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POS 101R. R. Pope
Citizens & GovernanceSpring 2000

1. Fascism.
   
2. Dictatorship.
   
3. Democracy.
   
4. Totalitarianism.
   
5. _X_ None of the above.

1. an emphasis on equality for all citizens.
   
2. the development of an ideal system in which "justice for all" can prevail.
   
3. _X_ the requirement that all citizens put the interests of the state first.
   
4. the government's attempt to control every aspect of society.
   
5. None of the above.

1. The degree to which the political system is democratic.
   
2. _X_ The degree to which the government attempts to solve social problems.
   
3. The extent to which individual liberties, such as freedom of speech and freedom of conscious are protected.
   
4. The degree to which the government responds to public opinion.
   
5. There are major differences between socialism and capitalism in all of the above areas.

1. The system's emphasis, at least in theory, on equality among citizens.
   
2. The system's emphasis on the interests of the individual vs. the interests of the group.
   
3. _X_The degree of control the government attempts to exercise over society.
   
4. The system's assumption regarding the proper role of government in society.

1. in the nineteenth century "socialists" believed that government should intervene as little as possible in people's daily lives.
   
2. nineteenth century "liberals" believed in a strong central government capable of protecting the rights of individual citizens.
   
3. _X_ socialists were not as suspicious as liberals of the concentration of government power.
   
4. None of the above is stated or implied by Shively.
   

6. Which of the following statements about Communism, if any, does not fit well with what the instructor said in class?

1. Soviet Communism was one of the grandest political, economic, and social experiments of all time.
   
2. The Soviet system managed significant accomplishments in a number of areas, especially in its early years.
   
3. Exaggerated propaganda made a major contribution to undermining the legitimacy of the Soviet system
   
4. The Soviet system ultimately proved incapable of generating and implementing significant innovation.
   
5. _X_ All of the above are compatible with what the instructor said in class.

1. Although he ultimately failed, Gorbachev made a grand effort to reform the Soviet system.
   
2. The Soviet system was unable to adopt the new technology it needed to keep productivity from declining.
   
3. Ultimately the Soviet system lost its legitimacy with the public in part because it was unable to deliver on its promises.
   
4. _X_ All of the above are either directly stated by Brand or can reasonably be inferred from his argument.

1. The profit motive makes a major contribution to economic prosperity.
   
2. It is best to encourage successful investors to continue to make money because, in general, they can only do this by producing goods and/or services that benefit the economy.
   
3. In general, government is not nearly as efficient as private enterprise in meeting society's economic needs.
   
4. According to at least some people, giving to charity is not in fact the best way for successful businessmen to use their resources.
   
5. _X_ All of the above are supported by what was presented in the video.

1. Efforts to "privatize" the public schools, like the Emerson Project, are, at least in principal, a good idea.
   
2. It is probably a good idea to "privatize" the Air Traffic Control system.
   
3. Lowering the tax rate on the wealthiest people in the country should lead to improvements in the standard of living for everyone- because the wealthy will have more money to invest.
   
4. The fact that the wealthy are able to flaunt their riches through "conspicuous consumption" is not all bad.
   
5. _X_ All of the above follow from the perspective presented in the "Greed" video.

1. "Conspicuous consumption" has replaced things like religion and "social class" as a means for determining social status.
   
2. A substantial percentage of young people today expect to become rich.
   
3. Drinking expensive coffee is a sign of social status.
   
4. _X_ Just as in the past, we should not expect anything good to come from the "super wealth" of our era.
   
5. None of the above are in fact supported or suggested by the article.

1. By and large, Chinese leaders understand the need for a market economy as opposed to trying to "centrally plan" the entire economy.
   
2. Corruption is a major problem in China.
   
3. _X_ In their effort to put China on a par with the West, the leaders of the Communist Party are willing to share a significant amount of their political power with others.
   
4. Market economic forces are having a major impact on Chinese society, including the political system.
   
5. All of the above are noted in Kristof's article.

1. It encourages innovation.
   
2. It insures that a wide range of useful products and services will generally be available- at least to those who can afford them.
   
3. When competition is in fact present, it encourages the production of quality products at a fair price.
   
4. _X_When all is said and done, pure capitalism does an excellent job of insuring that every citizen gets what he or she truly deserves.
   
5. All of the above can reasonably be considered strengths of capitalism.

1. an excessive emphasis on "private property" and the "profit motive."
   
2. an excessive emphasis on "individual rights and liberties" to the determent of the interests of society as a whole.
   
3. a tendency to encourage disruptive innovation.
   
4. _X_a tendency to encourage the production of "frivolous" products, that is, products that no one really needs, even though people are wiling to buy them.

14. Based on the lectures, which of the following, if any, can reasonably be considered a legitimate strength of "socialism."

1. It tends to discourage wasteful innovation.
   
2. It tends to make it possible for some people to take a "free ride."
   
3. _X_In principal at least, socialism aims to promote reasonable equality.
   
4. Based on the lecture, none of the above can be considered legitimate strengths of socialism.

1. It is very difficult to promote democracy in a socialist system.
   
2. Private enterprise is all but impossible to sustain because of substantial government red tape and excessively high taxes.
   
3. _X_ It is difficult to keep a substantial number of people from abusing the "safety net" the system provides, for example, in the form of generous unemployment benefits and free medical care.
   
4. All of the above are weaknesses of socialism.

1. _X_ A willingness to make significant changes in the political system, provided these changes result in less government involvement.
   
2. A willingness to spend substantial amounts on national defense.
   
3. A willingness to compromise on major controversial issues.
   
4. None of the above distinguishes a "dictionary" from a "political" conservative.

1. Contemporary or "political" liberals believe that less government is better, while contemporary or "political" conservatives want a strong central government.
   
2. _X_ Liberals believe that problems frequently can be solved with substantial government involvement, while conservatives tend to believe that government generally is a part of the problem, so that we are better off with less government.
   
3. Liberals prefer to emphasize "individual initiative " while conservatives prefer to emphasize "collective action."
   
4. All of the above distinguish contemporary or "political" liberals from contemporary or "political" conservatives.

1. _X_ As long as the majority is well informed, the rights of minorities are guaranteed to be protected.
   
2. Through either formal or informal "checks and balances" it generally is possible to keep one group or individual from monopolizing power.
   
3. Individual liberty is generally protected better than in alternative political systems.
   
4. All of the above are true.

1. Democratic countries have superior cultures.
   
2. _X_ The democratic system, with its political competition, generally makes it possible to identify and respond to problems more effectively than other systems.
   
3. A democratic system can eliminate corruption.
   
4. Because democratic systems protect civil rights, they can guarantee that, ultimately, only truly workable policies will be adopted by the government and that, because the leaders are chosen through competitive elections, these policies will be fully supported by the public
   
5. All of the above help to explain why democracy is better than the alternatives.

1. When genuine competition is present, an "invisible hand" generally guides people to make productive contributions to society- whatever their personal motives may be.
   
2. _X_ In the real world of capitalism, unrestrained greed does not have to be a significant problem.
   
3. When the profit motive is present we generally get better products at lower prices than when it isn't present.
   
4. It is possible to argue that the profit motive contributes even more to society than charity.
   
5. Capitalists generally have to benefit society in order to succeed.

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