In the past, the activities of political parties often had a very direct effect on citizen's everyday lives. In the 1930s, for example, strong party machines dominated local politics in many large cities. In some cities, such as Chicago, the party machine was almost omnipresent. Had you been living in such a city, the party machine would have affected your everyday life. Party machines then
bestowed government contracts on loyal supporters. The machines often helped the poor and the unfortunate with gifts of food and clothing (particularly before an election). Today, there are no real party machines. Nonetheless, political parties do affect your everyday life, if more indirectly. Consider that whichever party has the most members in Congress dominates that institution. Congressional leaders and committee chairs come from the dominant political party. Thus, a particular political party's success can often lead to new laws and regulations that affect your daily life. You may have to pay higher or lower taxes, face more or fewer employment opportunities, or experience changes in the social environment around you. Suppose, for example, that you live in a city with a relatively high and rising crime rate. If a political party that wants to spend more government resources on crime reduction wins a majority in Congress, your everyday life could be significantly affected. Similarly, political parties play important roles in state legislatures and governorships. A state legislature controlled by Democrats will create and implement different policies than a legislature controlled by Republicans, and vice versa. These policies could affect the amount of tuition you pay, the amount of state taxes that are withheld from your paycheck, the speed limit on your state's highways, the job opportunities available to you, and so on. "In the 1930s, for example, strong party machines dominated local politics in many large cities." "Today, there are no real party machines." How are the two sentences above related?
a. The second sentence is an example of what is discussed in the firstsentence.
b. The second sentence clarifies what is stated in the first sentence.
c. The second sentence contrasts with what is stated in the first sentence.
d. The second sentence summarizes what is said in the first sentence.
c
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Dal singolare al plurale. Dopo l’esame di matematica, Michele incontra Ryan, uno studente americano che deve dare un esame importante d’italiano quel pomeriggio. Michele aiuta Ryan a ripassare un po’ di grammatica italiana. Riscrivi le seguenti frasi al plurale. Presta attenzione a TUTTI gli elementi della frase!
Es. La bambina mangia la pesca. Le bambine mangiano le pesche. La ragazza prende un buon caffè al bar in piazza. ______________________________________________________________________________
Democracy is found almost exclusively in the wealthier nations of the world. The key factor, however, is not the overall wealth of the nation but the way the wealth is distributed; democracy generally is found in nations that do not have extremes of income inequality. A large and relatively affluent middle class is especially important. Members of the middle class usually have sufficient social
and economic resources to organize effectively. Their economic power and organization enable them to hold the government accountable. Democracy also flourishes only in societies with many competing groups, each of which comprises less than a majority. In such a situation, no single group can win a majority of votes without negotiating with other groups. Since each group is a minority, safeguarding minority political groups protects everybody. Although democratic stability depends on competing interest groups, two additional conditions must be met. First, if minority political groups are so divided or ineffective that there is little chance they can win an election, the public may become disillusioned with the democratic process. Second, competing interest groups must share the same basic values. If they do not, they are not likely to be able to abide by the rules of the game. For example, fundamental differences between the values of Israelis who want peace with the Palestinians and the values of Israelis who do not, together with different values among different factions of Palestinians, make it difficult for democracy to thrive in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The author's statement that, "Democracy also flourishes only in societies with many competing groups...." is a. adequately supported by factual evidence. b. inadequately supported because it is based on generalizations.
What was "a crack in the universe"?
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).
The word that is spelled phonetically as j? r?f' is
a. graph. b. giraffe. c. jargon. d. raffle.