Political Science 161
Questions for Bardes et al.,
1. Give argument for and against requiring citizens to vote.
2. What is the definition of politics that is given in the text? What is an institution? What is government? Why is the need for order important to government? What is anarchy? What is power? What is authority? What is legitimacy?
3. What is a totalitarian regime? What is an elite? What is authoritarianism? What is a theocracy? How about aristocracy? How about democracy?
4. Describe the initiative, the referendum and the recall. Give some features of teledemocracy.
5. Why did the founding fathers distrust direct democracy? What is a demagogue? What is a republic? What are the basic principles of democratic government?
6. Distinguish between the elite theory of American society and the pluralist theory. What is hyperpluralism?
7. What is meant by political culture? What is political socialization? What are some of the major agents of political socialization listed by the authors? Can you think of some others? What are the fundamental values of the dominant American political culture according to the authors? How would you balance civil liberties against the need for national security and order? What happens to liberty in times of war?
8. What is an ideology according to the authors? What does Dr. Przybylski think needs to be added to this definition? Describe American liberalism and conservatism. Describe the feeling of the major ideologies regarding how much power the government should have and what values the government should pursue. Describe the differences between the philosophy of Al Qaeda and the Baath Party. Describe the four-cornered ideological grid found in Bardes, et al.
9. Describe some features of the changing face of America.
10. Why is an understanding of American politics important today according to the authors?