Economic Institutions

1. The central element(s) of India's New Economic Policies, as seen in the film Lifting the Veil, was

expanding social spending on programs like education and housing, to bring Indian living standards up to 'First World' levels
privatizing the economy and attracting foreign investors by lowering government regulation and labor costs
returning the country to a subsistence economy to reduce environmental problems and social inequality
implementing an 'import substitution model' so that India produced its own goods and could reduce exports and imports

2. Which of the following is NOT one of the central principles of capitalism identified by Eitzen and Zinn?

competition
pursuit of personal profit
private ownership of the means of production
democracy
laissez faire

3. Which of the following is NOT one of the central principles of socialism identified by Eitzen and Zinn?

democracy
egalitarianism
public ownership of the means of production
planning for common purposes
the dictatorship of the proletariat

4. The U.S. is not a 'pure' capitalist system because:

there is no longer private ownership of property, since most companies are owned by shareholders
the profits of U.S. companies have steadily declined over the past decade
U.S. companies receive a great deal of help from the government
progressive taxes have eliminated the profit incentive in capitalism

5. When four or fewer firms supply 50 percent or more of a particular market, a(n) ---------- results.

monopoly
shared monopoly
interlocking directorate
megamerger

6. A person serving on the board of directors of IBM, Burger King, and Ford is an example of:

shared monopolies
interlocking directorates
the power elite
a violation of the anti-trust Clayton Act of 1914

7. In what way (ways) are the overseas investments by U.S. corporations detrimental for the U.S.?

Increased discontent of workers due to a lack of job security
The trade imbalance is increased with overseas investments
Taxes are lost, contributing further to the federal deficit
All of the above
Both A and B

8. How have poorer countries benefited from multinational companies locating there, according to Eitzen and Zinn?

Profits from the companies are returned to those countries, helping them develop
Employment is increased in the countries, further helping their economy
Multinational companies pay huge taxes to the countries without interfering in their political arrangements
Wages tend to rise
None of the above

9. Scientific management (a.k.a. Taylorization) emphasizes the importance of workers receiving psychological satisfaction from the work that they do.

True
False

10. Which of the following is TRUE about sweatshops?

Sweatshops are most common in the garment industry.
The number of white women who work in sweatshops is similar to Latino and Asian immigrant women involved in such employment.
Sweatshops are disappearing in today's post-industrial U.S. economy.
Anti-sweatshop legislation is strongly enforced.

11. Today, approximately 28 percent of the entire U.S. workforce is unionized.

True
False

12. Those nations with strong unionized working classes have a social democratic conception of society, which leads to universal health care, progressive income taxes, and more equitable government programs.

True
False

13. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons that Eitzen and Zinn cite in explaining the decline in union membership and power?

Unions are less necessary today, since many companies have developed management policies that share power and profits with their workers.
Unions were directly assaulted by Republican presidents in recent decades.
Public opinion has turned against unions.
Businesses do everything they can to block and oppose unions.
Jobs have declined in industries that have been traditionally pro union, while they have grown in industries that are hard to unionize.

14. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the primary labor market (as opposed to the secondary labor market)?

Developed skills
Higher than average representation of women and minorities
Relatively well paid
Stabile, secure employment
Good working conditions

15. Why are women and non-whites more likely to live in poverty?

Women and racial minorities aren't socialized to work as hard as white men
Government programs have been cut back
Women and racial minorities are disproportionately placed in the primary sector
Women and racial minorities are over-represented in unstable, low-paying jobs

16. Unemployed workers who have given up on ever finding work, and thus are not counted as 'unemployed' in the official unemployment measure, are called

dirty workers
secondary labor market workers
discouraged workers
reserve army of labor

17. Marxists argue that unemployment exists primarily to

create a reserve army of labor to keep wages down and workers in control
punish politically active workers
create artificial scarcity
undermine racial antagonisms within the workforce

18. Which of the following is NOT one of the many products of capitalism that Marx and Engels described in 'The Communist Manifesto?'

Tremendous growth of productive, communication, and transportation forces
Growth of towns and cities
End of feudal, patriarchal, and idyllic relations
Growth of a world literature and culture
Greater worker control over the labor process and lower relative levels of social inequality

19. According to Karl Marx, overproduction (a.k.a. 'under-consumption') crises in the economy are caused primarily by

the tremendous productive power of capitalism
the lack of markets in less developed countries
consumer debt
insufficient buying power of the working class because they are paid only a fraction of the value they put into the goods they produce

20. Which of the following factors is NOT part of Wilson's explanation for the concentrated poverty in inner cities?

A shift to a younger population, which is more likely to be unemployed or employed at lower wage jobs
The departure to the suburbs by working and middle class families
Federal policies that withheld mortgage capital from cities while encouraging middle-class whites to flee to the suburbs
Urban renewal projects that dislocated low-income communities
None of the above, since ALL contributed to inner city poverty according to Wilson

21. True of False: According to Leidner, McDonalds is extremely successful because it trains its workers to be able to make good decisions.

True
False

22. The two main strategies McDonalds (and all other organizations) use to get employees to act according to McDonald's organizational plans are

financial incentives and disincentives
socialization and social control
coercion and punishment
good wages, benefits, and working conditions

Political Institutions

23. The ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will, is Max Weber's definition of

authority
power
coercion
influence

24. Which of the following perspectives suggest that power in society is dispersed among a number of organizations, special interests, and voters?

The elitist model of power
The pluralist model of power
The 'new world order' power perspective
The anarchist model of power

25. Robert Michels argued that attempts to build democracies will always result in the establishment of an elite. He called this the

anti-democracy theory
loss of democracy theory
iron law of oligarchy
autocratic principle

26. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons that Robert Michels thought that efforts to build democracies always result in the establishment of an elite?

Leaders need to defend their organization, even when it means ignoring the interests of their members
Leaders come to relish the psychic and material rewards of power, and will do most anything to hold onto it
Followers tend to be apathetic and overly trusting of their leaders
The most skilled members of society always rise to the top, effectively becoming an elite, whether they desire it or not

27. Which of the following is NOT true regarding elite theory?

Michels argued that societies are dominated by elites in part because of the societies' need for leaders and because the masses tend to accept, and even desire, leaders wielding greater power
Elite theorists believe that societies can get rid of elites permanently, if only they can find leaders who truly believe in democracy and won't sell out
Elite theorists argue that leaders of anti-elite movements will simply become the new elites should their movements be successful
Neo-Marxists criticize elite theories for ignoring the resistance of the non-elites and exaggerating the difficulties of ridding societies of elites

28. C. Wright Mills argued that the power of the 'power elite' is rooted in

their psychological orientation, especially their 'will to power'
back room manipulations of the political system
their charisma
the organizational positions they hold in increasingly powerful social institutions

29. According to C. Wright Mills, the three branches of the power elite are the

military, educational, and religious
military, corporations, and the executive branch of the government
corporations, education, and the executive branch of the government
corporations, banking, and the military

30. According to Mills, what has happened historically to increase the power of the three most powerful social institutions?

Each has distributed its power among many
Each has become enlarged and centralized
Each has gained international recognition
Each has been taken over by a few elites hungry for political power

31. Which of the following is NOT consistent with Domhoff's ('neo-Marxist') explanation of how the capitalist class becomes a ruling class?

Capitalists dominate the candidate selection process.
Capitalists dominate the ideological process (e.g. they control the media and schools, and thus are able to promote ideologies that defend their class privileges).
Holders of top government offices (e.g. Congressional leaders, Presidents, etc.) almost always were born into the capitalist class, and therefore are sympathetic to capitalist's interests.
Capitalists have formed or support policy-planning organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations that play a key role in creating government policies and laws.
Government officials are wary of the economic power of the capitalist class, and therefore rarely consider creating laws and policies fundamentally contrary to capitalists' interests.

32. Which of the following is consistent with Parenti's 'systemic imperative' theory and other structural explanations of why government tends to follow the wishes of corporations?

Corporations lobby government officials and pay them honoraria.
Corporations give government officials campaign contributions
Corporations convince government leaders to believe in pro-corporate ideologies
Government needs to keep corporations profitable, in order to keep the economy healthy, unemployment low, and tax revenues coming in

33. Eitzen and Zinn argue that U.S. foreign policy primarily benefits

political elites
military elites
corporations
democratic interests
developing nations

34. According to Piven and Cloward, the real reason that government programs are expanded during recessions (e.g. Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal during the Great Depression) is to

promote social reform
help the millions who are in misery
provide favors to special interest groups
diffuse social unrest

35. 'Sets of ideas used to explain and legitimize social inequality' is the sociological definition for

propaganda
sociological theory
ideologies
dogma

36. Government officials tend to opt for 'trickle-down solutions' to stimulate the economy because

many of them come from the business class and believe that what is good for business is good for the country.
they are much more likely to hear arguments from the powerful than from the weak.
they are the most effective policies for promoting economic growth, the evidence shows.
ALL of the above.
BOTH A and B.

37. The main idea of the Clawson et al reading is that

business has more power and influence on politics than individuals have
PACs control politics through lobbying and contributions and forcing politicians to support their special interests
politicians are self-interested actors who accept 'dirty money' from corporations
we have 'the best congress money can buy'

38. Clawson et al argue that the best way to think about power in order to understand how corporate Political Action Committees (PACs) affect government policy, is to see power as

the ability to force people to do things they don't want to (the Weberian definition of power)
the ability to prevent actions you oppose from taking place (the 'two-dimensional view' of power)
the ability to influence another merely by one's powerful presence (the 'field theory' of power)
the ability to influence another by threatening force (the 'stick theory' of power)

The Mass Media

39. According to Eitzen and Zinn (and Parenti), the mass media's typical portrayal of poverty blames

structural factors, such as high rents, low wages, and regressive taxes
poor peoples' behavior, including lack of motivation and a dependence on welfare
government, for not doing more to reduce poverty and social inequality
religion, for encouraging people to focus on the afterlife and seeing poor people as suffering due to their own sins

40. Which of the following is NOT one of the values that Herbert Gans found commonly portrayed by the mass media?

ethnocentrism
collectivism
altruism
individualism
small-town pastoralism

41. Mike Males' study of the effects of violence in television and film on society concluded that it

is a major cause of violence in society.
has little or no effects on the levels of violence in society.
produces high levels of violence in poor communities, but has little impact on wealthier communities.
is part of a conspiracy to prepare people to be willing to join the military and fight in wars.

42. The term for political ads used by corporations to influence the public on political and ideological issues is

political advertising
propaganda
political puffing
advocacy advertising

43. Which of the following is NOT one of the 'lessons' that Parenti says the media teach us?

Collective action is preferable to individual effort
Free enterprise (a.k.a. capitalism) is the best economic system in the world
Private monetary gain is a central and worthy objective of life
United States military force is used for good goals, such as civilizing the world and promoting democracy
Affluent professionals are more interesting than members of the working class

44. Parenti argues that the political impact of watching soap operas is it

undermines traditional values and norms by portraying people breaking them
promotes traditional values and norms by presenting stories with moral dilemma where virtue typically wins out
promotes critical insights into how societies should work by encouraging people to think critically about their society
undermines critical insights into society, by overtly portraying conservative political ideas

45. Which of the following is NOT true regarding Parenti's analysis of how workers are portrayed in the mass media?

They are underrepresented
They are portrayed in negative, marginal, and patronizing ways
Economic hardship faced by workers is portrayed as being solved by individual ingenuity, not collective actions
Workers are portrayed as racist, sexist, homophobic, and bigoted
Workers are seen as having more complex and genuine personalities

46. Which of the following is FALSE, regarding Eitzen and Zinn's discussion of the media's portrayal of women?

Women are underrepresented and misrepresented in television
It has improved in recent years, although women are often still portrayed as sidekicks, sexual objects, or helpless imbeciles
The media send the message that women today should be superwomen, managing the multiple roles of wife, mother, and career women
None of the above, since all are true.

47. Which of the following is NOT one of the four 'vital functions' that Marger thinks the mass media serve today?

They are agents of socialization
They are sources of information
They promote democracy
They function as propaganda machines for powerful units of the government and economy
They serve as agents of legitimacy for dominant political and economic institutions

48. According to the Marger article, the theory that argued that television has little impact on viewers is called

minimal effects theory
class dominance theory
culturalist theory
'see no evil, speak no evil' theory

49. Which of the following is NOT one of the ways that Mantsios thinks the mass media portray the poor?

The poor are victims of modern capitalist economics.
The poor are undeserving.
The poor only have themselves to blame.
The poor are down on their luck.
The poor are an eyesore.

50. Todd Gitlin argues that the popularity of American mass media around the world is primarily due to “American political, economic, and cultural imperialism.”

True
False

In-class Essay Section. 10 points per question.

Answer ONE question each from the TWO sections that you did NOT write a take home essay question from. For example, if you wrote your take home essay on a question on economic institutions, you are to now choose one question from the political institutions section and one question from the mass media section.

Write your answers in the box below the questions. Be sure to identify your choice by starting your answer with the questions corresponding letter (e.g. "A, B, C, ...").

51. Economic Institutions: Answer ONE of the following questions.
A. Explain what is happening to India, according to the documentary “Lifting the Veil”. Why is this happening? What do you think can/should be done about it?
B. What do E&Z mean by "alienation?" How, and why, are workers alienated? Have you felt alienated from your work? Why? How have you responded to this? How might your work be structured to reduce or eliminate such alienation?
C. Summarize and assess the reasons E&Z offer to explain the declining percentage of workers represented by unions.
D. Identify the positive benefits and negative effects that Marx and Engels find in capitalism. How accurately do you think they describe contemporary U.S. society?
E. Summarize the main thesis of Leidner’s article. How and why has work been “routinized” by McDonalds? What are its effects on workers and consumers? Do you see similar examples of routinization in your current or more recent job? If so, how have you and other workers responded?

52. Political Institutions: Answer ONE of the following questions.
A. Compare and contrast pluralist, elitist, and neo-Marxist theories of power. Which model do you think offers the best understanding of the U.S. today? Why?
B. Summarize and assess E&Z's response to the question they pose: "Is the U.S. a democracy?" Given these structural barriers, what do you think could be done to promote democratization of the U.S.?
C. How do E&Z explain why the New Deal and other "progressive" reforms were passed? If they are right, what should be done to address the needs of the poor and other subordinated groups?
D. Summarize Mill’s description of the "power-elite." Do you think the "big three" groups are equally powerful in the U.S. today? Critically assess Mills’ argument.
E. Explain the five ways that the capitalist class becomes a ruling class, according to Marxists.

53. The Mass Media. Answer ONE of the following questions.
A. Compare the common blaming of violence on the mass media, with Mike Males' critique of this argument. How does Males explain the high rates of violence in society? Assess this debate.
B. What values did Gan's study find the media promoting? How does this finding fit with what values you see it promoting?
C. Explain and assess Marger's arguments that the "political objectivity" of the media doesn't mean it is "politically neutral", and that the media isn't even politically objective!
D. Summarize Mantsios’ explanation of the ways that the news media distort poor people, poverty, the wealthy, the middle class, and the working class. Assess his argument.
E. How does Gitlin explain the popularity of the American mass media around the world? Be sure to explain both the “demand side” and the “supply side” of his theory.