Question 1

What is a labor union? Why have unions in the United States suffered from a decline in membership since the 1980s?

Accepted Answer

In the early development of modern indus

Question 2

Joseph Schumpeter argued that:

Accepted Answer

A) democracy ensured that the will of the people trumped that of politicians 
B) democracy is more important as a method of generating effective and responsible government than as a means of providing significant power for the majority 
C) only through the separation of government into three branches-the legislative, the judicial, and the executive-can people be protected from tyrannical dictators 
D) democracy was impossible to achieve until technological achievements rendered it possible 
E) Weber's ideas were mired in the past and needed to be completely rejected 
A) democracy ensured that the will of the people trumped that of politicians 
B) democracy is more important as a method of generating effective and responsible government than as a means of providing significant power for the majority 
C) only through the separation of government into three branches-the legislative, the judicial, and the executive-can people be protected from tyrannical dictators 
D) democracy was impossible to achieve until technological achievements rendered it possible 
E) Weber's ideas were mired in the past and needed to be completely rejected

Question 3

Using the concept of division of labor,describe the key differences in the nature of work in traditional versus modern societies.

Accepted Answer

The economic system of modern societies

Question 4

Miriam is a sociologist who has great faith in the U.S.political system.She subscribes to the theory that government policies in a democracy are influenced by continual processes of bargaining among numerous groups representing different interests.Miriam's ideas could best be described as:

Accepted Answer

A) democratic elitist 
B) pluralist 
C) power elitist 
D) multicultural 
E) apolitical 
A) democratic elitist 
B) pluralist 
C) power elitist 
D) multicultural 
E) apolitical

Question 5

Explain the three different forms of democracy.

Accepted Answer

The first type is participatory democrac

Question 6

According to the text,which of the following statements may help to explain why so many people decide not to vote in the United States?

Accepted Answer

A) Countries with high literacy rates tend to have lower voter turnout. 
B) Relatively high incomes in the United States compared to other countries means that potential voters have less incentive to cast their vote. 
C) Voters may sometimes feel that they lack effective choices due to the domination of only two political parties. 
D) The existence of well-established political freedoms and civil liberties gives voters less incentive to go to the polls. 
E) The less extensive range of elections in the United States when compared to other states alienates voters who would prefer to have elections for a greater number of offices. 
A) Countries with high literacy rates tend to have lower voter turnout. 
B) Relatively high incomes in the United States compared to other countries means that potential voters have less incentive to cast their vote. 
C) Voters may sometimes feel that they lack effective choices due to the domination of only two political parties. 
D) The existence of well-established political freedoms and civil liberties gives voters less incentive to go to the polls. 
E) The less extensive range of elections in the United States when compared to other states alienates voters who would prefer to have elections for a greater number of offices.

Question 7

Jennifer works in a factory that manufactures microwave ovens.During her eight-hour shift,she tightens four screws on each unit that passes on an assembly line belt.She performs this task on more than 1,500 microwave ovens per day.Her work is an example of whose innovation in industry?

Accepted Answer

A) Max Weber 
B) Karl Marx 
C) Adam Smith 
D) Henry Ford 
E) Ernst Young 
A) Max Weber 
B) Karl Marx 
C) Adam Smith 
D) Henry Ford 
E) Ernst Young

Question 8

Why did Max Weber assume that direct democracy is impossible as a means of regular government in large-scale societies?

Accepted Answer

A) because direct democracies would be at a military disadvantage to other more authoritarian societies 
B) because at the time when Weber wrote, no direct democracies had yet existed 
C) because the costs of direct democratic rule in large-scale societies would be especially prohibitive 
D) because large-scale societies have too much racial, social, economic, and cultural diversity to allow for easy consensus 
E) because millions of people cannot meet to make political decisions and running a complex society demands expertise 
A) because direct democracies would be at a military disadvantage to other more authoritarian societies 
B) because at the time when Weber wrote, no direct democracies had yet existed 
C) because the costs of direct democratic rule in large-scale societies would be especially prohibitive 
D) because large-scale societies have too much racial, social, economic, and cultural diversity to allow for easy consensus 
E) because millions of people cannot meet to make political decisions and running a complex society demands expertise

Question 9

John Davison Rockefeller was an American industrialist who founded the Standard Oil Company in 1870.He later founded and bought several other companies and became the world's richest man.He also founded and donated large amounts of money to philanthropic organizations.Rockefeller's career is an excellent example of what the text refers to as:

Accepted Answer

A) welfare capitalism 
B) managerial capitalism 
C) family capitalism 
D) institutional capitalism 
E) state capitalism 
A) welfare capitalism 
B) managerial capitalism 
C) family capitalism 
D) institutional capitalism 
E) state capitalism

Question 10

Sofia is a sociologist who sees capitalism as developing through three distinct phases.In what chronological order would she probably put these three phases of capitalism?

Accepted Answer

A) managerial capitalism, family capitalism, and institutional capitalism 
B) institutional capitalism, managerial capitalism, and family capitalism 
C) family capitalism, institutional capitalism, and managerial capitalism 
D) family capitalism, managerial capitalism, and institutional capitalism 
E) managerial capitalism, institutional capitalism, and family capitalism 
A) managerial capitalism, family capitalism, and institutional capitalism 
B) institutional capitalism, managerial capitalism, and family capitalism 
C) family capitalism, institutional capitalism, and managerial capitalism 
D) family capitalism, managerial capitalism, and institutional capitalism 
E) managerial capitalism, institutional capitalism, and family capitalism

Question 11

According to the text,what is a typical characteristic of multiparty political systems?

Accepted Answer

A) There is a greater concentration of political ideas on the "middle ground" than in two-party systems. 
B) Coalitions in which no one party has a clear majority can result in stalemate and deadlock. 
C) Legal restrictions are placed on the number of political parties. 
D) There is a closer resemblance among the various political parties than in two-party systems. 
E) It is easy for one party to dominate the system. 
A) There is a greater concentration of political ideas on the "middle ground" than in two-party systems. 
B) Coalitions in which no one party has a clear majority can result in stalemate and deadlock. 
C) Legal restrictions are placed on the number of political parties. 
D) There is a closer resemblance among the various political parties than in two-party systems. 
E) It is easy for one party to dominate the system.

Question 12

According to the text,what upset protesting Wisconsin state workers the most about the passage of the Budget Repair Bill?

Accepted Answer

A) the reduction of health benefits for many workers 
B) the elimination of pensions for retired workers 
C) the fact that it was signed by a Republican governor 
D) the inclusion of large increases in state workers' contributions to their own pension plans 
E) the efforts to limit their ability to engage in collective bargaining 
A) the reduction of health benefits for many workers 
B) the elimination of pensions for retired workers 
C) the fact that it was signed by a Republican governor 
D) the inclusion of large increases in state workers' contributions to their own pension plans 
E) the efforts to limit their ability to engage in collective bargaining

Question 13

Max spends most of his time in the house taking care of his children and his sister's children.He cooks for them,takes them to school,and keeps an eye on them when they get out of school in the afternoons and in the summertime.In exchange for this help,his sister lends his family an extra apartment she has in her multi-family home.What is the term that sociologists use to refer to this kind of transaction?

Accepted Answer

A) informal economy 
B) tax-evasion planning 
C) dual goods exchange 
D) socialism 
E) applied work 
A) informal economy 
B) tax-evasion planning 
C) dual goods exchange 
D) socialism 
E) applied work

Question 14

According to the text,why did labor unions develop?

Accepted Answer

A) to ensure that business owners could control unruly workers 
B) to provide a pool of unskilled labor that business owners could draw on in times of economic depression 
C) to redress the imbalance of power between workers and employers 
D) to force politicians to invest heavily in certain strategic sectors 
E) to reduce the alienation of shareholders in large corporations 
A) to ensure that business owners could control unruly workers 
B) to provide a pool of unskilled labor that business owners could draw on in times of economic depression 
C) to redress the imbalance of power between workers and employers 
D) to force politicians to invest heavily in certain strategic sectors 
E) to reduce the alienation of shareholders in large corporations

Question 15

Why were workers powerless to be helpful and make things work again in sociologist Richard Sennett's study on the skill debate that was cited in the text?

Accepted Answer

A) They lacked a university education. 
B) Labor unions refused to allow them proper training. 
C) Their employers fired them before they could do so. 
D) As employees of large transnational corporations, they changed location of employment too often to really get a handle on how to do their jobs properly. 
E) Automation had diminished their autonomy. 
A) They lacked a university education. 
B) Labor unions refused to allow them proper training. 
C) Their employers fired them before they could do so. 
D) As employees of large transnational corporations, they changed location of employment too often to really get a handle on how to do their jobs properly. 
E) Automation had diminished their autonomy.

Question 16

Why did most countries largely abandon Keynesian policies in the 1970s and 1980s?

Accepted Answer

A) In the face of economic globalization, governments lost the ability to control economic life as they once had. 
B) The publication of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations pushed governments toward more liberal economic policies. 
C) High rates of unemployment forced governments to admit that Keynesian policies had failed and to look for alternatives. 
D) The fall of the Berlin Wall demonstrated the failure of communist economic policies in general and Keynesian economics specifically. 
E) The failure of technology to advance sufficiently in these decades crippled Western economies and forced them to invest more heavily in innovation. 
A) In the face of economic globalization, governments lost the ability to control economic life as they once had. 
B) The publication of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations pushed governments toward more liberal economic policies. 
C) High rates of unemployment forced governments to admit that Keynesian policies had failed and to look for alternatives. 
D) The fall of the Berlin Wall demonstrated the failure of communist economic policies in general and Keynesian economics specifically. 
E) The failure of technology to advance sufficiently in these decades crippled Western economies and forced them to invest more heavily in innovation.

Question 17

Many sociologists argue that large numbers of Americans are dissatisfied with the U.S.political system today because:

Accepted Answer

A) the capitalist economies have failed to generate sufficient wealth compared to other economic systems 
B) the United States has a worse record of civil rights abuse than most other states 
C) even though capitalist economies such as that of the United States have proved to generate more wealth than any other type of economic systems, that wealth is unevenly distributed 
D) more people are unemployed today than ever before in the United States 
E) most American politicians today lack the charisma and character of the gifted orators of previous generations and thus have been unable to "sell the system" to the American people 
A) the capitalist economies have failed to generate sufficient wealth compared to other economic systems 
B) the United States has a worse record of civil rights abuse than most other states 
C) even though capitalist economies such as that of the United States have proved to generate more wealth than any other type of economic systems, that wealth is unevenly distributed 
D) more people are unemployed today than ever before in the United States 
E) most American politicians today lack the charisma and character of the gifted orators of previous generations and thus have been unable to "sell the system" to the American people

Question 18

What are the main features of capitalism?

Accepted Answer

Capitalism is a way of organizing econom

Question 19

What are the three main characteristics of the modern nation-state?

Accepted Answer

The book directly outlines this,and stud

Question 20

Marie lives in Marseilles,France.She loves to watch the Olympics to see athletes compete and is especially pleased when French athletes win events and the French national anthem is played during medal award ceremonies.She feels pride in her country and in its heritage.What term would sociologists probably employ to explain her reactions?

Accepted Answer

A) sovereignty 
B) nationalism 
C) alienation 
D) citizenship 
E) civil rights 
A) sovereignty 
B) nationalism 
C) alienation 
D) citizenship 
E) civil rights

What is a labor union? Why have unions in the United States suffered from a decline in membership since the 1980s?

Joseph Schumpeter argued that:

Using the concept of division of labor,describe the key differences in the nature of work in traditional versus modern societies.

Miriam is a sociologist who has great faith in the U.S.political system.She subscribes to the theory that government policies in a democracy are influenced by continual processes of bargaining among numerous groups representing different interests.Miriam's ideas could best be described as:

Explain the three different forms of democracy.

According to the text,which of the following statements may help to explain why so many people decide not to vote in the United States?

Jennifer works in a factory that manufactures microwave ovens.During her eight-hour shift,she tightens four screws on each unit that passes on an assembly line belt.She performs this task on more than 1,500 microwave ovens per day.Her work is an example of whose innovation in industry?

Why did Max Weber assume that direct democracy is impossible as a means of regular government in large-scale societies?

Sofia is a sociologist who sees capitalism as developing through three distinct phases.In what chronological order would she probably put these three phases of capitalism?

According to the text,what is a typical characteristic of multiparty political systems?

According to the text,what upset protesting Wisconsin state workers the most about the passage of the Budget Repair Bill?

According to the text,why did labor unions develop?

Why were workers powerless to be helpful and make things work again in sociologist Richard Sennett's study on the skill debate that was cited in the text?

Why did most countries largely abandon Keynesian policies in the 1970s and 1980s?

Many sociologists argue that large numbers of Americans are dissatisfied with the U.S.political system today because:

What are the main features of capitalism?

What are the three main characteristics of the modern nation-state?

Sociology: Theory and Method

Culture and Society

Socialization, the Life Course, and Aging

Social Interaction and Everyday Life in the Age of the Internet

Groups, Networks, and Organizations

Conformity, Deviance, and Crime

Stratification, Class, and Inequality

Global Inequality

Gender Inequality

Ethnicity and Race

Families and Intimate Relationships

Education and Religion

The Sociology of the Body: Health, Illness, and Sexuality

Urbanization, Population, and the Environment

Globalization in a Changing World

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Exam 13: Politics and Economic Life

What is a labor union? Why have unions in the United States suffered from a decline in membership since the 1980s?

Joseph Schumpeter argued that:

Using the concept of division of labor,describe the key differences in the nature of work in traditional versus modern societies.

Miriam is a sociologist who has great faith in the U.S.political system.She subscribes to the theory that government policies in a democracy are influenced by continual processes of bargaining among numerous groups representing different interests.Miriam's ideas could best be described as:

Explain the three different forms of democracy.

According to the text,which of the following statements may help to explain why so many people decide not to vote in the United States?

Jennifer works in a factory that manufactures microwave ovens.During her eight-hour shift,she tightens four screws on each unit that passes on an assembly line belt.She performs this task on more than 1,500 microwave ovens per day.Her work is an example of whose innovation in industry?

Why did Max Weber assume that direct democracy is impossible as a means of regular government in large-scale societies?

Sofia is a sociologist who sees capitalism as developing through three distinct phases.In what chronological order would she probably put these three phases of capitalism?

According to the text,what is a typical characteristic of multiparty political systems?

According to the text,what upset protesting Wisconsin state workers the most about the passage of the Budget Repair Bill?

According to the text,why did labor unions develop?

Why were workers powerless to be helpful and make things work again in sociologist Richard Sennett's study on the skill debate that was cited in the text?

Why did most countries largely abandon Keynesian policies in the 1970s and 1980s?

Many sociologists argue that large numbers of Americans are dissatisfied with the U.S.political system today because:

What are the main features of capitalism?

What are the three main characteristics of the modern nation-state?

Sociology: Theory and Method

Culture and Society

Socialization, the Life Course, and Aging

Social Interaction and Everyday Life in the Age of the Internet

Groups, Networks, and Organizations

Conformity, Deviance, and Crime

Stratification, Class, and Inequality

Global Inequality

Gender Inequality

Ethnicity and Race

Families and Intimate Relationships

Education and Religion

The Sociology of the Body: Health, Illness, and Sexuality

Urbanization, Population, and the Environment

Globalization in a Changing World

Filters