
What is at the heart of US politics? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅conflict
Who are some conflicts between - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Factions, culture wars, identities
, What is the challenge of American politics - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-designing institutions and
respecting norms aimed at resolving conflict
-understand compromise is not capitulation (surrendering)
The founders of the Constitution needed - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-leadership, but not arbitrary rule (like
monarchy)
-a document to stand the test of time, structure to grow and prosper
-a social contract based on natural law
The Founders started out as - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅loyalists
What did Founders first start seeking - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅liberty, then sovereignty/equality
Why did the founders want to be free - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅-the geography/far distance
-already had home rule (basic legislation and ran own affairs)
-taxation without representation
-inspiration from democratic ideals from Enlightenment
What were some democratic ideals from Enlightenment - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅limited government,
consent of the governed, equality (but limited)
What helped try and solve the collective action problem and galvanize the common people? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Boston massacre propaganda (British killing innocent civilians), orators like Thomas Paine
The articles of confederation created a - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅decentralized govt. that focused on
states' rights (& a collective action problem)
Why was there a collective action problem for the Articles of Confederation? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅the economics of it, had to pay for the revolution, couldn't coin money, no treaties,
couldn't raise taxes/enforce states
