Name: Class: Date:
Test Bank For
American Government Institutions and Policies 18TH Edition by James Q. Wilson, John J. DiIulio Jr., Meena
Bose, Matthew S. Levendusky
Chapter 1-20 Answers are at the End of Each Chapter
Chapter 1
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. The bureaucratic view of political elites, which argues that appointed officials dominate the government, is associated
with whom?
a. Karl Marx
b. C. Wright Mills
c. Max Weber
d. David B. Truman
e. Robert Dahl
2. Which of the following is typically absent in a republic?
a. Legislative body
b. Rule of law
c. Separation of powers
d. Bureaucracy
e. Command economy
3. What was Karl Marx’s view on the distribution of political power?
a. The power elite view
b. The bureaucratic view
c. The pluralist view
d. The class view
e. The creedal passion view
4. In the United States, no government at any level would be considered legitimate if it were not in some sense which of
these?
a. Democratic
b. Altruistic
c. Humanitarian
d. Elitist
e. Aristocratic
5. What effect does the national media most likely have on the political agenda?
a. Publicizing issues by giving them attention
b. Influencing politicians to vote a particular way
c. Producing stories that force politicians to act
d. Demanding action through sheer size and power
Page 1
,Name: Class: Date:
e. Skewing stories in a liberal fashion
6. Samuel P. Huntington favored which view of the distribution of political power?
a. The class view
b. The creedal passion view
c. The pluralist view
d. The power elite view
e. The bureaucratic view
7. Policies aimed at lessening income inequality and addressing the disproportionate power held by individuals with
wealth are based on which theory of power?
a. The power elite view
b. The bureaucratic view
c. The pluralist view
d. The creedal passion view
e. The class view
8. Economic depressions and deep recessions, such as the ones that began in 1929, 2007, and 2020, have led the public to
do which of the following?
a. Led many people to believe the government should do nothing
b. Led many people to believe that the government could do nothing about it
c. There were no economic depressions or deep recessions in 1929, 2007, and 2020.
d. Led many people to expect the government to take action
e. Created the welfare state as we know it
9. In Samuel P. Huntington’s view, which of the following is an example of an event in which morally impassioned elites
made significant changes?
a. The Framers developing the party system
b. The party bosses in smoke-filled rooms
c. The progressive reformers of the early 20th century
d. The courts establishing judicial review
e. Legislative reorganization during the 1940s
10. How did Aristotle define democracy?
a. Rule of the few
b. Rule of the one
c. Rule of the powerful
d. Rule of the many
e. Rule of the intelligent
11. In 1935, what percentage of American families paid no federal income tax?
a. 1 percent
b. 4 percent
c. 80 percent
Page 2
,Name: Class: Date:
d. 90 percent
e. 96 percent
12. What method is used by members of Congress to build a winning coalition for their policies?
a. Log-rolling
b. Back-scratching
c. Structured rules
d. Cloture
e. Filibuster
13. Which sociologist argued that American democracy is dominated by a small “power elite"?
a. C. Wright Mills
b. Karl Marx
c. David B. Truman
d. Max Weber
e. Samuel P. Huntington
14. Congress’ power to tax, as provided in the Constitution and later amendments, leads one to conclude that the
fundamental government finance problems are not mathematical. Instead, they are because of which of the
following?
a. Rules and regulations
b. Supreme Court decisions
c. Politics
d. Cabinet members’ hesitation
e. The governors of half the states intervening in the budget process
15. Before the 1960s, the plans of liberal presidents faced heavy resistance from which group in the Senate?
a. Conservative Southern Democrats
b. Conservative Southern Republicans
c. Liberal Northern Democrats
d. Liberal Northern Republicans
e. Libertarians
16. Which of the following describes a deficit?
a. Spending more than projected government revenues in any given year
b. The total amount of money the U.S. government owes
c. A reduction of any agency’s budget
d. The Constitution prohibits the government from spending more money than it takes in.
e. It is an illusion. The government owns the printing press, so the amount of money owed does not matter.
17. The struggle over power or influence within organizations that can grant benefits or privileges best defines which of
the following?
a. Republicanism
b. Democracy
Page 3
,Name: Class: Date:
c. Elections
d. Politics
e. Political science
18. Which of the following best describes the government of the United States?
a. A direct democracy
b. A republic
c. A confederation
d. A constitutional monarchy
e. An anarchy
19. Karl Marx believed governments were dominated by whom or what?
a. Business owners
b. Elected officials
c. Appointed bureaucrats
d. Interest groups
e. Religious leaders
20. Which of the following supports the idea that policies should be created to benefit everyone and require everyone to
contribute?
a. Minoritarian politics
b. Pluralism
c. Entrepreneurial politics
d. Libertarianism
e. Majoritarian politics
21. If the top political jobs for political parties were filled only from an inner circle of top corporate leaders, this would be
evidence for which of the following?
a. Power elite view
b. Creedal passion view
c. Pluralist view
d. Class view
e. Bureaucratic view
22. Why did the Framers of the Constitution not create a direct democracy?
a. It was not the best way to resist manipulative politicians.
b. Direct democracy never been used before.
c. The people had expressed support for a government similar to a monarchy.
d. They were worried about the efficiency of ballot-counting.
e. They believed the rights of the minority would be suppressed by the dominating majority.
23. In the U.S. political system, which of these most closely approximates Aristotle’s ideal of direct democracy?
a. Trade Unions
b. U.S. House of Representatives
Page 4
,Name: Class: Date:
c. New England town meeting
d. Constitutional Convention
e. Southeastern United States before the Civil War
24. What did the Framers of the Constitution believe about democracy?
a. It was the ideal form of government.
b. It was not an ideal form of government, but it is better than any alternative.
c. It was likely to lead to bad decisions.
d. It was likely to lead to decisions based on sound reasoning and logic.
e. It cannot exist in America as long as some persons were enslaved.
25. Which of these is a modern example of direct democracy?
a. Electing local boards to make decisions
b. Running for political office
c. Individuals affected by some program participating in its formulation
d. Writing elected officials to express opinions on policy
e. Working for politicians
26. At any given time, the issues on the political agenda are affected by at least four things. Which of the following is not
one of those things?
a. Wealth and class division
b. Shared political values
c. The weight of customs and traditions
d. The importance of events
e. Terms of debate
27. Which term is used to describe activists, inside or outside of government, who pull together political majorities on
behalf of unorganized interests?
a. Blue-dogs
b. Progressives
c. Agitators
d. Policy entrepreneurs
e. Political action committees
28. Those who disapprove of representative democracy would characterize it as which of the following?
a. Individualistic
b. Progressive
c. Marxist
d. Authoritarian
e. Elitist
29. The civil rights movement of the mid-20th century is an example of which theory of power?
a. The power elite view
b. The bureaucratic view
Page 5
, Name: Class: Date:
c. The pluralist view
d. The creedal passion view
e. The class view
30. Which of the following reflects the issues that people believe require governmental action?
a. Client politics
b. Majoritarian politics
c. Direct democracy
d. Judicial review
e. The political agenda
31. Which type of legislation provides tangible benefits to constituents in several states or districts in hopes of winning
their votes in the future?
a. Log-rolling legislation
b. Pork-barrel legislation
c. Commemorative legislation
d. Majoritarian legislation
e. Entrepreneurial legislation
32. In ancient Athens, which group had the right to vote?
a. All who served in the military
b. All adult citizens
c. City elders
d. All males
e. Males with property
33. What is the impact of self-interest on the positions people take on important issues?
a. The self-interest of individuals is usually a complete guide to their actions.
b. Economic self-interest may be important, but it is usually not the only guide to people’s actions.
c. Organizational self-interest, rather than economic self-interest, is usually the best guide to people’s actions.
d. Political preferences can be predicted invariably by knowing an individual’s economic or organizational
position.
e. Self-interest is rarely an important factor in understanding political attitudes and behavior.
34. Which of the following people is the best-known example of a policy entrepreneur?
a. Abraham Lincoln
b. Michelle Obama
c. Ronald Reagan
d. Ralph Nader
e. Al Gore
35. According to the Framers of the Constitution, who is the best judge of the people's best interests?
a. The people
b. The landed elite
Page 6
Test Bank For
American Government Institutions and Policies 18TH Edition by James Q. Wilson, John J. DiIulio Jr., Meena
Bose, Matthew S. Levendusky
Chapter 1-20 Answers are at the End of Each Chapter
Chapter 1
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. The bureaucratic view of political elites, which argues that appointed officials dominate the government, is associated
with whom?
a. Karl Marx
b. C. Wright Mills
c. Max Weber
d. David B. Truman
e. Robert Dahl
2. Which of the following is typically absent in a republic?
a. Legislative body
b. Rule of law
c. Separation of powers
d. Bureaucracy
e. Command economy
3. What was Karl Marx’s view on the distribution of political power?
a. The power elite view
b. The bureaucratic view
c. The pluralist view
d. The class view
e. The creedal passion view
4. In the United States, no government at any level would be considered legitimate if it were not in some sense which of
these?
a. Democratic
b. Altruistic
c. Humanitarian
d. Elitist
e. Aristocratic
5. What effect does the national media most likely have on the political agenda?
a. Publicizing issues by giving them attention
b. Influencing politicians to vote a particular way
c. Producing stories that force politicians to act
d. Demanding action through sheer size and power
Page 1
,Name: Class: Date:
e. Skewing stories in a liberal fashion
6. Samuel P. Huntington favored which view of the distribution of political power?
a. The class view
b. The creedal passion view
c. The pluralist view
d. The power elite view
e. The bureaucratic view
7. Policies aimed at lessening income inequality and addressing the disproportionate power held by individuals with
wealth are based on which theory of power?
a. The power elite view
b. The bureaucratic view
c. The pluralist view
d. The creedal passion view
e. The class view
8. Economic depressions and deep recessions, such as the ones that began in 1929, 2007, and 2020, have led the public to
do which of the following?
a. Led many people to believe the government should do nothing
b. Led many people to believe that the government could do nothing about it
c. There were no economic depressions or deep recessions in 1929, 2007, and 2020.
d. Led many people to expect the government to take action
e. Created the welfare state as we know it
9. In Samuel P. Huntington’s view, which of the following is an example of an event in which morally impassioned elites
made significant changes?
a. The Framers developing the party system
b. The party bosses in smoke-filled rooms
c. The progressive reformers of the early 20th century
d. The courts establishing judicial review
e. Legislative reorganization during the 1940s
10. How did Aristotle define democracy?
a. Rule of the few
b. Rule of the one
c. Rule of the powerful
d. Rule of the many
e. Rule of the intelligent
11. In 1935, what percentage of American families paid no federal income tax?
a. 1 percent
b. 4 percent
c. 80 percent
Page 2
,Name: Class: Date:
d. 90 percent
e. 96 percent
12. What method is used by members of Congress to build a winning coalition for their policies?
a. Log-rolling
b. Back-scratching
c. Structured rules
d. Cloture
e. Filibuster
13. Which sociologist argued that American democracy is dominated by a small “power elite"?
a. C. Wright Mills
b. Karl Marx
c. David B. Truman
d. Max Weber
e. Samuel P. Huntington
14. Congress’ power to tax, as provided in the Constitution and later amendments, leads one to conclude that the
fundamental government finance problems are not mathematical. Instead, they are because of which of the
following?
a. Rules and regulations
b. Supreme Court decisions
c. Politics
d. Cabinet members’ hesitation
e. The governors of half the states intervening in the budget process
15. Before the 1960s, the plans of liberal presidents faced heavy resistance from which group in the Senate?
a. Conservative Southern Democrats
b. Conservative Southern Republicans
c. Liberal Northern Democrats
d. Liberal Northern Republicans
e. Libertarians
16. Which of the following describes a deficit?
a. Spending more than projected government revenues in any given year
b. The total amount of money the U.S. government owes
c. A reduction of any agency’s budget
d. The Constitution prohibits the government from spending more money than it takes in.
e. It is an illusion. The government owns the printing press, so the amount of money owed does not matter.
17. The struggle over power or influence within organizations that can grant benefits or privileges best defines which of
the following?
a. Republicanism
b. Democracy
Page 3
,Name: Class: Date:
c. Elections
d. Politics
e. Political science
18. Which of the following best describes the government of the United States?
a. A direct democracy
b. A republic
c. A confederation
d. A constitutional monarchy
e. An anarchy
19. Karl Marx believed governments were dominated by whom or what?
a. Business owners
b. Elected officials
c. Appointed bureaucrats
d. Interest groups
e. Religious leaders
20. Which of the following supports the idea that policies should be created to benefit everyone and require everyone to
contribute?
a. Minoritarian politics
b. Pluralism
c. Entrepreneurial politics
d. Libertarianism
e. Majoritarian politics
21. If the top political jobs for political parties were filled only from an inner circle of top corporate leaders, this would be
evidence for which of the following?
a. Power elite view
b. Creedal passion view
c. Pluralist view
d. Class view
e. Bureaucratic view
22. Why did the Framers of the Constitution not create a direct democracy?
a. It was not the best way to resist manipulative politicians.
b. Direct democracy never been used before.
c. The people had expressed support for a government similar to a monarchy.
d. They were worried about the efficiency of ballot-counting.
e. They believed the rights of the minority would be suppressed by the dominating majority.
23. In the U.S. political system, which of these most closely approximates Aristotle’s ideal of direct democracy?
a. Trade Unions
b. U.S. House of Representatives
Page 4
,Name: Class: Date:
c. New England town meeting
d. Constitutional Convention
e. Southeastern United States before the Civil War
24. What did the Framers of the Constitution believe about democracy?
a. It was the ideal form of government.
b. It was not an ideal form of government, but it is better than any alternative.
c. It was likely to lead to bad decisions.
d. It was likely to lead to decisions based on sound reasoning and logic.
e. It cannot exist in America as long as some persons were enslaved.
25. Which of these is a modern example of direct democracy?
a. Electing local boards to make decisions
b. Running for political office
c. Individuals affected by some program participating in its formulation
d. Writing elected officials to express opinions on policy
e. Working for politicians
26. At any given time, the issues on the political agenda are affected by at least four things. Which of the following is not
one of those things?
a. Wealth and class division
b. Shared political values
c. The weight of customs and traditions
d. The importance of events
e. Terms of debate
27. Which term is used to describe activists, inside or outside of government, who pull together political majorities on
behalf of unorganized interests?
a. Blue-dogs
b. Progressives
c. Agitators
d. Policy entrepreneurs
e. Political action committees
28. Those who disapprove of representative democracy would characterize it as which of the following?
a. Individualistic
b. Progressive
c. Marxist
d. Authoritarian
e. Elitist
29. The civil rights movement of the mid-20th century is an example of which theory of power?
a. The power elite view
b. The bureaucratic view
Page 5
, Name: Class: Date:
c. The pluralist view
d. The creedal passion view
e. The class view
30. Which of the following reflects the issues that people believe require governmental action?
a. Client politics
b. Majoritarian politics
c. Direct democracy
d. Judicial review
e. The political agenda
31. Which type of legislation provides tangible benefits to constituents in several states or districts in hopes of winning
their votes in the future?
a. Log-rolling legislation
b. Pork-barrel legislation
c. Commemorative legislation
d. Majoritarian legislation
e. Entrepreneurial legislation
32. In ancient Athens, which group had the right to vote?
a. All who served in the military
b. All adult citizens
c. City elders
d. All males
e. Males with property
33. What is the impact of self-interest on the positions people take on important issues?
a. The self-interest of individuals is usually a complete guide to their actions.
b. Economic self-interest may be important, but it is usually not the only guide to people’s actions.
c. Organizational self-interest, rather than economic self-interest, is usually the best guide to people’s actions.
d. Political preferences can be predicted invariably by knowing an individual’s economic or organizational
position.
e. Self-interest is rarely an important factor in understanding political attitudes and behavior.
34. Which of the following people is the best-known example of a policy entrepreneur?
a. Abraham Lincoln
b. Michelle Obama
c. Ronald Reagan
d. Ralph Nader
e. Al Gore
35. According to the Framers of the Constitution, who is the best judge of the people's best interests?
a. The people
b. The landed elite
Page 6
