AP Government and Politics › Forming Political Beliefs
John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote in opposition to the divine right of kings. They wrote about a government’s duty to uphold people’s rights and how the governments should draw their power from the consent of the governed. These new found ideas encouraged ultimately led people to?
Engage in revolutions to establish democratic governments
Remain firm in their support of absolute monarchs
Look for leaders who would exercise dictatorial powers
Call for church leaders to create theocracies and replace the monarchies
Many enlightenment writes challenges the authority of long established monarchs. Locke and Rousseau argued that government should be based on the consent of the governed, this is a fundamental idea behind a number of constitutional elements of American democracy.
Rational-choice theory states that __________.
voters are most likely to vote for a candidate who best serves their own interests
politicians will always act in the best interests of the district which elected them
voters will always make the best choice for the overall good of the nation
people will almost always be opposed to a declaration of war
politicians will always act in the best interests of those who help fund their campaigns
Rational-choice theory states that when picking a candidate for any branch of government, the voter is most likely to pick a candidate that will best serve his or her interests. For example, a wealthy person is most likely to vote for someone who will protect the interests of the wealthy. This is in contrast to the more ideological notion that a voter should pick a candidate who will serve the greatest good for the country.
The term "political socialization" refers to a process by which
People acquire their political affiliations, ideas, and behaviors
Governments become more intrusive in their citizens' lives
Governments redistribute wealth among their citizens
People come into contact with other citizens through political discussions
People become more involved in the political process as they grow older
The term political socialization refers to the process through which people develop their political beliefs and affiliations. Agents of political socialization can include (but are not limited to) families, the media, friends, schools, and religious communities.
Which of these best summarizes the political beliefs of a libertarian?
Favor a free market economy and no government interference in social life or personal liberty
Favor a regulated economy, but no government interference in social or private life
Favor a free market economy, but with government regulation of social behavior
Favor a regulated economy and government regulation of social behavior
Favor a strong centralized government that spends heavily on defense programs
Libertarianism is a political philosophy that takes its name from original liberalism. Libertarians believe that the government should be very small and have limited powers. They favor a completely free and unregulated economy and believe the government should not be able to interfere in social or private life, or regulate personal liberty.
Advocates of Keynesian economics would most likely contend that __________.
the government should wield greater economic influence during times of recession to help the economy to recover
the government should stay out of the economy as much as possible, in order to prevent artificial inflation
the national government should always seek a favorable balance of trade with foreign nations
the United States Federal Government should issue tariffs against goods imported from foreign nations to protect American internal interests
the Stock market is naturally volatile and should be considered detrimental to the maintenance of a healthy economy
Keynesian economic theory is derived from the writings of British economist John Maynard Keynes in the 1930s. The theory primarily contends that the government should wield greater economic influence during times of recession and depression to aid the recovery of the economy. As an economic theory, it was most influential during the Great Depression, but has seen a resurgence during the recent recession of the early twenty-first century.
According the Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence (1776), the purpose of government is to __________.
protect people’s natural rights
protect the society at the expense of the individual
protect people from foreign invaders
protect all from anarchy
Jefferson wrote about inalienable rights which were given to people by their creator. He also went on to describe that no government should have the authority to infringe on these rights. Much of the Declaration of Independence revolves around the idea of protecting the rights of individuals.
Which of these demographics groups is incorrectly matched with the political party for which they will most likely vote, based on recent election results?
All of these demographic groups are correctly matched with the political party they recently have been most likely to vote for.
Rural people : Republicans.
Urban individuals : Democrats.
Women : Democrats.
African Americans : Democrats.
All of these social groups are correctly matched with the political party that members of that social group are considered most likely to vote for. African Americans, women, and people living in cities have recently been more likely to vote for a candidate from the Democratic Party. White men, very wealthy individuals, devout protestants, and people from rural backgrounds have recently been more likely to vote Republican.
The process by which an American citizen acquires a political identity is called?
Political socialization
Special interest formation
Grassroots movement
Political methodology
National assimilation
Political socialization is the long and complex process by which an individual citizen acquires a political identity: it includes the individuals for whom they might vote, what issues they support, and how seriously they take their political responsibilities (and the political system in general). Political socialization is primarily directed by family life, but there is a myriad of other factors, including education, the media, and affiliation with some special group, like a trade union.
Political socialization is best described as __________.
the process by which an individual comes to their political opinions and feelings
the process by which an immigrant is assimilated into American society
the process by which the arrival of various immigrant groups changes American society
the ability of the media to manipulate the political opinions of the population
the discord that exists between government rhetoric and government action
Political socialization is the term given to the process by which an individual comes to their political opinions and feelings. It is how someone decides what they believe and who they will vote for. The most important factors are usually parents, economic background, and the media.