Chapter 14 Self-assessment

. Which of the following was NOT a general trend in global politics after the end of the Cold War in the 1990s?

Transitions from dictatorships to democracy.

The assertion of (new or old) ethnic and religious identities against homogenizing states.

The tendency among political movements by particular racial, ethnic, or religious groups to ignore or minimize inequalities within the group.

The centralization of state power by incorporating formerly autonomous areas into the state and society.

. Neoliberal governments in Latin America tended to classify and relate to their populations based on socio-economic categories of class and occupation.

True

False

. Brazil's 1988 constitution gave indigenous and Afro-descended Brazilians new economic incentives to claim certain kinds of historical community identities.

True

False

. The election of Peru's first indigenous president, Ollanta Humala, in 2011 marked a major step forward in the assertion of indigenous culture and rights in Peru.

True

False

. Which of the following statements about President Rafael Correa of Ecuador is FALSE?

He strengthened the power of Ecuador's presidency by ushering in a new constitution in 2008

He brought several leaders of the country's Afro-Ecuadorean political movement into his cabinet.

He entered into a mutually beneficial political alliance with Ecuador's indigenous movement.

He took advantage of strong oil revenues during his first two terms to increase government spending on social programs.

. Which of the following statements about the Maya movement in Guatemala is FALSE?

In 1999 it won changes to Guatemala's constitution via a referendum that redefined the nation as multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual.

Its leaders were mostly Maya intellectuals and other cultural elites.

It has focused on the teaching and use of Maya languages as the key part of a broader program of identity politics.

It criticized both the Marxist guerrillas and the right-wing governments for their views of and policies toward the country's indigenous majority.

. Which of the following has NOT been one of the general trends in Mexican politics since 2000?

The consolidation of competitive, multi-party electoral contests.

The inability of successive Mexican governments to overcome entrenched interest groups and enact the kind of sweeping reforms that the winning candidates had proposed.

The rejection by successive Mexican governments of the neoliberal economic model.

The struggles of Mexico's tourism and assembly-plant (maquiladora) industries as a result of high-profile violence near the US border.

. Which of the following statements about the drug-trafficking issue in Mexico is FALSE?

Seeking to reduce drug-related violence, President Enrique Peña Nieto has taken a softer approach to the cartels, withdrawing the Mexican army and deploying a new police force instead.

Felipe Calderón's hard-line war with the drug cartels was both successful in the few states were it was pursued and popular with Mexican voters.

Mexico's drug cartels have diversified into new drugs and other criminal activities such as extortion and human trafficking, and have expanded their networks into Central America.

The drug cartels obtain their weapons in the United States.

. Which of the following statements about the Venezuelan constitution of 1999 is FALSE?

It put Venezuelan media under the de facto control of the state.

Non- and anti-chavista delegates were barely represented in the convention that drafted it.

It was approved in a referendum by 71% of the electorate.

It strengthened the powers and tenure of the presidency.

. Hugo Chávez's economic legacy includes all of the following EXCEPT

Nationalizing banks, heavy industries, and food-processing companies.

Giving the residents of informal urban settlements title to the lands and homes they occupied.

Creating a new state-funded public-health program employing thousands of Cuban doctors.

Reducing the Venezuelan economy's reliance on oil revenues.

. Almost all Latin American countries have legally mandated quotas that women must make up 50% of elected legislators and cabinet ministers.

True.

False.

. Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Several prominent female Latin American politicians have come to office building on their connection to politically active husbands or fathers.

Women's activism against the human-rights abuses of the region's military dictatorships led to a rise in female participation in politics and in elected office once democracy was restored.

Female cabinet members in Latin America have tended to hold lower-prestige posts that are viewed as "feminine" or nurturing.

Research shows that female presidents and other senior leaders have significantly different governing styles and outcomes than their male counterparts.

. Which of the following statements about Peru's glacial lakes is FALSE?

They have been the cause of devastating floods throughout Peru's modern history.

Technical problems mean that they have not yet successfully been used to generate significant hydroelectricity.

They play important roles in indigenous Peruvians' traditional conceptions of the natural and spiritual worlds.

Climate change threatens to disrupt the established cycles that feed water into the lakes.

. Which of the following statements about "neopentecostal" religion in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America is FALSE?

Like earlier waves of Pentecostalism in Latin America, it has been largely led by foreign missionaries.

Its leaders and voters have been instrumental in opposing gay marriage, abortion, and other socially liberal policies.

They share with other Pentecostals a strong belief in bodily experiences of God, such as faith healing and speaking in tongues.

Neopentecostal churches have accumulated significant wealth and political influence, especially in Brazil and Central America.

. Phenomena such as cumbia and telenovelas indicate that popular culture in Latin America is increasingly transnational, encompassing audiences and performers throughout the region in the United States.

True

False

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