Exam 19: Politics and Social Movements

Looking at Canada,which theory describes best our society: pluralism or elite theory? Why? Could a Marxist theory better account for our politics?

Apathy Is Boring is a nonprofit organization that promotes civic responsibility,including exercising the right to vote.According to Apathy Is Boring,democracy can't work for people unless the people understand it and get out and vote.Who would endorse this organization?

Paul and Mary were having a heated political discussion and Paul asserted "Sure,the United States is a democracy-but just remember that democracy means mob rule by the power elites." Who was Paul referring to?

Which term refers to a citizen's right to a certain level of economic security and public participation?

Sergei and his friends wanted to create a recycling program in a small rural community.They convinced many people of the potential benefits that could result from their ideas and gained their support for moving forward.If Sergei and his friends use this support to obtain the authority to complete the task,what will Sergei and his friends have created?

Citizens of both Canada and Sweden are legally free to vote and influence their governments,but because the working class is more powerful in Sweden,the legal right of Swedes to vote and influence governments has been turned into real political influence on a wider scale.

In a class discussion Wayne asserted that considering Canada to be a democratic society was a joke.When asked to explain,Wayne retorted that in a truly democratic system you would not see the huge economic inequality that currently exists in Canada,with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer,and the majority of government policies aimed at benefiting the corporations.What theoretical perspective has Wayne adopted?

As a result of the Occupy Movement,the issue of class conflict has been dismissed in the political realms.

Democracy - "a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system." Would you argue that a robust voter turnout is fundamental to a healthy democracy? Explain your position.

During a conversation about the voter turnout and results of the previous week's provincial election,Stefan was surprised to hear that one of his friends did not even bother to vote.Who of the following would it most likely be?

When did Canadian women win the right to vote in federal elections?

According to pluralists,what type of society do we inhabit?

Which of the following is part of civil society?

The "coercive apparatus of the state" refers to the police and court system.

What segment of society do the police and the military represent?

In a class presentation on "Violence against Women," Geena argued that intimate partner violence is the result of a societal patriarchal ideology and the accompanying male domination within a family.Which feminist stance provides the basis for Geena's position?

Describe the basic tenets of resource-mobilization theory.Is it applicable to Canada? Why?

The globalization of social movements is facilitated by travel and communication with like-minded activists from other countries.

A critic of Western culture says U.S.involvement in Iraq is nothing but a thinly disguised sham for American imperialism led by senior government officials,corporate contractors,and military leaders.Which theoretical perspective would endorse this analysis?

What have studies by Clement,Olsen,and Brym shown about Canada's elites?