Exam 13: Government, Political Power, and Social Movements

How does C. Wright Mills's theory of the power elite help interpret the concern that some U.S. citizens have about the "deep state"?

What was one important way that the Internet shaped the outcome of the 2016 presidential election?

The queen of England may seem to outsiders as a figurehead, a relic of the past. But she has the power to declare war on other nations. England is governed by a parliament and a prime minister, however, that are elected by the people. England is what kind of democracy?

What is one change that would improve civil society? Explain how the change is related to civil society.

For more than half a century, the U.S. government has committed to providing material benefits to citizens who are unable to support themselves. This is called the:

Among the world's larger nations, literacy rates tend to be high. Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and China all have literacy rates of 95 percent or higher. By contrast, countries like Chad and Sierra Leone have literacy rates that just pass 30 percent. Since one key indicator of voter turnout is literacy rate, we might be surprised to learn that the country from the list below with the worst voter turnout rate is:

The idea of the welfare state has generated a lot of debate in the United States over the past 50 years, especially during elections. The notion of the state guaranteeing basic provisions to citizens, though, is an integral part of our ________ rights.

Some would suggest that the ideas put forth by some of the smaller parties in the United States are radical and not appropriate. The Libertarian Party, for example, opposes all governmental control of the economy, while the Green Party wants government to control corporate interests. Their presence in the political scene, however, challenges the definition of the U.S. political system as a:

The term that refers to the rightfully executed use of power is:

What has given rise to the legitimation crisis in liberal democracies?

We often take for granted our right to vote in elections and run for office, but as part of a democracy, these are considered to be:

When groups of people seek civil rights, they mean that they believe their rights should be based in:

Why is the Republican Party considered a political party but the Boy Scouts are not?

President Dwight Eisenhower delivered a farewell address in 1961 that warned of possible threats to democracy and suggested that the large corporations and the military, in cooperation with the government, could exercise too much power. Sociologists refer to this network of groups as the:

Based on recent trends, what can be predicted about the relationship between income and voting preference?

Which is an example of a nation without a state?

Neil Smelser's theoretical model predicts that the U.S. approach of having no state-sponsored religion is an example of structural conduciveness. What does the condition of no state-sponsored religion predict for society?

A defining characteristic of a nation-state is that:

List the three levels of power in the United States, as theorized by C. Wright Mills. Briefly describe the type of power held by each.

Populism arises when citizens are frustrated with politics that are focused on the needs and interests of: