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POS 101 R. R. Pope
Citizens & Governance Spring 2000

1. _X_The details of contemporary American politics.
   
2. "Comparative politics," including a substantial number of examples from Russian politics and culture, the instructor's area of expertise.
   
3. What we can realistically expect from government..
   
4. The limitations "human nature" places on what we can expect government to do.
   

1. An effort by employees of a firm to "restrict" the changes that a new boss wants to make.
   
2. The recent effort by ISU students taking POS 101 to pressure the University Administration into granting them credit for the constitution test requirement for this class.
   
3. An effort by a teenage son and daughter to persuade their parents to let them go on a skiing trip with their friends.
   
4. _X_ All of the above to some extent involve "politics."
   

1. Government seems to be needed to facilitate solving collective problems.
   
2. _X_ Government, at its best, has proven capable of providing complete "cradle to grave" security for members of society.
   
3. Government seems to be needed to provide security.
   
4. We seem to have a need for "order"- which government provides.

1. Taking the initiative in identifying and solving problems that affect the community as a whole.
   
2. _X_ Solving individual problems for all members of the society.
   
3. Providing security for the community from, for example foreign military threats, international terrorism, and communicable diseases
   
4. Providing "order" in society, for example, through passing and enforcing traffic and other laws and regulations.
   

1. Anarchic.
   
2. Authoritarian.
   
3. _X_ Totalitarian
   
4. Democratic.
   
5. None of the above.
   
   

1. We are capable of working out a theoretically perfect society.
   
2. We are capable of finding at least partial solutions to significant social and political problems.
   
3. _X_ We can in fact develop fully satisfactory and effective solutions to problems of race relations, abortion, etc. which will be universally accepted.
   
4. We can effectively manage a political system with limited governmental power and "checks and balances."
   

1. If people were perfect, laws wouldn't be necessary.
   
2. We are good enough to make the American political system possible, but bad enough to make it necessary.
   
3. We can make improvements in many areas of our society such as welfare, education, and law enforcement, but we can never completely eliminate problems in these and similar areas.
   
4. _X_ All of the above are compatible with the view of human nature discussed in this course.

1. The tendency political conservatives have to not see all the merits of specific government programs such as taxpayer support for the arts.
   
2. _X_ The tendency some students have to not fully recognize that they do need to work on their writing.
   
3. The tendency we all have to not fully recognize actual and potential problems in government policies that we basically agree with
   
4. The tendency supporters of Al Gore have to not fully recognize the merit in at least some of Bill Bradley's criticism of their candidate.

1. can be fully compensated for once we understand what is going on.
   
2. _X_ helps to explain why Republicans and Democrats disagree over things such as how best to spend the current budget surplus and healthcare reform.
   
3. tends to influence our thinking only when we don't fully understand a situation.
   
4. is a major problem only for people with a limited education who are therefore not going to be aware of this phenomenon.

1. Concluding that when a "fellow Republican" and someone whose opinion we respect is talking about a Democratic proposal for educational reform, that he/she fully agrees with our complete rejection of the plan- when this is not in fact the case.
   
2. _X_ Declining an invitation to hear a speaker being sponsored by those who support the unionization of ISU faculty- which we are inclined to oppose.
   
3. Not noticing the fact that a friend has just made a good point in an argument we are having.
   
4. Laughing at a professors jokes- even when they are not funny.
   

11. Based on our discussion of "political culture," which of the following is the most defensible statement?

1. It is only because the Russians lived under Communism for 74 years that so many of them believe they need a "strong leader."
   
2. "Cultural differences" fully explain why other countries do things differently than here in America.
   
3. _X_ Different historical experiences and traditions help to explain why, for example, European countries generally have much stricter gun control laws than we have here in the U.S.
   
4. Our superior political culture fully explains why America can legitimately be considered the number one country in the world.
   

1. _X_ Power involves the threat or use of force/coercion and persuasion.
   
2. Power involves the ability to take legally sanctioned action.
   
3. Power involves coercion only; persuasion is the basis for "influence."
   
4. None of the above.

1. Given enough careful thought, "power" can be completely and clearly defined.
   
2. Power involves the use of "force" or "coercion" and "influence."
   
3. _X_"Authority" is "institutionalized power."

1. Two police officers asking a group of college students to disburse- jokingly suggesting that they go back to studying.
   
2. _X_The commander of a heavily armed UN peacekeeping force which is escorting a group of Serbian refugees ordering an angry crowd of Kosavar Albanians to disburse.
   
3. A parent making a suggestion to an adult child in response to a question the son or daughter has asked about a job offer they are considering.
   
4. A street person pestering a passerby for "a little change."

1. Jesse Jackson's efforts to get the Decatur School Board to reverse its decision to expel the students who got into the fight at the football game.
   
2. The current presidential candidates attempting to get people to vote for them in the primary elections.
   
3. President Clinton's efforts to get the Republican controlled Congress to raise the minimum wage.
   
4. _X_ All of the above are examples of efforts to exert influence more than apply power.

1. _X_ A police officer explaining to a group of college students that they need to disburse for safety reasons- and what will happen (tickets and possible arrest) if they don't obey his lawful order.
   
2. The Decatur School Board's decision to expel the high school students for fighting.
   
3. The TV ad the tobacco industry is currently running that shows a store owner refusing to sell cigarets to kids who are clearly under
4. A mugger who grabs a woman's purse and runs.
   

1. A parent asking a teenager to finish their homework before watching TV.
   
2. A police officer discussing the D.A.R.E (drug abuse) program with a 5th grade class.
   
3. _X_ A group of college students in an art class discussing the different ways it is possible to interpret a painting by Picasso.
   
4. A prison inmate attempting to convince the parole board that he has been rehabilitated and is no longer a threat to society.

 

18. Based on our discussion in class, which of the following cannot reasonably be considered a "strength of democracy"?

1. _X_ The ability to always move quickly to deal with issues- no matter how complex and controversial they might be.
   
2. The ability, in general, to encourage participation in the system by a wide variety of people, especially in comparison with non-democratic political systems
   
3. The ability to peacefully accommodate a relatively wide range of political views.
   
4. The ability to peacefully change political leadership through regularly scheduled elections.

19. Based on our discussion in class, which of the following can reasonably be considered a "strength of democracy"?

1. The ability to completely eliminate conflict in society through regularly scheduled competitive elections.
   
2. The ability, through elections, to select political leaders who are capable of finding solutions to society's problems that essentially everyone can support.
   
3. The ability to always avoid the use of armed force in order to settle conflicts.
   
4. _X_ The ability to eventually encourage compromise when there are conflicting points of view over, for example, healthcare reform.

1. Transfer of resources.
   
2. Subsidies with strings attached.
   
3. Regulation.
   
4. _X_ Research and development.
   
5. Development and administration.

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