Exam 1: The Sociological Perspective and Research Process

The United States was the first nation to formally address the issue of equality in employment for persons with a disability.

Sociologist _______________applied the term power elite to the most powerful in society, who are those at the top of business, the executive branch of the federal government, and the military.

Describe the role of special interest groups within the functionalist perspective on power and political systems.

_____________is the ability of persons or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others. Through the use of persuasion, authority, or force, some people are able to get others to submit to their demands.

An ideal capitalist economy requires government regulation in order to work properly.

Weber used the term_____________ authority for power that is legitimized on the basis of long-standing custom.

All rulers need the support of the military and the backing of business elites to maintain their position.

The U.S. Constitution grants authority to the person who occupies the office of the presidency; any particular president who fails to uphold the public trust may be removed from office.

Define socialism, and describe its major characteristics.

In the United States, the political system is a(n)_______________ in which people have a voice in the government elected representatives who serve as bridges between themselves and the government.

Citizen groups such as the American Conservative Union and the Population Connection are examples of __________.

The United States is the only nation that has a purely capitalist economic system.

Companies such as Time Warner and Viacom have extensive holdings in radio and television stations, cable television companies, book publishing firms, and film production and distribution companies. These companies are referred to as ________________.

Political parties create a_______________ , which is a formal statement of the party's political positions on various social and economic issues.

In Weber's work on authority, the term _____________authority refers to power legitimized by law or written rules and regulations.

_____________is the formal organization that has the legal and political authority to regulate the relationships among members of a society and between that society and those outside its borders.

_______________result when military officers seize power from the government, as has happened in recent decades in Argentina, Chile, and Haiti.

_______________is an economic system characterized by public ownership of the means of production, the pursuit of collective goals, and centralized decision making.

A _______________is an organization whose purpose is to gain and hold legitimate control of government; it is usually composed of people with similar attitudes, interests, and socioeconomic status.

Large-scale organizations that have their own legal powers as an organization separate from the individual owners, such as the ability to enter into contracts and buy and sell property, are termed_______________ .