AP U.S. Government and Politics · Past multiple choice · Question 7
Democratic models
Read an excerpt about group politics and pick the summary of the author's argument about forms of democracy.
Lessons this question tests
1 Read the question
The question is College Board's: sample question 7 in AP U.S. Government and Politics Course and Exam Description. It starts on page 181 of the PDF.
Open Question 7 (PDF, page 181)
2 Pick your answer
3 Check the explanation
Why the answer is C open once you have picked
Schattschneider is attacking pluralism, the theory that democracy works through many competing groups. His complaint is that the group system does not represent everyone: the voices it carries are mostly upper class, and he estimates that about 90 percent of people are left out of group politics entirely.
Choice C keeps both parts of that. It grants pluralism its basic picture, groups active at many points as policy is made, and then states the author's objection that a large share of the population is shut out.
Each choice
- A. Pluralism is about groups competing for influence, not shielding elites from the public. Shielding the few is closer to elite theory, and the author does not say anything works best when citizens stay out.
- B. Participatory democracy calls for broad, direct participation, not limited participation. The author is also writing about the pressure group system, which is pluralism.
- C (correct). The author accepts that groups take part throughout policymaking but argues the system leaves out most people.
- D. The passage criticizes the group system for excluding people, not participatory democracy for causing conflict. This choice describes a different argument.
Question and answer key: College Board. The title and summary are ours, and so is the explanation.