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TEST
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2
3
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yourself
Why is the average age of the American population
increasing?
A. The immigration rate is increasing.
B. The large baby boom generation is nearing retirement age.
C. The birthrate is increasing.
D. All of the above
A system of government in which ultimate political authority
is vested in the people is the definition of which of the following terms?
A. Policymaking environment
B. Political culture
C. Democracy
D. Capitalism
According to Robert A. Dahl, which of the following is a criterion of democracy?
A. Candidates have the opportunity to conduct political campaigns in order to win political support.
B. All businesses and industry are privately owned.
C. All citizens enjoy a minimum standard of living, including
access to healthcare.
D. All of the above
According to Robert A. Dahl’s criteria of democracy, which of
the following nations would NOT be considered a democracy?
A. In Country A, the government controls the news media
and ensures that information damaging to the government is suppressed.
B. In Country B, the government owns and operates the airlines and the railroads.
C. In Country C, the income gap between the wealthiest and
poorest sectors of society is huge.
D. All of the above
Which of the following is characteristic of a democracy?
A. People have the right to criticize the government.
B. People have the right to join unions and other interest
groups.
C. People have the right to run against current officeholders.
D. All of the above
An economic system characterized by individual and corporate ownership of the means of production, and a market
economy based on the supply and demand of goods and
services is a definition of which of the following?
A. Constitutional monarchy
B. Capitalism
C. Democracy
D. Absolute monarchy
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Which of the following nations spends the most on its military?
A. The United States
B. China
C. Russia
D. India
14
Which of the following nations has the largest economy?
A. The United States
B. China
C. Russia
D. India
Which of the following statements is true about the baby
boom generation?
A. The baby boom generation is smaller than preceding or
succeeding generations.
B. The baby boom generation retired just before 2000.
C. The baby boom generation was born during the late
1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s.
D. None of the above
Which of the following statements is true about population
growth in the 1990s?
A. The population growth rate increased during the decade
largely because of immigration.
B. The population growth rate increased during the decade
largely because the birthrate increased.
C. The population growth rate fell during the decade because
the baby boom generation began to die off.
D. The population growth rate fell during the decade because
the birthrate declined.
Which of the following countries is NOT an important source
of recent immigration to the United States?
A. Mexico
B. China
C. Great Britain
D. India
Which racial/ethnic group grew the most rapidly during the
1990s?
A. Latinos
B. Whites
C. African Americans
D. Asian Americans
15
Thank you! to John
Minutti for posting
a list of "you know
if" statements that I
actually recognize-though I do take
slight offense to his
#24 :)
16
After the 2000 Census, California gained seats in the U.S.
House of Representatives. Knowing that fact, which of the
following statements must therefore be true?
A. California is the most populous state in the nation.
B. The population of California increased at a faster rate in
the 1990s than did the population of the United States as
a whole.
C. California is in the Sunbelt.
D. All of the above
The integration of national economies into a world economic
system in which companies compete worldwide for suppliers and markets is the definition for which of the following
terms?
A. Capitalism
B. Gross domestic product
C. Democracy
D. Global economy
How have low-skilled workers been affected by the global
economy?
A. They have been harmed because global competition has
led to price increases for many of the products that they
purchase.
B. They have been harmed because American companies
cannot afford to pay high wages to low-skill workers and
still compete effectively against foreign competitors with
lower wage costs.
C. They have been helped because the number of good jobs
available to low-skill workers has increased.
D. All of the above
Which of the following statements is true about income distribution in the United States?
A. Since 1980, the proportion of national income received by
the wealthiest fifth of the population has increased.
B. Since 1980, the proportion of income received by the
poorest fifth of the population has fallen.
C. The income gap between the wealthiest and poorest families has been increasing.
D. All of the above
KNOW
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18
19
Median household income in the United States is highest for
which of the following groups?
A. Asian Americans
B. Whites
C. African Americans
D. Latinos
Which of the following statements is true?
A. Household income is higher in the South than it is in any
other region.
B. On average, women earn more than men.
C. The average income for people living in metropolitan areas is lower than it is for people living outside metropolitan areas.
D. None of the above
How is the official poverty threshold determined?
A. The poverty threshold is set at 30 percent of the average
household income. Anyone earning less than 30 percent
of the average is considered poor.
B. The official poverty rate was set in 1950 at $8,000 and
changes each year based on the inflation rate.
C. The poverty threshold is based on the amount of money an
individual or family needs to purchase basic necessities.
D. People declare whether they are poor based on their perception of their ability to buy the things they need.
20 Which of the following statements is true about poverty in
America?
A. Nearly half of African Americans and Latinos live in poverty.
B. Nearly a third of all Americans have incomes below the official poverty level.
C. More than a fourth of families headed by women are below the official poverty level.
D. All of the above
the score
18–20 correct: Congratulations! You are well informed!
15–17 correct: Your political knowledge is a bit low—be sure
to review the key terms and visit TheThinkSpot.
<14 correct: Reread the chapter more thoroughly.
1. B; 2. C; 3. A; 4. A; 5. D; 6. B; 7. A; 8. A; 9. C; 10. A; 11. C; 12. A; 13. B; 14. D; 15. B; 16. D; 17. A; 18. D; 19. C; 20. C
32 CHAPTER 1 | a changing america
test yourself
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